---
name: "ddstool"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dds2tar"
version: "2.5.2-10"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ddstool"
---

# ddstool(1)

simple shell script to manage dds tapes

## NAME

ddstool - simple shell script to manage dds tapes

## SYNOPSIS

**ddstool**
 *\<command\> \<options\>*

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents briefly the
 **ddstool**
 command.
 This manual page was written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution
 (but may be used by others), because the original program does not
 have a manual page.

Since the version of tar now shipping in Debian does not contain the patch necessary to support the --record-file option, this program  will do nothing useful unless you're running a locally patched version of tar. First label a tape:
 ddstool create-label 'unique-string and more'
 To archive something:
 ddstool append pathnames...
 To delete the old index-files and make a new label:
 ddstool new-label 'unique-string and more strings'
 Each index is stored by the pathnames:
 $A/$unique-string.$file-number         (soft link)

$A/$timestamp-of-the-tapelabel.$file-number (file)

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Christian Schwarz
 for the Debian GNU/Linux system.