🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <38uqg8$jdk@umd5.umd.edu>
           colbert@astro.umd.edu "Edward J.M. Colbert" writes:

>Hi,
>
>I've always used tar to backup my data onto 8mm tapes with an Exabyte drive.
>I usually try to make multi-volume tapes in order to save space.  I'm getting
>to have so many tapes that I would like to organize them somehow.
>
>Some things I would like to do are:
>
>(1) write a program that will read the (header of the ?) tar file on tape and
>    compute the number of bytes in the archive  -- so that I know how much
>    space I need to clear when I restore the volume.  Does anyone have 
>    something writen that already does this, or do you have the specs for
>    the tar format so I can write a program myself?

The specs for tar headers can ususally be read from the header files on all
good unix boxes.

Accessing the tape is more trick but you might check out GNUs ASPI tar if
you have an aspi interface.


>(2) one of the tar volumes on one of my tapes has a bad spot in the middle.
>    How do I restore the remaining files after the bad block?

Keep rereading the and look for the most frequently occuring strings of
characters then piece the consistant bits together. Alternatively, read until
you don't get a CRC or checksum error.

-- 
John Beardmore     wookie@wookie.demon.co.uk
                   wookie@cix.compulink.co.uk