Problem reading foreign TAR tapes

[Dave Ciemiewicz]

In article <8910051647.aa22396 at SMOKE.BRL.MIL>, levine%fidler.decnet at NWC.NAVY.MIL ("FIDLER::LEVINE") writes:
> 
> 	I am vax cluster system manager with a user who just got a 
> Silicon Graphics IRIS 4D/240GTX running  IRIX (AT&T System V with 
> BSD Extentions) V3.1 . He wants to be able to exchange data between his 
> computer and my cluster useing mag-tapes. I used the TARWRITE program
> supplied in the Spring 89 VAX/L&T SIG Tape VAX000.TOOLS directory to
> build a tar tape, but he is unable to read it even useing the command
> 
>  dd | tar . . .
> 
> is there anything else to try on the VAX or Silicon Graphics to be able
> to produce a readable tar tape, or is there a way on the Silicon Graphics
> to read/write blocked tapes?
> 
> 	Please respond directly as I do not get the INFO-IRIS conference.
> 
> Michael N. LeVine  Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, Ca 93555, USA
> Internet: levine%fidler.decnet at nwc.navy.mil,levine%fidler.decnet at 26.3.0.85
> (619) 939-2614  avn  437-2614 

IRISes and VAXen typically create tapes with different byte ordering.
For your dd | tar try:

	dd conv=swab | tar . . .

The conv=swab selects byte swapping in dd.

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
			Cosmo Ciemo, Silicon Valley Dude

I was traipsing through the fields of my mind when I stepped in something that
smelled rather ripe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------