mt(1)              UNIX System V(BSD Compatibility Package)               mt(1)


NAME
      mt - magnetic tape control

SYNOPSIS
      /usr/ucb/mt [ -f tapename ] command [ count ]

DESCRIPTION
      mt sends commands to a magnetic tape drive.  If tapename is not
      specified, the environment variable TAPE is used.  If TAPE does not
      exist, mt uses the device /dev/rmt12.  tapename must refer to a raw (not
      block) tape device.  By default, mt performs the requested operation
      once;  multiple operations may be performed by specifying count.

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

      mt returns a 0 exit status when the operation(s) were successful, 1 if
      the command was unrecognized or if mt was unable to open the specified
      tape drive, and 2 if an operation failed.

      the following commands are available to mt:

      eof, weof    Write count EOF marks at the current position on the tape.

      fsf          Forward space count files.

      fsr          Forward space count records.

      bsf          Back space count files.

      bsr          Back space count records.

      asf          Absolute space to count file number.  This is equivalent to
                   a rewind followed by a fsf count.

      For the following commands, count is ignored:

      eom          Space to the end of recorded media on the tape (SCSI only).
                   This is useful for appending files onto previously written
                   tapes.

      rewind       Rewind the tape.

      offline, rewoffl
                   Rewind, unload, and place the tape drive unit off-line.

      status       Print status information about the tape unit.

      retension    Wind the tape to the end of the reel and then rewind it,
                   smoothing out the tape tension.




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mt(1)              UNIX System V(BSD Compatibility Package)               mt(1)


      erase        Erase the entire tape.

FILES
      /dev/rmt*           raw magnetic tape interface
      /dev/rar*           raw Archive cartridge tape interface
      /dev/rst*           raw SCSI tape interface
      /dev/rmt*           raw Xylogics® tape interface

SEE ALSO
      dd(1M), ar(4), environ(5), xt(7) in the System Administrator's Reference
      Manual

NOTES
      Not all devices support all options.  For example, ar currently does not
      support the fsr, bsf, or bsr options.  The half-inch tape driver,
      /dev/rmt*, does not support the retension option.






































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