On Tue, 3 Feb 2004 at 11:10am, Kent L. Nasveschuk wrote
> 
> 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 have a very similar unit -- actually, the loader is identical, but I've 
got AIT3 drives.

> 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:
*snip*
> [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

The block number seems a bit odd.  What happens if you do 'mt rewind' 
and then 'mt status'?  Also, out of curiousity, what does 'tapeinfo -f 
/dev/sg0' say?

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

Dig through the menus on the front panel of the loader.  In my manual, I 
see at least one option (under the "Escape" menu) where you can check the 
drive status to see if the library thinks the drive is write protected.  
Also, what does 'ls -l /dev/nst0*' say?  Anything odd in the systems logs 
regarding the st module?

As an aside, your kernel version looks like a rather old one -- there have 
been a lot of errate since that kernel.  Upgrading it wouldn't be a bad 
idea.

-- 
Joshua Baker-LePain
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University