If your machine can’t read the media TERM came on, there are a few things to check:

1. Verify that the correct extraction command is being used. Double-check your release notes for that information.
2. Verify that the correct device name is being used for the media being read. If you are unsure of the device name and it is not listed in the “Installation and Set up of TERM” section in the manual, you can search for the correct device name by inserting the release media in the appropriate drive and typing the following at a system prompt:
   

   # for x `ls /dev/rfd”
   > do
   > echo “Device: $x ”
   > tar xvf $x
   > done
   #

   This will cause the tar command to be used on all the selected devices until the correct one is found. In order for this to work correctly, you must loop through the right files and directory. An example of some directory specifications are as follows:

   Interactive UNIX system V/386 : /dev/rdsk/* (disks)
   SCO XENIX/UNlX : /dev/rfd* (disks)
   Sun Microsystems : /dev/rst/* (cartridge tape)
   ICL DRS : /dev/rmt/* (cartridge tape)

   Century Software, Inc., has provided TERM for UNIX releases in the following formats:

   Tan 5.25 Diskette: 36OK
   Black 5.25 Diskette: 1.2M
   Black 3.5- Diskette: 720K
   Black 3.5- Diskette: 1.44M
   Cartridge Tape: Low density
   CD-ROM: ISO 9660

3. Remove the media, reinsert it and try again.
4. If the release has multiple diskettes, try executing the extraction command on each diskette received. If all diskettes fail, reboot the system and repeat steps 1 through 4. Occasionally, UNIX drives can get messed up and require rebooting to correct. If only one diskette fails, it is an indication that the diskette is bad. Call Century Software technical support.
5. If all diskettes fail again, try using a non-Century Software diskette. If it fails to read, the diskette drive probably requires cleaning. If the non-Century Software disk works, the TERM product diskettes are damaged. Call Century Software technical support.

Cartridge Tapes
lf you are having problems reading a cartridge tape, follow the steps above. lf the above steps fall, be sure to use the blocking option with the tar command. Century Software’s tapes are usually written with a block size of 20. For example:

tar xvfb /dev/rctO 20

lf adding the block size option doesn’t help, try using the dd command as follows:

dd if = /dev/ < device > | tar xvf –

lf this command doesn’t work, try:

dd if = /dev/ < device > conv = swab | tar xvf –

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 at 8:27 am and is filed under Install, UNIX. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.