On Tuesday 30 March 2004 11:37, Joshua Baker-LePain wrote:
>On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 at 11:25am, Byarlay, Wayne A. wrote
>
>> That unfortunately doesn't work.
>>
>> I don't know if /dev/nst0 exists in this config... I tried to use
>> it in the beginning, to no avail. That is what debian calls it in
>> the old configuration on the old Hard Drive. For some reason,
>> Debian assigns it /dev/st0 in the boot log.
>>
>> the results of mt -f /dev/st0 status are:
>>
>> SCSI 2 tape drive:
>> File number=0, block number=0, partition=0.
>> Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x1b (DLT 35GB).
>> Soft error count since last status=0
>> General status bits on (41010000):
>>  BOT ONLINE IM_REP_EN
>>
>> the results of mt -f /dev/nst0 status are:
>>
>> SCSI 2 tape drive:
>> File number=0, block number=0, partition=0.
>> Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x1b (DLT 35GB).
>> Soft error count since last status=0
>> General status bits on (41010000):
>>  BOT ONLINE IM_REP_EN
>
>You *have* to use /dev/nst0 with amanda.  Amanda will not work with
> a rewinding tape device.  From the outputs above, 'mt rewind'
> *shouldn't* do anything, because the tape is already rewound.  What
> happens if you try to amlabel a tape?  Even more basic, what
> happens if try to tar directly to the tape?

To clarify, he is probably using /dev/st0 because thats what dmesg 
said it was.  So lets just clear it up that /dev/nst0 is the 
non-rewinding on close version of /dev/st0.

/dev/st0, being a rewind on close device, would simply rewind the tape 
and then overwrite it with the next tar or dump file, thereby wasting 
the tape as even the label would be overwritten.

Since amanda writes a series of files to the tape, one per disklist 
line, amanda must assume the tape is still positioned at the end of 
the filemark from closing the last file it wrote so that it can 
continue using the tape from where it was left.  When amanda wants to 
rewind the tape, amanda will do that, but it cannot have some 
middleman driver over-riding amandas wishes.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
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Copyright 2004 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.