1 INFO-VAX	Sat, 06 May 2000	Volume 2000 : Issue 253       Contents: Re: Alpha VMS async I/O  Re: boot tape can i make one?  Re: boot tape can i make one?  Re: ERRFMT not found- Re: How get the internal system temperature ? - Re: How get the internal system temperature ?  Re: Marketing opportunity  Re: Marketing opportunity 	 Re: OPCOM 	 Re: OPCOM 	 Re: OPCOM  Re: Print queue -> file  Re: the latest billybox virus  RE: the latest billybox virus  Re: the latest billybox virus  Re: the latest billybox virus  Re: the latest billybox virus  Re: the latest billybox virus  Re: UCX Problem  Re: VEST, last version... . Was Marketing opportunity - now outright FLAME# Re: wich list: DIRECTORY limitation # Re: wich list: DIRECTORY limitation   F ----------------------------------------------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 10:36:17 -0400 / From: Bill Meier <wmeier##nospam##@newsguy.com>   Subject: Re: Alpha VMS async I/O8 Message-ID: <kfa8hs0j6kq7i3uh8q2sn3e4snv5eis0q6@4ax.com>  & We have the same Sybase configuration.  L I considered the issue of "o/s async i/o" a while back when I went through a Sybase tuning exercise.   J I came to the conclusion (based upon circumstantial evidence and gut feel)C that 'o/s aync i/o' applies only to Sybase running on Unix systems.   N (For example: I seem to remember that I noted that Disk I/O queues  would showF values greater than 1 for the disk being used by (only) Sybase for the database file).   
 Bill Meier    + Arne Vajhj <arne.vajhoej@gtech.com> wrote:    >Tim Llewellyn wrote:  >> Etienne Fondu wrote: + >> > We have the 11.0.3.3 on Alpha VMS 6.2. L >> > Sybase allows async I/O , but you need the 'o/s async i/o' config param
 >> > enabled. J >> > In the documentation it says it is a read-only param, and you need to9 >> > configure the operating system to enable this param. Q >> > Our system managers don't seem to know what parameter needs to set. Nor does 1 >> > Sybase support know whatto do either on VMS.  >>  N >> Possibly what is being referred to is the "Fast Path" IO feature introducedG >> in recent version of VMS. I am not sure however if VMS 6.2 is recent 
 >> enough. > ! >Fast path IO is a VMS 7.x thing.  > ? >And Sybase asynch IO is something different than fast path IO.  >  >Arne    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:47 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>& Subject: Re: boot tape can i make one?+ Message-ID: <VA.0000002d.1a233906@sture.ch>   M In article <8eq2e6$mqh$1@mailint03.im.hou.compaq.com>, Charlie Hammond wrote: : > From: hammond@not@peek.ppb.cpqcorp.net (Charlie Hammond) > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms ( > Subject: Re: boot tape can i make one? > Date: 3 May 2000 20:33:10 GMT  >  > Y > In article <8F299F8F5joeyahoocom@news.supernews.com>, joecarlos@yahoo.com (Joe) writes: O > >I am about to setup ucx on a vax. I do not have a spare disk to do an image  O > >backup before the upgrade. I doubt that anything will go wrong but is there  N > >a way to boot from a tape. Can i make a backup of the system disk and boot  > >from it?  > @ > Use SUS$UPDATE:STABACKIT.COM to make a StandAlone Backup Tape.M > Boot StandAlone Backup; then mount a different tape and backup your system. G > Boot StandAlone Backup; then mount the system backup tape to restore.  > Y Tip: Depending on what I was going to do, I used to enter my first command to StandAlone  W Backup with a deliberate syntax error. The tape (TU58 and TK50 alike) would then churn  5 for a little longer, loading the error message stuff.   Y Once the error was reported, it was safe to unload the boot tape, and then you could use  V SA Backup to your heart's content. If you didn't do the above and then encountered an 3 error, you needed to load SA Backup from scratch...  ___ 
 Paul Sture Switzerland    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:49 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>& Subject: Re: boot tape can i make one?+ Message-ID: <VA.0000002e.1a233e48@sture.ch>   < In article <39117220.7D7E0F7B@gtech.com>, Arne Vajhj wrote:, > From: Arne Vajhj <arne.vajhoej@gtech.com> > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms ( > Subject: Re: boot tape can i make one?' > Date: Thu, 04 May 2000 14:50:40 +0200  > To: Joe <joecarlos@yahoo.com>  >  > Joe wrote:O > > I am about to setup ucx on a vax. I do not have a spare disk to do an image O > > backup before the upgrade. I doubt that anything will go wrong but is there N > > a way to boot from a tape. Can i make a backup of the system disk and boot > > from it? >  > Yes. >  > $ @SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT  > 8 > (if I remember correct - it is some years since I have > used VMS VAX)  > P STABACKIT.COM exists on Alpha, but points you to the Alpha method of building a , minimum system. Author - Charles Hammond :-) > B > PS: It takes a long time to boot from tape. It is much faster toG >     create a stabackit on a data disk and boot from that (if you have  >     space for it). > G That used to be my first job after installing VMS. Remember to put the  P standalone backup in [SYSE] on a system disk, as [SYSF] used to get used (still 5 does?) as a temporary boot root by some VMS upgrades.  ___ 
 Paul Sture Switzerland    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:47 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch> Subject: Re: ERRFMT not found + Message-ID: <VA.0000002c.1a23367e@sture.ch>   5 In article <8eoiii$70u$1@news1.xs4all.nl>, Wim wrote:  > From: "Wim" <wim@wanadoo.nl> > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms  > Subject: ERRFMT not found & > Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 08:55:57 +0200 >  > Hello, > > > I can start ERRFMT on one of our nodes ( VAX 6520 VMS 5.5-2)M > I try yo start it with @sys$system:startup errfmt     !but nothing happends K > I dont get any error messages what so ever, any one know what I can do to # > start errfmt without rebooting???  >  > L You can start by renaming the error log file. If that is corrupt ERRFMT can  fail.    $ set def sys$errorlog $ rename/log errlog.sys *.old  ___ 
 Paul Sture Switzerland    ------------------------------  " Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 08:09:29 GMT( From: Terry Kennedy <terry@gate.tmk.com>6 Subject: Re: How get the internal system temperature ?' Message-ID: <Fu4pBt.4E0@spcuna.spc.edu>   # Ian Parker <parker@gol.com> writes: J > Mind you, the first CPU on the 4100 appears to be running hot enough forH > all of them!  Possibly I needed to a decimal point in there somewhere. > F > AlphaServer 4100 5/400 4MB Model 1408 (4 cpu), OpenVMS V7.1-2, CPU 0 > temperature is 254C (489F)  9   Nope, you didn't handle the undocumented return values:   $ literal SYI$K_ENV_STATUS_FAILED = 0;  literal SYI$K_ENV_STATUS_OK = 1;+ literal SYI$K_ENV_STATUS_NOT_PRESENT = 255; ' literal SYI$K_ENV_STATUS_UNKNOWN = 254;   *   So it's telling you "status is unknown".  - 	Terry Kennedy             http://www.tmk.com 5         terry@tmk.com             Jersey City, NJ USA    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:45 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>6 Subject: Re: How get the internal system temperature ?+ Message-ID: <VA.0000002b.1a233181@sture.ch>   8 In article <pXrDMBAlx3E5EwpH@gol.com>, Ian Parker wrote:# > From: Ian Parker <parker@gol.com>  > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms 8 > Subject: Re: How get the internal system temperature ?% > Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 03:45:54 GMT  > J > In article <ldoiUu0SzcLq@eisner.decus.org>, Bob Kaplow <kaplow_r@eisner. > decus.org.mars2> writes M > >In article <000801bfb16c$f9abe680$094c88c8@unipobjetivo.br>, "Valdemir J.  ) > >Santos" <valdemir-@uol.com.br> writes: 1 > >> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.  > > , > >Please turn off MIME & HTML when posting. > > N > >> I'm needing get the internal system temperature of a Alphaserver DS20.=20E > >> Is there any way to get this information using a DCL procedure ?  > >  > >$ set noverify 
 > >$ set noon  > >$! + > >$ tt    = f$getsyi("temperature_vector") $ > >$ if $status .eq. %xfba then exit > >$ cpu   = 0	 > >$loop: % > >$ ttn   = f$extract(30-cpu*2,2,tt) % > >$ if ttn .eqs. "FF" then goto next  > >$ t     = (%x'ttn*9)/5+327 > >$ write sys$output "CPU  ''cpu'   Temperature  ''t'" 	 > >$next:  > >$ cpu   = cpu + 1" > >$ if cpu .lt. 16 then goto loop > > M > >I've tried it on 8200/8400/GS140/DS20 (eisner). On other CPUs you get this 	 > >error:  > > E > >%SYSTEM-E-NOT_LOADED, system service or exec routine is not loaded  > > \TEMPERATURE_VECTOR\ > > I > >The strange thing is that on my 8 CPU 8400/GS140, only 2 of the 8 CPUs @ > >report valid information, and they are not on the same board! > >  > >       Bob Kaplow       > > N > >SPAM:  spamrecycle@ChooseYourmail.com  uce@ftc.gov     postmaster@127.0.0.1 > G > For me, the function succeeds only on the first CPU of one 4100 - the G > other CPUs on that system show "ff".  Other systems report the system I > service or exec routine not loaded, or indeed that "temperature_vector" J > is a bad parameter value.  VAXen return, reasonably enough I suppose, an' > unrecognised keyword.  Summary below.  > J > Mind you, the first CPU on the 4100 appears to be running hot enough forH > all of them!  Possibly I needed to a decimal point in there somewhere. > F > AlphaServer 4100 5/400 4MB Model 1408 (4 cpu), OpenVMS V7.1-2, CPU 0 > temperature is 254C (489F) > . That does indeed look like a decimal point :-)  ; > AlphaServer 1000 4/200 Model 1090 (1 cpu), OpenVMS V7.1,  ) > %SYSTEM-F-BADPARAM, bad parameter value  >  [rest of errors snipped]   A couple of points:   M 1. I seem to recall that getting these routines to work required some ECO or  5 other under 7.1. Sorry, I can't remember the details.    2. Also a firmware upgrade.  ___ 
 Paul Sture Switzerland    ------------------------------  # Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 07:04:26 GMT  From: tsm@palindrome.org" Subject: Re: Marketing opportunity) Message-ID: <8f0g5l$u48$1@nnrp1.deja.com>   ) In article <3912C83C.52EC016F@gtech.com>, @   Arne =?iso-8859-1?Q?Vajh=F8j?= <arne.vajhoej@gtech.com> wrote:  F > This virus/worm uses two features of Windows and Microsoft Mail thatG > no other OS and email program on another OS to my best knowledge has:  > 9 > - all users has write access to all files on the system   F Other systems are just as affected by this. Macintosh, for example. AsF for Windows, This only affects Windows 95/98 of course. The Windows NTC and 2000 installations are not affected, unless somebody is running  mail as administrator.  > > - the email-program run code when you click on an attachment > containing code   F Incorrect. For Outlook to run the attachment, you have to click yes toC __TWO__ dialog boxes. First what to do with the file (save or run). F Second, if you select run, a dialog warning you that it may be a virusD is displayed. A user who was a victim of the virus would have to say yes to both of these.   F Other mailers on other OS'es have this feature also. The CDE Mailer onF Unix will detect if somebody sends you a shell script and offer to runE it for you. This is the __EXACT__ same thing. VMS lucked out, because E its CDE port didn't come with the mailer (it just uses DECwindows VMS ; mail), but if it did it would have the same "problem" also.   B > I find it very difficult to see how this could happend oN VMS or > Unix !  F Technically, absolutely nothing. Unix single-handedly brought down theF Internet (and not just a few clients machines?) several years ago withE the Internet worm, so I don't know where you get off mentioning it in G the same breath as VMS, and claiming it is so much less vulnerable than G Windows. VMS, of course is less vulnerable, but Unix? Be realistic. You E did see the apache.org hack, no? Does it make you sleep well at night B knowing that the owners of the web server which control 60% of theC market cannot even properly secure their site using that web sever?   > What you have to understand is that the culture for Windows is= completely different than with Unix and VMS. In Windows it is E __EXTREMELY__ common for users to mail each other EXE's and run them, @ blindly. My mother does this all the time, and runs all sorts ofD different doodads and novelty problems which people e-mail her. What= should Microsoft do? Should they disable to ability to run an C executable from the mailer? But this is a convenience for user. The G worm writer would then just say, "Save this file into your desktop, and @ then run it", and 99.44% of the people who opened the executable? through the mailer would open it this way. Unix and VMS are not F affected by this because (a) it is not common culture for the users toE gain executables over e-mail and (b) the targets are so much smaller.   E IMHO, any blame placed on Microsoft for this is just yet another step F in the War on Microsoft, and is simply obsessive, irrational Microsoft3 hatred, with absolutely no technical justification.     & Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:51 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>" Subject: Re: Marketing opportunity+ Message-ID: <VA.00000030.1a234615@sture.ch>   < In article <3912C83C.52EC016F@gtech.com>, Arne Vajhj wrote:, > From: Arne Vajhj <arne.vajhoej@gtech.com> > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms $ > Subject: Re: Marketing opportunity' > Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 15:10:20 +0200 / > To: Nigel Arnot <sysmgr@maxwell.ph.kcl.ac.uk>  >  > Nigel Arnot wrote:O > > Technically it (ILOVEYOU) is a worm and trojan, not a virus. It's targetted R > > at MS systems because (probably) they are widespread and widely used by peopleN > > without a technical background. However, it does not appear to exploit anyM > > security holes and is mostly social engineering; the only technical facet M > > being that Microsoft make virtually NO distinction between code and data, N > > and so people used to doubleclicking mail messages to "view" Word or ExcelJ > > files (thermselves executable!) will not notice the .vbs extension and> > > happily execute a malicious script under misleading cover. > > J > > It would be fairly trivial to write similar malware in (say) Perl on aS > > Unix or even in DCL on a VMS system. But because the designers of those systems G > > are more security-minded, it will be far harder to "con" users into M > > acrually executing the script. That's the only real difference. Microsoft M > > users are presented with a bottle marked "drink me" and do; users of most H > > other systems would realize that it may very well contain poison, an > > decline the invitation.  >  > ???? > I > This virus/worm uses two features of Windows and Microsoft Mail that no D > other OS and email program on another OS to my best knowledge has: > 9 > - all users has write access to all files on the system  > ; True with W95 or W98. Not true with NT, if set up properly.   I > - the email-program run code when you click on an attachment containing  > code > H Actually, it doesn't even need clicking. From something I saw yesterday:  ' "Special instructions for Outlook users   P If you use Outlook 98 as your e-mail client, please DEACTIVATE the Preview Pane P immediately since the virus can be activated simply as a result of this default 	 setting."   T I've got Outlook Express 5 here although I don't use it. I've just fired it up, and S sure enough the preview pane is on by default. The option to turn it off is buried  S in ViewLayout, and has a separate entry for each main item (mail, newsgroups etc).   I > I find it very difficult to see how this could happend oN VMS or Unix !  >   R Me too. Although if you want to surf from an account with elevated privileges, it Q _could_ happen. Remember that offer for cheap PCs posted to comp.os.vms sometime  M last year, which led to some porn page by opening a window (using Netscape's  9 default settings of viewing links inline)? Caution folks!    ___ 
 Paul Sture Switzerland    ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:53 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch> Subject: Re: OPCOM+ Message-ID: <VA.00000032.1a234ddd@sture.ch>   J In article <8eumq3$nfr$1@mailint03.im.hou.compaq.com>, Hoff Hoffman wrote:4 > From: hoffman@xdelta.zko.dec.nospam (Hoff Hoffman) > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms  > Subject: Re: OPCOM > Date: 5 May 2000 14:45:23 GMTN >  > E > :I have some batches that use the REQUEST/REPLY/TO=OPER1 command to - > :require confirmation before continuation.. H > :It worked perfectly until last week-end, when I suppressed VAX's with1 > :their VT console (OPA0: always with power on).s > D >   Suppressed?  I'll assume you either meant that you disabled the E >   operator console(s), or you meant that you shut down the systems.  >eR I think he means that he switched them off and now only has Alphas in his cluster.  F > :When nobody was logged in, the message was only sent to the console? > :(without any login) and the batch was waiting for the reply.  > A >   You will want to have an operator enabled somewhere (there isOB >   no particular need for an operator terminal to be logged on), A >   or you will want to have something check the status returned   >   by the request.6 > E >   With no operator and with the status check -- checking the returnAD >   status is usually a good idea -- you get "%X10058061" when thereC >   are no operators, while a successfully completed request gets aiC >   "%X10058029" and an aborted request gets a "%X1005801C" status.n >  [rest snipped]  \ Whilst what you say is perfectly valid, I believe the real problem is that on Alphas with a X graphics console, the operator log is not enabled, even in spite of the OPC logicals in  sylogicals.com./  \ This was IMHO a bug introduced in VMS V6.2. A comparison of the V6.1 and V6.2 startup files a revealed that under V6.1 the Alpha and VAX versions were different (IIRC one of the files called o` by startup.com), and in V6.2 someone had (laudably) "corrected" this, with the result that both Y VAX and Alpha versions became identical. Please note that I spent some considerable time ea researching this back in 1996 when I first upgraded to V6.2 and ended up using the "brute force" a( method I outlined in my post to Bernard.  b Unfortunately, this resulted in the behaviour where an Alpha might think it was a workstation and  not create the logfile.l  a An 8400 will create an operator.log by default. A 4100 will not always - that seems to depend on aT whether it has a graphics console plus some other "variable" I have not nailed down. ___ 
 Paul Sture SwitzerlandI   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:52 +0200-  From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch> Subject: Re: OPCOM+ Message-ID: <VA.00000031.1a234aa4@sture.ch>:  A In article <3912CC24.EF9B53F4@azisoft.ch>, Bernard Schluep wrote:r4 > From: Bernard Schluep <Bernard.Schluep@azisoft.ch> > Newsgroups: comp.os.vmsw > Subject: Re: OPCOM' > Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 15:27:00 +0200n > < > No, this message is following the request in my batch log.% > I can also find it in operator.log.  >  >  That has me puzzled.  I One of my backups failed this week (rather than waiting for the robot to a load the next tape) with:a  < "BATCHNOOPR, no operator available to service batch request"  J I discovered that the cause of this was that after a reboot, the operator J log was not enabled. My fault - I had taken out the following from one of  the startup files:   $ define sys$command opa0: $ reply /enablep $ reply /log $ deassign sys$command  I Why did I put this in the first place? I found that under VMS 6.2 (Alpha hI only) none of our systems were creating operator logs at startup. When I wL first upgraded to V6.2 I had found that setting the OPC$_LOGFILE logical in 7 sylogicals.com worked on VAX/VMS, but NOT on Alpha/VMS.   K Why did I take it out? I found that the majority of our systems (a mixture nL of V7.1 and V7.2) were creating 2 operator.log files on startup, and I like  to be tidy.A  G On analyzing the situation, I found that 8400 systems would create the tH operator log. The cluster which didn't create any consists of 3 x 4100s.  H To sum up, it appears that any Alpha with a graphics console (or just a G graphics interface maybe), does not create an operator.log because the  I startup logic assumes it to be a workstation. (Some workstations - these tL things have multiple processors, several GB RAM, and a 750GB disk farm! ;-))J It doesn't work exactly like that though, since on another cluster a 4100 3 clustered with 2 8400s _does_ create the logfile...0  I Putting the above commands in your sylogicals.com does the trick, and it e
 works for me.x ___o
 Paul Sture Switzerland    ------------------------------  $ Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 09:38:39 -0500) From: "John E. Malmberg" <wb8tyw@qsl.net>m Subject: Re: OPCOM. Message-ID: <sh8b9s6voju91@corp.supernews.com>  + Paul Sture <paul#sture.ch> wrote in message % news:VA.00000032.1a234ddd@sture.ch...m  J > This was IMHO a bug introduced in VMS V6.2. A comparison of the V6.1 and V6.2 startup filesJ > revealed that under V6.1 the Alpha and VAX versions were different (IIRC one of the files callediL > by startup.com), and in V6.2 someone had (laudably) "corrected" this, with the result that bothH > VAX and Alpha versions became identical. Please note that I spent some considerable time.J > researching this back in 1996 when I first upgraded to V6.2 and ended up using the "brute force"l* > method I outlined in my post to Bernard. > L > Unfortunately, this resulted in the behavior where an Alpha might think it was a workstation and0 > not create the logfile.l  A The BUG that I remember and reported to the CSC resulted from theVH installation of a prior version of DECWindows-Motif changed a table that
 Autogen used.   C It incorrectly caused AUTOGEN to set all non-workstation systems asEE workstation, and thus it shut off autogen.  Specifically the value of L WINDOW_SYSTEM was set to 1 always.  The only fix to get opcom working was to* force WINDOW_SYSTEM to 0 in MODPARAMS.DAT.  4 This is fixed with DECWindows Motif 1.2.4 and later.    I On an Alpha Workstation, I have not had any problems with Opcom messages,g> the only thing is that an Operator Window needs to be enabled.  L Enabling the Operator Window is done by making sure the following line is inK the file SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]DECW$PRIVATE_APPS_SETUP.COM for the workstation-& that you want to the operator console.  " $decw$console_selection = "WINDOW"  I If the workstation is in a cluster, and you want the opcom to work on it,B: the following logical names should be defined from running SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGICALS.COM  ( $define/system/exec opc$opa0_enable TRUE+ $define/system/exec opc$logfile_enable TRUEa  H This is documented in the associated template files and in other places.  J I would also recommend verifying that the system is tuned for the specificK graphics adapter present.  Some graphics adapters need specific settings inFK MODPARAMS.DAT and in DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM.  These settings will beE6 in the manuals and release notes for DECWindows MOTIF.  I I have not worked with the CDE mode of Motif, only the classic DECWindowst Motif.   -John  wb8tyw@qsl.network   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:44 +0200e  From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>  Subject: Re: Print queue -> file+ Message-ID: <VA.0000002a.1a232e11@sture.ch>m  I In article <XAbO4.13218$By1.239098@news1.online.no>, Thomas nilsen wrote:B6 > From: "Thomas nilsen" <Thomas.Nilsen@kverneland.com> > Newsgroups: comp.os.vmss > Subject: Print queue -> file' > Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 08:58:44 +0100u > M > Is there any way to set up a print queue on OpenVMS AXP v7.1 so that prints.N > sent to this queue is saved as file on the system instead of going to a real
 > printer? > O I did this a few years ago. I kept the print queue stopped, and wrote a bit of oN DCL which monitored that queue, copying each job to another node and printing O it there. Once copied to the other node, the job was deleted from the original y queue. Not too hard. ___s
 Paul Sture Switzerlandh   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:54 +0200t  From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>& Subject: Re: the latest billybox virus+ Message-ID: <VA.00000033.1a235297@sture.ch>   9 In article <8evm6i$ei5$1@pyrite.mv.net>, Bill Todd wrote:,) > From: "Bill Todd" <billtodd@foo.mv.com>  > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms+( > Subject: Re: the latest billybox virus& > Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 19:42:53 -0400 >=, [not getting into the rest of this argument]  L > application (yeah, Word macro viruses might sneak through that filter, butL > they're an issue to be dealt with in Word rather than in a general-purpose
 > mechanism).  > K On my setup at work, Word and Excel both pop up a fairly dire warning is a SN file being opened contain macros, and offers the option to disable macros. It = certainly makes me think before blindly saying yes, go ahead.    ___y
 Paul Sture Switzerlandc   ------------------------------   Date: 6 May 2000 07:20:29 CDTe= From: wayne@tachysoft.xxx.003546.killspam.013a (Wayne Sewell)h& Subject: RE: the latest billybox virus. Message-ID: <7I58TIzRi9eL@tachxxsoftxxconsult>  j In article <C15945A9D9EFCF11BA8B08002BBF1CCC0CD6E1@berry.mvpsi.com>, John Vottero <John@MVPSI.com> writes: >> -----Original Message-----dA >> From: system@SendSpamHere.ORG [mailto:system@SendSpamHere.ORG]r% >> Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 6:02 PMf >> To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com) >> Subject: Re: the latest billybox virusl >> r > [snip] >> 4< >> First off, there was no 'rocket science' involved in the  >> latest headlining; >> 'virus'.  It was simply and exploit of a REALLY, REALLY 0 >> stupid feature in-c+ >> corporated into bgInc.'s schlockwarez.  a >> a > N > Yes, this thing was just meatball programming, not the creation of a genius. > M > But what is the "REALLY, REALLY stupid feature"?  Is it the ability to openS > mime attachments?  t  G The really, really stupid feature is the capability of *executing* mime I attachments directly from mail.  Not data such as jpegs, mpegs, etc., but $ executables and scripts of any kind.   -- iO ===============================================================================CM Wayne Sewell, Tachyon Software Consulting  (281)812-0738  wayne@tachysoft.xxxm: http://www.tachysoft.xxx/www/tachyon.html and wayne.html  K change .xxx to .com in addresses above, assuming you are not a spambot  :-)eO =============================================================================== C Jake Blues: "Sell me your children!  How much for the little girl?"e   ------------------------------  $ Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 08:55:42 -0500) From: "John E. Malmberg" <wb8tyw@qsl.net>,& Subject: Re: the latest billybox virus. Message-ID: <sh88p9u5oju67@corp.supernews.com>  + Paul Sture <paul#sture.ch> wrote in messaged% news:VA.00000033.1a235297@sture.ch... ; > In article <8evm6i$ei5$1@pyrite.mv.net>, Bill Todd wrote:i+ > > From: "Bill Todd" <billtodd#foo.mv.com>  >oJ > > application (yeah, Word macro viruses might sneak through that filter, but > > > they're an issue to be dealt with in Word rather than in a general-purpose  > > mechanism).o > >OL > On my setup at work, Word and Excel both pop up a fairly dire warning is aL > file being opened contain macros, and offers the option to disable macros. It? > certainly makes me think before blindly saying yes, go ahead.   G I see that warning sometimes when the file does not seem to contain anye& macros.  I wonder what it is checking?  L The problem with Outlook/Explorer is that under certain conditions they willJ execute these macros with out asking, automatically as soon as the message
 is opened.   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 10:44:44 -0500w* From: Keith Brown <kbrown780@usfamily.net>& Subject: Re: the latest billybox virus, Message-ID: <39143DEC.C808D9F7@usfamily.net>   Bill Todd wrote: > 7 > Keith Brown <kbrown780@usfamily.net> wrote in messagec( > news:391388E7.5E1D2AD5@usfamily.net... >  > .... >  > > Geez Bill, are we bitter?h > < > I pick my words carefully:  'disgusted' was the right one. > $ >  BTW, Netscape on OpenVMS seems toD > > handle attachments just fine on my system. I think Wayne is just? > > expressing what may of us think, While the world wrings itsnA > > hands about how computer systems all over the world have beenhC > > trashed by the latest virus, somehow only us ignorant dinosaursn) > > manage to keep our computers running.  > I > Well, I use Win98 at home and had no problem keeping it running despiteeI > receiving a copy of the worm before any alarm had been raised, so don'tlK > break your arm patting yourself on the back just because VMS wasn't worth98 > bothering to target (even if it had been an easy one). >  >  We must be ignorant3 > > dinosaurs, right, because we don't run Windows.) > J > No, you're ignorant dinosaurs because you believe that the *rest* of theJ > world shouldn't run Windows.  Of course, all the people who are wringingH > their hands are ignorant too (just not so anachronistic), because theyK > believe that somehow this whole fiasco indicates that the Internet sky isaM > falling and there's no solution in sight, whereas all people really need to-I > do is learn not to execute email attachments that they didn't expect tol > receive (duh). >    > - bill >  > >i > > -- > > Keith BrownD > > kbrown780@usfamily.net   > J >> Well, I use Win98 at home and had no problem keeping it running despiteJ >> receiving a copy of the worm before any alarm had been raised, so don'tL >> break your arm patting yourself on the back just because VMS wasn't worth9 >> bothering to target (even if it had been an easy one).r >   ? I run Linux-Mandrake at home. It does anything Windows does andI8 I'm not held hostage to upgrade every time BG decides MS> revenues need to grow so he forces a new version on us with no: new features but WITH new file formats so we are no longer compatible.l  L >> Yes, Microsoft could help by setting up an intermediate cautionary dialog1 >> box before executing an executable attachment.    We are in violent agreement. d   >>  But saying it's allsM >> Microsoft's fault is like blaming the manufacturer of a pre-airbag car forcM >> injury to a driver who chose not to wear a seatbelt and had never botheredn >> to learn to drive.w  > I think a better analogy is having you head knocked off by the> airbag that was designed to protect you.  IMHO executing files5 from e-mail should not even be possible (by default).t     -- f Keith Brown" kbrown780@usfamily.net   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 11:39:46 -0500 * From: Keith Brown <kbrown780@usfamily.net>& Subject: Re: the latest billybox virus, Message-ID: <39144AD2.B1259582@usfamily.net>   Bill Todd wrote: > 7 > Keith Brown <kbrown780@usfamily.net> wrote in messagew( > news:391388E7.5E1D2AD5@usfamily.net... >  > .... >  > > Geez Bill, are we bitter?m > < > I pick my words carefully:  'disgusted' was the right one. > $ >  BTW, Netscape on OpenVMS seems toD > > handle attachments just fine on my system. I think Wayne is just? > > expressing what may of us think, While the world wrings itsnA > > hands about how computer systems all over the world have beeneC > > trashed by the latest virus, somehow only us ignorant dinosaurs ) > > manage to keep our computers running., > I > Well, I use Win98 at home and had no problem keeping it running despitetI > receiving a copy of the worm before any alarm had been raised, so don'teK > break your arm patting yourself on the back just because VMS wasn't worthh8 > bothering to target (even if it had been an easy one). >  >  We must be ignorant3 > > dinosaurs, right, because we don't run Windows.n > J > No, you're ignorant dinosaurs because you believe that the *rest* of theJ > world shouldn't run Windows.  Of course, all the people who are wringingH > their hands are ignorant too (just not so anachronistic), because theyK > believe that somehow this whole fiasco indicates that the Internet sky iseM > falling and there's no solution in sight, whereas all people really need toiI > do is learn not to execute email attachments that they didn't expect to- > receive (duh). > K > Yes, Microsoft could help by setting up an intermediate cautionary dialogRE > box before executing an executable attachment.  But saying it's alleL > Microsoft's fault is like blaming the manufacturer of a pre-airbag car forL > injury to a driver who chose not to wear a seatbelt and had never bothered > to learn to drive. >  > - bill >  > >  > > -- > > Keith Brownh > > kbrown780@usfamily.net  
 >>so don'tK >>break your arm patting yourself on the back just because VMS wasn't wortht8 >>bothering to target (even if it had been an easy one).  ; BTW, I forgot to add - systems that implement separate users? accounts like Linux, OpenVMS, even NT ... (but unlike Win95,98)r> , are inherently more secure because the virus can only damage; files which my account has access to. Since most people usea> Win95 or 98 which have very little in the way of security they? are more susceptible to serious damage from this type of virus.e< This is what the masses use for internet access because they@ have been led to believe by the marketing people that windows is; superior to any other OS.  And yes I do believe that peoplel> would be better off using a system which offers some degree of> security for internet access rather that Win95 or 98.  I guess that makes me a dinosaur.      --   Keith Brownd kbrown780@usfamily.net   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 12:32:16 -0400e, From: taterskins@patriot.net (Ramon L. Tate)& Subject: Re: the latest billybox virusD Message-ID: <taterskins-ya023480000605001232160001@news.patriot.net>  I In article <C15945A9D9EFCF11BA8B08002BBF1CCC0CD6E1@berry.mvpsi.com>, Johni Vottero <John@MVPSI.com> wrote:h   > > -----Original Message-----B > > From: system@SendSpamHere.ORG [mailto:system@SendSpamHere.ORG]& > > Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 6:02 PM > > To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.ComV* > > Subject: Re: the latest billybox virus > >  > [snip] > > = > > First off, there was no 'rocket science' involved in the   > > latest headliningt< > > 'virus'.  It was simply and exploit of a REALLY, REALLY  > > stupid feature in-, > > corporated into bgInc.'s schlockwarez.   > >  > N > Yes, this thing was just meatball programming, not the creation of a genius. > M > But what is the "REALLY, REALLY stupid feature"?  Is it the ability to opentN > mime attachments?  A powerful scripting language?  Aren't these good things?N > Are we really more secure if opening a mime attachment is a pain in the ass?N > The only solution I see is user education.  A lot of people just learned the > hard way.   I No, the REALLY, REALLY stupid feature is permitting the silent mailing ofaE multiple messages to all the users in your mail list. While it can beOB argued that the ability to invoke an executable from with the mailG environment MIGHT be a useful thing under SOME circumstances, wholesalelJ mail operations should only be possible under strict user control. Just my	 2 yen....a   -- ,
 Ramon L. Tate:	 Casa Maan= taterskins@patriot.net   "Skin" that "tater" before replying!o   ------------------------------  $ Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 19:22:17 +0200, From: "Nico van der Boom" <njvdboom@caiw.nl> Subject: Re: UCX Problem- Message-ID: <8f1kbq$2ap7$1@news.kabelfoon.nl>,  E It seems that there is no listing in the dns server for the requested  domain.t Is your domain name in   UCX> show name   compleet. ?n* If not, enter it in your set name command.   CU,m Nico van der Boomu  4 "Mike Freeman" <mikef@pacifier.com> wrote in message$ news:39133b13.0@news.pacifier.com...H > At my workplace, we have a Vax/VMS system running Vax/VMS V6.2 and UCXE > V4.1.  This system is hooked to a LAN via Ethernet.  On the LAN are G > name-servers and gateways to the Internet.  We have a number of hostsE' > defined in the local host database. AX >S
 > $ Show Hostp >VE > gives a list of the local hosts without errors.  However, if I do a  >m@ > $ Set Name_Service /System /Enable /Server=(Primary,Secondary) >rF > wherre "Primary" and "Secondary" have been defined in the local hostF > database to be the IP addresses of two name servers, if I again do a   <snip>   >o > TIA. > --K > Mike Freeman; Internet: mikef@pacifier.com; Amateur Radio Callsign: K7UIJs9 > /* PGP2.6.2 Public Key available via my ".plan" file */rF > "Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits." -- Mark Twain   ------------------------------  % Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 09:25:54 -0400d/ From: Bradford Hamilton <Brad.Hamilton@fmr.com> " Subject: Re: VEST, last version...' Message-ID: <3912CBE2.1CC6B287@fmr.com>o   V1.1A, March, 1999  & "Brian Schenkenberger, VAXman-" wrote: > M > Quickie question.  What was the last released version of DECmigrate (VEST)?lL > Bonus question... What month/year of the Alpha product library CDs might I > find this final release. >  > --P > VAXman- OpenVMS APE certification number: AAA-0001           VAXman@TMESIS.COM > N > GNU Freeware -- What does the GNU *really* stand for?  Garbage!  Not Usable!   ------------------------------  % Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 09:21:50 +0200   From: Paul Sture <paul@sture.ch>7 Subject: Was Marketing opportunity - now outright FLAMEI+ Message-ID: <VA.0000002f.1a23420e@sture.ch>m  M In article <F02D5A46B8AED311BE4F0090279FA2401E833F@ppnt41.physics.ox.ac.uk>, h John Macallister wrote:s: > From: John Macallister <J.Macallister1@physics.ox.ac.uk> > Newsgroups: comp.os.vmss$ > Subject: RE: Marketing opportunity' > Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 11:32:13 +0100e > M > > If i were Compaq, I'd have a BIG full page ad in most newspapers the nexti > dayeJ > > showing the advantages of a robust platform that is secure and not the > target > > of so many viruses: VMS. > L > I think Compaq would be unwise to do that as the reason VMS was not hit by> > the virus was that (a) VMS MAIL doesn't handle attachments,   E Already agreed on that one. But you can use the MIME utility, Pine...a   > (b) VMS doesn'tu" > have a GUI interface as standard   ???S  M Of course it does. It's called CDE (or traditional DECwindows if you prefer).W  F Of course, if you want to add 5000 users using the NT OVMS Management O Workstation while I bash out some DCL, I'll be on holiday whilst you are still   pointing and clicking.  O Or if you want to use SWCC to maintain 5 terabytes of disk across half a dozen iF clusters and the only way to get a printout is via screen snapshots...  L Question: How do you manage 150 disks of varying capacity, even on just one N system, on a mix of HSJ40, HSJ50, HSJ70 and HSZ70, some single, some striped, < most shadowed, using that point and click interface anyway?   
 > and (b)    Another (b)?  ! > VMS doesn't have visual BASIC. A  % Thank goodness it doesn't! Nuff said.a   > The N > apparent security of VMS in this particular case arises because of a lack ofE > features and not because of any the good security feautures in VMS.f > J You are on your pedestal again. Will you please stop trying to preach the J "virtues" of the M$ way to us. We don't believe you. After all it is that I teenage crush mentality with all things M$ which led to so much grief on n< Thursday, and probably will continue to do so for some time.  M Oh, and "not because of any the good security features in VMS." is total and  M utter cobblers. Try reading the VMS security manual. If you don't know where m9 to start, try page 1. Look for "Privileges" in the index.i  4 </flame> (I feel better for that :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) ___eB Paul Sture (who really _does_ enjoy a chance to bash UK academics) Switzerland    ------------------------------  " Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 15:00:08 GMT2 From: kaplow_r@eisner.decus.org.mars2 (Bob Kaplow), Subject: Re: wich list: DIRECTORY limitation+ Message-ID: <4csRJCMO2ycW@eisner.decus.org>t  [ In article <8emeeh$31n$1@info.service.rug.nl>, helbig@astro.rug.nl (Phillip Helbig) writes:n > DIRECTORYi >  >   /EXCLUDE > # >         /EXCLUDE=(filespec[,...])  > G >      Excludes the specified files from the DIRECTORY command. You can F >      include a directory but not a device in the file specification.E >      The asterisk (*)  and the percent sign (%) wildcard characterswE >      are allowed in the file specification. However, you cannot use0E >      relative version numbers to exclude a specific version. If yous; >      specify only one file, you can omit the parentheses.  > F > Is there hope that the two restrictions above will be lifted in the  > future?  Ditto for BACKUP: > F >      Do not use a device specification when defining the files to beG >      excluded. You can use most standard wildcard characters, but yousG >      cannot use wildcard characters denoting latest versions of files / >      (;) or relative versions of files (;-n).w  J Does anyone have a good workaround for this. A few weeks ago, I was tryingD to figure out what a PURGE on a particular disk would get me back. IJ couldn't find any easy way to get a directory listing with sizes of what aH given PURGE command would delete. Surely if PURGE can figure out what to@ delete, there must be a DIRECTORY syntax to list the same files?   	Bob Kaplow	  E SPAM:	spamrecycle@ChooseYourmail.com	uce@ftc.gov	postmaster@127.0.0.1    ------------------------------   Date: 6 May 2000 08:47 CST' From: carl@gerg.tamu.edu (Carl Perkins)9, Subject: Re: wich list: DIRECTORY limitation, Message-ID: <6MAY200008475532@gerg.tamu.edu>  6 kaplow_r@eisner.decus.org.mars2 (Bob Kaplow) writes...K }Does anyone have a good workaround for this. A few weeks ago, I was tryingPE }to figure out what a PURGE on a particular disk would get me back. IiK }couldn't find any easy way to get a directory listing with sizes of what avI }given PURGE command would delete. Surely if PURGE can figure out what to A }delete, there must be a DIRECTORY syntax to list the same files?c } 
 }	Bob Kaplow	a  F Sound like you wnat the NOPE utility. It's source has been posted hereC before (it's pretty short). I could dig it up if you can't find it.e   --- Carl   ------------------------------   End of INFO-VAX 2000.253 ************************