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 are copied.

   $ ls -l

Example—Retrieving Specific Files From a Tape (cpio)

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