I'm running SuSe Linux 8.2, kernel 2.4.20. I'm trying to write some data to an external tape drive. Trying to set up the tape drive via the command "mt -f /dev/nst0 rewind" command before running BRU.

Now, this has worked before, flawlessy. Won't work now, and I can't figure out how to make it work. I think the problem came from when I temporarily disconnected the tape drive a month or so ago. But anyway, the computer won't recognize the existence of /dev/nst0. What can I do to fix it?

Not recognize? Does /dev/nst0 exist? What about /dev/st0?
Look at the output of dmesg for error messages relating to the tape drive.

Still NO SUCH DEVICE:

I have an aic7xxx Drive (Adaptec 7850)

dmesg outputs that:
======
scsi0 : Adaptec AIC7xxx ..... blah
....
aic7850: Single Channel A, SCSI Id=7, 3/253 SCBs

-------------------


lsmod output
====
aic7xxx 104640 0 (unused)
st 27028 0 (unused)
scsi mod 51548 2 [aic7xxx st]

-------------------

and ls -l /dev/nst0 shows
========
crw-rw---- 1 root tape 9,128 /dev/nst0
-------------------------------------------------------------

Does SCSI Id=7 and the output from ls - l /dev/nst0 have to match??? ie (7,128)
=========
crw-rw---- 1 root tape 7,128 /dev/nst0
-------------------------------------------------------------



TIA

----
kimc

thump, thump thump.... (Wonder if the keyboard will give way before my head)