---
name: "mt-gnu"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cpio"
version: "2.15+dfsg-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mt-gnu"
---

# mt-gnu(1)

control magnetic tape drive operation

## 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 operations 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=***device*

  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.