On 04.08.2008 13:45, Chris Hoogendyk wrote (please find the answer below the 
original text):

Steven Backus wrote:

  Ever since my latest update from Red Hat, my VXA-2 tape library
has stopped working.  It appears /dev/tape is now a directory
instead of a link to /dev/nst0 and every command I give to the
drive returns /dev/nst0: Input/output error.  I've tried removing
/dev/tape and linking it to /dev/nst0 with no joy.  I've also tried
using dd, which returns the same error.  I've tried re-compiling
Amanda too.  I'm running Red Hat AS 4.x and amanda 2.5.2p1, anyone
got any ideas?

newer linux Systems use udev for device files.
/dev/tape will be a directory when the system detects a tape.
Look at /etc/udev/rules.d to see what happens at boot time
or when plugging devices


-Ingo.