[unix-history] / gnu / usr.bin / cpio / mt.1

.TH MT 1L \" -*- nroff -*-
.SH NAME
mt \- control magnetic tape drive operation
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B mt
[\-V] [\-f device] [\-\-file=device] [\-\-version]
operation [count]
.SH DESCRIPTION
This manual page
documents the GNU version of
.BR mt .
.B mt
performs the given
.IR operation ,
which must be one of the tape operations listed below, on a tape
drive.
.PP
The default tape device to operate on is taken from the file
.I /usr/include/sys/mtio.h
when
.B mt
is compiled.  It can be overridden by giving a device file name in
the environment variable
.BR TAPE
or by a command line option (see below), which also overrides the
environment variable.
.PP
The device must be either a character special file or a
remote tape drive.  To use a tape drive on another machine as the
archive, use a filename that starts with `HOSTNAME:'.  The
hostname can be preceded by a username and an `@' to access the remote
tape drive as that user, if you have permission to do so (typically an
entry in that user's `~/.rhosts' file).
.PP
The available operations are listed below.  Unique abbreviations are
accepted.  Not all operations are available on all systems, or work on
all types of tape drives.
Some operations optionally take a repeat count, which can be given
after the operation name and defaults to 1.
.IP "eof, weof"
Write
.I count
EOF marks at current position.
.IP fsf
Forward space
.I count
files.
The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.
.IP bsf
Backward space
.I count
files.
The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.
.IP fsr
Forward space
.I count
records.
.IP bsr
Backward space
.I count
records.
.IP bsfm
Backward space
.I count
file marks.
The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape side of
the file mark.
.IP asf
Absolute space to file number
.IR count .
Equivalent to rewind followed by fsf
.IR count .
.IP eom
Space to the end of the recorded media on the tape
(for appending files onto tapes).
.IP rewind
Rewind the tape.
.IP "offline, rewoffl"
Rewind the tape and, if applicable, unload the tape.
.IP status
Print status information about the tape unit.
.IP retension
Rewind the tape, then wind it to the end of the reel,
then rewind it again.
.IP erase
Erase the tape.
.PP
.B mt
exits with a status of 0 if the operation succeeded, 1 if the
operation or device name given was invalid, or 2 if the operation
failed.
.SS OPTIONS
.TP
.I "\-f, \-\-file=device"
Use
.I device
as the file name of the tape drive to operate on.
To use a
tape drive on another machine, use a filename that
starts with `HOSTNAME:'.  The hostname can be preceded by a
username and an `@' to access the remote tape drive as that user, if
you have permission to do so (typically an entry in that user's
`~/.rhosts' file).
.TP
.I "\-V, \-\-version"
Print the version number of
.BR mt .
Commit	Line	Data
60a17f4e JH	1	.TH MT 1L \" -- nroff --
	2	.SH NAME
	3	mt \- control magnetic tape drive operation
	4	.SH SYNOPSIS
	5	.B mt
	6	[\-V] [\-f device] [\-\-file=device] [\-\-version]
	7	operation [count]
	8	.SH DESCRIPTION
	9	This manual page
	10	documents the GNU version of
	11	.BR mt .
	12	.B mt
	13	performs the given
	14	.IR operation ,
	15	which must be one of the tape operations listed below, on a tape
	16	drive.
	17	.PP
	18	The default tape device to operate on is taken from the file
	19	.I /usr/include/sys/mtio.h
	20	when
	21	.B mt
	22	is compiled. It can be overridden by giving a device file name in
	23	the environment variable
	24	.BR TAPE
	25	or by a command line option (see below), which also overrides the
	26	environment variable.
	27	.PP
	28	The device must be either a character special file or a
	29	remote tape drive. To use a tape drive on another machine as the
	30	archive, use a filename that starts with `HOSTNAME:'. The
	31	hostname can be preceded by a username and an `@' to access the remote
	32	tape drive as that user, if you have permission to do so (typically an
	33	entry in that user's `~/.rhosts' file).
	34	.PP
	35	The available operations are listed below. Unique abbreviations are
	36	accepted. Not all operations are available on all systems, or work on
	37	all types of tape drives.
	38	Some operations optionally take a repeat count, which can be given
	39	after the operation name and defaults to 1.
	40	.IP "eof, weof"
	41	Write
	42	.I count
	43	EOF marks at current position.
	44	.IP fsf
	45	Forward space
	46	.I count
	47	files.
	48	The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.
	49	.IP bsf
	50	Backward space
	51	.I count
	52	files.
	53	The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.
	54	.IP fsr
	55	Forward space
	56	.I count
	57	records.
	58	.IP bsr
	59	Backward space
	60	.I count
	61	records.
	62	.IP bsfm
	63	Backward space
	64	.I count
65	file marks.
66	The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape side of
67	the file mark.
68	.IP asf
69	Absolute space to file number
70	.IR count .
71	Equivalent to rewind followed by fsf
72	.IR count .
73	.IP eom
74	Space to the end of the recorded media on the tape
75	(for appending files onto tapes).
76	.IP rewind
77	Rewind the tape.
78	.IP "offline, rewoffl"
79	Rewind the tape and, if applicable, unload the tape.
80	.IP status
81	Print status information about the tape unit.
82	.IP retension
83	Rewind the tape, then wind it to the end of the reel,
84	then rewind it again.
85	.IP erase
86	Erase the tape.
87	.PP
88	.B mt
89	exits with a status of 0 if the operation succeeded, 1 if the
90	operation or device name given was invalid, or 2 if the operation
91	failed.
92	.SS OPTIONS
93	.TP
94	.I "\-f, \-\-file=device"
95	Use
96	.I device
97	as the file name of the tape drive to operate on.
98	To use a
99	tape drive on another machine, use a filename that
100	starts with `HOSTNAME:'. The hostname can be preceded by a
101	username and an `@' to access the remote tape drive as that user, if
102	you have permission to do so (typically an entry in that user's
103	`~/.rhosts' file).
104	.TP
105	.I "\-V, \-\-version"
106	Print the version number of
107	.BR mt .