LTO schema index support?

If you are experiencing problems with "Everything", post here for assistance.
Post Reply
Tarantino
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2025 10:39 am

LTO schema index support?

Post by Tarantino »

Hi,

I'm currently evaluating your software for use with LTO tapes formatted using LTFS. I’d like to know whether your application supports importing or integrating the LTFS index/schema file (such as the XML or metadata structure created by LTFS).

Specifically:
Does your software support reading the LTFS schema/index file to list or catalog tape contents without having to rescan the tape?
If not currently supported, is there any roadmap or possibility of adding this functionality in the future?

This would be particularly useful for improving integration with existing tape archives and speeding up indexing workflows.

Looking forward to your feedback.
Best regards
void
Developer
Posts: 19839
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by void »

Everything has support for EFU filelists.

EFU files are just CSV files with a filename column (and any other information you want indexed, such as size, date modified etc...)

I have put on my TODO list to add LTFS xml support.

If you would like to share a sample LTFS xml I could write a simple xml to EFU converter.
void
Developer
Posts: 19839
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by void »

Thank you for the sample.

I have created a basic LTFS XML to EFU converter: ltfs2efu

ltfs2efu-1.0.0.0.zip
GitHub

Usage:
ltfs2efu.exe <in.xml> <out.efu>
Tarantino
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2025 10:39 am

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by Tarantino »

Awesome. Thank you, working beautifuly!

Btw, another question, since I am doing backups to LTO, I've the need to compare 2 folders, the original folder index and the backup LTO index, to get the diff from them, that way I could know easely what I still need to backup from the original folder.

Is this something already available on everything? If not, is it something you are willing to add? Or maybe you know another software or an "hack" where I can solve this particular pain?

Best regards
void
Developer
Posts: 19839
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by void »

Thank you for your feedback Tarantino,

An EFU comparison tool is on my TODO list.

I use windiff for comparing EFU files.
-It's an old tool that works well. (it might be tricky to download)
-It should work fine for LTFS XML.
-There are alternative diff tools out there. (but I don't use them so I can't recommend any)
hamid56
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:38 am

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by hamid56 »

Hi every one
so thanks to David for huge effort for upgrading Ev1.5 day-to-day.
windiff is also easily downloadable via this link
https://www.grigsoft.com/windiff.zip
it is also valuable to mention 2 another nice software in this area:
1- "Beyond Compare" as alternate excellent software for easy comparing any document via hex-table-photo-registry....procedure.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/
2-Compare It is also very good
https://www.grigsoft.com/wc3setup.exe
and nice comparison between compare it & windiff
https://www.grigsoft.com/windiff.htm
best regards
Tarantino
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2025 10:39 am

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by Tarantino »

I guess I could winddiff them and then use that efu list result to select the files for the next batch. Because I need to backup to 2.20Tb tapes, but the content surpass 10Tb, this way, seeing the diff list on everything I can still select files to copy, and since everything tells the space of the selected items, it makes the process very easy. And It would make too incremental backups very easy to do, without the need to use synchronization tools that I'm not a fan.
void
Developer
Posts: 19839
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: LTO schema index support?

Post by void »

Everything 1.5 has very basic support for searching for file lists.

To search for a list of filenames:
  • In Everything 1.5, right click the search box and click Advanced Search...
  • Scroll down to the bottom to Search for a list of filenames...
  • Click Browse....
  • Select your filelist and click OK.
This will add the following to your search:
includefilelist:<myfilelist.efu>


Files in your index that also exist in your filelist are shown in the results.
Prefix the
includefilelist:<myfilelist.efu>
search with
!
to show files that are in your index and NOT in the your filelist.

You can load filelists (File -> Load Filelist...) and use includefilelist: to show matching or missing files in filelists.
Post Reply