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8.8.1.14: MTERASE

C code
struct mtop op = { MTERASE, 0 };
result = ioctl(tapefd, MTIOCTOP, &op);

Description

Erases the tape Be careful!


Notes
  • Clears the file mark list only, i.e. doesn't really erase the data on the tape cartridge.
  • With ftape-3.04d (and later versions) this means that the first data segment is written full with zeroes (see ftape-3x file marks). Thus MTERASE erases at least the data in the first segment following the header segments.
  • ftape-3.04d (and later versions) also changes the tape label to
    Ftape - The Linux Floppy Tape Project!
    
  • ftape-2.x resp. sftape needed this command to initialise a cartridge before file marks could be used.
  • In contrast to all previous versions of ftape the ftape-3.04d (and later versions) driver no longer requires erasure of a cartridge to use file marks.

Example
mt -f /dev/nqft0 erase

References

File marks


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