*BSD News Article 36049


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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
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From: sms@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM (Steven M. Schultz)
Subject: Re: DAT tape drives
Message-ID: <Cw1zvH.HLy@wlbr.iipo.gtegsc.com>
Sender: news@wlbr.iipo.gtegsc.com (System Administrator)
Organization: GTE Government Systems
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 1994 05:42:53 GMT
References: <Cw0L3A.BL0@ucc.su.OZ.AU>
Lines: 21

In article <Cw0L3A.BL0@ucc.su.OZ.AU> ianw@cassius (Ian Wynne) writes:
>Does anyone know of any compatiblity problems between Sony SD 5000 and
>HP 35470A DAT tape drives.

	It may not be a drive compatibility problem, but rather a 
	'driver' incompatibility.

>A friend of mine is writing the full distribution of FreeBSD to DAT using
>a Sun Sparc 1000 fitted with a Sony SD 5000 DAT. The Sun is running Solaris.

	I believe Suns write 'variable' records and *BSD* (including
	BSDI) write and read 'fixed' records.

>When I try reading the tape on my pc running FreeBSD 1.1(gamma), I get the
>following error "128104-byte record too big". My pc has a HP 35470A DAT.

	That's similar to the error I used to get.  If the Sun can be told
	to write 'fixed record' mode you likely will be able to read the 
	tapes.

	Steven