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Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes

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On 8/28/18 2:37 PM, Jean-David Beyer wrote:

>>>> I have a bunch of DDS2, DDS3, and DDS4 backup tapes in Microsoft format.
>>>> Is there Linux software (preferably free) that will read these tapes?
>>>>
>>>> Perce
>>>
>>> What is "Microsoft format"? They have had various backup programs in the
>>> past, and still do, but XP was the last one I know that recognized tape
>>> drives as output devices. I know Windows 7 will not.
>>>
>>> Cpio can copy stuff. Comes with all Linux distributions. Of course, it
>>> assumes it was written with cpio.
>>>
>>> Part of the manual page:
>>>
>>> In  copy-in  mode,  cpio  copies  files  out of an archive or lists the
>>>          archive contents.  It reads the archive from the standard  input.
>>>     Any
>>>          non-option  command  line  arguments  are shell globbing
>>> patterns; only
>>>          files in the archive whose names match one or more  of  those
>>> patterns
>>>          are  copied from the archive.  Unlike in the shell, an initial
>>> ‘.’ in a
>>>          filename does match a wildcard at the start of a pattern, and a
>>> ‘/’  in
>>>          a  filename  can  match wildcards.  If no patterns are given, all
>>> files
>>>          are extracted.  see “Options”.
>>>
>>>
>>> Another possibility is dd, but you probably will not like it.
>>
>> Re: "Microsoft Format." The developer of the software that wrote these
>> tapes originally used a format of its own, but then with a later version
>> of the software said it was switching to Microsoft Tape Format":
>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Tape_Format
>>
>> There is a link there to a Seagate .pdf describing that format.
>>
>> Perce
>>
> Gawd!
> 
> If you are lucky, you do not have a tape drive that takes those tapes.
> I have two VXA-2 tape drives and they surely will not take your tapes. A
> couple of decades ago, I had an HP tape drive that took them, but it was
> so lousy, that I had it replaced twice under warranty before I gave up
> on them altogether. The VXA drives have never been a problem, but you
> cannot get them any more. They were originally made by Ecrix. Then
> Exabyte, then Tandberg. I do not think Tandberg wanted them.

I still have at least one Dell (re-branded Sony) 8-tape DDS4 autochanger.

Perce

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Software to read old DDSx tapes "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2018-08-28 12:48 -0400
  Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes Jean-David Beyer <jeandavid8@verizon.net> - 2018-08-28 13:15 -0400
    Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2018-08-28 14:10 -0400
      Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes Jean-David Beyer <jeandavid8@verizon.net> - 2018-08-28 14:37 -0400
        Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2018-08-28 18:20 -0400
        Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes pedro1492@lycos.com - 2018-08-30 03:59 -0700
      Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2018-08-29 01:07 +0000
        Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2018-08-29 15:46 -0400
  Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2018-08-28 18:34 +0100
  Re: Software to read old DDSx tapes Andreas Kohlbach <ank@spamfence.net> - 2018-08-28 14:46 -0400

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