1 INFO-VAX	Sun, 27 Jul 2003	Volume 2003 : Issue 412       Contents: Beeping PWS500G Re: Does RT-11 run on the PDP-11/70?  (was Re: PDP-11 OS Release Dates) # Re: Elevate privileges in a program . OT Humour - was Packed decimal arithmetic in C" Re: Packed decimal arithmetic in C" RE: Packed decimal arithmetic in C Re: Sybase client   F ----------------------------------------------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 07:36:11 -0700 # From: "Tom Linden" <tom@kednos.com>  Subject: Beeping PWS500 9 Message-ID: <CIEJLCMNHNNDLLOOGNJIOEHDHKAA.tom@kednos.com>   J This system emits a ~1 second beep every ~56 secs.  Now it does it whether itJ is running VMS or Tru64, so I have to conclude, that if it is controllable thenJ it must be through the console.  Is there such a console variable?  If so, can it" set without bring the system down? --- & Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.: Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).@ Version: 6.0.502 / Virus Database: 300 - Release Date: 7/18/2003   ------------------------------  # Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 08:18:55 GMT * From: don@news.daedalus.co.nz (Don Stokes)P Subject: Re: Does RT-11 run on the PDP-11/70?  (was Re: PDP-11 OS Release Dates)3 Message-ID: <PVLUa.7633$9f7.880727@news02.tsnz.net>   * In article <ikhlfb.4u3.ln@news.online.de>,C Christian Corti  <Christian.Corti@studserv.uni-stuttgart.de> wrote: , >Don Stokes <don@news.daedalus.co.nz> wrote:B >> Yep.  And on machines with supervisor mode (until recently whenJ >> supervisor mode got used for real work), they did something clever withH >> the addressing so that the same pattern, in reverse, appeared on the K >> address lines.  It looked like the snakes were chasing each other around J >> and around the two rows of lights.  It looked bloody good in a darkened >> room full of 11/70s...  >  >With what OS?  	 RSTS/E.      -- don   ------------------------------  # Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 11:39:29 GMT ( From: Mark Hemker <hemker@insightbb.com>, Subject: Re: Elevate privileges in a program8 Message-ID: <urd7iv469a22kjplnevpmve2ti12738tab@4ax.com>  F On 26 Jul 2003 07:43:17 -0500, Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) wrote:  d >In article <c0p4ivcsmap28uimrrvo9ot3kaujkaevuh@4ax.com>, Mark Hemker <hemker@insightbb.com> writes:I >> On 25 Jul 2003 18:05:58 -0500, Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) 	 >> wrote:  >>  k >>>In article <df640d0b.0307251014.5c73aad9@posting.google.com>, mhemker@remember.com (Mark Hemker) writes:  > H >>>> I am trying to avoid creating any security holes and I just haven'tH >>>> had much luck finding a way of accomplishing my needed goal without >>>> creating one. >>> = >>>$ACM was provided because of the difficulty of doing this.  >>> E >> I'll definitely have to take a look at $ACM.  Since we support our G >> application on older versions of VMS, I hadn't considered looking at F >> $ACM.  At this point, I may need to consider requiring the users toI >> upgrade to the current version of VMS if they want this functionality.  > E >If you can do that from a product management standpoint, it would be  >_much_ better.  > E >> Your right, there are two different problems that are trying to be B >> solved.  In my own confusion, I kept putting them into the same >> program.  > D >There is nothing wrong with having them in the same program -- theyD >just need to be separated when describing the issues to those of us >in comp.os.vms :-)  > E >> The first problem and most important at this point is handling the F >> protected directory.  Let me give some more background and describeG >> the problem in more detail if I can.  Our application creates a file I >> in a public directory.  We then run a third-party application at a DCL E >> prompt that reads this file, merges the data with a template file, I >> adds some additional calculated data and then writes out the resulting G >> file which we then send to a printer.  We need to be able to prevent H >> someone from modifying the original data file in the public directoryI >> and running it through the third-party application and reprinting with D >> the new data.  We also need to prevent someone from modifying the$ >> resulting file and reprinting it. > G >That is the sort of thing for which Protected Subsystems were designed . >(accessing data only with specific programs). > F >But why must this be a "public" directory ?   Can't it be a directory? >private to this application (as distinguished from this user).  > C >The tough part is queueing a print job for data which the user can C >temporarily access (via the Protected Subsystem) but cannot access E >normally (when the job starts to print).  Have you considered having K >a background mechanism whose job is to "print everything in Directory X" ? I >Or do the print jobs need to have the ownership of the individual user ?  > F I don't think I have to use the "public" directory.  I have consideredF a background process that actually does the processing and decided notD to go that route for some reason.  I will definitely have to revisitF that decision.  I am going to look into creating a print symbiont also to see if that would work.G >> The second problem is to implement an override functionality.  There D >> are certain functions in my application that require a manager toH >> approve their use.  Currently, they enter their username and passwordI >> that they use to log into my application.  I would like for them to be @ >> able to enter their VMS username and password to provide thisA >> override.  That is where the $GETUAI call comes in so that the H >> manager's login credentials can be validated from the user's context. > G >So if I wanted to attack your $GETUAI design, I would sit there at the D >override prompt, guessing the manager's password.  Depending on theE >nature of your managers, I might succeed, and you would not know it.  > D Yes, I know that is a security hole and it is one that I am not very happy with. I >Of course you could try to implement something like VMS Breakin Evasion, E >keeping me out and notifying you that attempts were being made.  But C >$ACM provides all of that, integrated into the normal VMS security C >mechanisms.  If you were to do it yourself you would have to write D >some considerably privileged code, which is fraught with peril.  It> >seems better to me to depend on that which is built into VMS. > C I will look into $ACM some more since it sounds like it will handle  everything I need.C >Saying your feature is only for those running on newer versions of - >non-VAX VMS seems to me the wisest decision. D This is one of the ways that I have been able to force my clients toD upgrade their version of VMS in the past and it usually works prettyF well.  The first time I did this was for Y2K support and then again if3 they wanted the encryption capabilities of OpenSSL.   B Thanks for everyones help.  It looks like I have some more to look0 into, but I definitely have some great pointers.   Mark   ------------------------------   Date: 27 Jul 03 11:42:27 +0200) From: p_sture@elias.decus.ch (Paul Sture) 7 Subject: OT Humour - was Packed decimal arithmetic in C ) Message-ID: <KYvyaGs$Oi0f@elias.decus.ch>   V In article <3F23571C.E0A8C860@istop.com>, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@istop.com> writes:E > SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 23, 2003 -- Intel Corporation announced a G > breakthrough in computing with the introduction of compressed decimal N > arithmetic on its Itanium II architecture. Older technologies such as packedN > decimal used by competitors have been unable to cope with the need to handle& > ever increasing values by busineses. >   J > Working with Microsoft Corporation, Intel developped an industry leadingI > compression algorithm that has been implemented as a pipeline operation O > between registers and the arithmetic unit. Previous technologies required the M > entire number to fit insude the arithmetic unit during processing. But this O > revolutionaly technology allows bits to flow through the arithmetic unit in a N > continuous fashion, allowing the computation of nearly infinite numbers. AndO > because the results are dynamically recompressed prior to reaching the 64 bit O > registers, this new technology was easy to implement without major changes to  > the architecture.  > O > The compressed decimal technology will work best with very large numbers made K > up of mostly zeros but will still provide significant improvements to the L > processing of random numbers, such as those used by corporate accountants. > H > Intel is also working on a different compression algorithm it hopes toP > implement in its next generation Itanium III chips which will offer compressedN > floating point operations. This new lossy compression algorithm will provideG > increased throughput  compared to compressed decimal operations while Z > providing the floating point accuracy customers have come to expect from Intel products. >  > J > Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer ofP > computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about0 > Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom. > K >  Intel is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its 8 > subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.  A And to go with that, from http://lzip.sourceforge.net/faq.html#04      1. What is lzip?  H Lzip is the most advanced file compression utility ever conceived. It isL literally years ahead of gzip (though admittedly gzip was around first), andN makes use of mathematical transforms the bzip developers have never even heardL of. The practical upshot of this is that when you use lzip, you get the bestO compression on the planet. Smaller file sizes; faster compression/uncompression  times.  D  Used properly, lzip is capable of reducing a file down to 0% of itsI original size. Yes, you read that correctly: 0% of its original size. And N regardless of file size, this can be done in constant time. Now do you see whyA some people are calling lzip the "holy grail" of file utilities?       . 2. What makes lzip different from gzip/bzip2? N Well, other than the performance benefits mentioned above, the real differenceK is that lzip uses a "lossy" compression scheme. Most other file compression J utilities use a "lossless" compression scheme, mostly because the losslessM algorithms are better understood and simpler mathematically (most programmers C take shortcuts, particularly in areas that involve a lot of math).  C  This has two side effects. The first is that files compressed with O lzip cannot be restored to their original state -- this is the "lossy" in lossy M compression. The second is that the performance is vastly improved. Why don't J go go back up to question number one and read that second paragraph again.O We're talking about a constant-time algorithm that can reduce a file down to 0% * of its original size. What's not to like?      . 3. What do you mean I can't restore my files? K Ha! A common misconception. You can restore your files after they have been N compressed with lzip. They just won't be exactly the same as they were before.O This makes sense when you think about it; if you lose a lot of weight suddenly, K and then put the same weight back on suddenly, you wouldn't expect to be in N exactly the same health that you were when you started, would you? CompressionJ is a dramatic process, and dramatic processes often change people. It's no different for your files. E  On the reassuring side, it is important to note that the compression H algorithm used by lzip only discards the unimportant data. And if it wasL unimportant before, what makes it so important now? Huh? In fact, many usersM may find that compressing their entire file system and then restoring it will 0 be a good way to learn what is truly important.       4. What is lossy compression? M Simply put, a lossy compression algorithm is one in which not all of the data N is preserved. The JPEGB file format uses lossy compression. Alternatively, theK GIF format uses lossless compression. And just look at all the trouble that  decision has caused.  >  Specifically, lzip uses the Lessiss-Moore algorithm to do itsN compression. You specify the level of compression that you want on the commandM line, and lzip meets your needs by tweaking the algorithm. The algorithm used L by lunzip is currently a modified version of the PLACeBO algorithm, although' this may change with the next release.        5. What are the benefits? L Numerous; numerous. The size factor, obviously, is a prime benefit. But on aL deeper level, using lossy compression to manage your files is a way to learnO something about yourself. You will most likely experience a feeling of euphoria M or lightheadedness as you watch your free disk space cascade upwards to 100%. K You will become bolder, have increased stamina, and adrenaline may make you O temporarily impervious to pain. You may also gain a new appreciation for backup > devices (this has been widely reported among the developers). G  Lossy compression has benefits that extend well beyond day-to-day file I management. Our short list includes: permanent (irretrievable) archiving; I ultra-high speed transfers over existing network lines, and high-security 3 "steganographic" storage of sensitive information.        6. Are there any drawbacks? N Not that we know of. Occasionally, in the pre-1.0 days, someone would compressL a file down to 0K and it would be lost for good. But that has been happeningI less and less frequently, and these days it has been a long time since we G received any complaints from the people who reported this originally.        0 7. Why don't more people use lossy compression? M Probably because it is so new. The Lessiss-Moore algortihm that lzip uses was O only invented a few days ago, and the decompression algorithm is even now still  under development.  E  There are also a lot of peole who are just content to stay satisfied M with the status quo. We call these people "lazy dopes." Where would the world N be today if it weren't for go-getters and dreamers like Tom Edison, Karl Marx,J Henry Ford, or even Voltaire or the Earl of Sandwich? Just reflect on that6 next time you're eating lunch, if you catch my drift.      ( 8. What is the Lessiss-Moore algorithm? N The Lessiss-Moore algorithm was invented by Werner von Lessiss and R.T.B MooreO in the middle of the last Century. I'm sorry; I meant to say the middle of last $ week. [note to nate: change this].  F  It utilizes a two-pass bit-sieve to first remove all unimportant dataO from the data set. Lzip implements this quiet effectively by eliminating all of L the 0's.  It then sorts the remaining bits into increasing order, and beginsO searching for patterns. The number of passes in this search is set to (10-N) in I lzip, where N is the numeric command-line argument we've been telling you  about.  >  For every pattern of length (10/N) found in the data set, theM algorithm makes a mark in its hash table. By keeping the hash table small, we O can reduce memory overhead. Lzip uses a two-entry hash table. Then data in this J table is then plotted in three dimensions, and a discrete cosine transformJ transforms it into frequency and amplitude data. This data is filtered forD sounds that are beyond the range of the human ear, and the result isJ transformed back (via an indiscrete cosine) into the hash table, in random order.  C  Take each pattern in the original data set, XOR it with the log of M it's entry in the new hash table, then shuffle each byte two positions to the  left and you're done! F  And you can see, there is some very advanced thinking going on here.B8 It is no wonder this algorithm took so long to develop!      " 9. What is the PLACeBO algorithm? H PLACeBO was the lzip team's first attempt to implement the Lessiss-MooreN compression filter in reverse. The results were less than astounding, however,? as analysis has shown Lessiss-Moore to be a trapdoor function.  E  In the end, PLACeBO may be abandoned in favor of something else. For K now, however, it is the method used by lunzip to decompress lzip-compressed " files, even if it has it's flaws.      6 10. Since PLACeBO doesn't work, why does lzip use it? N It may not be perfect, but it is the best tool we have. I don't want anyone toL get the wrong impression: just because PLACeBO doesn't work, doesn't mean itO can't be used. Lunzip makes up for the shortcomings in PLACeBO by patching in a  couple of support functions.  D  We use the Warren Interior Point Method from Operations Research toM step backwards through the cosine transform. This method, alternatively known K as the Warren "Dice-Prayer" method, is very useful in ORB problems when you I don't have the time or perhaps the willpower to work through Simplex. The O application of it to our filtering problem was not straightforward, but late in M the process we added fast monte-carlo sorting to the mix and everything seems  to have turned out fine.       . 11. What is the Free Object-Oriented License? N The Free Object-Oriented License (or FO2L, or "foo" license) is an Open SourceO license we created under which to release the code for lzip. Many people create I their own licenses every day, and we figured we should take a look at the M existing ones to see which best met our needs. Unfortunately, the creation of N the Lzip logo graphic took a lot longer than expected, and we never got aroundL to looking at the existing licenses. The FO2L is what we came up with on our own. You can read it here.        12. What is Free Software?  L I'm not sure. I've heard a lot about it, though, so I'm going to assume thatJ it's here to stay. We decided to include "Free" in the name of our licenseL because we liked the way it sounded, and we needed an "F" for the acronym to come out how we wanted.   F  A lot of sites that talk about free software seem to point here. When9 I get the chance, i plan to check it out myself someday.       . 13. How can I aid in the development of lzip? L We'd love to have you help out!B Unfortunately, the odds are pretty low thatL you have anything good to offer. You have to be pretty smart to keep up withN the lzip team. We're already staffed with really smart people, several of whomM have quite a bit of experience writing software of this sort. Those that have H computers (unlike myself) tell me that programming isn't really all that interesting anyway. @  But, if you're still up to the challenge, please tell us in the discussion forum.      0 14. What are your plans for the future of lzip? N We have many plans, including creating a library in addition to the standaloneC program, and adding a GUI with a variety of themeable "skins." Your  suggestions are welcome.     ------------------------------   Date: 27 Jul 03 11:24:53 +0200) From: p_sture@elias.decus.ch (Paul Sture) + Subject: Re: Packed decimal arithmetic in C ) Message-ID: <z0dyFmZvWUon@elias.decus.ch>   V In article <3F23571C.E0A8C860@istop.com>, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@istop.com> writes:  . Are you sure this shouldn't read 1st April :-) LOL!  E > SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 23, 2003 -- Intel Corporation announced a G > breakthrough in computing with the introduction of compressed decimal N > arithmetic on its Itanium II architecture. Older technologies such as packedN > decimal used by competitors have been unable to cope with the need to handle& > ever increasing values by busineses. >   J > Working with Microsoft Corporation, Intel developped an industry leadingI > compression algorithm that has been implemented as a pipeline operation O > between registers and the arithmetic unit. Previous technologies required the M > entire number to fit insude the arithmetic unit during processing. But this O > revolutionaly technology allows bits to flow through the arithmetic unit in a N > continuous fashion, allowing the computation of nearly infinite numbers. AndO > because the results are dynamically recompressed prior to reaching the 64 bit O > registers, this new technology was easy to implement without major changes to  > the architecture.  > O > The compressed decimal technology will work best with very large numbers made K > up of mostly zeros but will still provide significant improvements to the L > processing of random numbers, such as those used by corporate accountants. > H > Intel is also working on a different compression algorithm it hopes toP > implement in its next generation Itanium III chips which will offer compressedN > floating point operations. This new lossy compression algorithm will provideG > increased throughput  compared to compressed decimal operations while J > providing the floating point accuracy customers have come to expect from > Intel products.  >    ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 06:46:30 -0700 # From: "Tom Linden" <tom@kednos.com> + Subject: RE: Packed decimal arithmetic in C 9 Message-ID: <CIEJLCMNHNNDLLOOGNJIEEHDHKAA.tom@kednos.com>    No, they float.    >-----Original Message----- 1 >From: Paul Sture [mailto:p_sture@elias.decus.ch] & >Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 8:30 PM >To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com, >Subject: Re: Packed decimal arithmetic in C >  > 4 >In article <3F22D195.32D39DAF@istop.com>, JF Mezei $ ><jfmezei.spamnot@istop.com> writes: >> Paul Sture wrote:J >>> Why are Norway and Denmark  only given to 3 significant figures, where >>> the rest are 5 or 6? >>  = >> Is it possible that those two countries don't have a free   >floating currencyC >> and that their currency excange rates are set by government, in   >which case,% >> they would have fewer decimals.  ?  >   >Didn't think of that. I'll ask. >  >---' >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. ; >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). A >Version: 6.0.502 / Virus Database: 300 - Release Date: 7/18/2003  >  --- & Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.: Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).@ Version: 6.0.502 / Virus Database: 300 - Release Date: 7/18/2003   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 17:32:58 -0000 ! From: Z  <zarlenga@conan.ids.net>  Subject: Re: Sybase client/ Message-ID: <vi836abpmt8h7d@corp.supernews.com>    Rob.Buxton@wcc.govt.nz wrote: 2 : I'd check that your Interfaces file is correct. F : A 2 minute time out seems like it cannot connect to the target host.  < Yes, the interfaces file on the client (the PC), by the way.   ------------------------------   End of INFO-VAX 2003.412 ************************