Tape Isn't a Pool: How LTO Really Works on Linux
Daniel asked a simple question: once you've bought the tape drive, how does tape actually get integrated into a Linux server? The answer starts with a surprise — there is no driver to install, because LTO support has lived in the mainline kernel for decades. But the deeper answer is that tape refuses the mental model most of us bring from ZFS and LVM. A library does not appear to the operating system as a single expandable block device. There is no pool that grows when you add a cartridge. Each cartridge is an independent volume with a fixed capacity, and "pool" in backup software means a…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.