Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!hc!whitfill
From: whitfill@hc.DSPO.GOV (Jim Whitfill)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: backup utility
Message-ID: <14204@hc.DSPO.GOV>
Date: 8 Mar 88 18:32:09 GMT
References: <256@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU>
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 35

in article <256@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU>, fsimmons@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU (Frank Simmons) says:
> 
> 
>  I have 2 questions:
> 
>   1) is it possible to list the contents of a tape without having written
>      the tape?

You should be able to (as user SYSTEM) do a:

backup/list mfa0:

This should show you the header, which includes the command used to create
the tape.

> 
>   2) is it possible to extract a file from the tape without having put it
>      there to begin with?
> 
>     I continually get tapes written in BACKUP format with no clue as to 
>     the command(s) used to prepare the tape.

You should be able to extract any file from a backup tape (as SYSTEM)
whether or not you put it there.

backup mta0:name/select=[directory]file *

                   =======================================
                               Jim A. Whitfill
                    Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
                            Group MEE-10, MS J580
                             Los Alamos, NM 87545
                                (505) 667-9282

                 (ARPAnet ==> whitfill%meediv.xnet@lanl.gov)
                   =======================================