Problems using tar and other tape devices.

[ghodges]

I am having problems with other tape devices other than /dev/st0.

My current configuration is Suse Linux 8.0. with a Sony SDT-D110000 DDS4 tape drive.

I can successfully use the tar command to extract, create and get table of contents when I use the following device. "/dev/st0" However I have recieved a tape from a customer and when I do the following command "tar -xvf /dev/st0" and error is produced stating I have and Input/Output error. Several people have mention that the tape could have been created using some type of low level format and that I need to use one of the other devices in the /dev directory. For instance "/dev/st0m" When I attempt to use this device or others in the /dev direcotry the tar command tells me this is not a recgonized device.

Any comments on how to configure these other devices "/dev/stxxxx" to work with my tape drive or how to find out the details of that tape that was given to me?

I have been trying to find some online documention about this problem but have been unsuccessfull. Any help would be greatly appreciate.

Regards,

Greg H.

[genlee]

try

mt -f /dev/st0 status

mknod -m 666 /dev/st0 c 9 0
mknod -m 666 /dev/st0l c 9 32
mknod -m 666 /dev/st0m c 9 64
mknod -m 666 /dev/st0a c 9 96
mknod -m 666 /dev/nst0 c 9 128
mknod -m 666 /dev/nst0l c 9 160
mknod -m 666 /dev/nst0m c 9 192
mknod -m 666 /dev/nst0a c 9 224

That is how they tape devices should be created.
st0 - default (not sure which density, i think low)
st0l - low density
st0m - high density
st0a - auto density