Writing file containing NULL byte with 'dd' to a Exabyte Tape

[Jeremy Webber]

In article <254 at ists> mike at ists (Mike Clarkson) writes:

>   The exabyte uses 1024 byte fixed blocks.

>   Is your dd defaulting to an odd number of 512 blocks?


>   Try specifying bs=2b or some such incantation.

Unfortunately not even this will work with some versions of dd.  In fact there
is no way to make dd guarantee its output to be a multiple of 1k, because it
does not pad the last block.  If you are using the Delta Microsystems box they
provide a utility called bdd which has an appropriate option.  Else you may
have to write your own.

For this particular problem you may be able to do by specifying ibs=1k and
conv=sync but that will not work for all applications.
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Jeremy Webber			     ACSnet: jeremy at chook.ua.oz
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