As an FYI, I got my tape running with compression, but using pure tar as my backup program I could not get it to stream (requires 15-30 MB/sec depending on data compressibility). SuSE 8.2 includes "buffer" to work with tar and with the combination I could get it to stream, but I lost the ability to write more than one tapes worth of backup. I found "mbuffer" or "Measuring Buffer" on the web and I downloaded/compiled/installed it. It is basically a replacement for buffer, but with better functionality from what I saw. Using "tar | mbuffer -o /dev/tape" (with appropriate args) I now have both a streaming tape drive and the ability to have my backup span multiple tapes. Another nice thing about mbuffer is it prints i/o speed and progress statistics throughout the backup process. Greg -- Greg Freemyer