+This command applies a label to an Amanda volume, erasing the volume in the process\&.
+.PP
+Amanda uses labels to identify volumes:
+\fBamdump\fR(8)
+and
+\fBamflush\fR(8)
+verify the label before writing to make sure the proper volume is loaded, and the recovery programs use the label to ensure they are reading the data they expect\&.
+.PP
+If no
+[\fIslot\fR]
+and no
+[\fIbarcode\fR]
+is given, then
+\fBamlabel\fR
+labels the tape in the current slot of the default changer\&. If a slot is given, it labels the volume in that slot\&. If a barcode is given, it labels the volume with that barcode\&.
+\fILabel\fR
+may be any string that does not contain whitespace and that matches the
+\fBlabelstr\fR
+(see
+\fBamanda.conf\fR(5))\&.
+.PP
+If
+[\fIlabel\fR]
+is not given, an autolabel is generated, see
+\fBautolabel\fR
+in
+\fBamanda.conf\fR(5)\&.
+.PP
+If
+[\fB\-\-assign\fR]
+is given, the barcode and meta\-label are assigned to the label without labeling the volume\&. The label must already be in the tapelist file\&.
+.PP
+This command also appends the new volume to the
+\fBtapelist\fR(5)
+file, so that they will be used in the order they are labeled (depending on the taperscan in use \(em see
+\fBamanda-taperscan\fR(7))\&.
+.PP
+As a precaution,
+\fBamlabel\fR
+will not write a label if the volume already contains an active label or if the label specified is on an active tape\&. The
+[\-f]
+(force) flag bypasses these verifications\&.
+.SH "OPTIONS"
+.PP
+\fB\-\-barcode \fR\fB\fIbarcode\fR\fR
+.RS 4
+With
+[\-\-assign], assign the barcode to the label\&. Without
+[\-\-assign], label the volume with that barcode\&.
+.RE