I tried the dd command although I got a error message: "/dev/st0': Input/output error" dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/st0 count=1 bs=32768 1+0 records in 1+0 records out dd: closing output file `/dev/st0': Input/output error Is it possibly because the scsi id of the tape appears to be the same as the scsi card. Although there are multiple scsi cards on the machine so I am not sure if the tape drive is on the same card that has scsi id 6; although it appears to be. Attached devices: Host: scsi3 Channel: 00 Id: 06 Lun: 00 Vendor: DELL Model: 1x6 U2W SCSI BP Rev: 5.35 Type: Processor ANSI SCSI revision: 02 Host: scsi3 Channel: 01 Id: 06 Lun: 00 Vendor: QUANTUM Model: DLT7000 Rev: 2561 Type: Sequential-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02 Host: scsi3 Channel: 02 Id: 00 Lun: 00 Vendor: MegaRAID Model: LD0 RAID5 34556R Rev: 1.01 Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02 Jim > > From: Eric Lee Green > Date: 2003/07/31 Thu PM 05:20:40 EDT > To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > Subject: Re: DLT and Debian > > On Thursday 31 July 2003 01:12 pm, elemint@cox.net wrote: > > This tape has data on it backed up from a Windows server running Veritas. > > I wanted to erase the apte and got the following error. > > > > mt -f /dev/nst0 erase > > mt: /dev/nst0: Input/output error > > The Linux 'st' tape driver issues a 'long' erase. Most modern tape drives do > not recognize the 'long' erase as a valid SCSI command. You can do one of two > things: > 1) mt -f /dev/st0 rewind ; dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/st0 count=1 bs=32768 > 2) Use 'scsitape' from the 'mtx' package ( http://mtx.badtux.net ) to issue a > short erase. > > Either one effectively zeros out the tape. I personally just use the 'dd' to > clear out the tape when I want to get rid of any tape header that might > confuse my backup software. Just as not all modern tape drives recognize a > 'long' erase, not all tape drives recognize a 'short' erase either. > > Disclaimer: I am the author of 'scsitape', so when I say I just use 'dd', I'm > probably not biased because else I'd tell you to use my program :-). > > -- > Eric Lee Green mailto:eric@badtux.org > Unix/Linux/Storage Software Engineer needs job -- > see http://badtux.org for resume > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >