Magnetic Tape ioctl's are just (again) a compatibility problem with Linux.


The /etc/rmt protocol allows to send ioctls to the remote system and relies on
the fact that  MTIO opcodes 0..7 of all UNIX systems are mapped to the same function.
Linux unfortunately does not follow these rules.

/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
All other UNIX
/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/*
 * values for mt_op
 */
#define	MTWEOF		0	/* write an end-of-file record */
#define	MTFSF		1	/* forward space over file mark */
#define	MTBSF		2	/* backward space over file mark (1/2" only ) */
#define	MTFSR		3	/* forward space to inter-record gap */
#define	MTBSR		4	/* backward space to inter-record gap */
#define	MTREW		5	/* rewind */
#define	MTOFFL		6	/* rewind and put the drive offline */
#define	MTNOP		7	/* no operation, sets status only */

/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
Linux
/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* Magnetic Tape operations [Not all operations supported by all drivers]: */
#define MTRESET	0	/* +reset drive in case of problems */
#define MTFSF	1	/* forward space over FileMark,
			 * position at first record of next file
			 */
#define MTBSF	2	/* backward space FileMark (position before FM) */
#define MTFSR	3	/* forward space record */
#define MTBSR	4	/* backward space record */
#define MTWEOF	5	/* write an end-of-file record (mark) */
#define MTREW	6	/* rewind */
#define MTOFFL	7	/* rewind and put the drive offline (eject?) */
#define MTNOP	8	/* no op, set status only (read with MTIOCGET) */

Operation	Description			UNIX -> Linux
====================================================================
0 weof		writes EOF (file mark)		resets drive!!!		
1 fsf		forward skip file mark		OK
2 bsf		backwd skip file mark		OK
3 fsr		forward skip record		OK
4 bsr		backwd skip record		OK
5 rew		rewind				writes file mark!!!
6 offl		unload media			partially OK
7 nop		set status in driver		unloads media
8						NOP is mapped to the vendor dependant 
						range. On Sun this is a retension
						which takes a long time...


The rmt server and client code used in the star distribution voids
these problems with Linux.

