This repository contains information that i found useful while setting up and creating LTO tapes.
tar czvf /dev/st0 /home/database
- c creates new tar archive.
- z compresses archive
- v verbose mode.
- /dev/st0 is the tape device
- /home/database is the directory that is being backed up to tape.
or
writing tape in filename order
find . -type f | sort | tar -cvf /dev/st0 -T -
Avoiding shoe shining
Shoe shining (also called backhitching) is when a tape drive constantly stops, rewinds a bit, and starts again because it's not receiving data fast enough to keep streaming steadily.
tar -cf - . | sudo mbuffer -m 1G -P 100 -s 256k -o /dev/st0
📋 What it does:
- Creates a tar archive of the current directory (.) and sends it to standard output (-cf -).
- Pipes the output through mbuffer, a memory buffer tool that smooths out disk/tape write speeds.
- Writes the buffered stream to an LTO-7 tape drive (device /dev/st0).
💡 Why this setup is good for LTO-7:
- mbuffer prevents underruns that can reduce tape streaming speed and longevity.
- -m 1G: Uses 1 GB of memory buffer — great for LTO-7’s high streaming speeds (~300 MB/s native).
- -P 100: Shows progress every 100 operations (helps with monitoring).
- -s 256k: Block size of 256 KB, which balances performance and compatibility with LTO-7 drives.
- -o /dev/st0: Sends the output to the tape device.
sudo tar cvf - Directory/ | gpg --symmetric --cipher-algo AES256 | sudo dd of=/dev/st0 bs=64k status=progress
See files that are stored on the tape.
tar tvf /dev/st0
Restoring to a directory.
tar tvf /dev/st0 -C /PATH/TO/RESTORE/BACKUP
See file files are stored on the tape.
sudo dd if=/dev/st0 bs=64k | gpg --decrypt | tar xvf -
mt -f /dev/st0 erase
dmesg | grep st
lspci