Just a note on this: 
There needs to be a tape in the drive when you execute that command...at
least on my drives. 
Anyone have any further info on this?

My drives are AIT35 autoloaders.

Regards,
Gordon 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-amanda-users AT amanda DOT org 
> [mailto:owner-amanda-users AT amanda DOT org] On Behalf Of Michael Loftis
> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 2:21 PM
> To: Guy Dallaire; amanda users list
> Subject: Re: Disabling LTO-2 hardware compression
> 
> mt -f <st device> datcompression 0
> 
> That should work but it will likely come back on after a 
> restart though.
> 
> --On May 2, 2006 10:17:48 AM -0400 Guy Dallaire 
> <clepeterd AT gmail DOT com> wrote:
> 
> > Hi,
> >
> > Recently added an Overland LoaderXpress LTO 2 tape library 
> to my setup.
> > Inside the loader is an OEM HP Ultrium tape drive. My tape 
> server is a 
> > centos 4.2 box (RHEL 4 clone)
> >
> > I'm using software compression with amanda 2.4.5p1 already.
> >
> > Problem is, the tape drive in the library always seems to have 
> > hardware compression ON. There is no way on the library 
> operator panel 
> > to force the compression OFF.
> >
> > I've heard that LTO2 drives can easily cope with already compressed 
> > data (and do not try to re compress it). Is this true ? 
> Otherwise, I 
> > fear that trying to compress already compressed data might actually 
> > use more tape space and reduce throughput.
> >
> > I've searched the amanda wiki and di not find anything.
> >
> > Has anyone devised a way to force hw compression off on a 
> similar setup ?
> >
> > Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> --
> "Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting 
> its possessors into trouble of all kinds."
> -- Samuel Butler
>