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  Perform  long  erase  of  tape.  If  count  is 0, perform short erase of tape (some
              devices do not support this).

       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.