Dr. Ferenc Nagy ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
: Hi Folks:
: How can I list the system configuration parameters from a Sysdump tape?
: Stan Sieler's TAPEDIR reported only that there is a Sysdump tape and
: listed only the files on it. ............Slooooooooooooowly, in a time
: comparable with the time of the writing of the cassette.
 
Gee, you mean we take as much time to read every byte of the "cassette"
as it took to write every byte?  Imagine that!  :)
 
BTW, since Frank says "cassette" he may be referring to the cartridge
tape drive sometimes found on Classic HP3000s ... and that *is* a very
slow device!  So slow that the following SPL code is in TAPEDIR:
 
    if (not opt'quick) and is'ctape and (not batch) then
       begin
       say "***NOTE: cartridge tapes are verrryyyy slow!" spout;
       say ("So, printing the regular informative directory ",
           "could take a long time...") spout;
 
       say "Do you want the short-form directory instead? " endsay;
 
       opt'quick := affirm ( , false);    ! don't provide a default answer
       end;
 
Now...as to why TAPEDIR doesn't give you the system config info...
darn, I hadn't thought of that!  (TAPEDIR (and, later, the TINDEX Nugget)
was primarily interested in what files were on the tape.)
 
--
Stan Sieler
[log in to unmask]