Tape Commands

Rewind tape drive:

# mt -f /dev/st0 rewind

Backup directory /www and /home with tar command (z - compressed):

tar -czf /dev/st0 /www /home

Find out what block you are at with mt command:

# mt -f /dev/st0 tell

Display list of files on tape drive:

# tar -tzf /dev/st0

Restore /www directory:

# cd /

# mt -f /dev/st0 rewind

# tar -xzf /dev/st0 www (no leading slash)

Unload the tape:

# mt -f /dev/st0 offline

Display status information about the tape unit:

# mt -f /dev/st0 status

Erase the tape:

# mt -f /dev/st0 erase

You can go BACKWARD or FORWARD on tape with mt command itself:

(a) Go to end of data:

# mt -f /dev/nst0 eod

(b) Goto previous record:

# mt -f /dev/nst0 bsfm 1

(c) Forward record:

# mt -f /dev/nst0 fsf 1