installing/using an old IBM tape drive
The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
that has been posted to linux.debian.user as well.
I have an old IBM Model 7207-001 scsi tape drive that I have obtained
from some old IBM RS/6K equipment we are no longer using. I would
like to use the tape drive as a backup device even though it is rather
ancient.
I connected the tape drive into my scsi chain and rebooted the Debian
2.0 system still running 2.0.36 of the kernel. Both the bios and
linux recognize the drive as a Tandberg MOdel tdc3600 drive. I have
found some information on the drive on the Tandberg home page. I have
some old 150 Mb tapes that I can use, but I think that the drive may
also be able to use 250 Mb tape cartridges as well.
The problem is that even though the kernel recognizes the drive, I am
having trouble using it. I cannot find a "HOWTO" such as "how to
connect an external scsi tape drive" or something to that effect. In
"Running Linux", Welsh & Kaufman, 1995, on page pp of chapter 1 it
does list the Tandberg 3600 as a "verfied scsi tape drive" for Linux.
For example, if I issue the command
mt -f /dev/st0 rewoffl
I get the following error message
mt: /dev/st0: Input/output error
It is possible that the drive is bad, but I think it works fine on the
original installation of the RS/6K.
Where can I get some help on connecting and configuring this drive?
Thanks
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