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+.TH MT 1L \" -*- nroff -*-
+.SH NAME
+mt \- control magnetic tape drive operation
+.SH SYNOPSIS
+.B mt
+[\-V] [\-f device] [\-\-file=device] [\-\-rsh-command=command] [\-\-version]
+operation [count]
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+This manual page
+documents the GNU version of
+.BR mt .
+.B mt
+performs the given
+.IR operation ,
+which must be one of the tape operations listed below, on a tape
+drive.
+.PP
+The default tape device to operate on is taken from the file
+.I /usr/include/sys/mtio.h
+when
+.B mt
+is compiled. It can be overridden by giving a device file name in
+the environment variable
+.BR TAPE
+or by a command line option (see below), which also overrides the
+environment variable.
+.PP
+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).
+.PP
+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.
+.IP "eof, weof"
+Write
+.I count
+EOF marks at current position.
+.IP fsf
+Forward space
+.I count
+files.
+The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.
+.IP bsf
+Backward space
+.I count
+files.
+The tape is positioned on the first block of the next file.
+.IP fsr
+Forward space
+.I count
+records.
+.IP bsr
+Backward space
+.I count
+records.
+.IP bsfm
+Backward space
+.I count
+file marks.
+The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape side of
+the file mark.
+.IP fsfm
+Forward space
+.I count
+file marks.
+The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape side of
+the file mark.
+.IP asf
+Absolute space to file number
+.IR count .
+Equivalent to rewind followed by fsf
+.IR count .
+.IP seek
+Seek to block number
+.IR count .
+.IP eom
+Space to the end of the recorded media on the tape
+(for appending files onto tapes).
+.IP rewind
+Rewind the tape.
+.IP "offline, rewoffl"
+Rewind the tape and, if applicable, unload the tape.
+.IP status
+Print status information about the tape unit.
+.IP retension
+Rewind the tape, then wind it to the end of the reel,
+then rewind it again.
+.IP erase
+Erase the tape.
+.PP
+.B 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.
+.SS OPTIONS
+.TP
+.I "\-f, \-\-file=device"
+Use
+.I 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).
+.TP
+.I "\-\-rsh-command=command"
+Notifies
+.B mt
+that it should use
+.I command
+to communicate with remote devices instead of
+.I /usr/bin/ssh
+or
+.IR /usr/bin/rsh .
+.TP
+.I "\-V, \-\-version"
+Print the version number of
+.BR mt .

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