Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!tekecs!doghouse!snoopy
From: snoopy@doghouse.gwd.tek.com (Snoopy)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Has tar r ever worked?  For anybody?
Message-ID: <9511@tekecs.TEK.COM>
Date: 11 Dec 87 18:45:26 GMT
References: <1344@saturn.ucsc.edu> <22121@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <1085@quacky.UUCP>
Sender: nobody@tekecs.TEK.COM
Reply-To: snoopy@doghouse.gwd.tek.com (Snoopy)
Organization: The Daisy Hill Puppy Farm
Lines: 17
Keywords: tar driver streamers

In article <1085@quacky.UUCP> dce@quacky.UUCP (David Elliott) writes:

>If it is a streaming tape (either QIC or 1/2"), it is generally not
>possible, since positioning the tape is costly. In fact, some systems
>(Tek 61XX, for example) want you to read and write big chunks (128K) to
>avoid burning out the motor, and don't supply tape record backspace.

The "burning out the motor" bit refers to the Cypher drives, which were
disqualified.  All production units have Wangtek drives, which don't
burn out their motors.  A large block size is still recommended to
minimize the amount of time wasted repositioning the tape.

Snoopy
tektronix!doghouse.gwd!snoopy
snoopy@doghouse.gwd.tek.com

Pizza. Just say yes.