[PLUG] Blocksize errors using flexbackup and Sony tape drive

[Mike Leone <turgon@mike-leone.com>]

So I have this Sony SDT11000 tape drive, connected up to an Adaptec 
39320 HBA. The card, cable and drive work just fine under WinXP Pro. 
However, on my Debian testing server, it's giving me grief. I'm trying 
to use flexbackup to backup certain directories, but am getting this error:

root@mail:/# flexbackup -test-tape-drive

flexbackup version 1.2.1 (http://flexbackup.sourceforge.net)
/etc/flexbackup.conf syntax OK

|------------------------------------------------------------
| Checking 'buffer' on this machine... Ok
| Checking /bin/sh on this machine... bash1
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Trying "mt defblksize" instead of "mt setblk"
Error setting block size
Neither of these commands worked:
   mt -f /dev/st0 setblk 0
   mt -f /dev/st0 defblksize 0


I'm pretty sure I have the relevant portions of flexbackup.conf correct:


# Block size (in kilobytes!) to use for archive programs and dd. Default is
# 10 for most things.  Some tape drives need 32 or 64.  Set to '0' to
# disable all blocking
$blksize = '0';

# Block size (in bytes!) to use for the tape device, with "mt setblk" or
# equivalent. If set to 0, will use "variable" block size for the tape
# device (which is recommended). Comment out or set to "$blksize * 1024" to
# have it be the same as the archiver block size above.
# $mt_blksize = "65536";

I've tried blksizes of 0, 10, 32, 64 (in K).  Same error. Tried it in 
bytes, with all the values (0, 10240, 32767, 65536). Same error.

I know the drive works; I can tar files to /dev/st0, and then test them, 
and all is good with the world. Flexbackup, OTOH, is being cantankerous.

Don't see anything in any log.

Pointers, anyone? I'd just like to have something simple I can put in a 
cron job that will backup multiple directories easily. (eventually I 
want it to email me a log when it's done, but first things first).

Thanks
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