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To see what format a backup is in you can use something like this:
| Code Block | ||
|---|---|---|
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dd if=/dev/rmt/0m of=/tmp/tapehead bs=1024 count=2 file /tmp/tapehead |
Means: copy the first 2k (2 blocks of 1024 bytes) from the tape to /tmp/tapehead and then run the file command on it to see what format it is.
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If the file command cannot identify a specific file type, or just returns 'data', you might be able to identify the format using a cat, more or a text editor combined with Google. Some backup programs (Amanda for example) even include a text file as the first file on the tape describing how to extract the tape.
See /wiki/spaces/utldigitalstewardship/pages/43057721 Troubleshooting guide if the dd command results in an I/O or memory allocation error.