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MT(1)			     BSD Reference Manual			 MT(1)

NAME
     mt - magnetic tape manipulating program

SYNOPSIS
     mt [-f tapename] command [count | length]

DESCRIPTION
     Mt is used to give commands to a magnetic tape drive.

     For commands with associated counts, operations may be performed multiple
     times by specifying a count. By default, mt performs the requested opera-
     tion once.

     The tapename argument must reference a raw (not block) tape device.

     The available commands are listed below.  Only as many characters as are
     required to uniquely identify a command need be specified.

     blocksize	Set block length for fixed length records.  If no length is
		specified the current value will be reported.  This command is
		only useful on Exabyte and DDS (dat data storage) SCSI drives.

     bsf	Back space count files.

     bsr	Back space count records.

     buffered	Enable data buffering in the physical tape drive.  When data
		buffering is enabled, and the physical end of media is detect-
		ed, the drive may be unable to write all the buffered data to
		physical media. Few programs count on end of media detection,
		so this is unlikely to be a problem.  Currently only SCSI tape
		drives are affected by this command.  This command updates
		NVRAM in the physical tape drive, and is therefore very
		sticky, even across a reboot or power cycle.

     eof, weof	Write count end-of-file marks at the current position on the
		tape.

     fsf	Forward space count files.

     fsr	Forward space count records.

     offline, rewoffl
		Rewind the tape and place the tape unit off-line.  The count
		argument is ignored.

     rewind	Rewind the tape.  The count argument is ignored.

     status	Print status information about the tape unit.  The count argu-
		ment is ignored.

     unbuffered
		Disable data buffering in the physical tape drive.  Currently
		only SCSI tape drives are affected by this command.  This com-
		mand updates NVRAM in the physical tape drive, and is there-
		fore sticky even across a reboot or power cycle.

     eof, weof

     If a tape name is not specified, and the environment variable TAPE does
     not exist; mt uses the device /dev/nrst0.

     Mt returns a 0 exit status when the operation(s) were successful, 1 if
     the command was unrecognized, and 2 if an operation failed.

ENVIRONMENT
     If the following environment variable exists, it is utilized by mt.

     TAPE	 Mt checks the TAPE environment variable if the argument
		 tapename is not given.

FILES
     /dev/rst*	  SCSI tape devices.
     /dev/nrst*	  No-rewind SCSI tape devices.

SEE ALSO
     dd(1),  ioctl(2),	st(4),	environ(7)

BUGS
     The stickiness of buffered and unbuffered could lead to unexpected behav-
     ior if mt is not always used to set the drive in the expected mode.

     The wt(4) driver does not pay attention to buffered or unbuffered and al-
     ways run in buffered mode.

HISTORY
     The mt command appeared in 4.3BSD.

4th Berkeley Distribution	 June 6, 1993				     2
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