1 INFO-VAX	Sat, 03 Jun 2000	Volume 2000 : Issue 309       Contents:4 Re: DTSESSION crashes for some users, but not others5 Re: OpenVMS Date Change software for application only 9 Still no Oracle 8i on VMS (was RE: Wildfire Announcement)  VMS Employment????7 Re: VMS File Caching Futures (Was: Re: Andrew whatever) 8 Re: What is the simplest way to network two VMS systems? Re: Wildfire Announcement   F ----------------------------------------------------------------------   Date: 3 Jun 2000 13:13:18 -0400 4 From: "Robert Deininger" <rdeininger@mindspring.com>= Subject: Re: DTSESSION crashes for some users, but not others + Message-ID: <B55EB4F0-28926@165.247.42.239>   G On Fri, Jun 2, 2000 5:55 PM, James Bellinger <jnb@hep.physics.wisc.edu>  wrote:/ >We have a few AXP machines running VMS 6.1 and  >DecWindows Motif 1.2-4.- >Some users can log into the console and work * >with no trouble under the CDE system, but. >one of our users has the window manager crash
 >immediately.  > - >I checked his login.com file and it exits if * >the process is DTSESSION, so that doesn't >seem to be a factor.    4 things come to mind:  C 1:  Be very sure that LOGIN.COM isn't the problem.  Have him log in : with /NOCOMMAND just after his username.  (See HELP LOGIN)  B There may be some surprises in trying to program LOGIN.COM to exit? when the session manager is running.  For example, I'm not sure % the process name is always DTSESSION.   D This method has worked for me since the days of the old desktop, and! still works with the new desktop:    $ IF MODE .EQS. "INTERACTIVE"  $ THENB $    ! Check some things to determine what kind of job is running.A $    ! We need to skip some things for some DECwindows processes. ? $    ! See SYS$HELP:DECW$MOTIF011.RELEASE_NOTES, section 1.8.4.   $    TT_DEVNAME = F$TRNLNM("TT")# $    TT_NAMELEN = F$LEN(TT_DEVNAME) C $    SESSION_MGR     = (F$LOCATE("WSA",TT_DEVNAME) .NE. TT_NAMELEN) C $    SESSION_DET_PRC = (F$LOCATE("MBA",TT_DEVNAME) .NE. TT_NAMELEN)  $ " $    IF SESSION_MGR THEN GOTO EXIT& $    IF SESSION_DET_PRC THEN GOTO EXIT $  $ ...  $ ENDIF  $ ...  $EXIT: $ EXIT  C In particular, you want to avoid SET TERM/INQUIRE in the DECwindows C processes.  But in our experience, that causes a hang, not a crash. 3 Your SYLOGIN.COM needs to have similar logic in it.   B (I vaguely remember that the session manager runs LOGIN.COM twice,B the first time in a very peculiar state.  But I don't recall where I got this suspicion.)  B In any case, /NOCOMMAND will tell you for sure whether the problem is in LOGIN.COM.    G 2:  Check the quotas for his account in AUTHORIZE.  How do they compare  with other users?   E 3:  Check the protection of his DT... directories.  I think there was C a bug at one time that made the new desktop angry if it didn't have H delete access to some files/directories.  But I think that bug showed up
 at logout.   4. And check for DECW patches!     ---------------------------  Robert Deininger rdeininger@mindspring.com    ------------------------------  # Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 10:42:11 GMT = From: system@SendSpamHere.ORG (Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman-) > Subject: Re: OpenVMS Date Change software for application only0 Message-ID: <009EB0AF.4F0FF0B6@SendSpamHere.ORG>  O In article <3938600E.E25D3A8F@home.com>, Stephen Cook <smcook@home.com> writes:  >Hi All, > [ >I'm hoping someone can remember the name or location of some software that I saw last year _ >(before Y2K).  This software allowed the user to change the date and time that the application 9 >saw, but did not change the date and time of the system.  > Y >I did not need it at that time, however it has now become necessary, but I can no longer  >located it. >  >Any help would be appreciated.  > 
 >Thank You >Stephen C.   # Eigen has a utility called TIMESET!   . Take a look at:  http://www.nserver.com/eigen/   --N VAXman- OpenVMS APE certification number: AAA-0001           VAXman@TMESIS.COM  L GNU Freeware -- What does the GNU *really* stand for?  Garbage!  Not Usable!   ------------------------------   Date: 3 Jun 2000 09:20:27 -0700 * From: dunnett@mala.bc.ca (Malcolm Dunnett)B Subject: Still no Oracle 8i on VMS (was RE: Wildfire Announcement), Message-ID: <K+Ee67YlHNvT@malvm2.mala.bc.ca>  K In article <910612C07BCAD1119AF40000F86AF0D805284353@kaoexc4.kao.dec.com>,  0    "Main, Kerry" <Kerry.Main@compaq.com> writes:$ > Sorry, no time for long replies .. > I >>>> The fact is that 8i still isn't available on OpenVMS it was due last 2 > year, then march and it still hasn't happened.<< > D > oops, error. Oracle 8.1.6 on OpenVMS is apparently now shipping to
 > Customers.    =     Well maybe if you are one of the privileged few ( perhaps > those who buy Wildfires get special treatment? ). According toF Oracle MetalLink ( as of 9AM PST on June 3,2000 ) the latest orderable7 version of Oracle Server for OpenVMS Alpha is 8.0.5.1.0   ? >I do know one of our partners was testing 8.1.6 last week with = > OPS and it went very well. So much for that old argument ..  >   C    I'd think a proper test of "available" is when a normal customer G can get it through normal channels, not when it's available for testing 2 by "partners" or others with special arrangements.  M ============================================================================= M Malcolm Dunnett      Malaspina University-College   Email: dunnett@mala.bc.ca H Information Systems  Nanaimo, B.C. CANADA V9R 5S5     Tel: (250)755-8738   ------------------------------  % Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2000 22:53:46 -0700 3 From: Goku <peter.mauroNOpeSPAM@cwo.com.au.invalid>  Subject: VMS Employment???? 9 Message-ID: <0a0bc822.e99e279b@usw-ex0106-044.remarq.com>    Hi,   ) I am a VMS operator and i am 20years old. ? I was wondering what type of opportunities there are outside of  Australia for a VMS operator?   F Does anyone think that i can comfortably maintain a VMS position until3 later in life or will it completely die out soon???   D The type of work i do is Image,fs and os Backups,restores,monitoring printer queues and password resets.etcetcetc.... = Does anyone think that there are ample work opportunities o.s  Any offers??hehe   Thanks    L * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *G The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 12:49:25 -0500 * From: Keith Brown <kbrown780@usfamily.net>@ Subject: Re: VMS File Caching Futures (Was: Re: Andrew whatever), Message-ID: <39394525.677E8963@usfamily.net>   > Bill Todd wrote:  L > 1) Using a language that the average developer (who, after all, is exactlyN > the developer who *won't* do much if anything in the way of optimization) is > likely to select.  >   < I am always amazed at the number of people who choose C (the= language from hell) and then complain that they can't get any = work done. Yes, I known that C is popular, yet that fact does ? not does not always make it the best choice.  As many have said > before me, "we have a standardized language now, too bad it is C".    > M > 2) Making the desired behavior transparent rather than requiring that it be M > specified (though making it easy to obtain, albeit explicitly, is certainly ( > better than keeping it truly obscure). >   ? We certainly can't expect software developers to RTFM can we :) ? .  Bill, I've been using VMS for over 16 years. I never saw VMS ? while I was in school BTW, it all came after I started working. 9 In the last 2 years I have been spending significant time > learning Linux. RingTFM is what I have to do. I do not find it= intuitive as you would imply, but do see many similarities to = VMS. I like Linux but do find that it has some funky features < that require some learning and as many times as not they are@ more difficult to deal with than on VMS. I also find it to be no= easier to learn than VMS, which was easy BTW. If we are to be > dependent on SW developers that can only write code for the OS? they saw in school we will never get anywhere will we? My point ? is that SW developers need to RTFM for ANY system they code on. + I they don't we won't buy their SW will we?    > N > As for your other comment elsewhere, if VMS performance is 'good enough' forK > you even if it doesn't match Unix performance, rejoice and be happy.  But F > don't assume that's 'good enough' for everyone, or even a majority -J > especially given purchasing situations where VMS is typically the systemF > that must justify being considered against competition that sets the4 > expectations by virtue of its industry acceptance. >   > What my comment elsewhere said was that our VMS performance is< AS GOOD as Unix due to the use of external controllers. Note? also that even though Unix does have a default performance edge : on I/O we still chose to use HSZxx controllers on the Unix> systems for reliability reasons as we did on VMS.  There is no; free lunch. What Unix gains in I/O performance it looses in ? reliability. Go ahead, ask about the AdvFS restore we did a few 7 months back after DU crashed before flushing the cache.      --   Keith Brown  kbrown780@usfamily.net   ------------------------------   Date: 3 Jun 2000 13:37:30 -0400 4 From: "Robert Deininger" <rdeininger@mindspring.com>A Subject: Re: What is the simplest way to network two VMS systems? + Message-ID: <B55EBA9C-3DE61@165.247.42.239>   E On Fri, Jun 2, 2000 5:15 PM, Dan Gahlinger <dan@itac11-sun.sprint.ca>  wrote:G >    I've looked at the openvms site for DECnet info (over 500 pages of  >it) - not read in detail yet.D >I've also tried running cluster_config myself, but it asks some odd# >questions and I'm not sure what it  >really wants.  G Clustering and DECnet are separate.  You configure them separately, but G they _should_ have some information in common.  You probably want both.   F You use cluster_config to set up your cluster, and netconfig to set upG DECnet. (I've forgotten most of my decnet phase IV, since we use DECnet  plus.)  D To make a cluster, you will have to choose a cluster password and a A cluster group number.  They can be anything you want, but must be E the same on both machines.  Write them down, since you will need them B if you ever add another machine to the cluster.  (You can't easilyE find out the cluster password, but a system will tell you its cluster A group number.)  These two pieces of information determine whether B a machine will be allowed into your cluster.  There could be otherA VMS machines on the same network, and they can happily form other 4 clusters with different passwords and group numbers.  B For sanity, each machine should have the same DECnet node name andD cluster system name (SCSNODE).  Also, the DECnet node number (in theE form AREA.NODE) should be mapped to the SCSSYSTEMID using the formula A SCSSYSTEMID = 1024*AREA + NODE.  Cluster_config will ask you for  B SCSSYSTEMID and SCSNODE.  (I don't recall the exact questions; you" may not actually see those names.)    I >What is the quickest, easiest way to get two VMS systems to talk to each  >other? A >Assuming you set up the decnet node numbers like system1-3.1 and  >system2-3.2 or something H >the tcp/ip docs look very foreboding - I've done tcp/ip on unix and pcs1 >and nowhere near as complex as this seems to be.   D Tcp/ip didn't seem that bad to me. You need to know the same networkD information you would need on any other platform.  You run a config E procedure (sys$manager:ucx$config.com), tell it the network info, and ) then enable/disable the various services.     I >I'd like users to be able to log onto one system and access resources on I >the other one as well, also be able to use "phone" and notes and such to H >communicate. Mail also. This seems to require full decnet connectivity.G >or would cluster_config suffice?  would tcp/ip by itself be enough and 	 >work ok?   E You need decnet, but nothing needs to be fancy.  tcpip can do some of B this, but it knows less about the VMS environment and is generally, less convenient to use between VMS machines.  A If you make a cluster, you give the users better access to disks, C printers, etc on both machines, and you can manage it as one system A instead of two.  Each user typically sees the same environment no " matter which system he logs in to.     ---------------------------  Robert Deininger rdeininger@mindspring.com    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 02:02:42 -0400 - From: JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@videotron.ca> " Subject: Re: Wildfire Announcement, Message-ID: <39389F77.DBF43054@videotron.ca>   "Main, Kerry" wrote:D > oops, error. Oracle 8.1.6 on OpenVMS is apparently now shipping toK > Customers. I do know one of our partners was testing 8.1.6 last week with = > OPS and it went very well. So much for that old argument ..   M So how come Oracle couldn't announce that tier commitment for VMS and limited  it to Compaq's Unix ?    ------------------------------   End of INFO-VAX 2000.309 ************************                                                                                                                                                                                           Cow Not Abbatoir-Ready."  > >  > > -- > > Terry C. Shannon2 > > Consultant and Publisher, Shannon Knows Compaq" > > Visiting Vulture, The Register > > shannon@world.std.com_ > > http://www.acersoft.com_ >p/ > Great article Terry.  We need more like this.D  K Well, I'm working on one as we speak. It should be out sometime next month, 2 by which time there should even more to report on!   cheers,N   terry sI   ------------------------------   Date: 22 May 2000 03:03:37 GMT2 From: mathog@seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu (David Mathog)> Subject: Re: Software for Grownups (Was: Re: "Modern" OpenVMS), Message-ID: <8ga829$8qu@gap.cco.caltech.edu>  i In article <MQJV4.18416$jZ3.264140@nuq-read.news.verio.net>, "Nikita V. Belenki" <kit@nospam.net> writes:  >nD >As far as I know, there is no write() in the C language standard ;) >:  
 Let's see:  $ $ help CC   Run-time_functions write    B        Writes a specified number of bytes from a buffer to a file.          Syntax:               #include <unistd.h>i  D             int write(int file_descriptor, void *buffer,int nbytes);             (POSIX-1)   B Hmm, looks like its in the Unix emulation section of the compiler,H and that POSIX, rather than ANSI C, may be the correct standard to refer to.  h  H If it's there solely to offer unix emulation, then that's an even better/ reason for it to act like write() does on Unix.    Regards,   David Mathog mathog@seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu ? Manager, sequence analysis facility, biology division, Caltech     ------------------------------  % Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 09:45:55 +053020 From: Siva Kumar B <sivakumar.b@cybertech.co.in>3 Subject: UNSUB INFO-VAX sivakumar.b@cybertech.co.in @ Message-ID: <A1A92C702186D311A75500600868566E33452D@CSBMEX0121B>  * UNSUB INFO-VAX sivakumar.b@cybertech.co.in   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 22:23:47 +0200 B From: Arne =?iso-8859-1?Q?Vajh=F8j?= <arne.vajhoej@mail.danbbs.dk> Subject: VMS pages updatet. Message-ID: <392845D3.730AD918@mail.danbbs.dk>   http://www.levitte.org/~ava/   has been updated !   Arne   ------------------------------  + Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 13:31:08 -0500 (EST)r1 From: "Robert J. Slover" <slover@Rose-Hulman.Edu> % Subject: Re: Voluntary Milking SystemoW Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000521132952.16842A-100000@rocinante.admin.rose-hulman.edu>   8 At last, scheduler's VERMONT_CREAMERY.LOG explained! ;-)  ( On Sat, 20 May 2000, David Mathog wrote:  M > Today while having the oil changed in my wife's Legacy I chanced to open upaC > the April 2000 issue of Popular Mechanics and noticed a couple of L > paragraphs about VMS.  It stood for "Voluntary Milking System" and allowedM > cows to wander into a barn and get milked (by a machine) whenever they feltaM > like it. Very much like the situation with the VMS we know and love, exceptn9 > I doubt the cows need to try so hard to find the barn.   > N > This would tend to explain the "milked until there was no more left" feeling! > that VMS customers experience! o > 
 > Regards, >  > David Mathog > math