Re: Backup to Tape Incomplete

On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:48:38 +1100
"Phillip Smith" <phillip(dot)smith(at)weatherbeeta(dot)com(dot)au> wrote:

> > Coming in the middle of this thread, so slap me if I'm off base here.
> > tar will accept standard in as:
> >
> > tar -cf -
> >
> > the '-f -' says take input.
>
> That would be to write to stdout :) I can't figure out how to accept from
> stdin :(
>
> -f is where the send the output, either a file, a device (such as tape) or
> stdout (aka '-')

Not quite. tar cf - will pipe to stdout, but tar xf - will pipe from stdin.

For the OP's problem, I'd try piping through dd as a file buffer, and run sync on completion. Is there a /dev/rst0, like on some of the old unixes ( doesn't look like it after checking my CentOS 4 server)? The difference was that rst0 was unbuffered, and st0 was buffered. Either way, the sync may help.

Worth a try (:

Steve.