1 INFO-VAX	Sun, 11 Jul 2004	Volume 2004 : Issue 381       Contents: CDSA - experiences/help? Re: CDSA - experiences/help? Re: fork() problem+ Re: g77 linker "multiple definition" errors ) Getting the RAB from BASIC channel number = Re: Intel Itanium's very survival in doubt - inquirer article / Re: OpenVMS license transfer  policies and fees  RE: OpenVMS Positions - Europe Re: OpenVMS Positions - Europe0 Re: Question about AS 800 and display resolution$ Re: Split I/Os to contiguous file???/ Trouble with $persona_* system services (Again)  Re: [SSH] SET TERM in SYLOGIN   F ----------------------------------------------------------------------  # Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:36:41 GMT 7 From: "Tom Simpson" <thomas.simpson1@fubar.comcast.net> ! Subject: CDSA - experiences/help? - Message-ID: <YfcIc.52159$JR4.38723@attbi_s54>   2 Is anyone writing applications using the CDSA API?  K We have a client that is requesting that all of their data be encrypted and K I'm exploring the possibilities on how to do that.  It looks like CDSA will I allow us to encrypt the data at the field level.  I'm wondering if anyone F has tried that and what the impact on performance is in general terms.  K All of our data is in RMS files that are accessed from a custom application ' written in BASIC and using lots of FMS, + running VMS 7.3-1 on a 2-node ES40 cluster.   I We are also looking into converting the application to Oracle, since I've K been told that it's a fairly easy matter to encrypt the data once your data 
 is in Oracle.   D No matter what path we take, it looks like this is going to be major project.  3 I'm open to suggentions for alternative approaches.    Thanks,  Tom    ------------------------------    Date: 11 Jul 2004 10:25:09 -0500- From: Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) % Subject: Re: CDSA - experiences/help? 3 Message-ID: <+HTY5Ykjgtnk@eisner.encompasserve.org>   g In article <YfcIc.52159$JR4.38723@attbi_s54>, "Tom Simpson" <thomas.simpson1@fubar.comcast.net> writes: 4 > Is anyone writing applications using the CDSA API? > M > We have a client that is requesting that all of their data be encrypted and 4 > I'm exploring the possibilities on how to do that.  C "All of their data being encrypted" sounds like a dangerously naive ? requirement that need _extensive_ design to actually accomplish 	 anything.   ; Key storage is a _crucial_ issue, and I believe that _most_ ; applications of encryption today are totally useless due to  inadequate key storage.    ------------------------------  + Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 16:27:27 +0000 (UTC) 3 From: "Richard Maher" <maher_rj@hotspamnotmail.com>  Subject: Re: fork() problem / Message-ID: <ccrppf$27o$1@titan.btinternet.com>    Hi,   1 Either I'm Nostradamus or you're taking the piss!   ' Anyway let's see what the cat drags in.    Regards Richard Maher   L Zhelgadis, aka Jan Valker <zhelgadis@togli.questo.email.it> wrote in message, news:xjrxQHBMCNzJjl=j5l6T04cwLNXj@4ax.com... > Hi all> > I am an OpenVMS newbie, experiencing some porting problem...F > I am trying to port an Unix program to VMS and of course I have someF > troubles with the fork() system call ;-) I have a program like this: >  > switch (fork()) { 	 > case 0:  > do_something(); " > call_function(which_calls_exec);
 > case -1: > destroy_computer();  > }  > conquer_world(); > file://other_stuff > E > Now, I know that vfork() must be followed by a exec(), immediately. C > If I have well understood, even the lib$spawn() call has the same D > problem... is there any way to work around this? I tried to search? > google and the HP documentation, but did not find anything... 1 > Of course, any helo will be humbly accepted ;-) @ > Thanks all for your patience and excuse me for my english ^_^; > --+ > ZHELGADIS THE LIGHTBRINGER (ICQ 33134824) D > BAG#008,DPPSJ#000,BAT#013,TFC#012,GAM#026,ZZZZ#027,CID#027,PAN#0151 > "Aspettare non  mai stato un problema, per me. I > Posso trascorrere piacevolmente ore e ore con l'aiuto di un buon caff"    ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 11:44:09 -0500 2 From: David J Dachtera <djesys.nospam@comcast.net>4 Subject: Re: g77 linker "multiple definition" errors+ Message-ID: <40F16E59.54B40189@comcast.net>    glen herrmannsfeldt wrote: >   > (cross posting to comp.os.vms) >  > Dr Ivan D. Reid wrote: > P > > On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 23:02:34 GMT, glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu>0 > >  wrote in <eokHc.48159$XM6.30833@attbi_s53>: >  > >>Ken Fairfield wrote: > 
 > >>(snip) > F > >>>    Actually, the VMS linker takes (present tense :-) the largestE > >>>definition of the common that it finds when allocating space for , > >>>the PSECT, i.e., memory for the common. > 2 > >>You mean the VAX, Alpha, and Itanium versions? > A > >       Is this available to customers (well, hobbyists..) yet? C >  > My Alpha is NT-only configuration so I can't easily change it.  > 7 > Is VMS/Itanic, oops, Itanium available for hobbyists?  > : > It might be that older hardware is available at hobbyist1 > pricing, maybe even more affordable than Alpha.   F At the moment, V8.1 (pre-release version - V8.2 is due out Q4 of 2004)H can be had for $75 for the media. The hobbyist licenses should work. See! http://www.openvmshobbyist.org/ .   4 Sorry. I don't have a URL handy for the V8.1 CD. TryH http://www.hp.com/go/openvms and look around a bit. I may do that myself+ a bit later. If a find a URL, I'll post it.    -- David J Dachtera dba DJE Systems  http://www.djesys.com/   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:40:41 +0200 1 From: Milan Jercic <milan.jercicNOS@PAMaccess.si> 2 Subject: Getting the RAB from BASIC channel number+ Message-ID: <40F17B99.8010001@PAMaccess.si>    Hi Mr. RMS,   J > Right, Cobol is pretty powerfull in its RMS access (several RMS featuresK > where designed to support cobol requirements), but RFA access is probably K > pushing it too far. Basic is indeed the language with the best native RFA @ > support, having an RFA datatype and an RFA clause on GET/FIND.N > Still, from what little you wrote on the actual problem to be solved I wouldG > have guessed that C or even Macro would be most suited. Just call the M > DCOB$RMS_CURRENT_RAB as indicated before and use C or Macro to retrieve the L > RFA from there in a trivial matter. Further more, you can actually use theI > RAB for access... if you promiss to put everything back as you found it N > (notably addresses like UBF, RBF, KBF) all that is easy from C or MACRO, andN > while do-able from Basic it becomes a bit more clumsy in that language as itL > does not support a pointer datatype directly (yeah I know... you can often > fake it).  >   8 slightly of the topic, but as you mentioned BASIC & RMS:  Q How can I get RAB address in Macro-32 (or C) subroutine when all I have is BASIC   channel number? For example:   MAIN.BAS    ...    open 'file.seq' as #chn, ...     call weird_block_io(chn)     ...   WEIRD_BLOCK_IO.MAR    ...    pushl  chn_arg(AP)     pushal rab_ptr     calls  #2,hein$lun2rab     ...  F Are CCB$PUSH/CCB$POP meant for this? If so, how should be they called?     TIA,       J.M    ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 11:02:18 -0400   From: John Santos <JOHN@egh.com>F Subject: Re: Intel Itanium's very survival in doubt - inquirer article6 Message-ID: <1040711105803.20950H-100000@Ives.egh.com>  % On Sat, 10 Jul 2004, Bill Todd wrote:    > / > "John Santos" <JOHN@egh.com> wrote in message 2 > news:1040709174244.16558A-100000@Ives.egh.com.... > > On Fri, 9 Jul 2004, Andrew Harrison wrote: > >  > > > John Santos wrote: > > > 2 > > > > On Thu, 8 Jul 2004, Andrew Harrison wrote: > > >  > > > > B > > > > All emulation performance data ever provided by anyone forD > > > > anything in the history of the universe has this limitation. > > > >  > > > = > > > Sorry but that is entirely wrong. If for example HP had @ > > > run the HP-PA SPECint executables on Itanium then we would= > > > be able to see how a workload which is 99.9% user runs.  > > G > > You take my quote out of context and then say it is entirely wrong.  > K > I'm afraid that the phrasing of your sentence makes it quite clear to any M > even semi-literate individual that context is not a consideration:  instead N > of providing a knee-jerk response, read it again with as neutral a viewpoint > as you can manage.  @ How can anyone, literate, semi-literate, or brain-dead, possiblyB interpret the phrase "this limitation" without context?  Of courseH context is a consideration.  Snipping the context destroyed all meaning.  F As for a neutral viewpoint, when have either you or Andrew ever viewedC anything on this newsgroup with neutrality?  You both have agendas.    --   John Santos  Evans Griffiths & Hart, Inc. 781-861-0670 ext 539   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 11:38:27 -0500 2 From: David J Dachtera <djesys.nospam@comcast.net>8 Subject: Re: OpenVMS license transfer  policies and fees+ Message-ID: <40F16D03.B6576BA5@comcast.net>    John Smith wrote:  >  > David J Dachtera wrote:  > > Rich Jordan wrote: > >>/ > >> Every step forward comes with a step back.  > >> > >> <rant>  > >>G > >> Its not enough that DEC's archaic and restrictive license transfer D > >> policies for OpenVMS have been retained.  Its not enough that a> > >> recent Alpha with OpenVMS base license and the enterpriseI > >> integration package could ONLY be transferred with the base license, G > >> that NONE of the networking or other licenses could be relicensed, F > >> and that the DECnet for Alpha was the one special nontransferableE > >> DECnet license so you can't even keep DECnet (unlike all the VAX C > >> versions).  Its not enough that the cost of repurchasing those G > >> licenses all over again eviscerates potential sale after potential  > >> sale... > >>I > >> Now they've raised the relicense fee from $300 to $400... for moving D > >> that one single base license.  No changes in what is allowed toI > >> transfer, no relaxation of the heavy restrictions... just more blood ? > >> money to keep an OpenVMS system running in a new location.  > >> > >> </rant> > >> > >> Thanks tons, HP.  > >>	 > >> Rich  > > 
 > > <co-rant> = > > O.K. Who's going to be the first blasting his negativity?  > > </co-rant> > > 
 > > D.J.D. > E > Complaints (a.k.a. "negativity") can also be viewed as constructive N > criticism, especially when they are directed at archaic policies, stupidity,/ > lack of advertising, and gross mismanagement.  > K > I was out sailing today with a group of people who are senior managers of K > real estate and sea transport companies. Talk got around to Microsoft and N > the problems their companies face relying on Microsoft infrastructure. TheseM > guys remembered Digital Equipment Corporation and asked 'what ever happened M > to them'. "Simple", I said. "They were poor marketers and didn't understand E > the concept of creating demand for their products through effective J > advertising and aggressive pricing." These guys nodded in agreement. ButK > they did take in the lessons of OpenVMS that I talked to them about and a H > couple were intrigued enough that they may consider using VMS if their/ > backend ISV applications are available on it.   B Are you (or is anyone else reading this thread) aware of a companyE prodiving a turn-key OpenVMS solution for e-mail, web services and/or F both? The time for such seems to be ripening, and if Itanic can repairH its hull, pump out and put itself to rights, OVMS-I64 may be a practicalE alternative to the trendier UN*X options (which will, undoubtedly, be G available on the soon-to-be ubiquitous x86-64, unlike a certain o.s. we % all know of - VMS snoozes, it loses).    D.J.D.   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 12:09:03 -0400 ' From: "Main, Kerry" <kerry.main@hp.com> ' Subject: RE: OpenVMS Positions - Europe R Message-ID: <FD827B33AB0D9C4E92EACEEFEE2BA2FB394C6B@tayexc19.americas.cpqcorp.net>   > -----Original Message-----6 > From: tutor [mailto:tutor_removespam_@cfl.rr.com]=20 > Sent: July 11, 2004 1:03 AM  > To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com ) > Subject: Re: OpenVMS Positions - Europe  >=20  
 [snip ...]  	 > Jerrold 1 > (still programming in cobol. do I win a prize?)  >=20 > ---------------------- > =20    Jerrold,   Re: programming in Cobol.=20  G Fwiw, while it might seem "cool" to use newer languages, the reality is D that adopting J2EE *or* .Net both require a major skills set upgradeD from where companies are today. The reason is that both are based onE object oriented (OO) programming concepts / theory and that is a big, % big jump for many companies IT staff.   H Sure, you can hire talent that understand new programming languages, butH how do you train them to understand 10-15-20 years of tightly integratedB business logic that has been heavily customized for their specific	 business?   ? Yes, tools are being developed to assist and minimize these new F programming complexities, but that does not change the fact that it isE still a major change in the way applications are put together in many  companies today.  F Hence, requirements for Cobol programmers are going to be around for a long, long time.  F Here are a few interesting articles that might be of interest to thoseF with Cobol skills: [check out the following quote in particular - "TheH most highly paid programmers in the next ten years are going to be COBOL# programmers who know the Internet."     > http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1237807,00.asp (May 2003)% "Is COBOL the 18-Wheeler of the Web?"   F "Can a person build a 21st-century IT career on this 1960s foundation?D Well, foundations are better than shifting sands. Legacy Reserves, aE databank for over-35 IT pros, cites Gartner estimates that retirement B and death will shrink the population of working COBOL coders by 13? percent between 2002 and 2006, even while 15 percent of all new C applications are being written in the language--and quotes the GIGA F Group as predicting that "The most highly paid programmers in the nextC ten years are going to be COBOL programmers who know the Internet."   	 [snip ..]     H http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/training/story/0,10801 ,60683,00.html
 (May 2001)0 "Remember Cobol? If You Don't, Get Reacquainted"D ."In the same research note, Gartner stated that 80% of all deployed? applications through 2004 will include legacy extensions. These B extensions involve Web-based applications triggering legacy systemC transactions that perform operational business functions and access H legacy databases. In January's issue of "The Cobol Report," Scott AnkrumH wrote that CICS transaction volume grew from 20 billion a day in 1998 toB 30 billion a day this year. This 50% growth in mainframe usage hasA largely been driven by Web-based systems accessing back-end Cobol  applications.=20  D Cobol is not only alive and well; it continues to evolve as well. ItF supports object orientation and Internet communication. Developers can> also create Cobol components to run under Enterprise JavaBeansD architectures. And Cobol remains one of the most portable languages.? Collectively, this means that programmers can use Cobol for the , development of strategic Web-based systems."    % [snip ...see url for rest of article]    Regards   
 Kerry Main Senior Consultant  HP Services Canada Voice: 613-592-4660  Fax: 613-591-4477  Email: kerryDOTmainAThpDOTcom . (remove the DOT's and AT for email address)=20  $ "OpenVMS has always had integrity .. Now, Integrity has OpenVMS .."   ------------------------------  # Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 16:56:17 GMT 4 From: Tim Llewellyn <tim.llewellyn@blueyonder.co.uk>' Subject: Re: OpenVMS Positions - Europe 0 Message-ID: <40F170DF.21A66104@blueyonder.co.uk>   tutor wrote: > 5 > Wow - I think your numbers need to be challenged!!!    Troll?   > ( > Zillions of well qualified vms people?  E I guess Roy was exaggerating :-). His point that the market (whatever M is left) for VMS is over saturated. Presumably something to do with declining + customer base and HP letting many staff go.    >  > Let's do some math.  > E > In the 70's and 80's - maybe 10% of all installations were NON-IBM. G > And of those - Digital, Prime, Honeywell, and whatever, maybe only 5% & > tops (pun intended) were Digital.... > D > Now, without using real numbers (as it is not appropriate for thisD > discussion), and taking into account this is 20 to 30 years later, >  > Of those "zillions" 1 > how many vaxers are either DEAD or RETIRED ????  > - > And of those still remaining on their feet, G > how many were lucky enough to move on to greener pastures (employment H > wise - after all, no one would ever say moving away from the vax was a > step upwards!)  M Hmmm, try getting an interview in the current climate for a non-VMS job with   VMS on your CV.     : > ========================================================F > And please remember, that a VAX shop was rarely staffed by more thanH > 10 people - say 2 programmers, a sys admin, operator, director/mis and= > ??? running an entire company / division !!! Eat that IBM ! D > Oh wait. Because of the lack of an empire, out sourcing the entireH > department was done in the blink of an eye. Opps !!!! Another negative	 > stroke! ( > ======================================  
 Too true :-(.    > ! > Thus of the so called zillions,  > give us a percentage of:F > - those who HAD knowledge and experience on a vax (and thus possibly > alpha)C > - those still living breathing and coding (if programmers are the = > discussion point, other wise use the words "system admins") C > - those who have NOT moved on to different hardware, and thus are  > current in their field >  > What number do you get now? ? > Is it a Zillion? or is it more like a Thousand WORLD WIDE ??? # > Is a thousand too large a number?   7 It is if you are one of them and have a trashed career.    >  > So, lets see. H > Should we go ahead and blame the poor guy because he wants to work ANY > WHERE in the world?   J Well, if I can't get interviews for VMS jobs that are 90 mins commute awayK (presumably due to large number of available applicants with less commuting K needed) I don't see why they should consider overseas applicants. I suppose H they might be cheaper, but living costs in London and the South East are not exactly low.       --   tim.llewellyn@blueyonder.co.uk   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 13:08:53 +0200 , From: "Hans Vlems" <hvlems.dotweg@zonnet.nl>9 Subject: Re: Question about AS 800 and display resolution * Message-ID: <2lclegFbgfs1U1@uni-berlin.de>   Michael,  L that may be the problem! If Alain would have used a pixel depth of 8 instead of 24 itI might have worked. The specific commands come from my Digital Server 3000  (whiteJ box equivalent of the blue Alpha Server 800) and its video controller also
 identifies8 itself as a Trio64 but is apparently a different device.   Hans  5 "Michael Joosten" <joost@c-lab.de> schreef in bericht  news:40EF61AB.41C6@c-lab.de... > Hans Vlems wrote:  > > 
 > > Alain, > > K > > right now I'm not able to check details but there's a "quick and dirty"  > > method. ; > > Edit SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and add the commands * > > posted earlier at the end of the file: > > .  > > .  > > .  > >  > > $ set verify$ > > $ decw$server_page_file== 160000" > > $ decw$xsize_in_pixels == 1280" > > $ decw$ysize_in_pixels == 1024: > > $ define/exec/system/nolog decw$server_pixel_depth  24: > > $ define/exec/system/nolog decw$server_refresh_rate 75 > > $ set noverify > > $!> > > $ exit                          ! end of SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM >  > But Hans, A > a Trio64 with at most 2MB video RAM and 24 bits depth? No way ! J > And then the server might not even have 2MB with the S3 chips integrated, > on the system board, but just 1MB or such. > F > What worked with a plain PCI graphics board with Trio64 and 2MB was: > 0 > $    DEFINE/SYSTEM DECW$SERVER_REFRESH_RATE 74# > $    decw$xsize_in_pixels == 1280 # > $    decw$ysize_in_pixels == 1024 % > $    decw$virtual_pages   == 800000  >   > but only at 8bits color depth. >  > --  , > Michael Joosten, SBS C-LAB, joost@c-lab.de, > Fuerstenallee 11, 33094 Paderborn, Germany. > Phone: +49 5251 606127, Fax: +49 5251 606065: > C-LAB is a cooperation of University Paderborn & SIEMENS   ------------------------------  % Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:01:33 +0200 1 From: Milan Jercic <milan.jercicNOS@PAMaccess.si> - Subject: Re: Split I/Os to contiguous file??? + Message-ID: <40F1726D.2050305@PAMaccess.si>    > H > We got our copy by e-mail from an HP OpenVMS Ambassador who works withH > us. I don't know if it's even available from CSC, but it wouldn't hurtF > to ask. If not, perhaps you have some other VMS technical contact at! > HP who could obtain it for you?  >  > Hope this is some help...  >    More than you can imagine :-)    I'll ask around...     Bye,      J.M   ------------------------------  + Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 09:56:58 +0000 (UTC) 3 From: "Richard Maher" <maher_rj@hotspamnotmail.com> 8 Subject: Trouble with $persona_* system services (Again)2 Message-ID: <ccr2t9$qib$1@hercules.btinternet.com>   Hi,    Background:-  J I have a multi-threaded (ASTs) Communication Server process that allocatesL work to a variable number of single-threaded Execution Server processes. TheD CS authorizes Client access to the Server application by vetting VMSI username/password, but at the moment the ES processes are created and run K under a static Username that was chosen by the System Manager and placed in F a Configuration File. Whilst the CS runs strictly my code with all theG priviliges in the world, the ES process runs with only those priviliges L given to the static username that are deemed necessary by the System ManagerF in order to execute the *User-Supplied* application code successfully.L (Although I do supply the application code with the Username that the Client) is authorized to execute under in the ES)   I What I now wish to do (via UWSSs so that I impose no additional privilige L requirement on the ES (or static username)) is supply the User-Supplied codeD with a routine for switching persona to the username that the CS hasA authorized the client to execute under. So I immediately went for L $persona_reserve ES and $persona_delegate CS scenario, as this looked tailorG made for my situation. The biggest let down for me was that the persona J returned from $persona_reserve was a WORM bit of memory that could only beL delegated to *once*. So when the ES was performing work on behalf of another: client then it would have to reserve another persona slot.  J So no big deal I thought. The CS is the only one doing $persona_create andI it can delegate a single persona to as many ESs as the client will end up H using so performance sounds alright. And the ES could do a $persona_findL before assking the CS to delegate. (An alternative could be that the ES does7 its own $persona_create if it can't $persona_find one.)   	 Problem:-   ? I can't find any way of guranteeing that the persona found with J $persona_find is the one that *I* created with my $persona_create. There'sH nowhere to specify a Resource Domain or a Facility Code or anything thatK will identify the returned persona as belonging to my software. Yes, I will K use iss$_mode = psl$c_exec but this doesn't appear to be a search criterion H for $persona_find and then I'd still have to say "TIER3 may not functionH correctly when used in conjunction with any other software that utilizesA EXEC mode personae." (I think Larry K described this situation as  "non-deterministic"?)   
 Any ideas?  K The only thing I think I can prove is mine the the bit of memory that holds K the persona_id that I created. So (and it doesn't sound optimal) I would do  a L $persona_reserve/$qio<->CS/work/$persona_assume-iss$_natural/$PERSONA_DELETE2 . Not the prettiest but surely the logic is sound?  G But the fly in the ointment once again is SS$_PERSONADELPEND. Why won't H these personae die??? (Yes I *have* switched back to another persona.) IL looked up my previous post on this a couple of years ago and there's nothingI since explaining why these personae refuse to die and why (in my case) it G appears to only be after interaction with software such as Rdb. If they C won't die then surely I'm going to run out of memory very soon with 5 1:transaction persona? What's a bloke supposed to do?   > If anyone could shed any light on this it would be great! TIA.   Regards Richard Maher   L PS. If I leave the "context" of $persona_find with the next search guranteed to start from the beginning?  / PPS. Why does $persona_find find dead personae?   E PPS. There's no $help/message for ss$_personadelpend but there is for 
 ss$_inuse?   ------------------------------  + Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 13:18:44 +0000 (UTC) 6 From: peter@langstoeger.at (Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER)& Subject: Re: [SSH] SET TERM in SYLOGIN1 Message-ID: <newscache$vmvo0i$qr71$1@news.sil.at>   i In article <2l2nc5F7dj94U1@uni-berlin.de>, "Peter Weaver" <WeaverConsultingServices@sympatico.ca> writes: ! >Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER wrote:  >>... P >> $       WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "%SYLOGIN-I-HANDSOFF, Starting terminal inquiry ..."+ >> $       DEFINE/NOLOG/USER SYS$ERROR  NL: + >> $       DEFINE/NOLOG/USER SYS$OUTPUT NL: P >> $       IF F$GETJ(0,"TERMINAL") .NES. "" THEN SET TERMINAL/INQUIRE/BROAD/LINEK >> $       WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "%SYLOGIN-I-HANDSON, Terminal inquiry finished"  >> $       RETURN  >>... 
 >> Any Cons ?  > @ >The only thing I notice is that if your IF statement fails thenF >SYS$ERROR and SYS$OUTPUT will be pointing to NL: until the next imageE >rundown. You won't see the WRITE and the next image after the RETURN H >will not display anything. So you might want to put the two DEFINE's in >the IF statement.  1 Indeed. And many thanks. This is why I posted ;-) C In fact, my orginal routine didn't have this IF, it was later added E by someone and I even don't know why. I recently did the IFs for SSH.  So I changed it now to   $ set_term:  $!********* 7 $       IF F$GETJPI(0, "TERMINAL") .EQS. "" THEN RETURN G $       term = F$EXTRACT(1, 2, F$GETDVI("SYS$COMMAND", "TT_PHYDEVNAM")) ) $       no_inq = "OP, RT, TT, TX, TW, WT" C $       IF F$LOCATE(term, no_inq) .NE. F$LENGTH(no_inq) THEN RETURN W $       IF term .EQS. "FT" .AND. .NOT. F$GETDVI("SYS$COMMAND", "TT_SECURE") THEN RETURN M $       WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "%SYLOGIN-I-HANDSOFF, Starting terminal inquiry ..." ( $       DEFINE/NOLOG/USER SYS$ERROR  NL:( $       DEFINE/NOLOG/USER SYS$OUTPUT NL:' $       SET TERMINAL/INQUIRE/BROAD/LINE H $       WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "%SYLOGIN-I-HANDSON, Terminal inquiry finished" $       RETURN   OP is the console  RT is a DECnet CTERM TT and TX are serial lines  TW were DECwindows-XUI terminals WT were VWS/UIS terminals N FT are foreign terms (only need a SET TERM if used interactively by TCPIP SSH)   Thanks folks, it was a pleasure    --   Peter "EPLAN" LANGSTOEGER % Network and OpenVMS system specialist  E-mail  peter@langstoeger.atF A-1030 VIENNA  AUSTRIA              I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist   ------------------------------   End of INFO-VAX 2004.381 ************************