Very Computer

Subject line says it all: I'm looking to purchase a SCSI tape drive for my
Linux system and would like to know what SCSI-based DAT tape drives people can
recommend and which ones people have encountered problems.  E-mail or posted
replies are fine. If response is large enough, I may post the results back
to this group.

: Subject line says it all: I'm looking to purchase a SCSI tape drive for my
: Linux system and would like to know what SCSI-based DAT tape drives people can
: recommend and which ones people have encountered problems.  E-mail or posted
: replies are fine. If response is large enough, I may post the results back
: to this group.

I bought an Archive Python 4540 SCSI DAT drive (2GB, SCSI 1 or 2, 11MB/min)
for $599.  Yes, thats right, $599!  From JEM Computers, Inc. 617-497-2500
It is an older (1992) model (JEM sells surplus hardware) but was new, with
instructions, in the original box.  Installation in Linux was extremely
easy: "/dev/MAKEDEV st0" makes both rewind and no-rewind device files, then
its ready for use!

Hope this helps.

: Subject line says it all: I'm looking to purchase a SCSI tape drive for my
: Linux system

I'm very happy with my second-hand WangDAT drive 11M/min, 2G/1.3G per tape.

Seeking second-hand tape drives is a lot more sensible than seeking second-
hand disk drives.  Because once you have written a tape, even if the tape
drive dies, you still have your data.  Technically, I suspect the life of
a tape drive might be longer too, since you only run it while you use it
(while hard disks run continuously).  So think about second-hand units.

As for DAT vs. other (eg. Qic):  DAT tapes are very cheap.  1 cent per Meg.
This is especially important if you have a large amount of secondary storage
to be backed-up, as you then get maximum efficiency from your tapes.  And
of course, they are nice and fast.

--
Warwick
--

 /     * <-- Computer Science Department,  /     Microsoft is the question.
 \_.-._/     University of Queensland,    /
      v      Brisbane, Australia.        /     NO is the answer.

|> : Subject line says it all: I'm looking to purchase a SCSI tape drive for my
|> : Linux system and would like to know what SCSI-based DAT tape drives people can
|> : recommend and which ones people have encountered problems.  E-mail or posted
|> : replies are fine. If response is large enough, I may post the results back
|> : to this group.
|>
|> I bought an Archive Python 4540 SCSI DAT drive (2GB, SCSI 1 or 2, 11MB/min)
|> for $599.  Yes, thats right, $599!  From JEM Computers, Inc. 617-497-2500
|> It is an older (1992) model (JEM sells surplus hardware) but was new, with
|> instructions, in the original box.  Installation in Linux was extremely
|> easy: "/dev/MAKEDEV st0" makes both rewind and no-rewind device files, then
|> its ready for use!
|>
I have two off the wall questions. Does the Archive 4540 SCSI DAT have the
same ability to read and write AUDIO DAT tapes that the old Archive 4320
has? And is there support for that function in Linux? It's built into IRIX :-)
and I ported it to DOS :-(

--
  Joseph S. Wisniewski  |  The views expressed are purely my own, and do not
   Ford Motor Company   |  reflect those of the Ford Motor Company, or any of
    Project Sapphire    |  its affiliates.

: |> : Subject line says it all: I'm looking to purchase a SCSI tape drive for my
: |> : Linux system and would like to know what SCSI-based DAT tape drives people can
: |> : recommend and which ones people have encountered problems.  E-mail or posted
: |> : replies are fine. If response is large enough, I may post the results back
: |> : to this group.
: |>
: |> I bought an Archive Python 4540 SCSI DAT drive (2GB, SCSI 1 or 2, 11MB/min)
: |> for $599.  Yes, thats right, $599!  From JEM Computers, Inc. 617-497-2500
: |> It is an older (1992) model (JEM sells surplus hardware) but was new, with
: |> instructions, in the original box.  Installation in Linux was extremely
: |> easy: "/dev/MAKEDEV st0" makes both rewind and no-rewind device files, then
: |> its ready for use!
: |>
: I have two off the wall questions. Does the Archive 4540 SCSI DAT have the
: same ability to read and write AUDIO DAT tapes that the old Archive 4320
: has? And is there support for that function in Linux? It's built into IRIX :-)
: and I ported it to DOS :-(

I don't know... that is a good question: can you play and record audio on
a SCSI DAT drive in Linux?
--

+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Chris Roger        | The opinions expressed above are my own...        |
| LabConnect, Inc.   | but they should be everones!                      |

+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------+