Write error on SunOS 4.0 dump to cartridge

[Brian Berndt]

We have been having a problem with the first dump done in a script file
since the switch to SunOS 4.0.  We get the error:

  DUMP: Tape write error 11 feet into tape 1

We can then restart the dump with the same tape by taking it out and
replacing it.  The dump continues and never gives the error again during
that script file.  A shell script with four dumps gives the error only
once, but almost every time.  

This is not much of a problem except for the fact we want to put more than
one days worth of smaller dumps on one tape.  When we get the write error
after fsf-ing over the previous day's dump, the tape will rewind to the
beginning to start over.  That means we can not restart the dump as it
will write over the previous day.  Trying to restart the shell script
doesn't work as we will always get the error.

I have read about the double EOF marks and tape length errors, but I don't
see how they might cause our problem.  We use 1/4" Verbatim DL600
cartridges on /dev/[n]rst8 of our 3/160 with a dump shell script and
without.  The error usually happens with the script file running, but will
also happen when dump is run as a seperate command.

Brian Berndt
Bruce Bresnahan