NAME

       mt - control magnetic tape drive operation

SYNOPSIS

       mt [-V] [-f device] [--file=device] [--rsh-command=command] [--version] operation [count]

DESCRIPTION

       This  manual page documents the GNU version of mt.  mt performs the given operation, which must be one of
       the tape operations listed below, on a tape drive.

       The default tape device to operate on is taken from the file /usr/include/sys/mtio.h when mt is compiled.
       It  can  be overridden by giving a device file name in the environment variable TAPE or by a command line
       option (see below), which also overrides the environment variable.

       The device must be either a character special file or a remote tape  drive.   To  use  a  tape  drive  on
       another  machine  as  the  archive,  use  a  filename  that starts with `HOSTNAME:'.  The hostname can be
       preceded by a username and an `@' to access the remote tape drive as that user, if you have permission to
       do so (typically an entry in that user's `~/.rhosts' file).

       The  available  operations  are listed below.  Unique abbreviations are accepted.  Not all operations are
       available on all systems, or work on all types of tape drives.  Some operations optionally take a  repeat
       count, which can be given after the operation name and defaults to 1.

       eof, weof
              Write count EOF marks at current position.

       fsf    Forward space count files.  The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.

       bsf    Backward space count files.  The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.

       fsr    Forward space count records.

       bsr    Backward space count records.

       bsfm   Backward  space count file marks.  The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape side of the
              file mark.

       fsfm   Forward space count file marks.  The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape side  of  the
              file mark.

       asf    Absolute space to file number count.  Equivalent to rewind followed by fsf count.

       seek   Seek to block number count.

       eom    Space to the end of the recorded media on the tape (for appending files onto tapes).

       rewind Rewind the tape.

       offline, rewoffl
              Rewind the tape and, if applicable, unload the tape.

       status Print status information about the tape unit.

       retension
              Rewind the tape, then wind it to the end of the reel, then rewind it again.

       erase  Erase the tape.

       mt  exits  with  a  status  of  0 if the operation succeeded, 1 if the operation or device name given was
       invalid, or 2 if the operation failed.

   OPTIONS
       -f, --file=device
              Use device as the file name of the tape drive to operate on.  To  use  a  tape  drive  on  another
              machine,  use a filename that starts with `HOSTNAME:'.  The hostname can be preceded by a username
              and an `@' to access the remote tape drive  as  that  user,  if  you  have  permission  to  do  so
              (typically an entry in that user's `~/.rhosts' file).

       --rsh-command=command
              Notifies  mt that it should use command to communicate with remote devices instead of /usr/bin/ssh
              or /usr/bin/rsh.

       -V, --version
              Print the version number of mt.

BUG REPORTS

       Report bugs to <bug-cpio@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY, to  the  extent
       permitted by law.