On Tue, 19 Dec 2000 allisonp@world.std.com wrote:

> > So, it apparently does require a calibration or positioning track to
> > be written?  Oh, horror of horrors.  Explain, a little more.
> 
> It may be that VMS wants an INITed volume as it can treat TK50 as
> a block addressable device like disk.  IT's done however at the OS level
> not the prom level though the VS3100 and VS2000 seem to be able to test
> tapes and maybe init them as well.

Um. No, VMS never treats a TK50 like a block addressable device.
VMS can treat tapes like a file structured devices, but that is not the
same thing.
They are not trated the same way as disks. Instead, VMS can handle tapes
with ANSI format in a rather transparent way. Under Unix you'll have to
find some special program that understands ANSI tapes.

	Johnny

Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                  ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt@update.uu.se           ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol