> On 20. Apr 2020, at 11.13, Michael Kerrisk (man-pages) <mtk.manpages@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > [CC += Kai] > > (Kai, I got a pile of queries from a downstream translation project) > > On 4/19/20 8:48 AM, Helge Kreutzmann wrote: >> Dear manpages maintainers. >> ... >> We cannot understand the last sentence. What is "forward spacing"? >> >> "This option causes the B<MTEOM> operation to be sent directly to the drive, " >> "potentially speeding up the operation but causing the driver to lose track " >> "of the current file number normally returned by the B<MTIOCGET> request. If " >> "B<MT_ST_FAST_EOM> is false, the driver will respond to an B<MTEOM> request " >> "by forward spacing over files." > > Perhaps Kai can help. I do not have a good explanation. > Spacing in tape terminology means going to the next file (or record or set mark). The drives usually support a command to go to the end of the tape. The drawback is that no information is obtained about the number of files skipped. If the driver spaces forward over files one by one, it can count how many files have been skipped. This is the technical description. But the text also says what is the consequence for a user that does not care about technology. Spacing is mentions also earlier in the text. Thanks, Kai
