wangtek retensioning problems

[Paul de Bra]

In article <OMLCD2 at geminix.UUCP> gemini at netmbx.UUCP writes:
>tim at comcon.UUCP (Tim Brown) writes:
>
>>Ok, I give up!  Does anyone know how to write a tape command to retension
>>, rewind and erase etc for a wangtek tape drive running under ISC2.0.2?
>...
>For erasing and retensioning tapes I wrote two simple programs that should
>do the trick. I've tested them with the Wangtek 150 MB streamer model.
>I've named them `wterase' and `wtretens'. Here they are:
>...

Amazing how much duplication of effort we see for such a simple problem.

The real and simple solution is to use the tapecntl(1) command:

tapecntl [ -etrw ] [ -p arg ]

where e=erase, t=retension, r=reset device, w=rewind tape and p[n]=
position tape to n-th end-of-file mark.

This command is in AT&T sVr3.2 on which all others are based.
If your vendor did not supply this program you should complain.
The program exists and is documented in the manual.
Of course it assumes the presence of a Wangtek drive (as that's the one
AT&T sells). I have also succesfully used it with an Everex controller
instead of the Wangtek controller AT&T sells.

Maybe this should go into the list of frequently asked questions?

Paul.
(debra at research.att.com)