mt(1)

NAME

   mt - control magnetic tape drive operation

SYNOPSIS

   mt [-V] [-f device] [--file=device] [--rsh-command=command] [--version]
   operation [count]

DESCRIPTION

   This manual page documents the GNU version  of  mt.   mt  performs  the
   given operation, which must be one of the tape operations listed below,
   on a tape drive.

   The  default  tape  device  to  operate  on  is  taken  from  the  file
   /usr/include/sys/mtio.h  when  mt is compiled.  It can be overridden by
   giving a device file name in the environment  variable  TAPE  or  by  a
   command  line  option (see below), which also overrides the environment
   variable.

   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).

   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.

   eof, weof
          Write count EOF marks at current position.

   fsf    Forward space count files.  The tape is positioned on the  first
          block of the next file.

   bsf    Backward space count files.  The tape is positioned on the first
          block of the next file.

   fsr    Forward space count records.

   bsr    Backward space count records.

   bsfm   Backward space count file marks.  The tape is positioned on  the
          beginning-of-the-tape side of the file mark.

   fsfm   Forward  space  count file marks.  The tape is positioned on the
          beginning-of-the-tape side of the file mark.

   asf    Absolute space to  file  number  count.   Equivalent  to  rewind
          followed by fsf count.

   seek   Seek to block number count.

   eom    Space  to  the  end  of  the  recorded  media  on  the tape (for
          appending files onto tapes).

   rewind Rewind the tape.

   offline, rewoffl
          Rewind the tape and, if applicable, unload the tape.

   status Print status information about the tape unit.

   retension
          Rewind the tape, then wind it to  the  end  of  the  reel,  then
          rewind it again.

   erase  Erase the tape.

   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.

   OPTIONS
   -f, --file=device
          Use 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).

   --rsh-command=command
          Notifies mt that it  should  use  command  to  communicate  with
          remote devices instead of /usr/bin/ssh or /usr/bin/rsh.

   -V, --version
          Print the version number of mt.

REPORTING BUGS

   Report cpio bugs to bug-cpio@gnu.org

   GNU cpio home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/cpio/>

   General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

   Report cpio translation bugs to <http://translationproject.org/team/>

                                                                     MT(1)

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Free and Open Source Software