I've some trouble with amanda on aix 5.2L (it's a client machine)
Maybe you can help me or introduce me, what caused this error.

I try to use amanda 2.4.2p2 patched with tar-1.12.patch and regex-3.6alpha.patch
Amanda have been compiled with following options:
 
 --without-server
 --with-user=bin
 --with-group=bin
 --with-gnutar='path to gnu-tar'

In "disklist" i use the "always-full-tar" option and path targeted to 
directory, not to device.
and there is i have follow  amanda report:
 -- my.system /directory lev 0 FAILED [data timeout]
 sendbackup: start [my.system:/directory level 0]
 sendbackup: could not unlock /etc/amandates: Bad file number? dumper: strange 
[missing size line from sendbackup]
 dumper: strange [missing end line from sendbackup]

What does this mean?

P.S 
I was try to use amanda-2.4.2p2 without any patches and i again have this error.
My Amanda-server (amanda-2.4.2.p2) work on Linux machine and backup other 
systems (linux and hp-ux) fine.