[Simh] Reading VMS Backup tapes on Linux (Larry Baker)

[Jon Elson]

simh-request at trailing-edge.com wrote:
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 11:01:13 -0700
> From: Larry Baker <baker at usgs.gov>
> To: simh at trailing-edge.com
> Subject: Re: [Simh] Reading VMS Backup tapes on Linux
> Message-ID: <46297871-BE71-4BBF-8D90-0D7306F54231 at usgs.gov>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>
> Jon,
>
> It is not always the case that the record length for a save set will  
> be 8192.  That is the default value for save sets written directly to  
> tape.  Save sets written directly to disk use 32760 (I think).  The  
> value can be specified in the backup command.
>
>   
Right, should have made it clear you need to know the block size from 
when the tape
was read to be able to supply the correct number to the program.
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 13:35:50 -0700
> From: Sean O'Banion <sean at obanion.us>
> To: simh at trailing-edge.com
> Cc: Stephen Hoffman <info at hoffmanlabs.com>
> Subject: Re: [Simh] Reading VMS Backup tapes on Linux
> Message-ID: <A1C8724B-AACC-495B-9A5E-B9A855114DA8 at obanion.us>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Steve,
>
> "Direct-access tape support": do you have any suggestions on a USB to SCSi adapter that I might try testing my TZ30 tape drive on my Mac Mini (Intel) under OS X 10.6.8?  Not that I think I can get to it soon (some employment is needed...), but so I can look for hardware that might serve the purpose.
>   
Never heard of such a device, although I can see the usefulness.  I have 
used some
old SCSI tape drives on Linux using an Adaptec PCI-SCSI adaptor, and it 
generally
works.  Some old drives don't support SCSI-II and so the driver searches 
for commands
that are acceptable to the drive.

Jon