Using tar to run backups onto a tape device using cygwin

Corinna Vinschen corinna-cygwin@cygwin.com
Thu Oct 18 16:49:00 GMT 2012


On Oct 18 09:27, srikant veeraraghavan wrote:
> Thanks Corinna,
> 
> I actually read similar posts from you here wherein you have mentioned to
> put the device names as st0 or nst0, depending on the type.
>  I tried even this:
> tar -cf /dev/tape1 /cygdrive/c/StratfordData/30GB_Dataset/

Don't try arbitrary file names, read the User's Guide instead.

> and also 
> tar -cf /dev/st0 /cygdrive/c/StratfordData/30GB_Dataset/
> 
> st0 is the first tape location. I assumed that if my symbolic Tape name
> under device manager shows tape5 my st number would be st5. Is that right?

Yes.

> Unlike in Linux where I could check using the sg_map command. 
> I took st0 fo Tape0, st1 for Tape1 and so on...
> 
> But still after running the command when I check no data is been written. My

So you wrote to /dev/st0? Or /dev/st5?  Whatever, existing tape
drives will also be visible as character devices under /dev.

How did you check if anything has been written?  Did the tape drive
show activity?  Did tar take a long time to write?  Did you mis-type
and create a file instead, perhaps?

Don't use tar in the first place.  Use the mt command and see if your
drive is recognized.  Play with mt commands and look if they work.
Cygwin's mt status command can show a bit more information than its
Linux counterpart if you use an additional number, as in:

  $ mt -f /dev/nstX status 1 

or

  $ mt -f /dev/nstX status 2


Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Project Co-Leader          cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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