Thanks all so far for the help. I am still stuck with this.

1. I don't think I have stinit configured; there's no stinit.conf in
/etc/.
2. Using /dev/nst0 works no better than /dev/st0. if I "mt" anything,
using either, the command prompt just returns after a second, and no
response from the drive.
3. Tarring directly to the drive, it appears to work OK! "tar -cvf
/dev/nst0 /home", and the drive blinks for a while.


Thanks guys, I know this isn't strictly "amanda" related. I really try
to exhaust all personal ideas before posting here.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-amanda-users AT amanda DOT org
[mailto:owner-amanda-users AT amanda DOT org] On Behalf Of Gene Heskett
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 11:55 AM
To: amanda-users AT amanda DOT org
Subject: Re: tape device /dev/st0 not responding - RH9

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."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
99.22% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com
attornies please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2004 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.