"tar -tf /dev/nst0" finally worked results below, altough I still can not restore from the tape. Also what is wierd is that I do some commands like tar and cpio and then I start getting I/O error messages I wait a while sometimes only minutes usually longer and then the commands work sucsessfully. Is the problem that the tape is still working on completeing one command and now I just gave it another but it is not done with the first? Well below is a sucsessful "tar -tf /dev/nst0" with the results the only problem is that I did not know the syntax that cpio wanted when I was restoring for device name/filename and then it finally brought up an I/O when I typed in just the device name. =20 Do I need to rewind the tape before I can restore from it? =20 hostname:~# tar -tf /dev/nst0 deleteme/ deleteme/hello.delete deleteme/delete.backup.test catapult:/deleteme# cpio -im 'delete.backup.test' < /dev/nst0 Found end of tape. To continue, type device/file name when ready. /dev/nst0/delete.backup.test cpio: /dev/nst0/delete.backup.test: Not a directory To continue, type device/file name when ready. delete.backup.test cpio: delete.backup.test: No such file or directory To continue, type device/file name when ready. tape/delete.backup.test cpio: tape/delete.backup.test: No such file or directory To continue, type device/file name when ready. /deleteme/delete.backup.test cpio: /deleteme/delete.backup.test: No such file or directory To continue, type device/file name when ready. delete.backup.test cpio: delete.backup.test: No such file or directory To continue, type device/file name when ready. /dev/nst0 cpio: read error: Input/output error Any assistance greatly appreciated. =20 Jim On Sat, 2003-08-09 at 02:29, der.hans wrote: > Am 08. Aug, 2003 schw=E4tzte elemint@cox.net so: >=20 > > I can backup to the DLT tape but I can not restore when I execute the > > following command the cursor just sits there and the file is not > > restored. > > > > > > tar -xp /deleteme/etc.squid.tar >=20 > Is that one of the filenames you backed up? >=20 > tar -t >=20 > That'll give you a table of contents of the tar archive. >=20 > BTW, I recommend using the non-rewind device, /dev/nst0, so you should > stipulate that on the command line. >=20 > tar -tf /dev/nst0 >=20 > ciao, >=20 > der.hans