mt(1)                                                                 mt(1)




 NAME    [Toc]    [Back]
      mt - magnetic tape manipulating program

 SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]
      mt [-f tapename] command [count]

    Obsolescent    [Toc]    [Back]
      mt [-t tapename] command [count]

 DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]
      mt is used to give commands to the tape drive.  If tapename is not
      specified, the environment variable TAPE is used; if TAPE is not
      defined, the default drive is used.

      mt winds the tape in the requested direction (forward or backward),
      stopping after the specified count EOF marks or records are passed.
      If count is not specified, one is assumed.  Each EOF mark counts as
      one record.  When winding backwards, the tape always stops at the BOT
      marker, regardless of the number remaining in count.

      mt accepts the following commands:

           eof       Write count EOF marks.

           fsf       Forward space count files.

           fsr       Forward space count records.

           bsf       Backward space count files.

           bsr       Backward space count records.

           rew       Rewind tape.

           offl      Rewind tape and go offline.

           eod       Seek to end of data (DDS and QIC drives only).

           smk       Write count setmarks (DDS drives only).

           fss       Forward space count setmarks (DDS drives only).

           bss       Backward space count setmarks (DDS drives only).

           status    Print status information about the tape drive.

           res       Reserve tape drive for sole use by the host issuing the
                     mt command (stape driver only).

           rel       Release tape drive from sole use by the host issuing
                     the mt command (stape driver only).



 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 1 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003






 mt(1)                                                                 mt(1)




      Spacing operations (back or forward space file or record) leave the
      tape positioned past the object being spaced to in the direction of
      motion.  That is, backspacing a file leaves the the tape positioned
      before the file mark, forward spacing a file leaves the tape
      positioned after the file mark.  This is consistent with all classical
      usage on tapes.

 WARNINGS    [Toc]    [Back]
      Only raw, no-rewind Berkeley-type devices should be specified.  This
      type of device will not reposition the tape upon close.  An example of
      such a device is /dev/rmt/0mnb.  Please refer to mt(7) for more
      details.

      It is possible to wind the tape beyond the EOT marker and off the end
      of the reel.

      A reservation may only be cleared with a release by the host that
      issued the original reserve. In the event that the host that holds the
      reservation is no longer available, the st command may be used to
      reclaim the device by issuing a bus device reset.  Refer to st(1M) for
      more details.

      The reserve/release functionality can only be issued to drives using
      the stape driver.

 EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]
      Rewind the tape associated with the device file /dev/rmt/0mnb:

           mt -f /dev/rmt/0mnb rew

 FILES    [Toc]    [Back]
      /dev/rmt/*          Raw magnetic tape interface
      /dev/rmt/0mnb       Default tape interface

 AUTHOR    [Toc]    [Back]
      mt was developed by the University of California, Berkeley.

 SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]
      dd(1), mt(7), st(1M).


 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 2 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003