Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen
From: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: QIC-nn tape formats -- standardization???
Message-ID: <2734@sixhub.UUCP>
Date: 26 Dec 90 02:49:58 GMT
References: <29008@usc>
Reply-To: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen)
Organization: *IX Public Access UNIX, Schenectady NY
Lines: 27

In article <29008@usc> annala@neuro.usc.edu (A J Annala) writes:

| Could someone explain the differences between each of the QIC-nn tape
| formats -- and possibly suggest an appropriate format to support data
| interchange between as many systems as possible?  Is there a lowest
| common denominator format which can be read by most operating systems
| and cartridge tape drives?

  I will beg off on the first part, I don't understand well enough to
explain it, and parts of it I don't understand at all. There are three
sets of standards somehow, one for what's written on the tape (tape
interchangability), one for the interface between the drive and
controller (hardware interchangability), and one for the way the
controller appears to the driver.

  I can tell you that a 60MB QIC-24 format tape seems to be the best bet
for interchange. It can be written by Sun as rst8 (*not* rst0), and is
supported by Xenix and most 3.2 and V.4 drives of 60, 125, and 150MB
rating. I've written tapes on my Wangtek 60MB and read them on Sun,
Wantek 5125 with Scorpion (I think controller), SCSI Wangtek under V.4,
etc. That's the one to write is you want to have other read it.

-- 
bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me