Subject: Re: TKxx rants/funzies/workarounds....
To: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis@mcmanis.com>
From: NetBSD Bob <nbsdbob@weedcon1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>
List: port-vax
Date: 06/14/2001 10:50:30
> The TZ30 works fine on a vanilla SCSI bus, however it doesn't always 
> respond as a generic SCSI driver would expect for a SCSI tape drive. Some 
> commands it apparently doesn't implement. There are entries in the 'quirks' 
> file for it.

Speaking of getting a TKxx transport to stand on its head.....

How does one properly retension a tape on a TKxx transport?

I don't see an erase or retension function built into the hardware
driver.

About the only thing I can come up with is trying to get it to read
to the end of tape by:   mt fsf n     (where n is some number larger than
                                       the number of files on the tape)

Anyone know of a correct/proper/workaround way to retension TKxx tapes?

My particular reason for wanting to retension a tape is that on old
tapes I appear to be getting the things beginning to stick between
the layers of tape, thus slowing down the capstan counter and erroring
out the transport.  Frustrating....

Thanks

Bob