Andy Adler <andya@BBNCCP.ARPA> (12/04/84)
I am looking for a utility that will write ansi standard labelled tape with ebcdic binary data from UNIX. This is what is known as a standard IBM tape. If you know of any such utility that is in the public domain or if you know of one that has been posted to net.sources please tell me. Thank you, Andy Adler (andya @ bbn-unix)
jmrm%cuedvax@UCL-CS.ARPA (12/17/84)
About two weeks ago Andy Adler <andy@bbnccp> asked for information about Unix utilities for writing ANSI standard labelled tapes. I originally tried to reply direct but delivery appears to fail so I am posting this to the net instead. I have a program which will write ansi standard labelled tapes containing ascii data, or in the unformatted record mode any other type of data. It would not be unduly difficult to add ascii to ebcdic conversion (I am not clear whether this is what you mean by ebcdic binary data) however our IBM installation is quite happy to convert ascii to/from ebcdic for ansi tapes. We have used this program to transfer text to/from DEC (VMS and RSX) and IBM.
david@ukma.UUCP (David Herron, NPR Lover) (12/23/84)
> From: jmrm%cuedvax@UCL-CS.ARPA > Subject: Re: Needed: Labelled tape utility. > Message-ID: <6602@brl-tgr.ARPA> > Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 04:35:46 EST .... > I have a program which will write ansi standard labelled tapes containing > ascii data, or in the unformatted record mode any other type of data. It > would not be unduly difficult to add ascii to ebcdic conversion (I am not > clear whether this is what you mean by ebcdic binary data) however our > IBM installation is quite happy to convert ascii to/from ebcdic for ansi > tapes. We have used this program to transfer text to/from DEC (VMS and > RSX) and IBM. Lucky you. Our computer center seems to enjoy blitzing tapes. They also make it unduly DIFFICULT to use their system at all. At least that is the way we find it. So the result was tpcp that was posted from here a couple weeks ago. Another result is a program being written here right now by a couple of graduate students. It will do ansi labeled tapes or ibm labeled tapes, both reading and writing. It does the conversions between ascii and ebcidic. etc. Expect it to be posted with a couple of weeks. The last time I talked to them about it they were on the verge of being done with it. And they were working on making it work well since we are planning to use this program quite a bit. It will enable us to live without our computer center quite well.
jbn@wdl1.UUCP (01/16/85)
We have, but unfortunately do not distribute, such a utility. But for general information, the idea is to comply with American National Standard X3.27, level 3 or 4. (For best results, write level 3, read level 3 or 4; the difference is spanned records.) This is a proper ``ANSI tape'', with volume labels, file labels, and file data in standard formats. IBM operating systems, VAX/VMS, and most other reasonable operating systems can read and write such tapes. (Prime has some problems although they claim support.)