Tar Tape problems

[Jerry H. Chan]

In article <1990Nov20.205828.9217 at jadpc.cts.com>, jdeitch at jadpc.cts.com (Jim Deitch) writes:
> In article <1990Nov19.153249.4308 at wdl1.wdl.fac.com> rme at spl26.spl.fac.com (Richard M Emberson Jr) writes:
> >I've got a 386 AT clone, ISC2.2, and an Archive drive. After reading four
> >or five tape (tar -xfv /dev/rmt0) the next attempt to read a tape hangs.
> >I can kill the process but the device remains busy. The only way I
> >have found to clear the busy device is to powerdown to the reboot state.
> 
> Hmmm... I told Archive about this 3 months ago.  They said they had
> never heard of it, nor experienced it.  I just got off the phone with

I talked to an Archive tech support rep. just a few days ago reporting a
variation of this same problem.  Although first reported over a year ago and
then again in June of this year, they either misplaced my complaints or are
ignoring it.  A (former?) tech support person acknowledged this problem during
my 6/90 conversation stating that it was a *driver* problem. I have no reason
to doubt her.

The date on ISC's drivers appears to be an older version of the Archive
drivers (May 3, 1989); the newest drivers (Feb 16, 1990) fixes a few problems
with the previous version, but the infamous "hung tape" bug remains. I can
reproduce this bug consistently by attempting to access the non-rewind
device (/dev/ntape) more than four times.

Anyways, to put pressure on Archive to fix the driver, call Archive Corp.
at 800-537-2724 and ask for tech support, OR call GREG at 407-263-3538 (FL).
Greg told me that there are no current plans to fix this "supposed" problem,
but if enough folks call in with the same complaint, they could be
coerced into looking at it.
-- 
Jerry Chan 508-853-0747, Fax 508-853-2262  |"My views necessarily reflect the
Chan Smart!Ware Computer Services & Prods  | views of the Company because
Worcester, MA 01606                        | I *am* the Company." :-)
{bu.edu,husc6}!m2c!chansw!chan             \---------------------------------