Topic: Errors with flexbackup after upgrade to 7.

[cyberlair]

Hi After upgrading to SME 7 from 6.01 my flexbackup no longer works.

If I try and run it from the command line flexbackup -newtape I get an error. $keyfile not found in config: default=00-index-key
$buffer_fill_pct not found in config: default=75
$buffer_pause_usec not found in config: default=100

Errors:
$device must be set to a directory, a local device, or a remote device
can't write to /dev/nst0

Any help would be great since I'm lost with this one....

[nmtrier]

Errors:
$device must be set to a directory, a local device, or a remote device
can't write to /dev/nst0

Clearly version 7 is not automatically detecting your tape drive.  Have you seen bug no 788 http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=788
I have just installed 7.0 on a Dell SC430 with an IDE Travan 20/40 tape drive, and I had to add the ide-scsi module into the grub.conf file to get the tape drive recognised.  I then had to disable the buffer to read the backup tape from v6.01 - see bug no 1767 http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1767
I wanted this elderly but relatively cheap drive for compatibility with the server being replaced, but Linus Torvalds thinks it rather perverse to use an IDE tape drive!

[cyberlair]

Thanks for your help! I read through the bug reports but found there to be allot of testing and did not seem to come up with a clear solution to me.

Can you please tell me what exactly I need to do, commands and files that need to be edited. I do have a Seagate 10/20 GB IDE tape drive.

Thanks!  

[nmtrier]

Can you please tell me what exactly I need to do, commands and files that need to be edited. I do have a Seagate 10/20 GB IDE tape drive.

What worked for me from that bug report was this:
'To make this change permanent, edit /etc/grub.conf, and change all lines like:

  kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg_primary/lv_root

to:

  kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg_primary/lv_root ide-scsi

then reboot.'
You will need to login as root on the console.  I prefer to use the mc command to launch Midnight Commander which let me browse the file system and edit files.  Browse to the /etc folder and you should be able to edit grub.conf as above.

After rebooting,  the system will automatically create the /dev/nst0 device used by flxbackup.

[cyberlair]

OK.

I see what needs to be done BUT. You say to make this change to the grub.conf
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg_primary/lv_root ide-scsi

Mine looks like this:
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/
        initrd /initrd-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL.img

Do I delete the Label=/ ?

Also when you reboot the system, you say to open /etc/grub.conf and edit again? Is that whats meant by rerunning grub as stated in the grub.conf file?

Here is a print of my grub.conf

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd0,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda3
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title SME Server (2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp ro root=LABEL=/
        initrd /initrd-2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp.img
title SME Server-up (2.6.9-22.0.2.EL)
        root (hd0,0)
   kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/
        initrd /initrd-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL.img

[nmtrier]

Do I delete the Label=/ ?

no, add the 'ide-scsi' to the end of each of the 2 kernel lines without deleting anything - you are adding the request to load a module

Also when you reboot the system, you say to open /etc/grub.conf and edit again? Is that whats meant by rerunning grub as stated in the grub.conf file?

You edit the grub.conf file first. Then you reboot the system.  The act of rebooting will cause the grub.conf file to be executed, loading the module which will allow access to your tape drive.

[cyberlair]

This did not work.

I have another server that I built SME 7 from scratch and the kernel commands are as you stated:

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.ELsmp ro root=/dev/vg_primary/lv_root

But the server that I have the tape drive installed on was upgraded from SME 6.01. So the kernel instructions are as follows:

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/

It does not work if I add ide-scsi.

I tried kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/ide-scsi

System will get a Kernel panic.

Do you have any ideas? Thanks!

[CharlieBrady]

I tried kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/ide-scsi

System will get a Kernel panic.
/quote]

You need a space between LABEL=/ and ide-scsi.

[cyberlair]

Thanks for the quick response Charlie. I will give it a shot I thought I tried that but maybe not?

This is very troubling why would IDE tape drive support be removed from SME 7? I have other servers that I support that run IDE tape drives and will face the same problem if I upgrade them to SME 7. More features should be added instead of removed.

Thanks for your help, I wil test. Jason

[CharlieBrady]

This is very troubling why would IDE tape drive support be removed from SME 7? [

Follow the links and read Dell and RedHat's reasons here:

http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=788

Note that (AIUI) IDE tape support is not removed. IDE tape is only supported via the ide-scsi module, and not via the ide-tape module as well.

[aussie]

I tried kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/ide-scsi

System will get a Kernel panic.
/quote]

You need a space between LABEL=/ and ide-scsi.

I have just added an IDE Tape to a 6.01, ensured the st module is loaded.
I get a response to mt -f /dev/st0 -status which correctly changes whether there is a tape in or not
BUT mt -f /dev/st0 rewind or any attempt to tar/cpio results in
mt: The device is offline (not powered on, no tape ?)

Any ideas would be appreciated ....
Do I need to alter /etc/grub.conf  which has
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-18.7 ro root=/dev/hda6
        initrd /initrd-2.4.20-18.7.img

regards Aussie