tape -- Command

Manipulate a tape device
tape command [count] [device]

The command tape lets you manipulate  a tape device.  device names the tape
device to manipulate.  If you name no device on the command line, tape uses
the device  T_DEFAULT; header file <tape.h>  defines this constant to
be device /dev/tape.  For a list of tape devices,  see the overview article
for tape.

command names the task that you want tape to execute, as follows:

erase        Erase the tape.  SCSI tape only.

retension    Retension the tape.   This rewinds  the tape, then  performs a
             full forward wind,  then another  rewind.  The seek  offset is
             set to zero.

rewind       Rewind the  tape.   This  command positions  the  tape at  the
             beginning of  track 0.   It resets seek  offset (see  seek and
             tell, below)  to  zero.   If  tape  is already  rewound,  this
             command has no effect.

rfm          Move the tape forward  to the next file  mark; in effect, skip
             the current file.  SCSI tape only.

seek location
             This command has the same effect  as if the tape had just been
             used  with  no-rewind-on-close,  leaving   the  tape  at  byte
             location. No tape  motion occurs at  the time of  the command,
             but the  next read  or write  begins at  byte location  on the
             tape.  Floppy tape only.

status       Display various  parameters for  the tape  drive, and  for the
             cartridge being  used.  Not  every tape  drive  supports every
             status    option.     Unsupported     features    appear    as
             ``unavailable''.  The  following  gives an  example of  output
             from this command:

                 Floppy Tape Status:
                     Drive Configuration  = 0x90
                         500 Kbits/sec
                         Non-Extra-Length Tape
                         QIC-80 Mode.
                     ROM Version  = 0x85
                     Vendor ID  = 0x0146, Make=5, Model=6
                     Tape Status Unavailable.
                     Drive Status  = 0x65
                         drive ready or idle
                         cartridge present
                         cartridge referenced
                         at physical BOT
                     Drive Error Status - No Error.

             Floppy tape only.

tell         Display the byte offset  that will be in  effect the next time
             the tape is read or written.  Floppy tape only.

The related command  ftbad lets you read and modify  the list of bad blocks
on a floppy-tape cartridge.

See Also

commands,
ftbad,
hai,
tape

© 2012 by Stephen A. Ness