[comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt] Cartridge tapes - QIC-11 and QIC-24?

jw@pan.UUCP (Jamie Watson) (01/09/88)

Is it possible to *write* QIC-11 tapes on the RT/PC with AIX?
So far, I've found the following:

- The default tape device, /dev/rmt0, reads and writes QIC-24 tapes,
  and rewinds the tape on close.

- The device /dev/rmt4 reads and writes QIC-24, and does not rewind.

- The device /dev/rmt8 reads and writes QIC-24, but it performs a retension
  on the tape (winds it all the way forward and back) before starting.  It
  also rewinds on close.

- The device /dev/rmt12 works like rmt8, but does not rewind.

However, I was extremely surprised to find that if I put a QIC-11 tape in the
cartridge drive, the RT reads it just fine, using /dev/rmt0, too!  I've seen
a lot of Unix machines, with a lot of tape drives and drivers, but I've never
seen on that will read both QIC-11 and QIC-24 tapes in the same drive, using
the same device name, with no special flags!

Now, the question is, how can I write a QIC-11 tape?  Everything I write on
any of the devices listed above comes out QIC-24.

jw