I got a good deal on an LTO-6 tape drive and am experimenting with using it for backing up files. I'm using Ubuntu and had no trouble getting the hardware recognized, so that's nice. Unfortunately I'm running into problems with writing and verifying files. Here's the command I'm using, where [DIRNAME] is the directory containing the files I'm trying to back up:
tar -cvf /dev/st0 [DIRNAME]
Per the output all the files in [DIRNAME] are written. My understanding is that /dev/st0 indicates a rewinding device and rewinds to the beginning of the tape after the command is complete, so I shouldn't need to rewind to verify the data written. So I use
tar -tvf /dev/st0
after which the tape drive goes through its usual spinny whirry business. But the result is:
tar: /dev/st0: Cannot read: Input/output error
tar: At beginning of tape, quitting now
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
I have also tried writing with /dev/nst0 and manually rewinding via mt before attempting to verify and the same error occurs. I'm guessing one of the following is happening:
- I'm not using the commands correctly (quite likely, I'm completely new to this)
- The tape is bad (possible, but it's brand new)
- The drive is a lemon
If the problem is #1, I would appreciate any guidance on what I should be doing. If it's #3, I do have the option of returning it, but I need to confirm as much as reasonably possible that the problem is in fact the drive. I have another tape on the way to rule out 2, but is there anything else I can do to confirm whether the fault is with the drive itself? Thanks in advance for any assistance.