tar error message

[radi_1]

Hi,
I get tar write error messsage when backingup a file;when i read more detaild informaion it says that tape media is write protected(which is not because i used a new media).Is there somthing wrong with drive or the driver?
Thanks

[MarkSyder]

Could you provide exact command used and exact error message? Just because the tape's new doesn't mean it's not write protected!

Mark Syder (like the drink but spelt different)

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Check these things:
1) Write protect tab on the tape.
2) Mount options on the mountpoint you are writing to.

If either is read only, it explains the problem.

An error message, os version server type always helps too with getting better ITRC help.

SEP

[Yang Qin_1]

Did you run "mt -t /dev/rmt/#mn rew" before you run "tar"?

Yang

[radi_1]

Firstly ,I used the folowing comand syntax;
tar cv /etc/hosts.
Secondly,the write protect tap was closed( for write protection) & i used two new tapes.
Thirdly, i will send you the exact error message very soon.
thanks for your quick reply.

[Patrick Wallek]

What happens if you specify the exact tape drive you want to use?

# tar cvf /dev/rmt/0m /etc/hosts

If your tape drive is not 0m, then use whatever is appropriate.

To see your tape drives do an:

# ioscan -kfnC tape

[Sp4admin]

Hi radi,

1) check the wright protect on the tape.
2) tar -cvf /dev/rmt/0m filename
3) check the device path ioscan -fnC tape
4) I think the default path is /dev/rmt/0m
5) I would try the mt -t /dev/rmt/0m

Sp,

[radi_1]

I am sorry guys i did not mention that the tape drive is dat8 SureStore and conected to intel based sco unix server because i only wanted to know what causes the write error message of tar comand regardless of server s/w or h/w.I have tried DAT24 & DAT40 but with no success.could it be a compatibility issue?
Am an hpux person & i do not know if SCO has ioscan -funCtape like command to check if tape is claimed by kernel.
Thanks

[OldSchool]

"secondly, the write protect tab was closed (for write protection)"??????

well, if the tape WAS write protected, you can't write to it, hence the error (or did I misunderstand something)

[radi_1]

sorry for the delay in asigning points,
1-the tar write error was due to writing to a dat24& dat40 tape drive,only dat8 is
acceptable for this particular H/W.
2-The tape devive file used by SCO is
/dev/rStp0 and not /dev/rmt/c0s0 , which
happened to exist! which confused matters
for me.
3-I actualy ment (the tab is closed for R/W)
Thank you.

[radi_1]

Sorry again guys,am loged in but unable to assign points because the points box is not on.

[V. Nyga]

Hi radi / M.Salah,

you have to check your logins:
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/publicProfile.do?userId=CA780577&forumId=1

With this one you opened this thread and with this one you can assign pts.
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/publicProfile.do?userId=CA1133701&forumId=1

or it was a forum error that switched the logins.

Volkmar

[radi_1]

thank you all for your help.The device file for tape drive is /dev/rStp0 for this sco server