On Fri, Sep 19, 2003 at 04:00:51PM -0300, Bruno Negrão wrote:
> I´m using a redhat linux to make amanda backups based on tar. Should I use 
> the device /dev/nst0 or /dev/nrst0?
> 
> What does the r letter stand for?

Not sure.  Historically, it has meant "raw", i.e. a character
special file; no prefix meant "cooked", i.e. the block special
file for the same underlying device.

But it's been a *long* time since I've seen a tape device with
both raw and cooked versions, and Linux seems to have done away
with the distinction even for disk devices.

Now, I suspect "r" stands for redundant :-)

I'd be curious to see the output of "ls -ld /dev/*st0" on your
system...

--

|  | /\
|-_|/  >   Eric Siegerman, Toronto, Ont.        erics AT telepres DOT com
|  |  /
When I came back around from the dark side, there in front of me would
be the landing area where the crew was, and the Earth, all in the view
of my window. I couldn't help but think that there in front of me was
all of humanity, except me.
        - Michael Collins, Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot