RE: port-amd64/53890: st(4) driver for tapes not working o variable block size

["G J van der Grinten" <pa0gri%amsat.org@localhost>]

Hallo Michael,

I know the character block size is 2048. When I use that I get 2 blocks and some
ot the 3rd.
I use the raw device and that should do the variable bock size (as advertized)
But on the recond read for a block I get an " Invalid argument" and that is
invalid by itself.

Program works on IRIX, MIPSOS and linux.

No informative message found in DMESG output.

Here a (partial) log on a working (linux, uch)

Converting tape to tap file xxz  
rc NOP ioctl = 0
rc on set block size = 0
rc on set density = 0
rc on set compression = 0
len1 = 00486 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00486
len1 = 00930 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00930
len1 = 00936 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00936
len1 = 00826 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00826
len1 = 00946 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00946
len1 = 00960 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00960
len1 = 00930 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00930
len1 = 00952 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00952
len1 = 00142 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00142
len1 = 00486 rc NOP ioctl = 0
len2 = 00486

Regards, Gerard.

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael van Elst [mailto:mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost] 
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2019 8:25 PM
To: port-amd64-maintainer%netbsd.org@localhost; gnats-admin%netbsd.org@localhost;
netbsd-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost; pa0gri%amsat.org@localhost
Subject: Re: port-amd64/53890: st(4) driver for tapes not working o variable
block size

The following reply was made to PR port-amd64/53890; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost (Michael van Elst)
To: gnats-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: port-amd64/53890: st(4) driver for tapes not working o variable
block size
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2019 19:19:57 -0000 (UTC)

 pa0gri%amsat.org@localhost writes:
 
 >>Description:
 >I have tried my problem under various versions of NetBSD AMD65 and I386.
 >I want to read and write .TAP files (SIMH containers)on various Tape drive 
 >models (currently a DDS4 Drive.
 >To my great disappointment It works flawlessly under Debian Linux.
 
 The driver probably logs some messages that may explain why it fails.
 
 N.B. st_blocksize is not the blocksize of the device. NetBSD just
 returns MAXBSIZE (==MAXPHYS) for a character device which is pretty
 useless. But that's not your problem here.
 
 
 -- 
 -- 
                                 Michael van Elst
 Internet: mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost
                                 "A potential Snark may lurk in every tree."