From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: jim roy Subject: Re: _Old_ tape drive type. Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 16:06:56 -0800 Sender: linux-admin-owner@vger.kernel.org Message-ID: <20021105160656.M990@redwing> References: <1036491396.2514.45.camel@zebra.vil.ite.mee.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Return-path: In-Reply-To: <1036491396.2514.45.camel@zebra.vil.ite.mee.com>; from paul.furness@vil.ite.mee.com on Tue, Nov 05, 2002 at 02:16:36 -0800 List-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: Paul Furness Cc: Linux-Administration Hi Paul, I have a bunch of those tapes, and the sun "desktop storage pack" they were written with. QIC-150 is probably the right name for them. QIC-24 may be the same tapes in a read-only configuration, the docs are a little confusing. You probably need to look for an old sun SPARCstation. This was the standard tape drive with those systems way back when. The tapes are physically pretty bullet proof as you have no doubt noticed, with that slab of steel across the bottom. I've gotten data off a couple of them that were over 10 years old, but I don't think that's the rule. Any idea how they were written? Tar, Bar, Dump,... ?? Good Luck, Jim Roy On 2002.11.05 02:16 Paul Furness wrote: > Hi. > > I'm wondering if someone can help me with an identification problem. > This is not strictly a linux specific problem, but there is so much > accumulated knowledge and experience on these mailing lists that I > figure someone might know this. Besides, I need to use linux to solve > the problem once the hardware is ID'd. Anyhow, here's the problem: > > I've just been handed a stack of very old tapes with some data on that, > apparently "...would be worth getting back if at all possible." > > The tapes are all the same physical size (6 inches by 4 inches by 5/8 > inch thick), and may be all the same capacity. some of them are 3M > tapes, type number DC6150 (marked as 150MB) and DC600A (marked as 60MB). > Some of the others came from British Telecom and are labeled as DC600HC > but don't state a capacity. They are all marked as being 620ft log. > > I've never seen or used tapes like these, and I know we have no drive > here that will take them. But in order to try and get hold of a drive > that will read them, I need to know what I'm looking for. > > All I have manged to get so far for web searches is that they are > _possibly_ QIC tapes, and that they might go in a 5.25 tape drive, but > I'm not really any nearer knowing the make/model of tape drive or where > I might get one. > > Anyone remember using these and know what type of drive I need? Failing > that, do you know someone who might be able to tell me? I know that they > were used by Reading (UK) University for backups and data distribution > and I think they are probably about 8-10 years old, although they could > be a lot older. This data is some of the original material that was used > when MPEG-1 was being created. > > Any and all pointers would be appreciated. > > Thanks. > > Paul. > > > -- > Paul Furness > > Systems Manager > > Steepness is an illusion caused by flat things leaning over. > > - > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-admin" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html >