MT(1)                       General Commands Manual                      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 com-
       mand  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  fol-
              lowed by fsf count.

       seek   Seek to block number count.

       eom    Space  to the end of the recorded media on the tape (for append-
              ing 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 opera-
       tion 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/>




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