Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!rochester!ritcv!cci632!ccicpg!felix!zemon
From: webster@oddjob.UUCP (Frank Webster)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: tar in ultrix 1.2 on microvax-II
Message-ID: <43542@felix.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jun 88 21:24:03 GMT
Sender: zemon@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: webster@oddjob.UUCP (Frank Webster)
Organization: U of Chicago - Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lines: 17
Approved: zemon@felix.UUCP
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We are running ultrix 1.2 on a microvax-II, and we have experienced
numerous problem with tar.  First, tar creates a `hung process' (in D
status) for what i believe are `soft errors' (i.e. media errors).
The only way to recover from the error is reboot the system as the
`hung process' cannot be killed.  Second, the tape being written to
when the `hang' occurrs cannot be appended to.  Third, dec thinks this
is a hardware error, but replacing both the drive and controller does
not solve the problem.  At the present time, our TK50 is essentially
unusable.

My questions are: 1) has anyone else encountered and solved these problems,
2) are the later versions of ultrix including tar with a better error handler,
3) is this a hard ware or software problem?  

frank webster (james franck institute/ university of chicago)
webster@silly.uchicago.edu