[CLUE-Tech] How to make Linux recognize IDE tape drive?

[David Guntner]

Never mind, I was able to figure out the next step on my own. :-)

Doing the "modprobe ide-tape" command created two pipe/fifo/whatever-they-
are files in the previously empty /dev/ide/host0/bus1/target1/lun0 
directory, called "mt" and "mtn".  I don't know if those files will survive 
a reboot or if the modprobe needs to be done again after a boot; I'll have 
to experiment and find out.

In the meantime, making a link of /dev/hdd to the "mt" pipe/fifo/whatever 
file got results, and a "mt -f /dev/hdd retension" command got the drive to 
do exactly that. :-)  So, thanks again for the pointer, Chris.  It got me 
going in the right direction!

                    --Dave

David Guntner grabbed a keyboard and wrote:
>
> Chris Mills grabbed a keyboard and wrote:
> > 
> > I can't say I know Mandrake, but if I recall
> > correctly, RedHat doesn't build the IDE Tape device
> > into the kernel. Try a 'modprobe ide-tape' and see
> > whether you get anywhere...
> 
> I did that, and got no reply (just got another shell prompt).  Checking my 
> syslog, however, I saw this:
> 
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Dumping ATAPI Identify Device tape 
> parameters
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Protocol Type: <6>ATAPI
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Device Type: 1 - <6>Streaming Tape 
> Device
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Removable: Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Command Packet DRQ Type: 
> <6>Accelerated DRQ
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Command Packet Size: <6>12 bytes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Model: Seagate STT8000A
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Firmware Revision: 5.44
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Serial Number: 
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Write buffer size: 372736 bytes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: DMA: Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: LBA: Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: IORDY can be disabled: Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: IORDY supported: Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: ATAPI overlap supported: No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: PIO Cycle Timing Category: 2
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: DMA Cycle Timing Category: 2
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Single Word DMA supported modes: 
> <6>0 <6>1 <6>2 <6>
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Multi Word DMA supported modes: 
> <6>0 <6>1 <6>2 <6>
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Enhanced PIO Modes: Mode 3
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Minimum Multi-word DMA cycle per 
> word: <6>120 ns
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Manufacturer's Recommended Multi-
> word cycle: <6>120 ns
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Minimum PIO cycle without IORDY: 
> <6>120 ns
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Minimum PIO cycle with IORDY: 
> <6>120 ns
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: hdd <-> ht0: Seagate STT8000A rev 
> 5.44
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Dumping the results of the MODE 
> SENSE packet command
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Mode Parameter Header:
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Mode Data Length - 23
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Medium Type - 182
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Device Specific Parameter - 16
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Block Descriptor Length - 0
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Capabilities and Mechanical Status 
> Page:
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Page code - 42
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Page length - 18
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Read only - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports reverse space - Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports erase initiated formatting 
> - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports QFA two Partition format - 
> Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports locking the medium - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: The volume is currently locked - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: The device defaults in the prevent 
> state - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports ejecting the medium - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports error correction - Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports data compression - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports 512 bytes block size - Yes
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports 1024 bytes block size - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Supports 32768 bytes block size / 
> Restricted byte count for PIO transfers - No
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Maximum supported speed in KBps - 
> 600
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Continuous transfer limits in 
> blocks - 52
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Current speed in KBps - 600
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Buffer size - 372736
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: Adjusted block size - 512
> Oct 14 03:55:33 janet kernel: ide-tape: hdd <-> ht0: 600KBps, 14*26kB 
> buffer, 5850kB pipeline, 80ms tDSC, DMA
> 
> I take it that this is a *good* sign? :-)
> 
> That last line says something about hdd <-> ht0.  However, doing a 
> "ls -la /dev/hdd" or "ls -la /dev/ht0" still gets a "file not found" 
> message.  Any clues on what the next step should be so that I can actually 
> *access* the drive?
> 
>                    --Dave
> 
> > Chris
> > --- David Guntner <davidg at akamail.com> wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > > 
> > > I'm hoping that someone here can help me with this.
> > > 
> > > I'm running Mandrake Linux 9.0 (kernel 2.4.19), and
> > > have installed an old 
> > > Seagate TR-4 IDE tape drive in the slave position
> > > (CD-ROM is in the master 
> > > position on the cable) on the second IDE controller.
> > > 
> > > Mandrake has a hardware detector utility, which
> > > tells me that it see the 
> > > tape drive on /dev/hdd.  Unfortunately, doing a "ls
> > > -la /dev/hdd" results 
> > > in a "file not found" error....
> > > 
> > > I'd like to be able to use this tape drive to do
> > > backups of my system.  
> > > Does anyone have any ideas on how to get my system
> > > to recognize that I have 
> > > a tape drive, from a practical standpoint (I.E., so
> > > that backup software 
> > > can use it)?
> > > 
> > > Any help would be appreciated!
> > > 
> > >                 --Dave
-- 
      David Guntner      GEnie: Just say NO!
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