Hello,
This might not be the forum for this but it concerns use of an
autoloader which many amanda users probably use.

I have a RedHat 8.0 system running on an HP DL380 that has updated
drivers for the raid and hot plug system. I have an Overland
LoaderXpress autoloader, 20 tape magazine with a single Sony sdx-400c
internal tape drive (AIT-2).

I'd like to use eventually use this with amanda, but right now I'd
settle for just being able to write to tape.

When I try to tar a directory to the drive

tar -cvf /dev/nst0 ./directory

I get an error read-only file system.The tab on the tape is shut.

Everything seems to be working as far as the autoloader and tape drive,
but the tapes indicate write protect is on when it is not.

See attached output from mt and mtx commands:

[root@whs1 root]# mtx -f /dev/sg0 inquiry
Product Type: Tape Drive
Vendor ID: 'SONY    '
Product ID: 'SDX-400C        '
Revision: '0702'
Attached Changer: No

[root@whs1 root]# mtx -f /dev/sg1 inquiry
Product Type: Medium Changer
Vendor ID: 'OVERLAND'
Product ID: 'LIBRARYPRO      '
Revision: '0420'
Attached Changer: No

[root@whs1 root]# mtx -f /dev/sg0 status
mtx: Request Sense: Long Report=yes
mtx: Request Sense: Valid Residual=no
mtx: Request Sense: Error Code=70 (Current)
mtx: Request Sense: Sense Key=Illegal Request
mtx: Request Sense: FileMark=no
mtx: Request Sense: EOM=no
mtx: Request Sense: ILI=no
mtx: Request Sense: Additional Sense Code = 20
mtx: Request Sense: Additional Sense Qualifier = 00
mtx: Request Sense: Field in Error = 07
mtx: Request Sense: BPV=yes
mtx: Request Sense: Error in CDB=yes
mtx: Request Sense: SKSV=yes
mtx: Request Sense: Field Pointer = 00 00
READ ELEMENT STATUS Command Failed

[root@whs1 root]# mtx -f /dev/sg1 status
  Storage Changer /dev/sg1:1 Drives, 20 Slots ( 1 Import/Export )
Data Transfer Element 0:Full (Storage Element 7 Loaded):VolumeTag =
BEW306
                     
      Storage Element 1:Full :VolumeTag=BEW300
      Storage Element 2:Full :VolumeTag=BEW301
      Storage Element 3:Full :VolumeTag=BEW302
      Storage Element 4:Full :VolumeTag=BEW303
      Storage Element 5:Full :VolumeTag=BEW304
      Storage Element 6:Full :VolumeTag=BEW305
      Storage Element 7:Empty
      Storage Element 8:Full :VolumeTag=BEW307
      Storage Element 9:Full :VolumeTag=BEW308
      Storage Element 10:Full :VolumeTag=BEW309
      Storage Element 11:Full :VolumeTag=BEW310
      Storage Element 12:Empty
      Storage Element 13:Empty
      Storage Element 14:Empty
      Storage Element 15:Empty
      Storage Element 16:Empty
      Storage Element 17:Empty
      Storage Element 18:Empty
      Storage Element 19:Full
      Storage Element 20 IMPORT/EXPORT:Empty

[root@whs1 root]# mt -f /dev/nst0 status
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=0, block number=-1, partition=0.
Tape block size 512 bytes. Density code 0x31 (AIT-2).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (5010000):
 WR_PROT ONLINE IM_REP_EN

[root@whs1 hugo]# tar -cvf /dev/nst0 ./database
tar: /dev/nst0: Cannot open: Read-only file system
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

[root@whs1 hugo]# uname -a
Linux whs1 2.4.18-14 #1 Wed Sep 4 13:35:50 EDT 2002 i686 i686 i386
GNU/Linux

Any help would be appreciated.

-- 
Kent L. Nasveschuk <kent AT wareham.k12.ma DOT us>