Index for Section 1

Alphabetical listing for M

mt(1)
NAME
  mt - Magnetic tape manipulating program

SYNOPSIS
  mt [-f tape_device] command [count]

  The mt program gives commands to a magnetic tape drive.

OPTIONS
  -f tape_device
      Specifies the tape device to be manipulated.

DESCRIPTION
  If you do not specify a tape name with the -f option, the TAPE environment
  variable is used; if TAPE does not exist, mt uses the /dev/nrmt0h device.
  Note that tape_device must refer to a raw (not block) tape device.  By
  default, mt performs the requested operation once.  Operations can be
  performed more than once by specifying count.

  The following commands are available. Only as many characters as are
  required to uniquely identify a command need to be specified.

  eof, weof
      Writes count file marks at the current position on the tape.

  fsf Forward spaces count files.

  fsr Forward spaces count records.

  bsf Backspaces count files.

  bsr Backspaces count records.

  rewind
      Rewinds the tape (count is ignored).

  offline, rewoffl
      Rewinds the tape and places the tape unit offline (count is ignored).

  unload
      Prepares a SCSI tape for removal from the device.	 Not all SCSI tape
      drives support this functionality.

  online, load
      Bring a SCSI tape to the ready state if a tape is in the tape path.
      Currently, this command is only supported in the SCSI/CAM tape driver.
      Not all SCSI tape drives support this functionality.

  seod
      Space to end of recorded data. Currently, this command is only
      supported in the SCSI/CAM tape driver. Not all SCSI tape drives support
      this functionality.

  status
      Prints status information about the tape unit.

  eoten
      Enables end-of-tape detection.  When the end-of-tape markers are
      reached, the tape is halted on the reel between the two end-of-tape
      markers.	Only the superuser can issue this command.  The	 end-of-tape
      detection remains in effect for the device until end-of-tape detection
      is disabled with the eotdis command.  This is the default mode after a
      system boot.

  eotdis
      Disables end-of-tape detection.  When the end of tape is reached, the
      tape will run off the reel.  Only the superuser can issue this command.
      The  end-of-tape detection remains disabled for the device until end-
      of-tape detection is enabled with the eoten command.

  retension
      Retensions the tape by moving the tape one complete pass between EOT
      and BOT.

  erase
      Erases the tape.

  seek
      Positions the tape to the specified SCSI logical block.

  seekds
      Positions the tape to the specified device-specific block.

  rdpos
      Obtains the position of the tape and prints the information retrieved
      from the device.	There are three options for this command.  The short
      format of the SCSI READ POSITION command is documented in the SCSI-2
      documentation.  The long format is new for SCSI-3 devices.  Not all
      devices support device-specific addresses.  The SCSI logical block
      address or the device-specific address may be used as an argument to
      the seek and seekds commands.

      The rdpos options include the following.	Only the first letter of any
      option is required.

      l[ong]
	  Use the long format of the SCSI READ POSITION command. This
	  provides the tape position in the form of file number and SCSI
	  logical block address.

      s[hort]
	  Use the short format of the SCSI READ POSITION command. This
	  provides the tape position in the form of a block address which is
	  an absolute SCSI logical block address. It also provides
	  information about the status of the tape drive's buffer cache.  See
	  the SCSI documentation for details. This is the default in the
	  absence of any option.

      d[evspec]
	  Use the short format of the SCSI READ POSITION command and ask the
	  device to return the device-specific address instead of the SCSI
	  logical block address.




EXIT STATUS
  The mt command returns the following exit status:

  0 (Zero)
      Success.

  1   Command was unrecognized.

  2   Operation failed.

FILES
  /dev/nrmt*
      Raw magnetic tape interface with no rewind when closed.

  /dev/rmt*
      Raw magnetic tape interface with rewind when closed.

SEE ALSO
  Commands:  dd(1)

  Functions:  ioctl(2)