# phpman > man > mt-gnu(1)

[MT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MT/1/markdown)                                         GNU CPIO                                         [MT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MT/1/markdown)



## NAME
       mt - control magnetic tape drive operation

## SYNOPSIS
       **mt** [**-V**] [**-f** _device_] [**--file=**_device_] [**--rsh-command=**_command_] [**--version**] _operation_ [_count_]

## DESCRIPTION
       This  manual  page  documents  the GNU version of **mt**.  **mt** performs the given _operation_, which
       must be one of the tape operations listed below, on a tape drive.

       The default tape device to operate on is taken from the file **/usr/include/sys/mtio.h** when  **mt**
       is  compiled.   It can be overridden by giving a device file name in the environment variable
       **TAPE** or by a command line option (see below), which also overrides the environment variable.

       The device must be either a character special file or a remote tape drive.   To  use  a  tape
       drive  on  another  machine as the archive, use a filename that starts with `HOSTNAME:'.  The
       hostname can be preceded by a username and an `@' to access the remote  tape  drive  as  that
       user, if you have permission to do so (typically an entry in that user's `~/.rhosts' file).

       The available operations are listed below.  Unique abbreviations are accepted.  Not all oper‐
       ations are available on all systems, or work on all types of tape  drives.   Some  operations
       optionally  take  a repeat count, which can be given after the operation name and defaults to
       1.

       **eof**, **weof**
              Write _count_ EOF marks at current position.

       **fsf**    Forward space _count_ files.  The tape is positioned on the  first  block  of  the  next
              file.

       **bsf**    Backward  space  _count_  files.   The tape is positioned on the first block of the next
              file.

       **fsr**    Forward space _count_ records.

       **bsr**    Backward space _count_ records.

       **bsfm**   Backward space _count_ file marks.  The tape is positioned on the  beginning-of-the-tape
              side of the file mark.

       **fsfm**   Forward  space  _count_ file marks.  The tape is positioned on the beginning-of-the-tape
              side of the file mark.

       **asf**    Absolute space to file number _count_.  Equivalent to rewind followed by fsf _count_.

       **seek**   Seek to block number _count_.

       **eom**    Space to the end of the recorded media on the tape (for appending files onto tapes).

       **rewind** Rewind the tape.

       **offline**, **rewoffl**
              Rewind the tape and, if applicable, unload the tape.

       **status** Print status information about the tape unit.

### retension
              Rewind the tape, then wind it to the end of the reel, then rewind it again.

       **erase**  Perform long erase of tape. If _count_ is 0, perform short erase of tape  (some  devices
              do not support this).

       **mt**  exits  with  a  status of 0 if the operation succeeded, 1 if the operation or device name
       given was invalid, or 2 if the operation failed.

   **OPTIONS**
### -f --file=
              Use _device_ as the file name of the tape drive to operate on.  To use a tape  drive  on
              another  machine,  use  a  filename that starts with `HOSTNAME:'.  The hostname can be
              preceded by a username and an `@' to access the remote tape drive as that user, if you
              have permission to do so (typically an entry in that user's `~/.rhosts' file).

       **--rsh-command=**_command_
              Notifies  **mt**  that it should use _command_ to communicate with remote devices instead of
              **/usr/bin/ssh** or **/usr/bin/rsh**.

### -V --version
              Print the version number of **mt**.

## BUG REPORTS
       Report bugs to <<bug-cpio@gnu.org>>.

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>>
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to
       the extent permitted by law.




MT                                        January 28, 2014                                     [MT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MT/1/markdown)