From:	CSBVAX::CSBVAX::MRGATE::"SMTP::CRVAX.SRI.COM::RELAY-INFO-VAX"  5-NOV-1988 07:20
To:	MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART"
Subj:	Re: TSDRIVER


Received: From KL.SRI.COM by CRVAX.SRI.COM with TCP; Fri,  4 NOV 88 21:55:46 PDT
Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by KL.SRI.COM with TCP; Fri, 4 Nov 88 21:42:00 PST
Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.59/1.31)
	id AA05724; Fri, 4 Nov 88 07:02:46 PST
Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews
	for info-vax@kl.sri.com (info-vax@kl.sri.com)
	(contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions)
Date: 3 Nov 88 18:58:18 GMT
From: brspyr1!dave@itsgw.rpi.edu  (Dave Roddy)
Organization: BRS Info Technologies, Latham NY
Subject: Re: TSDRIVER
Message-Id: <4934@brspyr1.BRS.Com>
References: <8810270450.AA13261@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: info-vax-request@kl.sri.com
To: info-vax@kl.sri.com

From article <8810270450.AA13261@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, by EVERHART%ARISIA.decnet@GE-CRD.ARPA:
> 
> It seems TSDRIVER is broken in VMS V5.0, V5.0-1, and V5.0-2. Several
> people I've talked to tell me that for TS11 tapes, emulators, and
> mucho other stuff the driver gets moby confused about where end of
> volume is, and has other problems as well. This is a problem that was
> QAR'd during VMS 5 beta test and is STILL not fixed.

Recently I wrote a utility which is used to read IBM Standard Labeled
tapes down on VMS.  It uses $QIO to performing its reads.  This utility
worked just fine until I upgraded our VAX to VMS 5.0-1.

Then we discovered that the utility could no longer determine where
the End of Volume was located.  After calling the Digital Support people
I was informed about the TSDRIVER problems.

Anyway I fixed the problem by having my code now check for the flag
SS$_ENDOFTAPE along with SS$_ENDOFFILE which the TSDRIVER would report
as the return from $QIO when End of Tape was reached under VMS 4.6.

It seemed to me that DEC fixed the TSDRIVER to now report SS$_ENDOFTAPE
when the end of tape reflecter is encountered while reading the tape.

Although the driver now reports End of Tape correctly I am sure that
many tape utilities will no longer work because they check for
SS$_ENDOFFILE.
-- 
Dave Roddy		UUCP: dave@brspyr1
BRS Information Technologies Latham, N.Y. 12110 (518) 783-1161	
USENET: uunet!steinmetz!brspyr1!dave