keener@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu (Paul T. Keener) (08/24/90)
I have an sl format 8mm tape that was written on a VAX running VMS that I
want to be able to read on a rs 6000. I have successfully read the tape
on a SUN. For those who don't know, sl format tapes look like
file # contains
1 Header
2 Data
3 Trailer
4 Header
5 Data
6 Trailer
.
.
.
On this particular tape, the first data file is a zero length file. I was
able to read the first four files on the SUN using
dd if=/dev/rst1 of=file
and the fifth file using
dd if=/dev/rst1 of=file ibs=16384
On the rs 6000, I could not read the first four files at all (IO read error),
and using
dd if=/dev/rmt0 of=file ibs=16384
was able to get the device driver to read the tape, but it come back with
a zero length file.
Does anybody know how I might be able to read this tape? Thank you.
-paul
keener@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu / Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not
keener@penndrls.upenn.edu / fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman
keener@penndrls.bitnet / who has learned to wear shoes, bathe and not make
/ messes in the house. -L.L.dstailey@gnu.AI.MIT.EDU (Doug Stailey) (09/02/90)
In article <28773@netnews.upenn.edu> keener@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu (Paul T. Keener) writes: >I have an sl format 8mm tape that was written on a VAX running VMS that I >want to be able to read on a rs 6000. I have successfully read the tape >on a SUN. For those who don't know, sl format tapes look like > > file # contains > 1 Header > 2 Data > 3 Trailer > 4 Header > 5 Data > 6 Trailer > . > . > . > >On this particular tape, the first data file is a zero length file. I was >able to read the first four files on the SUN using > dd if=/dev/rst1 of=file >and the fifth file using > dd if=/dev/rst1 of=file ibs=16384 > >On the rs 6000, I could not read the first four files at all (IO read error), >and using > dd if=/dev/rmt0 of=file ibs=16384 >was able to get the device driver to read the tape, but it come back with >a zero length file. > >Does anybody know how I might be able to read this tape? Thank you. 1. using smit (or chdev maybe) make sure that your tape drive is set to use variable length blocks (buffer set to zero). 2. try using the dd options "conv=unblock,sync" along with your other options. 3. try using one of the other tape drive special files like /dev/rmt0.4 -- Oops, I seem to have misplaced my .signature...