Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!sri-unix!quintus!sun!decwrl!sgi!sgistl!larry From: larry@sgistl.SGI.COM (Larry Autry) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Has tar r ever worked? For anybody? Message-ID: <5554@sgistl.SGI.COM> Date: 10 Dec 87 16:17:01 GMT References: <1344@saturn.ucsc.edu> <22121@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mt.View, CA., St.Louis Ofc. Lines: 37 Keywords: tar Summary: an alternate method of 'tar r' In article <22121@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>, bostic@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Keith Bostic) writes: > In article <1344@saturn.ucsc.edu>, haynes@ucscc.UCSC.EDU.ucsc.edu (99700000) writes: > > Under 4.3BSD, has anybody ever been able to add files to an existing > > tar tape with tar r? When we try it the tape goes around and it > > appears to be doing something, but then when we tar t the files are > > not there. > On the SGI Iris 3030 'tar r' is known not to work with 1/4" tapes. However, unless you absolutely must append to the original and only tar file on the tape there is an alternate method. Using the 'mt' utility if it is available on your system, space the tape past the first tar file. Additional files can be added to the tape. This accomplished by using the non-rewind device number as the output device. If 'mt' is not available, try using 'tar t2'. example: mt fsf 1 tar cv2 . (uses /dev/rmt2 as output) mt rew and of course to retrieve; mt rew mt fsf 1 tar xv2 mt rew This can be used for cpio as well. I realize that this does not address the actual problem of appending to files. It does however solve the problem of wasting cartridge tapes by having only one file on the entire tape. disclaimer - It worked for me on my system, good luck. -- Larry Autry larry@sgistl.sgi.com or {ucbvax,sun,ames,pryamid,decwrl}!sgi!sgistl!larry