gcos_restore locates and restores GCOS8 files from GCOS8 user, master and since SAVE tapes.
All files specified by the pathnames on the command line are restored from a sequence of GCOS8 SAVE tapes. If a pathname refers to a GCOS8 catalog, all files under that catalog are restored. Files are restored into a UNIX directory structure that matches the GCOS8 catalog structure. The GCOS8 files end in the suffix ".S" (for sequential) or ".R" (for random) to indicate they are in the raw "bitstream" format.
The SAVE information can be obtained from true tape devices, or from a tape image file that has been prepared with the gcos_tape(1) command.
Standard GFRC tape labeling procedures are applied during processing. If the labels don't match, you will be prompted either to continue or to change to a new tape. You many also change the input device and/or expected label at the prompt.
The optional [>newpath] syntax lets you rename the restored path. For example, "kadorken/catalog1>kadorken/catalog2" looks for the GCOS8 catalog "kadorken/catalog1" on the SAVE tapes and puts it into a UNIX directory called "kadorken/catalog2" (relative to the current working directory).
Any GCOS8 pathname component that is solely "." or ".." (which is a special filename to UNIX systems) will be changed to "DOT" and "DOTDOT", respectively, when restored into the UNIX directory.
After searching a SAVE tape (including continuation reels if required), the program displays a list of possible other SAVE tapes that could be searched for files not yet restored. This is typically the result of starting with a SINCE SAVE tape.
The environment variable "TAPE" value is used as the tape device, if defined. Otherwise, the default tape device is "/dev/rst1".