How to Retrieve Specific Files From a Tape (cpio)

1. Change to the directory where you want to put the files.
2. Insert the tape into the tape drive.
3. Retrieve a subset of files from the tape.

   $ cpio -icv "*file" < /dev/rmt/n

   –i

   Extracts files from standard input.

   –c

   Specifies that the cpio command should read headers in ASCII character format.

   –v

   Displays the files as they are retrieved in a format that is similar to the output from the ls command.

   "*file"

   Specifies that all files that match the pattern are copied to the current directory. You can specify multiple patterns, but each pattern must be enclosed in double quotation marks.

   < /dev/rmt/n

   Specifies the input file.

   For more information, see cpio(1).

4. Verify that the files were copied.

   $ ls -l

The following example shows how to retrieve all files with the chapter suffix from the tape in drive 0.

$ cd /home/smith/Book
$ cpio -icv "*chapter" < /dev/rmt/0
Boot.chapter
Directory.chapter
Install.chapter
Intro.chapter
31 blocks
$ ls -l