RSTS SIG Message # 454 0 replies Reply to # 452 Left by: Brett Bump On 01-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: 3780 PROTOCOL ON RSTS V9. Synchronous, synchronous. Now I remember. I did some work some time back (Gack, it was an IBM too) with synchronous modems, and just now remember how we hooked it up. As I recall, the reason that the DECUS docs that you were looking at specified UNIBUS, was probably because they are talking about using a DU11 (synchronous board). Although we were hooked up direct, I believe you could hook right into your synch modem. As for it being a UNIBUS board, not very many people know there exists a beast called DUV11. And I believe all this will work with the RSTS RJ2780 stuff. Put your DEC people in a headlock until they can set you up (or give me a call if all else fails, and we'll find the stuff ourselves). CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 450 0 replies Reply to # 448 Left by: MATT QUIGLEY On 01-Oct-89 At : ARIS OR (215) 687-5454 Subject: CLUSTERING A MICRO VAX 38 Re: your question about clustering a microvax with its bigger brothers (VAX 8530 etc). Have you lookd at clustering over the Ethernet (DEC calls this a LAVC (Local Area Vax Cluster) )? As of VAX/VMS 5.1 (or 5.0?) DEC supports also what they call mixed clusters (i.e. a CI cluster and a LAVC). Check specifically your System Management set (Volume 5, i believe, is the Networking vol) This network manual will give you MUCH much more info Also DEC Direct lists a "free-bie" that you can send for detailing all of DEC's network "solutions". Good luck and Enjoy! mq a.k.a. the HAL MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 606 0 replies Reply to # 600 Left by: Phil Gravel On 01-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: MEMORY Simon, I could be wrong, but try looking at offset RPB$L_MEMDSC from location EXE$GL_RPB. Phil SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 253 0 replies Reply to # 248 Left by: DON LEE On 02-Oct-89 At : (416) 857-3240 Subject: PAGEFILE.SYS UNDER VMS 5. You shouldn't worry about the negative reservable value as long as your actual pagefile usage doesn't exceed 50/60%; chances are highly likely that you will never encounter a situation where all processes on your system will demand all pages. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 254 0 replies Reply to # 247 Left by: DON LEE On 02-Oct-89 At : (416) 857-3240 Subject: PAGEFILE.SYS UNDER VMS 5. I didn't get to finish my reply. Sorry, but this is my first time on this BBS so you'll have to bear with me. I wanted to finish and state that the performance hit that you experience is probably because you're processor is not a multi processor; since v5 was an SMP release, uniprocessor machines will incur significant overhead in handling the SMP processing. I believe that version 5.2 alleviates the problem somewhat but to what extent I don't know and we have yet to see. Also, as an aside, with version 5.2, it will be possible to de-install the primary paging and swapping files on a running system. That means it will be possible to dismount the disk (kind of a scary thought isn't it?) Don Lee Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 607 1 replies Reply to # 601 Left by: JOHN BRIGGS On 02-Oct-89 At : (301)231-3061 Subject: KERNEL MODE ATSS You said that you are accessing the process header. You didn't say how you were accessing it. If you use CTL$GL_PHD (the P1 window to the process header) from AST context then you are safe from process header movement. If, on the other hand you use PCB$L_PHD (especially from the context of the monitoring process) then the process header can be moved by an outswap/inswap operation. CTL$GL_PHD points to a block of P1 memory that double-maps a portion of the process header. It includes the useful portion of the header but excludes the process page tables. PCB$L_PHD points to the "real" header mapped in S0 space, but as noted above, the real header might move around. Of course, there are other reasons your code might be blowing up. For instance, there might be references to non-paged pool after it has been deallocated. I can't imagine the I/O database being volatile enough to cause you any consistent problem. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 608 0 replies Reply to # 605 Left by: JOHN BRIGGS On 02-Oct-89 At : (301)231-3061 Subject: KERNEL MODE ATSS If you know that you are getting a page fault at high IPL, you should be able to analyze the crash dump and determine the faulting PC (which instruction caused the fault) and virtual address (which data structure is paged out). MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 609 0 replies Reply to # 607 Left by: SIMON On 02-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: KERNEL MODE ATSS My headache's a-going. I've come to the conclusion that something's being moved/swapped away from me, but just what had eluded me. The problem is that when I have other processes being created (by DECW session manager or SPAWN) and I'm seeing what files a process (whose image is probably starting up / closing down- yea - I check DELPEN bit) has open I can cause a system crash on my WS 3100. I'm using PCB$L_PHD. I'd guessed? that the i/o database was consistent, but didn't realise that what PCB$L_PHD points to might not be there. I'll check out the rest of the code, and maybe try to 'phone you. Thanks, Simon TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 318 2 replies Reply to # 317 Left by: Comet On 02-Oct-89 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: VT320 ON A HP3000 If you are trying to use an HP terminal on a VAX, you can teach the VAX to use the correct HP escape sequences by making a TERMTABLE entry for it. But I don't know if there is an equivalent method to tell the HP about the VT320. Does an HP use TERMCAP. like UNIX? The RS232 connections will work like a "glass TTY", but screen management and control need some kind of help. Good luck, and happy trails. --- Comet VMS SIG Message # 1086 0 replies Left by: JOHN P. FLYNN On 02-Oct-89 At : (615)269-2266 Subject: VAXSIM INFO. MESSAGE Hi! I have two tape drives (TA81s through an HSC50). When the drives are used, I get many "informational" messages from VAXsim: "tape drive requested error log". I can get dozens or hundreds of these messages in a day, and they occur on both drives. There are few accompanying hardware or media errors of any type, and the I/O operations themselves never fail. After researching this phenomenon, my Field Engineer said it means that "the tape drive requested the error log," but that it is causing no harm. Does anyone know what this informational message signifies? Thanks. John. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 319 0 replies Reply to # 318 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 02-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: VT320 ON A HP3000 Comet, The TERMTABLE helps but it is not the solution to all problems. Some of DEC's newer software uses the SMG screen management utilities which use TERMTABLE. A lot of the older stuff is either hard coded or uses an unsupported facility called SCRFT for foreign terminal support. I believe that SCRFT.MAR may still be found in SYS$EXAMPLES. It is, or was, a skeleton routine which users could modify to provide escape sequence definitions for foreign terminals which were designated FT1 through FT8. It is quite likely that H-P has been forced to provide some sort of foreign terminal support but it may not be any more consistent or extensive than what DEC has provided. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 320 0 replies Reply to # 317 Left by: CHUCK LEWIS On 02-Oct-89 At : (503) 641-4141 Subject: VT320 ON A HP3000 Thanks for the reply (here also). This is about what I expected. It is an important part of our evaluation, in that I estimate about $350,000 to replace our existing terminals and terminal servers with HP stuff. Their terminals list for $895 while I'm paying about $400 for a 320. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 321 0 replies Reply to # 318 Left by: CHUCK LEWIS On 02-Oct-89 At : (503) 641-4141 Subject: VT320 ON A HP3000 I'm expecting this type of problem and the cost to resolve it to effectively rule out the HP option for us. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 646 0 replies Reply to # 608 Left by: DAVE KAPLAN On 02-Oct-89 At : 919-878-0204 Subject: MULTITECH BIOS PROBLEM I owe you an apology Phil - I've not been on ARIS in quite a while. Our office suffered a near lightning hit and it's taken several weeks to get everything back online... I'm just now replying to this message. The Multitech 224EH modem has 2 internal socketed ROMS. I'm at home at the moment so I don't have the exact info with me, but my recollection is that our modems (we've got 7 at the host site) have version 5.06 for one ROM, and 6.05 for the other. The problem which I encountered was that Mirror's MNP addin was unable to negotiate a reliable link with the 224EH's. I called Multitech and they sent me a set of ROM's with versions something like 5.12 and 6.12 to try on one of my units. This has fixed the problem (without creating any others!), so I'm getting ready to call again and get upgrades for the other 6 units. In case you don't have it, here's the number to call for Multitech technical assistance: 800-328-9717. They also have a BBS, though I've never tried calling it: 612-631-0922. RSTS SIG Message # 455 0 replies Reply to # 453 Left by: GERALD VEZZOSI On 03-Oct-89 At : Prudential Ins. GIB LAbs (201) 802-6249 Subject: 3780 PROTOCOL ON RSTS V9.6 No, The IBM is not a Nielsen, whatever that is. - An amusing note to this situation: I was on the phone with my boss while I powered up my office equipment. I said to him "Gotta go, I smell something burning!" After sniffing around my terminals, modems, and protocol converter I narrowed the offensive odor down to my synchronous modem. Needless to say I shipped it back to the vendor who will decide if it was a power surge or faulty equipment. Henceforth my testing has ceased until I get my modem repaired. All other equipment on the surge protecter seems fine, although I noticed I sometimes glow in the dark. RSTS SIG Message # 456 0 replies Reply to # 454 Left by: GERALD VEZZOSI On 03-Oct-89 At : PRUDENTIAL INS. GIB LABS (201) 802-6249 Subject: 3780 PROTOCOL ON RSTS V9. Thanks Bret If I go the DECUS route I will be sure to get in touch with you. I just got my MV3400 installed and I will be trying to figure out how to use it. I could almost fit it in my briefcase. Of course carrying the documentation along with it might tend to overexert me. RSTS SIG Message # 457 1 replies Left by: KIM GREEN On 03-Oct-89 At : 613-256-7869 Subject: K-WORDS Hi, I'm new here so please be gentle: I have a PDP running RSTS. Can anyone tell me how I convert K-words to mg's. I type the command show memory and I get my memory in k-words. I need to know how much memory we are currently running on without actually looking at my boards. Merci MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 610 0 replies Left by: SIMON On 03-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: KASTS AND MEMORY ALLOC It's KAST time once more - the situation is, I'm trying to set up a `shell' KAST structure which fires as AST off into another process. This process then uses the ACB with a second AST to send me back what I want. Synchronisation is by an event flag. Seems simple? Yeah. But I can't do it!! - Oh it works, but If I've got lots of procs starting up with memory management glowing away, It can crash - and I don't get crash dumps - the WS3100 reboots! Questions - has anyone written such a shell? E.g. in exe$getjpi, VMS doesn't need to allocate a buffer for the AST code, but I do. I've been using EXE$ALONONPAGED, but when I occasionally get a crash dump, it's the guy I'm examining whocrashes, so I've looked at the SDA code. There they use EXE$ALLOCBUF for a single buffer consisting of the ACB (extended) and the AST code. Has anyone used either in such a situation? I'm allocating buffers for my ACB and AST code seperately. At present I'm not actually reading anything from the second process, just turing the ACB around. The second AST then sets an event flag an deallocates the buffers. Even better - is there anywhere in VMS fiche an example of same - I have v4.7 - has the procedure changed for v5? This is driving me mad - It can't be that difficult? HELP - SImon LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 81 1 replies Reply to # 78 Left by: GRAHAM HARWOOD On 03-Oct-89 At : UK +6333 71111 Subject: APPLE LASERWRITER TO VAX. We have Apple Laserwriter NTX's connected to terminal servers TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 322 0 replies Left by: Rod Falanga On 03-Oct-89 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: VT340 SETUP Does anyone know if it is possible to reassign the key to the left of the "1" key to ESC, move thje tilde and left tick marks to the key which has the less than and greater than symbols on it (next to the "Z" key) and put the less than symbol as a shift of the comma key and the greater than symbol as a shift of the period key; for a VT340????? (This can be done with the VT320 SET-UP, but I can't find out how to do it with the VT340 SET-UP.) Rod Falanga PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 434 1 replies Reply to # 429 Left by: ROD FALANGA On 03-Oct-89 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: PROCESSES AND SUBPROCESSE Robert, I believe that the C function system() does a SPAWN/WAIT be default. In fact, I don't think that it can do it any other way (I could be wrong , of course.) Rod LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 82 0 replies Reply to # 81 Left by: GRAHAM HARWOOD On 03-Oct-89 At : UK +6333 71111 Subject: APPLE LASERWRITER TO VAX. We have Apple Laserwriter NTX's on Terminal Servers and have recently acquired Scriptprinter software (we also have an LN03R). Can someone please help us to get the Laserwiters working with Scrriptprinter software. What are the workarounds (I have tried it and it doesn't work). Any help would be greatly appreciated. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 83 0 replies Left by: MICHAEL GILLIE On 03-Oct-89 At : (804)274-2112 Subject: CARTRIDGES I have users that want a Laserjet cartridge for an LN03/Plus printer. The alternative for these users is to supply them with the ProPrinter cartridge for the LN03/Plus. Does anyone know of such a beast and where it may be found? They want their IBM pc's to be able to share printers with the VAX part of our net. Thanks for the help. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 435 1 replies Reply to # 427 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 03-Oct-89 At : 714/720-7868 Subject: PROCESSES AND SUBPROCESSE It seems to me that you are trying to attacht to a process called MAIN_PROCESS, and not to the process name of the parent. If you run your C program from MICROVAX SIG Message # 215 1 replies Left by: JOE SIGMON On 03-Oct-89 At : (216) 433-5128 Subject: RD53 FORMAT PROBLEMS Help!! I have twenty-five generic Micropolis 1335s that must be installed into a bunch of MicroVax IIs as replacement drives, and also additional drives attached to a RQDXE module. The problem is formatting, when attempting to format the drives using MDM not all of the manufacturing bad blocks are picked-up by the formatter. This results in obvious problems. I'm using the latest release MDM, (Rel 128), on 'up-rev' Micro-Vaxes, with the RQDX3 controller. I need to know if there is a utility that will allow me to enter the bad-block information manually, or is there a thorough surface analysis that will run to pick up the errors automatically? Thanks for any help provided! RSTS SIG Message # 458 0 replies Reply to # 457 Left by: BRUCE ABELS On 03-Oct-89 At : (312)682-4700 Subject: K-WORDS Kim, I tried calling, but I got some message saying that number was not in service. So you will probably have to wait until you try this again to get this answer. Anyway, words are 2 bytes, so k-words are 2 k-bytes. There are 512 k-words in one Mb of memory. The most memory your machine can have is 4Mb, so use that as a guideline. If you provide more information, such as which type of PDP you have (mine is a PDP-11/73) and which version of RSTS/E you are using, you are likely to get a more helpful answer. There is no embarrassment to using PDP equipment. Those of us who have it enjoy it, perhaps not as much as the VAXstation 3100 I just got on my desk, but we are a more closely knit group. Also, it would help us to give us your title and experience so that we might know just how technical a response you would like. Yours in RSTS, Bruce UTILITIES SIG Message # 413 0 replies Reply to # 410 Left by: MARTY JOHNSON On 03-Oct-89 At : (203)666-1737 Subject: MAPPING DCL IN A DETACHED RUN/DETACH/INPUT=command.procedure SYS$SYSTEM:LOGINOUT.EXE will work. However, make sure the command procedure sets up logicals such as SYS$SCRATCH if the programs you will be running require them. I ran into this problem when trying to access Rdb from a detached process. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 647 0 replies Reply to # 643 Left by: MARTY JOHNSON On 03-Oct-89 At : (203)666-1737 Subject: CLUSTER-WIDE EVENT FLAGS You did say the easiest! Use a file! :-) Seriously, your event flags are in memory that cannot be accessed by a remote CPU on a cluster. You require something that can be accessed cluster-wide. While a file is the simplest solution, it has more overhead than just a lock. A lock, using the Distributed lock manager, gives you much more flexability than a file. You can set ASTs to be triggered by the lock. You can also send short messages via the lock. If you want to get fancy, you could probably use DECnet to set the Common Event Flags on the remote node. This would give you the ability to coordinate processes anywhere on a network, not just in a clustered environment. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 323 0 replies Reply to # 319 Left by: Comet On 03-Oct-89 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: VT320 ON A HP3000 Richard, Thanks for filling in the information I left out; SCRFT. I've used that in the past, but all my recent programs use SMG routines. I confess that I am at a loss to replace TPU$CCTSHR, the TPU Screen Manager. Anybody have any idea what needs to be done to allow VAXTPU to run on non-ANSI terminals? (I may repeat my entreaty on the Editors topic.) PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 436 0 replies Reply to # 434 Left by: Comet On 03-Oct-89 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: PROCESSES AND SUBPROCESSE I've had problems trying to ATTACH before. Somehow my terminal had an associated mailbox, and that was not a good thing. One way to have this come up is by doing a SPAWN/NOWAIT SET HOST node. You will have a possibly confusing display of two processes. You can put the remote process to SLEEP or SUSPEND it, and then try to ATTACH to a previously created process from your local process. I wonder if VAX C creates a mailbox that is interfering with your ATTACH. MICROVAX SIG Message # 216 0 replies Reply to # 215 Left by: Comet On 03-Oct-89 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: RD53 FORMAT PROBLEMS How about the BAD utility? According to my manual, you can ANALYZE/MEDIA/EXERCISE[(=FULL)] to have the system test the disk, or ANALYZE/MEDIA/BAD [(=list)] to manually enter the bad blocks. I don't know if this utility will work for your drives, but it it's the only utility of this nature I know of on VMS. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 437 0 replies Reply to # 435 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 03-Oct-89 At : 714/720-7868 Subject: PROCESSES AND SUBPROCESSE Oops! Sorry about the last message, my modem decided to take a coffee break. About your spawn process, you need to pass to it the process name you are running under also it is my experience to call the lib$spawn routine in the VMS RTL instead of the VAX C system call. With lib$spawn you can pass in the input, output and error streams as well as processing flags (ie. NOWAIT, Copy down your symbol table, logical names, etc). Its only draw back is that for all character strings (input, output..) you must define the VMS structure for character string descriptors, see sys$library:descrip.h file. Patrick MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 611 0 replies Left by: DR. R On 03-Oct-89 At : AT THE ASTROLOGER'S OFFICE Subject: THE AGE OF AQUARIUS. Yes. It's official. THE VAX 9000 WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 24 OCTOBER 1989! (Seems that DEC sent out at least one invitation a wee bit early, but these things happen). Don't be confused by the rumourmongery that besmirches your inbox every Monday morning. Trust in ARIS to be first with the facts! Dr. R LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 84 0 replies Reply to # 52 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 03-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: LN03 RESET Kitty, the c was the solution for a blank page problem that we have had with an application. I estimate that this will save us about 15,000 blank pages a year. Thanks again. GRAPHICS SIG Message # 92 0 replies Reply to # 85 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 03-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: VWS FONTS I have been using SIGHT whch comes with VWS to do some graphing. I have noticed a tremendous difference in font quality when I go to my LN03R (Postscript) versus going to LN03/+. If you have access to a postscript printer somewhere you might want to see if it is better using postscript fonts rather than bitmapped fonts. GRAPHICS SIG Message # 93 0 replies Reply to # 89 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 03-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: OUR GRAPHIC NEEDS What sort of output do you want on the Vax? We have used a package called Reggie to convert from MacPaint files to sixel and/or Regis format. Using a terminal emulator package would allow you to capture Vax created images on the Mac. If you want to go between UIS (Vax non-DecWindow) and a Mac format, I haven't found or written anything reliable yet. PC'S SIG Message # 241 0 replies Reply to # 240 Left by: DENNIS HAUGHN On 04-Oct-89 At : 614-276-4000 Subject: PC SERIAL PORTS Phil, all of my peripherals, except the modem, are connected using the DEC-423 standard (six wires). I also have to run all of the signals thru out building's IBM Type I cabling system. This consists of two twisted pairs wrapped in a foil shield. To test communication parameters I first started my program on the MV3600 and then executed a terminal emulation program on the PC. This works perfectly, but when I exit the emulator and try to use DOS print or WordPerfect I receive error messages. My problem is that I don't know how to "hold DSR high", if that is what I need to do. Is there a programmatic solution to this problem? APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 364 0 replies Left by: TOM CACHAT On 04-Oct-89 At : 714 837-5198 OR HERE Subject: USERBASE ACCESS W/COBOL We have a 4GL product called Userbase that includes a BASIC program generator. We would like to use COBOL to access Userbase databases. Is there anyone out there who has done this who could give us some pointers? Thank you. VMS SIG Message # 1087 0 replies Reply to # 1082 Left by: TOM CACHAT On 04-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: VMS 4.2 TO 4.4 UPGRADE Richard, Thanks. @VMSINSTAL CSA1: * worked fine for reinstalling the Decnet key. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 648 0 replies Left by: MITCHELL KATZ On 04-Oct-89 At : 212-232-9878 Subject: XMODEM Hello I would like someone who has a copy of source for xmodem ( I tried calling Richard Gilbert-- no answer). This of course, is to run on VMS (5.1-1). Anyone who has this please call........ mak MICROVAX SIG Message # 217 0 replies Reply to # 216 Left by: JOE SIGMON On 04-Oct-89 At : (216) 433-5128 Subject: RD53 FORMAT PROBLEMS Thanks for the responce but it seems that the R5x series drives cannot use the ANAL/MEDIA routine. When attempting to 'BAD' the drives the following system message is received, %BAD-F-DEVRCT, unable to analyze DUA1:, due to revector caching. The RQDX3 will allow the RX50 to run ANAL/MEDIA but not the RD5x drives. It seems to me the utility wilnot be a VMS utility, but i instead a diagnostic utility to communicate with the controller directly. Another strange happening is after the format the MDM diags(SSHOW CONFIG, etc) can determine what type of drive it is, but the format utility cannot determine what type it is!!?? "AUTOFORMAT" mode will not work because of this. I wonder if anyone has written aVMS command procedureto fill a spare disk completely, delete it and refill it. Something that could be run over the weekend or so. This may allow VMS to pick up the bad-block naturally, I would hope. Thanks! LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 85 0 replies Reply to # 82 Left by: Robert G. Schaffrath on October 5, 1989 at 8:40 AM At : 914-335-9792 Subject: APPLE LASERWRITER TO VAX. VAX ScriptPrinter software does not support any printers other than the LPS40 and the ScriptPrinter (LN03R). We have AppleWriters as well as a ScriptPrinter. While both devices support PostScript(R), The ScriptPrinter has several extensions which are being used by the ScriptPrinter software. These extensions can be found in chapter 3 of the 'LN03R ScriptPrinter Programmer's Supplement'. If you are performing pure PostScript, you can hook the AppleWriter directly to the system. The primary benefit of ScriptPrinter Software is it's ability to translate both ReGIS and TEKtronix graphics into PostScript as well as translate flat ASCII text into PostScript so that it prints like a standard LN03. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 p.s. I forgot that the LN03 Image Printer (LN03Q) is also supported by the ScriptPrinter Software. MICROVAX SIG Message # 218 0 replies Reply to # 217 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 05-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: RD53 FORMAT PROBLEMS Are you using the CRD's or the Field Service diagnostics for formatting? The Field Service version of MDM allows you to control all formatting parameters or to select the option 'FORMAT RD53 DRIVE' which in this case will not help you out since you are not working with a standard RD53. If you have the Field Service MDM, go through formatting menus. There is a way to manually enter all parameters. The only problem is that you will need to know things like, number of heads, number of tracks, number of cylinders, etc. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 324 0 replies Left by: RALPH RAMIREZ On 05-Oct-89 At : (213) 663-1111 EX 391 Subject: LA210 CHARACTER CODES I've just acquired an la210 printer/without manuals. I would like to know if anyone could please list me a few of the essential escape sequence codes; bold, underline, reset norm., double height or width if possible. Thank you. Ralph Ramirez Braille Institute of America COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 301 0 replies Left by: RALPH RAMIREZ On 05-Oct-89 At : (213) 663-1111 EXT 391 Subject: DECSERVER 300 Hello, I need some advice concerning a decserver 300. I am currently operating a Microvax II with 4 dhv11's and an ethernet card installed. I have 32 terminal ports and need to add about 12 more. Would I be better off buying some dhv11's or a decserver 300? Would I have to buy anything else to operate the ds 300 or just the necessary cables? Someone said something about a downey? Will I have to set up a network?. All the terminals will be local. I will appreciate any advices and input. Thank You, Ralph Ramirez Braille Institute of America VMS SIG Message # 1088 0 replies Left by: BOB WILDT On 05-Oct-89 At : 316-832-6970 Subject: PEEKING USERS I am using a program off one of the DECUS SIG tapes called OBSERVE to watch other terminals on my system. There are a few drawbacks to it. I don't think it will work over a network. This was probably released on the Spring 86 tapes. You might want to give it a try. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 255 0 replies Reply to # 237 Left by: RICHARD NEVEAU On 05-Oct-89 At : (214)931-9097 Subject: DECWINDOWS give up buddy (go back to VWS till VMS 5.2 comes out at least) we have a lot of different workstations and i won't run DECwindows on any without at least a 3 starting the number and at least 8MB of memory. you have probably heard this by now but just in case sent this note. love DECwindows on my 3200. it is just too much of a pig for a 2000 MICROVAX SIG Message # 219 0 replies Reply to # 214 Left by: RICHARD On 05-Oct-89 At : NEVEAU Subject: BUILD A MICROVAX 3400 phone (214)931-9097 if i was you i would buy a hot unix box but... the best VMS plan would be to get one of the 3500's someone is "upgrading" from or one of the other 3xxx's 3300/3400 are pretty much directed to people who want all DEC peripherals. if you insist on a 3400 at least look at the 3300 and a 3rd party cabinet to get more backplane slots if you really need more slots (if you get SCSI disks (dilog controller) you can hang a slug-o-drives off of one controller). we have 2 3800's and love them for VMS work but a 3400 is really meant to be expanded with DSSI drives (VERY EXPENSIVE) so a used 3500 may be more appropriate (and faster to boot). MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 612 0 replies Left by: MICHAEL MARTIN On 06-Oct-89 At : (407)356-1882 Subject: DISTRIBUTED LOCK MANAGER We have a Vax Cluster consisting of 3 8550's performing shop floor control using the COMETS package. Recently we have on occasion exceeded the VMS 4.7 maximum allocation for LOCKIDTBL_MAX which is 65535. COMETS relies heavily upon DBMS (4.0) and this is the major contributor to our excessive lock consumption. We have heard rumors that VMS 5.2 quadruples the SYSGEN maximum for LOCKIDTBL_MAX, but internally the functional limit is still 65535. I am interested in knowing if there are other DBMS sites experiencing this situation, and would like confirmation that VMS 5.2 does functionally increase the maximum number of locks. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 451 0 replies Left by: DAVID BEORN On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: RE: PCSA, PC-M-VAX CONNECTION CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 452 0 replies Reply to # 440 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: PC To MicroVAX Communication Well, it WOULD be overkill if all I wanted to do was file transfers - but the key thing I wanted was the task-to-task communication tha PCSA offers, but i guess no one here knows anything about that (or hasn't read this message yet). It looks like what we're going to do is use a BitBus link between the 2, probably a 3rd party board (LanTek looks VERY good). this will allow passing of status words (which is what it is basically designed to do) and also allow a "block" transfer of the file, and since this doesn't happen in real-time, it doesn't matter as much on the speed (and it's not a real big file). BitBus can be compared to ethernet, only for SMALL packets, whereas ethernet is designed for LARGE packets, and does it very well (both do what they do very well). BitBus is also a "standard" and there is a myriad of devices designed to talk to it out there (temp. controlers, valve positioners, etc. - as I'm told). David TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 325 0 replies Reply to # 318 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: VT320 ON A HP3000 I think I mentioned that I used an HP on my VAX - it's a 2623A and it has an ANSI mode, which works OK when you limit it to 2400 baud (it doesn't use Xon/Xoff, I guess, and the screen gets garbage otherwise at higher speeds). Don't know if this helps, but maybe you will get there TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 326 0 replies Reply to # 324 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: LA210 Character Codes Well, don't feel bad - I've got the manual and I couldn't find them in there!!! Anyway, double height is not possible (that I know of) but I do know a few sequences - the same one that work on LA75/50 work here, I believe - at least these do: [2"z enhanced print (basically bold) [1"z normal print (reverses above) [4w compressed print (16.5cpi) [2w 12 pitch [1w 10 pitch [1m bold on screen but I don't think on the printer [4m underline on screen (and on printer, I believe) Maybe this will get you started David LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 86 0 replies Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: LJ-250 Printer Queue Does anyone out there hjave an LJ-250??? set up as a queued device??? Is there anything special you must do to set it up as a queue?? I've tried printing to it and it doesn't seem to work. I have the terminal port it's connected to set up as an LJ-250 but that didn't seem to help. David VMS SIG Message # 1089 0 replies Reply to # 1078 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: SPAWN MAIL I think the point about the BB is well taken (i.e. that it could be more professional) but DEC Prof. is just like many of us - they have a budget and have to meet it. However, I would say that using VAXnotes or mailxxx would not leave the "non-techies" out in the dark either. To be fair, for the amount of activity that goes on here and the resources (VAX(es)) available, this BB isn't so bad. And obviously, anyone who doesn't like it can really find plenty of other places to call into - no need to bad mouth this one. I don't hear anyone volunteering programming time to make this better, so all we can do is make suggestions and hope. David APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 365 0 replies Reply to # 362 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: Conference Room Scheduling I understand what you're saying about "user hostile" - boy are those IBM's a pain CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 453 0 replies Reply to # 449 Left by: JIM MCGERIGLE BORLAND INTL On 06-Oct-89 At : 408/439-1153 Subject: CLUSTERING A MICRO VAX 38 JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP ON CLUSTERING MV3800... THANK-YOU RICHARD. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 454 0 replies Reply to # 450 Left by: JIM MCGERIGLE BORLAND INTL On 06-Oct-89 At : 408/439-1153 Subject: CLUSTERING A MICRO VAX 38 THANK-YOU FOR YOUR HELP ON CLUSTERING MV3800 MATT! PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 438 0 replies Reply to # 430 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: Processes and Subprocesses I think Phil hit on the problem - you may not have had the right PID and/or process name. Also, you may have done a /NOWAIT in the LIB$SPAWN, although I think the default is /WAIT - check this to be sure. There is a mask you give it to determine this and other parameters. UTILITIES SIG Message # 414 0 replies Reply to # 409 Left by: David Beorn On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: EXECUTE_DCL Procedure What is this??? I've seen several messages but haven't seen the "program" - is it here on ARIS???? I'm intersted in it. David FORUM - DEC SIG Message # 83 0 replies Reply to # 79 Left by: On 06-Oct-89 At : Subject: MUMPS - AN OVERVIEW Is there a vacination for it???? I have a friend who is learning to use it. UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 48 0 replies Reply to # 47 Left by: DB On 06-Oct-89 At : 804-788-7410 Subject: ULTRIX TO VMS CONVERSION Well, I may be misinformed and/or this may be a MicroVMS restriction that went away with convergence of MicroVMS and VMS at v5.0. I tried again to find it and found that the default for tapes is 8464 (under backup/block) or 2048 (under mount/block) depending on where you look. When I try to backup/block=4096 to my tape, I get a message saying that the wrong tape was mounted!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't make any sense (to me), but I just let it default anyway - I figure DEC knows what block size is best on a TK50 ( well, maybe??). David COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 302 0 replies Reply to # 301 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 06-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: DECSERVER 300 Ralph, That "downey" you mentioned is probably a DELNI. A DELNI is an Ethernet in a box. You can plug in up to eight Ethernet transceiver cables. The DELNI can serve either standalone or it can be connected through a ninth port to an Ethernet transceiver and backbone cable. If all your Ethernet connections are local; i.e. withing the same room, you simply plug all your equipment into the DELNI and save the price of eight transceivers. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 303 0 replies Reply to # 301 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 06-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: DECSERVER 300 Ralph, I just reread your message and a couple of additional comments occured to me. To use a terminal server, you will need a small network. This will consist of: a piece of Ethernet cable, two transceivers, (you may choose to substitute a DELNI for these two items), two transceiver cables, and a DECnet end node license for your VAX. (Somebody correct me if I forgot anything.) If one terminal server is all you will ever have on your network, the two tranceivers and Ethernet cable are probably the best choice. If you think that you will need to add additional terminal servers or workstations or anything else to your network you should give serious consideration to the DELNI. I believe that the break even point is three or four nodes on the network. If you have more than that, the DELNI is cheaper. Terminal servers become more efficient as the amount of traffic goes up. The server and the VAX simply collect data to be sent for a fixed time period. At the end of that period a packet is sent with all the characters that are available. If only one or two of your terminals are in use you will probably wind up handling two Ethernet packets for each character typed. As more terminals are used, the probability that the packets will be shared increases. The DHV11s consume slots in your backplane that the terminal server does not. Under light loads, they will represent less of a load on the CPU than a server. Under heavy loads, I don't believe that they offer any advantage at all. UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 49 1 replies Reply to # 48 Left by: COMET On 07-Oct-89 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: ULTRIX TO VMS CONVERSION To tell VMS BACKUP to ignore the tape volume label use /IGNORE=LABEL_PROCESSING. This "feature" of checking the volume labels was added in VMS 5.0. UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 50 0 replies Reply to # 48 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 07-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: ULTRIX TO VMS CONVERSION David, The default magnetic tape size is 2048 when you mount it and use COPY or any of the VMS utilities to write the tape. It can be overriden by using the /BLOCKSIZE qualifier on the mount command. Backup is a special case. It uses its own code to do all the tape handling without relying on RMS or the MOUNT utility. Backup defaults to 8464 (or whatever) for magnetic tapes. It can use blocksizes down to 2048 but not any smaller than that. It can also use larger values for blocksize but the developers don't recommend it as larger blocksizes interfere with backup's builtin data reliability features and, in extreme cases, have been known to cause a tape to run right of the end of a reel. UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 51 0 replies Reply to # 49 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 07-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: ULTRIX TO VMS CONVERSION David, Checking volume labels is a feature, not a "feature". It was provided by DEC at the request of the DECUS Large Systems SIG Commercial Working Group. Older versions of BACKUP would write on anything that happened to be put on the drive with a write ring installed. It was very convenient until somebody put up the wrong tape! Can you say "clobbered data"? As you noted, you can ask it to bypass label checking but there are good and sufficient reasons for not making this behavior the default. BACKUP will now respect existing labels rather than writing its own labels on the tape. This was another of the changes requested by DECUS. MICROVAX SIG Message # 220 0 replies Reply to # 214 Left by: CARL HOUSEMAN On 08-Oct-89 At : 703-949-1323 Subject: BUILD A MICROVAX 3400 We have a 3300 with an Emulex QD35 controller and two 5 1/4" Maxtor XT 8760 (650 mb formatted) drives, and are very happy with it. Since the QD35 can support up to 4 drives, you could get your 2 GB+ this way. For maximum throughput, however, you'd want no more than 2 drives/controller, which is still more economical than DSSI disks. The disks won't fit in the 3300 cabinet, but you can mount them in any suitable enclosure - even a leftover PC box with power supply should work (each disk = 23 watts). Those who say the 3300/3400 are only expandable with DSSI drives are working with old information. As for your other Emulex options for communication, Emulex should be able to tell you if they are certified in the 3300/3400. Chances are, if it works in the 3500-3800, it'll work in a 3300/3400. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 455 0 replies Reply to # 429 Left by: BOB ZISEK On 08-Oct-89 At : 203.798.5240 Subject: PCSA PRINTERS Also, make sure that you do not have DISKQUOTAS set on your system disk on the MicroVAX. If you do, the spool file cannot be created and no printing will occur. Hope this helps. Bob Zisek System Manager Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Ridgefield, Ct. 06877 VMS SIG Message # 1090 0 replies Reply to # 1086 Left by: Phil Gravel On 08-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: VAXSIM INFO. MESSAGE John, typically when I do backups to my TK50, I get a dozen or more messages entered in the error log. Typically, they are tape MSCP messages indicating a tape error. I believe that if BACKUP detects a bad area on the tape, it logs this message and then writes the data again. I think VAXSIM is just telling you that this situation (a bad tape block located and an error message logged) has occurred. If you didn't worry about these messages before, I wouldn't worry about the VAXSIM notices now. Phil COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 304 1 replies Reply to # 303 Left by: Phil Gravel On 08-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: DECSERVER 300 Richard, I think that if all he wants to do is to hook up a terminal server, he doesn't need the DECnet license. He only needs LAT and that is licensed as part of VMS. Of course he'll need a license for the DECserver software. Phil RSTS SIG Message # 459 0 replies Reply to # 457 Left by: Brett Bump On 08-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: K-WORDS Kim, There are three quick ways that I can think of that a novice can obtain memory information. The first (and most obvious), is to use your SHOW MEMORY command to DCL. This will be transformed by DCL into the more terse command SYSTAT /C. The end of the table will show total memory. Each job's total memory (in bytes) can be calculated by multiplying by 2. The second is to run the MEMORY program. Some sysops have this program installed so that you can call it from the command MEM. The third is when bringing the machine up or down. The MEMORY suboption of DEFAULT will display where memory is actually located. Any memory that is not present (or locked by the sysop) will be shown as NXM (Non-eXistent Mem- ory) in the above two displays. Glad to see another RSTS user hereabouts. Welcome aboard! RSTS SIG Message # 460 0 replies Reply to # 458 Left by: Brett Bump (Rev.) On 08-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: K-WORDS Gee, I know Phil will shoot me for starting a ruckus. But someone has to keep "OUR" people straight. Dear Bruce, Ahem... Our closely knit group seems to have developed somewhat of a granny knot. There are severe penalties for mentioning the word "embarrassment." There are severe penalties for mentioning the abbreviation "PDP" in the same sentence (that was close). But fear not, my brother, for I shall bless you with the words of DECUS. I quote from the "Spring 1990 Symposium Call for Participation," under the RSTS SIG: "Although its host platform seems to some to have been overtaken by tech- nology, RSTS is still the preferred platform for many applications, and is preferred by knowledgeable users over 32-bit systems from most manu- facturers." Now that our brother Bruce and sister Kim have seen the 100 Watt light, let them be welcomed back into the fold. (Anyone seen Russ Walter lately?) COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 305 0 replies Reply to # 304 Left by: MARK KUEHN On 08-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: DECSERVER 300 Sorry, I hate to rain on your parade, but you do need Decnet end-node, cuz you need to use the MOM loader to boot a decserver and lat doesn't give you that. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 613 0 replies Reply to # 612 Left by: MICHAEL MIKOWSKI On 09-Oct-89 At : (313)524-8678 Subject: DISTRIBUTED LOCK MANAGER On VMS version 5.2 the maximums for LOCKIDTBL and LOCKIDTBL_MAX have increased from 65535 to 262413. I guess this means much more locking activity in the future. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 614 0 replies Left by: SIMON BROWN On 09-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: THIS AND THAT Hi - 1) Thanks for the help with the KASTs - the final bug was in VMS!, but it's fixed in 5.2, so now I'm happy. 2) Still haven't purchased any CASE software - soon will tho'. 3) In EWDATADEF I guess I have a series of offsets - does anyone know the base address of the EWDATA (EW_PMS$GL_FIDHIT, for example). I am obliged to go dig out this statistical info. Don't ask why - I just do as I'm told. Many thanks to you all, Simon UTILITIES SIG Message # 415 0 replies Reply to # 414 Left by: ANNE SCHRAUGER On 09-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: EXECUTE_DCL PROCEDURE The procedure they're talking about is found in the August 1989 issue of VAX PROFESSIONAL. The article is "Put the Power of DCL into your Programs" by Charles A. Measday. If you're a VAX PRO subscriber, the program is available to you in Download under the name DCLPOWER.DOC CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 456 1 replies Left by: RON EDDY On 09-Oct-89 At : (704)373-4626 Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT Has anyone written a program (any language) to "listen" to the DECnet Hello Messages and LAT broadcast mesages? I am in the need to write a routine that will notify OPCOM when a node (DECnet or LAT) comes on or drops off the Ethernet network. I am having a difficult time locating information regarding packet format on LAT and how to inquire the NETACP for DECnet network configuration info. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 256 0 replies Left by: TIM SAGSTETTER On 09-Oct-89 At : (715) 847-6784 Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH We are trying to set up a Local Area VAXcluster using a MicroVAX II as the boot node for a VAXstation 2000 workstation. The MVII is used to MSCP-serve the system disk and a user disk; both are RA81's. The VS2000 has 6MB of memory and a local RD53 disk for paging and swapping. Under a normal production load (about 20 users), the MVII's interrupt stack averages 5% - 10% with peaks of about 15%. All user terminals are connected via DECserver 100's. When the VS2000 is booted into the cluster, interrupt stack activity averages 15% - 25% with peaks up to 35% with NO users on either system except for a process on each monitoring modes. With a few production processes running, the stack activity averages about 30% with peaks up to 50%. When the VS2000 is removed from the cluster, normal interrupt stack activity returns. Does anyone have a clue as to what might be causing the excessive interrupt stack activity? I realize that MSCP uses the interrupt stack and that it consumes about 3 milliseconds of CPU per disk I/O request, but monitor modes indicates the disk activity to be minimal; about 2 operations per second total on the MVII. Thank you, in advance, for any suggestions. Tim Sagstetter Kernel Software, Inc. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 457 0 replies Reply to # 456 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 09-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT Ron, Some of the information you want may not be available on the net. Any time a node transmits, you know that it is alive but I'm not sure how you would determine that a node had left the network. You could, of course, arbitrarily define a timeout interval and say that any node that has not transmitted in the last 10 minutes has left the network. Another consideration is that you might have to dedicate the machine to this monitoring task. A busy network could swamp some of the older/slower VAXen. You would have to put your Ethernet controller in promiscuous mode and read _every_ packet that comes along. You would have to do a table lookup to see if the sender is known to you. If he is, update the time of last transmission. If not, add the node to the table and notify OPCOM that a new node has joined the network. Since a program that could do this could also be used for things like password grabbing and reading other peoples mail, you will find that very few people would be willing to distribute such a thing. Of course anybody who connected to the network and didn't transmit would be invisible to you anyway. Are you _really_ sure you want to do this? :-) COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 306 0 replies Reply to # 304 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 09-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: DECSERVER 300 Phil, SOMEBODY on the network must have a DECnet license or he won't be able to download to the terminal server. Since I gather that, initially at least, his network will consist of a VAX and a terminal server I conclude that he will need a DECnet license for the VAX. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 458 2 replies Reply to # 457 Left by: RON EDDY On 10-Oct-89 At : (704)373-4626 Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT Richard, Thanks for the info. Many of our VAXes are on Ethernet performing realtime functions. These devices basically "put" data on Ethernet and our general purpose VAXes will "pull" it off. In regards to the DECnet issue, must of the nodes are endnodes. The general purpose VAXes and realtime VAXes are in different areas. What I was looking to do was have a command similar to a $show network DCl command that could from and endnode inquire the area router and obtain network information for all nodes. So that someone logged onto an endnode could obtain network information. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 459 0 replies Left by: MARGOSSIAN On 10-Oct-89 At : Subject: quitq CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 460 0 replies Reply to # 458 Left by: DAVE MARGOSSIAN On 10-Oct-89 At : (617)-684 6800\ Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT Have you tried NETSTAT from the DECUS libraries..... There is a review of this software in The September issue of the DECUS SIG newsletters... LIB-5. This is the software used at DECworld on the QE II. I believe it will do what you are asking, and that is to notify your OPS group when nodes come online/offline. Also, There is DECnet Monitor...Expensive solution, but a solution non-the-less. Dave VMS SIG Message # 1091 0 replies Left by: PAUL LUCERO On 10-Oct-89 At : (805) 388-5700 Subject: RA60 DISK PACK RECYCLE I have five RA-60 disk packs that had been trashed by head crashes in the past two years. Since a new pack costs about $900 each, I am wondering if there is a @way to recycle these bad packs. Does anyone know of a place that does recycle bad disk packs? It is a waste just to throw them away. Beside, these things are not biodegradeable. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 327 0 replies Reply to # 325 Left by: CHUCK LEWIS On 10-Oct-89 At : (503) 641-4141 Subject: VT320 ON A HP300 Yes that is the kind of information I was interested in hearing. I thought the problems in trying to use a VT320 as effectively as a real HP terminal would be severe enough to make an HP3000 option to using newer VAXen unatractive or infeasible. thanks SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 257 0 replies Reply to # 256 Left by: TIM SAGSTETTER On 10-Oct-89 At : (715) 847-6784 Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH P.S. to Message #256: Both the MVII and the VS2000 are running VMS version 4.7. The VS2000 is also running the last version of VWS to run under VMS V4.7. Please excuse the oversight. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 461 0 replies Reply to # 458 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 10-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT Ron, If the area routers have the info you want, it seems to me that you could put together a little .COM file on the router that could be activated by a request over the network and return the output of a show network command to the requester. There is a file called TELL.COM which will let you execute almost any command on a remote node and return the results to you. This is probably a little _too_ general purpose for what you want but that sort of thing can be and has been done. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 462 0 replies Reply to # 457 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 11-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT We have written a program that can tell when another DecNet node (runniing the same program) has dropped. A variation of it was documented in DEC Professional in an article entitled "Play Ball!". It won't work for your LAT though. While I can't give you the code because of nondsclosure agreements, I can give you pointers on how to write the beastie. Randall C. Newcomb Functional Software, Inc. 301 Charles Street Long Lake, MN 55356 DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 649 0 replies Left by: MALCOLM BARNETT On 11-Oct-89 At : 972-2-242948 (ISRAEL) Subject: ASSIGNING FIXED LTAXXX TO TERMINAL I NEED THE ABILITY TO LOG IN A GIVEN ACCOUNT TO A SPECIFIC TERMINAL, AND PREVENT USERS ON OTHER TERMINALS FROM ENTERING THIS ACCOUNT. ALL TERMINALS ARE ON SERVERS. AS WE ARE WORKING WITH LATCP A CONSTANT "LTAXXX"CANNOT BE ASSIGNED TO BE CHECKED AT LOGIN TIME - THE LOGIN SETS ITS OWN LTA NUMBER. HOW DO I FORCE A CONSTANT "LTAXXX" FOR A SPECIFIC TERMINAL? WE ARE USING A WORK AROUND BASED ON A ROUTINE UPDATED FROM A RECENT VAX PRO- FESSIONAL WHICH INVOLVES OBTAINING PORT/NODE INFO FROM LATCP INTO A FILE. THIS IS THEN COMPARED WITH THE PHYSICAL PORT NUMBER OF TERMINALS ALLOWED TO OPERATE THE ACCOUNT. THIS IS SLOW, INELEGANT, REQUIRES KERNAL PRIVILEGES AND IF TWO TERMINALS ACCESS LATCP SIMULTANEOUSLY ONE BOMBS OUT. THIS ROUTINE IS PART OF A NEWS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WE ARE BUILDING AT ISRAEL BROADCASTING AND IS FAIRLY IMPORTANT FOR US. DIGITAL ISRAEL ARE UNABLE TO HELP US. ALL ASSISTANCE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGED. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 312 0 replies Left by: RON EDDY On 11-Oct-89 At : (704)373-4626 Subject: CDROM (VMSINSTALL,DOC) BOOKREADER Is anyone using the CDROM for software distribution and online documentation? We are looking into purchasing a CDROM for a VAX 3600 and using the Remote System Manager package as a software distribution system. Ultimately, I would like to use this setup to install VMS and layered products to VAX and Ultrix systems on the LAN. Also, in the future I would forsee PCs connected to the thinwire segment running Xwindows and Bookreader to access the online documentation on the CDROM. I would appreciate any feedback (negative and positive) from people that are currenlty using this and/or folks who are iunvestigating something similar. Thanks, Ron DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 650 0 replies Reply to # 649 Left by: RON EDDY On 11-Oct-89 At : (704)373-4626 Subject: ASSIGNING FIXED LTAXXX TO Here are two solutions that may work. 1. in the SYLOGIN procedure you can use the F$GETDVI lexical function and specify TT_ACCPORNAM to get the DECserver and Port. This will also be unique. --- if that won't do --- 2. i believe that you can go into LATCP and create application ports LATCP> create LTA1 ; LATCP> set port LTA1 /node=node_name/port=port_numb. if you change the port characteristics on the server from LOCAL to DYNAMIC, i believe LAT will propogate the LTA1 terminal name. MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 271 0 replies quit Left by: WILLIAM B. SMITH On 11-Oct-89 At : (615)229-5946 Subject: MICROTECHNOLOGY 8MMTAPE LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 87 0 replies Reply to # 86 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 11-Oct-89 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: LJ-250 PRINTER QUEUE I have installed the LJ-250 as a standard print queue attached to a regular terminal port with the following characteristics: Terminal: _TXA5: Device_Type: VT100 Owner: SYMBIONT_001 Username: SYSTEM Terminal Characteristics: Interactive Echo Type_ahead No Escape No Hostsync TTsync Lowercase Tab Wrap Scope No Remote No Eightbit Broadcast No Readsync No Form Fulldup No Modem No Local_echo Autobaud No Hangup No Brdcstmbx DMA No Altypeahd Set_speed Line Editing Overstrike edit No Fallback No Dialup No Secure Server No Disconnect No Pasthru No Syspassword Sixel Graphics No Soft Chars No Printer Port Numeric Keypad ANSI_CRT No Regis No Block_mode Advance_video No Edit_mode DEC_CRT no DEC_CRT2 no DEC_CRT3 Device spooled to _HSC006$DUA0: Device speed is set at 9600 baud. The printer works just fine with either ascii text or a sixel file. Hope this can help. Patrick PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 439 1 replies Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 11-Oct-89 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: FORMATTER FOR FORTRAN FILES I am currently program lead on a migration project to port existing VMS FORTRAN code to a Silicon Graphics Workstation. One of my problems is that this code was written 5-8 years ago, uncommented (or not much), no external documentation and everything starts at column 7. I would like to get my hands on a program that would read through the .FOR files look- ing for IF-THEN-ELSE, DO Loops, WHILE Loops and indent each enclosed code blocks. I already have a program to perform flowcharting and cross- indexing of the files (numbering into the thousands) but having indentions would really help with the migration effort. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanx - Patrick GRAPHICS SIG Message # 94 0 replies Left by: GARY WOLFER On 11-Oct-89 At : (316) 543-6657 Subject: POSTSCRIPT CONVERTER I am looking for a program which will convert a Postscript file into some other form of graphics protocol (HPGL, ReGIS or SIXEL). The most preferable would be a pgm which would leave the graphics in a format with as high a resolution as possible. Thanks! PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 440 0 replies Reply to # 439 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 11-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 Subject: FORMATTER FOR FORTRAN FIL Patrick, I have a copy of a program called FPRETTY that does what you want to do. It was posted to the info-vax mailing list on the internet about a year ago. I have made a few, mostly cosmetic, changes to it. You are welcome to a copy. You can send me a tape and return postage and I will copy it for you. If you have access to the internet I could make the files available for anonymous FTP from my system or send them via E-mail. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 258 1 replies Reply to # 256 Left by: Phil Gravel On 11-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH Just out of curosity, what software are you running on the VS2000 - VWS or DECwindows? I have a LAVc of 2 VS3100's running VMS V5.1-B in a similar configuration and have noticed the same phenomenon. The boot node spends 30-35% of the time on the IS even when activity on the system is minimal. The satellite (which has its own disk for paging and swapping) spends about 20% of its time on the IS. I had thought that this may be due to DECwindows but perhaps it is because of the LAVc. Any input from others would be of interest. Phil SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 259 0 replies Reply to # 258 Left by: DON LEE On 11-Oct-89 At : (416) 857-3240 Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH I posted another note last week regarding ver 5 VMS and SMP overhead although where it may be is beyond me. I believe that the extra time spent on the interrupt stack is due to SMP overhead acquired by checking the "other processor" every cpu cycle. This however does not really solve the first scenario where the interrupt stack stabalized below 10% while still on ver 5. Furthermore it stabalized after removing the satellite. All I can speak about is my own experience. While on version 4.7, we experienced interrupt stack at 7-8%. AFter version 5, we began seeing erratic behaviour in the interrupt stack (jumping around from 5% to 90%). The erratic behaviour was a result of modified page list flushes (a bug in pre-v5.2). I know there's a solution in there somewhere. :-) MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 272 0 replies Left by: DON LEE On 11-Oct-89 At : (416) 857-3240 Subject: 5-1/4" ESDI/SIGMA QBUS CONTROLLER We are considering 5-1/4" ESDI disks on Sigma controller for our Qbus machine. Does anyone care to share any horror stories or point me to some good reviews? I'm looking for stuff like: any problems getting your local DEC service to support them, ever run a defragmenter or 3rd party software on them? What can you tell me about ESDI vs SCSI vs SMD. Phone responses are welcome too. Thanks in advance Don Lee :-) SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 313 0 replies Reply to # 312 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 12-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: CDROM (VMSINSTALL,DOC) BO We have been using CDROM with our VS3xxx workstations running DecWindows. It works quite nicely for documentation. To my knowledge we haven't done any software distributions from CDROM but we've have no problems with any aspect of the CDROM system. - Randall RSX SIG Message # 282 0 replies Reply to # 281 Left by: WAYNE STEFFEN On 12-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: RSX WON'T SHUTDOWN I hope you haven't given up on the ARIS RSX SIG by now. I have been very busy and only today have been able to log on since 24-apr-89. I had this behavior and the reason was that we forced the CO: to log on. (SPAWN to CO:). You have to check for the CO: device logged on (or just assume) and force a bye to CO:. I don't know if PMT... was on 2.1 but PMT... (Pool Monitor Task) will exit. That's okay since you are shutting down anyway. If that's not the case leave a message and I will call you to talk through it. DEC's TSC will waste your time asking you to explain what the CO: device is, etc. I don't think they have really used a non-VMS system in about 5-6 years. TSX SIG Message # 12 0 replies Left by: WAYNE STEFFEN On 12-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: TSX-32 ANYONE? I'm interested in the future migration of our RSX based applications to anything besides VMS. TSX-32 sounds interesting, (80386 based) and would free us from the tyranny of one architecture, one operating system, and one big price tag. Has anyone used TSX-32 (I have used TSX-PLUS on RT-11, I remember it worked very well), I'm looking for specific experiences with the TSX-32 product and migration issues. Thanks. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 441 1 replies Reply to # 440 Left by: P On 12-Oct-89 At : Subject: FORMATTER FOR FORTRAN FIL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 442 1 replies Reply to # 441 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 12-Oct-89 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: FORMATTER FOR FORTRAN FIL Thanks Richard, Please leave me your address so I can send you a tape. We are on the internet, however, after the internet worm crises, the lesser gods decided to configure our gateway to send only. Thanks for your help. Patrick DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 651 0 replies Reply to # 649 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 12-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: ASSIGNING FIXED LTAXXX TO What you are attempting to use is called the Autologin Facility. How easily you implement this feature for DECserver's depends upon the version of VMS you are using. If you are working with a release prior to V5.0 you can give up now. If you are using V5.0 through V5.1-1, you can modify ALFMAINT.COM to accept the port identification of your DECserver's port. Under V5.2, you would use the SYSMAN 'ALF ADD/PORT' command. To obtain the port identification, login on the port and at the DCL prompt type 'WRITE SYS$OUTPUT F$GETDVI("TT:","TT_ACCPORNAM")'. The information returned will be in the format of 'SERVER_NAME/PORT_NAME' (ie. DS200A/PORT_1). You would then feed this information to either SYSMAN or ALFMAIN.COM. To prevent the account from being logged into by other terminals (non Autologin terminals), go into AUTHORIZE and type 'MODIFY username/FLAG=AUTOLOGIN'. This will restrict the account to autologins only. Hope all this helps! Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 MICROVAX SIG Message # 221 0 replies Left by: ZAX MCCLOCK On 12-Oct-89 At : 203-852-7764 Subject: Q-BUS CLOCK INTERRUPT I am looking for a clock/interrupt card for an MV3500 Q-bus microvax that has some characteristics that are different from the DEC AXV11-C module that DEC sells. The characteristics we are looking for are: 1) 120 ns resolution or 8.33 MHz clock speed. 2) 32 bit of precision 3) external reset 4) Readable by the host at anytime. 5) Programmable interrupt of as high as 5 milliseconds. 6) One uvax card slot configuration. 7) The analog portion of the DEC AXV11-C is not required. Any leads to any company would help. I have tried K-Systems and Codar Technologies. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 443 0 replies Reply to # 442 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 12-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 Subject: FORMATTER FOR FORTRAN FIL Patrick, You can send the tape (600' should be more than sufficient) to my attention at: Princeton University Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept. Engineering Quadrangle Princeton, NJ 08544 I'll write it at 1600 BPI using COPY unless you have another preference. Don't forget to include a return address lable and postage. I'm more than a little curious as to how your organization benefits from a one way network connection. If I had to choose incoming only or outgoing only I would chose incoming only, the reason being that I subscribe to a couple of network mailing lists that I find very valuable. Unless your organization fails to observe the simplest security precautions, I would rate the risk of an incoming network connection as minimal. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 260 0 replies Reply to # 258 Left by: TIM SAGSTETTER On 12-Oct-89 At : (715) 847-6784 Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH Phil Gravel / Don Lee, thank you for your insights. However, I'm embarassed to admit where we found the source of the high interrupt stack activity. It was MSCP that was the culprit, but it was our oversight. We start a disk defragmenter as part system start-up in SYSTARTUP. The defragmenter was also inadvertently being started on the VS2000 at boot time. The defragmenter's start-up procedure was set to process the boot node's disks while executing on the workstation! The defragmenter operates in such a fashion that it uses very little (less than 1%) of CPU, very little direct I/O, and low priority. Thus, it was just hard to catch in the act. Once the defragmenter start-up was removed from the workstation, all seemed as first expected. We've subsequently run tests of MSCP's use of the interrupt stack during file processing in production jobs run on the workstation. Throughput seems to be limited to the VS2000's ability to request file service from the host. This resulted in acceptable throughput for an I/O intensive job while observing interrupt stack activity of 1% - 2%. I'm sorry to hear that you folks are still having some trouble with this. A specialist at the CSC suggested that not only does MSCP make heavy use of the interrupt stack for its processing, but so does the distributed lock manager. He suggested using SPM to determine which module is loading the interrupt stack. If you don't have SPM, you can halt your processor from the console, record the PC and PSL, and use ANAL/SYST to try to locate the module using the interrupt stack. Enough repetitions may yield the answer. Phil, we are running VWS, not DECwindows (DEC says VWS is going away in 4 years, though). Thanks again for your help. Tim FORUM - DEC SIG Message # 84 0 replies Reply to # 83 Left by: KELVIN SMITH On 12-Oct-89 At : (203) 357-0504 Subject: MUMPS - AN OVERVIEW Of course there's a vaccination for MUMPS. Get a VAXination. (To my knowledge, MUMPS only operates on PDP-11s.) RSTS SIG Message # 461 0 replies Reply to # 460 Left by: KELVIN SMITH On 12-Oct-89 At : (203) 357-0504 Subject: K-WORDS A couple of quick additions to previous comments: 1) The MEMORY program that Brett mentions is found in the UNSUPP$: library (somewhere in the [0,*] series). It shows everything currently loaded into memory (jobs, runtime systems, libraries), rather than just the items locked permanently into memory as $SHOW MEMORY (or SYSTAT/C) does. Note that neither will show jobs which are swapped out of memory; hopefully, you have enough memory that nothing gets swapped out. A normal SYSTAT (or $SHOW USERS) will show the memory used by each job, whether swapped in or out. 2) Brett, I note that Bruce preceded the word "embarrassment" with "no", so I don't think any complaint was necessary. RSTS is a wonderful operating system, except when I'm trying to shoehorn a 200 KW program into 64K (I&D space) using overlays. Fortunately, by now I know the tricks necessary, but it's still time that could be put to better uses (anybody seen a good new version of Star Trek for RSTS?). VMS SIG Message # 1092 1 replies Left by: JIM FESSLER On 13-Oct-89 At : (301)805-0409 Subject: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL XLATE We have a small routine (too small for a device driver) which accesses a Control and Status Register (CSR) directly to retrieve the information it needs. Currently, we have the virtual address of this CSR hardcoded within the routine. We would like to be able to convert or translate the the physical address of the CSR into the virtual address of the CSR at run/execution time. The CSR is for a DR11-C which is on a Unibus. Would anyone know how to perform this translation? I believe it would only take a handfull of instructions, but I do not know what base address, or special locations within VMS that I should access to perform the translation. Would you know where I might look for information on physical to virtual address translation? Most of the books go the opposite way. UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 52 0 replies Left by: ROBERT W. BROWN On 13-Oct-89 At : EASTMAN KODAK CO. (716)726-9675 Subject: SETTING PRIORITY WITH SPLX We have a device driver that was coverted from 4.1 BSD for the MACH O/S, and we now want to install it on ULTRIX. However, during compilation, the splx function is not resolved under ULTRIX! Unlike VMS and RSX, there is no guide to writing device drivers available for ULTRIX. Does anyone know what the equivalent ULTRIX system call is for splx - setting priority level??? PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 444 0 replies Left by: WILLIAM H. HAYASHI On 13-Oct-89 At : (312) 338-2171 Subject: P RO TOOL KIT RTI SOFTWARE I have an urgent need for the PRO Tool Kit Real-Time Interface software and documentation for P/OS Version 3.2. It is unavailable from DEC and so far all of my efforts to locate this package have been fruitless. I do have in trade about 20 games for the 350 and 380 as well as about 30 other applications for the PRO (running P/OS). Anyone who can help me can contact me directly at (312) 338-2171, 8:00-21:00 CT. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 445 0 replies Reply to # 443 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 13-Oct-89 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: FORMATTER FOR FORTRAN FIL Thanks Richard, If possible I would prefer VMS BACKUP. As for our network connections what can I say, our management perfers this currently since it (supposely) protects our Unix systems for endangerment. I do know that they plan to open the gateway to two-way traffic in the near future since I am on the planning committee for planning our WAN between all of our VAXens. Any ways thanks for your help. Patrick PS. Dear Sysop please don't print this conversation thread since it express only my views and not my management. VMS SIG Message # 1093 0 replies Reply to # 1092 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 13-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 OR 6217 Subject: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL XLATE Jim, If I understand what you want to do, one way to accomplish it is to use the $CREMPG (I think that's the right name, don't have doc available) to create and map a global section. If you have software support, you can call DSIN and download an example of a program that does such a thing. If you want to give me your address I could mail you a listing of a program that maps a piece of UNIBUS address space and then twiddles device registers. This is a little tricky to do and you will probably crash your system a few times while trying to debug it. FORUM - DEC SIG Message # 85 0 replies Reply to # 84 Left by: Phil Anthony On 14-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: MUMPS - AN OVERVIEW Sorry, Kelvin, but I've seen the SPD for DSM under VMS - and doesn't that sound like some old dialogue from Dragnet? (Does anybody here remember Dragnet?) A PC implementation of MUMPS is also available .... CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 463 0 replies Reply to # 452 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 14-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: PC TO MICROVAX COMMUNICAT We wanted to do what you did with PCSA. We're still trying... We are committed to ETHERNET PCSA so we have to meke it w ork If anyone has any ideas, I'm interested. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 307 0 replies Reply to # 301 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 14-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: DECSERVER 300 I don't know what you have yet on this from anyone else. If you use the DELNI and dont set up a network. Minimum you need to use the server 300 is an Ethernet board in the VAX, a DELINI, 2 Transceiver cables and the server The DELNI lists for 1375 and 180 install The transceiver cables are over $100. The server is over $3500. Another method is possible. The server 300 has a thinwire port so another method is a thinwire port on the VAX, a server 300 and one piece of thinwire, two T connectors, ad the server can be up to 600 feet from the vax. (You can add more servers if needed. The cables for a hundred feet cost less than $50. My thing is networks, not vaxes. If the ethernet board for he vax isn't too expensive and I think they're acouple of K - this may be a solution. One thing, it allows for growth, in terminals and computers. Thinwire is a low cost network entry method. If you need an additional computer, put a T in the line and connect it. If you need another server put a t in the line and add it. The limit is about 12 computers and servers - then you add a DEMPR... You can then have 8 thinwires with 12 units on each... And so on. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 308 0 replies Reply to # 304 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 14-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: DECSERVER 300 He also needs the server 300 software which is about $1k I think. I ordered it about 6 weeks ago, just got it and I think the software and media were about $450 each. RSTS SIG Message # 462 1 replies Reply to # 460 Left by: RAPH BRANDT On 14-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: K-WORDS If PDP s are so obsolete, why is the Server 550 engine a PDP-11? PC'S SIG Message # 242 0 replies Reply to # 241 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 14-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: PC SERIAL PORTS If you wan tot set it high loop it with DSR. I usually loop 4-5 and 6-8-20 to start with. The black box catalog usually has a good page on these ooptions. Also, they have a 1/2 price MMJ to DB25 connector - the H8571A. They'll prewire or ship as is. This has a 4-5 and 6-8-20 jumpe inside it. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 261 0 replies Reply to # 260 Left by: Phil Gravel On 14-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH After looking in Digital's Guide to System Performance and monitoring a few classes, I found that the Kbytes Map Rate under Monitor SCS was over 200 when the IS time was greater than 30%. No other Monitor statistics seemed to be out of line. I just dialed into the system and it's quiet. Both the IS time and Kbytes Map Rate are now 0. I need to find out what the Kbytes Map Rate is and what causes it to be high. Perhaps it has something to do with the modified page writer under VMS V5.1 as Don suggests. If so, it should go away after I upgrade to VMS V5.2. If not, I have more work to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Phil RSTS SIG Message # 463 0 replies Reply to # 462 Left by: Phil Anthony On 14-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: K-WORDS Y'know, Ralph, Brett Bump asked me the same question. He also pointed out, by the way, that the PDP-11/84 isn't the fastest PDP available today; the most powerful ones out are the ones used in the DECserver. Incidentally, the last I looked, the front ends (console mode handlers) for the larger VAXes are also PDPs. And at the time a client of mine was looking at SNA Gateway, that was yet another PDP. However, the SNA Gateway was actually running RSX (from VMS' point of view it was a node on the DECnet - and I think they're using uVAXes these days). Just guessing, but I wouldn't be surprised if the DECservers and the PDPs embedded in VAXes also run RSX. So yes, there are more powerful PDPs - but neither RSTS nor RT11 is available on them. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 309 0 replies Reply to # 301 Left by: Brett Bump On 15-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: DECSERVER 300 Ralph, After watching your message get bounced around the board a few times, I decided that maybe I would join the fun. But let me offer a few different suggestions. 1. You currently have 4 DHVs and an Ethernet board, effectively using up 5 . slots within your backplane. 2. I presume that you are considering the DS300 as opposed to the DS200 to . get the 12 lines you need, and just happen to have an Ethernet board . handy. But considering that your primary purpose is to get those 12 local lines up and running, and have no immediate need for DECNet, LAT, an LaVC, etc, maybe you should consider more DHVs. If conserving backplane space is a consideration might I even suggest a third party solution. As an example, I have been considering the Webster DHV because it contains 16 lines on 1 dual width board, and 1 of the 16 can be configured as the console. Considering that you could double your 32 lines to 64 by replacing your existing 4 DHVs with 4 such boards for approximately the cost of the DS300 alone, that makes this an attractive option. A side benefit would be that you would reduce DHV backplane space by half, which you're not achieving by adding 1 DS300 alone. I realize that Ethernet and terminal servers are the hot setup, but until I have a tractor trailer, hauling my motorcycle trailer behind a semi would seem a little overkill. (Sorry, guys, but that's how I see it.) (Disclaimer: Nope. I don't work for Webster either. But I sure wouldn't mind doing some test driving for them [hint, hint].) SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 262 0 replies Reply to # 254 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 15-Oct-89 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: PAGEFILE.SYS UNDER VMS 5. Err, well, actually, there should be very little impact from SMP when running on a uniprocessor - since, VMS loads the uniprocessor code in that case. This code doesn't acquire spinlocks or do the other mojo required to make SMP work. Which image gets loaded is controlled by a SYSGEN parameter (isn't everything?), MULTIPROCESSING. It's default value, 3, will load the streamlined SMP image on multiprocessor machines, and the uniprocessor image on single CPU machines. A value of 0 will force the loading of the uniprocessor image - a value of 1 will load a version of SMP that does extra checking (for debugging) on multiprocessors, andsingle processor code on single CPU machines. A value of 2 always loads the full checking SMP code. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 328 0 replies Left by: KEN LUEBBERT On 16-Oct-89 At : 217-348-8181 Subject: C. ITOH 2500 PRINTERS DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON C. ITOH 2500 PRINTERS, SUCH AS PROBLEMS OR OUTSTANDING FEATURES? ARE THEY TRULY LA210 COMPATIBLE? COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 310 0 replies Left by: BRUCE ABELS On 16-Oct-89 At : 312-682-4700 Subject: MODEM WILL NOT WORK ON VMS I have received a wonderful SCHOLAR Plus 2400 baud modem, but cannot get it to pick up a dial tone from my VAX machines. (I write this message to you from a VT131 connected to my aforementioned MicroPDP-11/73 running RSTS/E.) I can get into the modem, change it to Hayes AT, but it does not get the dial tone with which to dial. I have no problem using CONNEC with my RSTS machine, so I'm assuming I have something set improperly on my VAX. We are running VMS v5.0-1, tried using KERMIT and tried using set host/dte from both a MicroVAX 2000 and a VAXstation 3100. We can type AT commands and they appear on the screen, but can't get a dial tone when we ATDP. I'll stop before I become any more redundant. Any suggestions? SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 263 0 replies Reply to # 259 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 16-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-5130 OR 6217 Subject: INTERRUPT STACK HIGH Don, (and others) I just saw a report of excessive interrupt stack time on an 11/750 that had been upgraded to VMS V5. It turned out that the problem was that the 750 was running Rev 99 of the micro-code and needed to be upgraded to Rev 103! If you are having problems, particularly with one of the older VAXen, ask field service to make sure that everything is up to the proper rev level. VMS SIG Message # 1095 1 replies Reply to # 1093 Left by: JIM FESSLER On 17-Oct-89 At : (301)805-0409 Subject: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL XLATE I have already crashed my system a number of times getting it to work. In fact, when I used to fiddle with device drivers regularly, I was known as Crash Fessler. Anyway, I would appreciate your listing if you have the time to send it to me. My address is : Jim Fessler Ford Aerospace Corporation 7375 Executive Place, Suite 400 Seabrook, MD 20706 Thanks, I apprecaite your help. P.S. I am not sure what DSIN is. We do have software maintenance and support from Colorado Springs. Jim PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 446 0 replies Left by: LARRY GHERARDI On 17-Oct-89 At : (516)957-2300 Subject: GNU C We have the GNU C compiler from the FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION. This compiler appears to work very well however it does not include the header file for using the VAXCCURSE.OLB library. Does anyone know how I can link to and use this library from GNU C? Larry COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 311 0 replies Left by: VERNON L. PALANGO On 17-Oct-89 At : 201-744 Subject: - COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 312 0 replies Left by: VERNON L. PALANGO On 17-Oct-89 At : 201-744-5396 Subject: SECURITY MODEMS I am looking for information on security modems. Specifically I am looking to connect a modem which has its own password protection onto a port of a DECSERVER 200/MC. I do not wish to use the built in password feature provided by the server, but I do want to have additional protection against breakins via my dial-in lines. Anyone have any suggestions?? VMS SIG Message # 1096 0 replies Left by: MARK BENNETT On 17-Oct-89 At : GTE/EDCD Subject: SYSMAN STARTUP FUNCTION Does anybody out there use the startup function of SYSMAN ? If you do, does your system come up any faster ? Did you think they gave enough documentation on this subject ? DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 652 1 replies Left by: KEVIN VERBLE On 17-Oct-89 At : 714-998-5500 Subject: PC TO VAX FILE TRANSFER Hello everyone, I have a need to upload data from PCs to our Vax over dial-up lines. From what I've looked at on the ARIS, Procomm-Plus or Mirror III for the PCs and VAXNET or Kermit on the Vax would be recommended. I would like to have the PC dial the Vax, login and download a file or files, then log-off. I would like this to be automated on both ends, possibly a batch file on the PC that could initiate it and carry it through. I like the potential of Mirror to do this in the background, but I already have Procomm-Plus. Would the combination of the above mentioned software allow me to do what I want? I can handle the Procom scripting but what would be needed on the host? In my case I could use either terminal controller ports or terminal server ports, would either be better or worse? Any answers or further info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. EDITORS SIG Message # 232 0 replies Reply to # 163 Left by: JERRY C. HUDGINS On 17-Oct-89 At : (804) 948-6006 Subject: NEWER TECO AND/OR VTEDIT I have found the materials to roll my own RSX TECO which supports named directories. Call me at the above number if you're interested in a copy. VMS SIG Message # 1097 0 replies Reply to # 1094 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 17-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: PRESSING CTRL-C LOCKS UP Chuck, I haven't seen or heard of such a problem. You certainly have something seriously wrong somewhere. Check the ASTLIM values in the user authorization file for the affected accounts. If it should happen to be a very small number, like 0 or 1, that might account for the behavior you are seeing. You could also try running AUTOGEN with the INITIAL option which should give you a reasonable set of SYSGEN parameters to work with. If that clears the problem, see which parameters are different from what you started with. VMS SIG Message # 1098 0 replies Reply to # 1095 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 17-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL XLATE Jim, DSIN stands for Digital Software Information Network. It is a bulletin board system at the Customer Support Center, Colorado Springs. It has a problem data-base which is just about useless because many or even most of the problems and fixes never get into it. It also has a library of coding examples which can be very useful if you are trying to do something a little off trail and need an example to work from. You can dial DSIN directly or access it through a local Tymnet node. Your software support contact should have a password. If not, contact your local office and have them get you one. It's part of both self maintenance and basic support. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 653 0 replies Reply to # 652 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 17-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: PC TO VAX FILE TRANSFER Kevin, Your terminal controller ports should be a little easier to set up unless you are very familiar with the terminal server software. XMODEM, VAXNET, or Kermit could be used on the VAX. All three are available from the DECUS Library. VAXNET is a huge package. I think that you would find either Kermit or XMODEM simpler to install and use. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 654 0 replies Reply to # 652 Left by: Phil Anthony On 18-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: PC TO VAX FILE TRANSFER Kevin, either PCPlus or Mirror III would do for the PC end, and since you already have PCPlus, I'd say to stick with that. On the VAX side I'd per- sonally recommend Kermit for data integrity, XModem for a little bit more speed. Assuming PCPlus and Kermit, your script on the PC would dial into the VAX (use the SUSPEND UNTIL command to determine when you're going to do it), log in, and start Kermit either in server mode or to RECeive your file. Then do the transfer from the PC using KERMSERVE SENDFILE in the first case or SENDFILE KERMIT in the second. The former may be a touch simpler, since all you'd have to do when the transfer was complete would be to issue a KERMSERVE LOGOUT command to bring VAX Kermit down and log off. But it wouldn't be much more difficult to send the "EXIT" string from PCPlus to VAX Kermit and then log out. You might want to get a little more sophisticated, especially if you have dirty phone lines (PCPlus permits checking the result of both forms of the SENDFILE command with IF SUCCESS or IF FAILURE), but this is the basic idea. Of course, it wouldn't be fully automated, in the sense that somebody would have to set the PCPlus script running every time you wanted to do a trans- fer. But it wouldn't be too dreadfully onerous to have somebody type PCPLUS /f at the end of the day, or whenever it's appropriate. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 88 1 replies Reply to # 85 Left by: GRAHAM HARWOOD On 18-Oct-89 At : UK +6333 71111 (633 871111 FROM 10/24/89) Subject: APPLE LASERWRITER TO VAX. Thanks for the reply. I realise its not supported but have heard that many people have Laserwriters working with Scriptprinter software. I can see that some things will not work but there should be workarounds to allow such things as ascii to postscript conversion to function. HELP! VMS SIG Message # 1099 0 replies Reply to # 1096 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 18-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: SYSMAN STARTUP FUNCTION Yes I have played with the SYSMAN STARTUP function and yes it very poorly documented. It is my understanding that Digital is very unhappy with the STARTUP utility and is planning a total re-write. For this reason they have chosen not to document it. As for speed changes, I really didn't notice any change unless you remove certain components from the startup which is not recommended. Trying to start a layered product via the STARTUP$LAYERED database doesn't speed the operation up. It just makes it happen sooner. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 89 0 replies Reply to # 88 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 18-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: APPLE LASERWRITER TO VAX. Well, as I recall, you already have the software. In this case, experiment! I would recommend checking the CPS$xxxxx.TLB (xxxxx means I can't remember the name) Device control library in SYS$SHARE and perhaps modify that. There is a lot of ScriptPrinter software code in that file. It shouldn't hurt Applewriter by feeding the output into it. It just may not work. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 447 0 replies Left by: FRAN SHIELDS On 18-Oct-89 At : 215-293-0410 Subject: RPG ON VAX IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE USING RPGII ON THE VAX? PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 448 0 replies Reply to # 446 Left by: V JAMES KRAMMES On 18-Oct-89 At : (614) 228-2001 X 341 Subject: GNU C Larry - I, too use the GNU C compiler (a beta-test relese) and am quite pleased with it, too. You will probably have to write your own header file, but linking is fairly easy. You can define a logical LNK$LIBRARY which tells the linker which library to use. You can also define a series of of logicals numbered like LNK$LIBRARY1 (or _1, I'm not sure), LNK$LIBRARY2 (or _2), etc. I set mine up with vaxcrtl.olb as the first, then vacccurse. You can call me if you need more info. --Jim MICROVAX SIG Message # 222 0 replies Left by: TIM BROWN On 18-Oct-89 At : (803) 733-3400 Subject: MV 3100 My shop is running accounting applications on a VAX 8250. We have just added some new business (with plans for more) and there are typically about 35 users on the machine between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Response time is poor running COBOL programs (some use FMS screens) with CPU at 100% and disk access at 35-40 io/sec average. I am convinced that upgrading to an 8350 is a waste of time. We have a MV II on our network that runs A/P, G/L, and payroll applications. I am considering adding a MV 3100 to the network and moving about half of the users from the 8250 to the MV 3100. From the information I have read, the MV 3100 gets high marks in the bang for the buck arena (2.7 MVUP's fully configured for under $30K).Does anyone have any additional info about the MV 3100? Any suggestions about upgrading and/or my idea of adding a MicroVAX to the network would be appreciated. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 449 0 replies Reply to # 448 Left by: LARRY GHERARDI On 19-Oct-89 At : (516)957-2300 EXT. 132 Subject: GNU C Thanks for the help. Is there any chance that I could get a copy of the file curses.h that you are using? I have no problem with writting a math.h or other headers that just require defining function return types but curses.h on our SUN system looks a little more complex. Larry VMS SIG Message # 1100 0 replies Left by: SASAN KASRA On 19-Oct-89 At : GDC Industries (203) 758-1811 X7742 Subject: DCL'S INQUIRE COMMAND I have a problem with using INQUIRE in a simple procedure, invoked in an unusual environment. Here's the .COM file: $ define sys$input _tta0: ! my physcial $ define sys$command _tta0: ! terminal name $ inquire in_str "Enter a string" $ write sys$output in_str $ exit Here's the description of the environment: 1 - I spawn a subprocess from an image (using LIB$SPAWN) and assign the SYS$INPUT & SYS$OUTPUT to temporary mailboxes; 2 - I run the procedure above in the subprocess (by writing @.COM to SYS$INPUT mailbox) and the subprocess hangs upon hitting the INQUIRE command. DEC's documentation says that INQUIRE reads its input from the SYS$COMMAND that the process was created with (i.e. the mailbox) and it seems that the redefinition of SYS$COMMAND does not point INQIURE to the new device. Any help in forcing INQUIRE to read from the new SYS$COMMAND will be greatly appreciated. P.S. An alternate way to solve my problem would be a way to enable input string parsing in a $ read sys$command in_str /prompt = "Enter a string" where I would be able to substitue this line for the inquire command line above. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 314 0 replies Left by: SHAW On 19-Oct-89 At : (615)377-1707 Subject: SYSUAF.DAT LAYOUT I need to write some code to read the SYSUAF.DAT file in order to do some routine checking (ie, list of users and their privileges, quotas, etc). Can someone tell me where I can find the field names and their offsets in this file. Thanks, PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 450 0 replies Left by: ROD FALANGA On 19-Oct-89 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: VAX C AND LONG DOUBLES According to the proposed ANSI standard, the datatype long double is supported. Does anyone know if DEC will use the quadword real datatypes, such as VAX FORTRAN and VAX Pascal use, in their C version?? Rod GRAPHICS SIG Message # 95 0 replies Left by: GERALD ROEPKA On 19-Oct-89 At : (719 636-5615 Subject: REGIS TO HPGL ????? We have written quite a few graphic programs using ReGis commands in a 'C' shell program. We now find that we are unable to output these on anything but DEC equipment using ReTos software (ReGis To Sixel conversion program). We are interested in finding a utility or any specialized method of converting in some manner, Regis or Sixel graphics to conform with HPGL protocol, without regeneratspecifically address HPGL. So far we haso far we have not heard of such an animal. Any ideas? Gerald Roepka City of Colorado Springs Water Department Colorado Springs, Co. 80904 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 451 0 replies Reply to # 376 Cdel Left by: LARRY ROHRER On 19-Oct-89 At : Subject: OUTPUT FROM SUBMITTED PRO VMS SIG Message # 1101 0 replies Reply to # 1097 Left by: CHUCK AHRENS On 20-Oct-89 At : 402-392-3189 Subject: PRESSING CTRL-C LOCKS UP Thanks for the tip. I haven't gotten the chance to see if ASTLIM is low but it sounds reasonable that someone changed a parameter without knowing what it did. I've been managing a system which previously was "managed" by a part time consultant so I'm finding little anomalies every time i turn around. I will let you know what I find out. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 452 1 replies Reply to # 449 Left by: V JAMES KRAMMES On 20-Oct-89 At : (614) 228-2001X341 Subject: GNU C Larry, Sorry, but I don't use the curses library. When I need windowing, I have been using the SMG run-time functions of VMS. My documentation of the VMS curses package uses the #define'd WINDOW a lot. Since I don't have Vax C, I'm not sure what that definition is (though it's likely to be unsigned long, or some such). I'm not a Un*x hacker, so I can't really help you beyond this. --Jim VMS SIG Message # 1102 1 replies Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 20-Oct-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM COBOL I am trying to get the value of SYS$GW_IJOBCNT (Interactive Job Count), but I think that you can only get this value from a routine running in Kernel mode. This is very easy to do in MACRO-32 or just about any other language (BASIC, FORTRAN), but unfortunately, I have to try to do it from COBOL. Here is what I have so far... the entry mask (first parameter of $CMKRNL) is supposed to be the address of the routine to be executed... the VAX COBOL implementation of an entry mask is: 01 ENTRY-MASK PIC 9(9) COMP EXTERNAL GET_IJOBCNT (GET_IJOBCNT is the COBOL routine that get the value of SYS$GW_IJOBCNT) I have implemented this, but my program produces a system bug-check when it hits the CALL statement: CALL "SYS$CMKRNL" USING BY REFERENCE ENTRY-MASK, OMITTED GIVING USR-STAT. I think that the access mechanism (call without stack unwinding) is what is causing the problem, but I also have my doubts about the validity of the external symbow GET_IJOBCNT which is the ID of the program called (linked separatelly. Any insight on this will be greatly appreciated. Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University (405) 521-5324 SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 315 2 replies Left by: DAVID DESROCHES On 20-Oct-89 At : (508) 872-8383 Subject: RWAST STATE WITH TAPE MOUNT I have a problem with my MicroVAX II where I occasionally have a process go into a RWAST when they abort (^Y) from a tape mount. The only way I have found to release the wait state is to reboot the system. There MUST be a better way, but I can not find it. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. VMS SIG Message # 1103 2 replies Reply to # 1102 Left by: JIM SHELLY On 20-Oct-89 At : (215)368-2500 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM C I don't know if you have to go into kernel mode or not to get the value of SYS$GW_IJOBCNT, but the following is an example of calling $CMKRNL from COBOL that works for me. . . . 01 CMKRNL_ROUTINE PIC S9(09) COMP VALUE EXTERNAL CMKRNL_ROUTINE. 01 CMKRNL_ARGLST. 02 NUMBER-OF-ARGUMENTS PIC S9(09) COMP VALUE 2. 02 POINTER VALUE REFERENCE ARG1. 02 POINTER VALUE REFERENCE ARG2. 01 ARG1 PIC X(50). 01 ARG2 PIC S9(09) COMP. 01 STAT PIC 9(09) COMP. PROCEDURE DIVISION. BEGIN. MOVE " " TO ARG1. MOVE 0 TO ARG2. CALL "SYS$CMKRNL" USING BY VALUE CMKRNL_ROUTINE BY REFERENCE CMKRNL_ARGLST GIVING STAT. IF STAT IS FAILURE CALL "LIB$STOP" USING BY VALUE STAT. DISPLAY "ARGUMENT 1 = " ARG1. DISPLAY "ARGUMENT 2 = " ARG2 WITH CONVERSION. E-O-J. STOP RUN. The COBOL routine CMKRNL_ROUTINE is in a sharable image library. I think that since you are getting a "system bug-check" the problem is probably not in how you're doing the call from COBOL, it is probably an error in the routine running in kernel mode. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 453 0 replies Reply to # 452 Left by: LARRY GHERARDI On 20-Oct-89 At : (516)957-2300 Subject: GNU C Thanks for the help. I'll try to 'port' the SUN curses.h over to the VAX. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 454 0 replies Reply to # 424 Left by: TIM MANVILLE On 20-Oct-89 At : 202-6530164 Subject: 4GL POWERHOUSE - USERS/GR We are running a large POWERHOUSE application for budget formulation at our site. Tips and exhange of information would be welcome. There is also at large site in Norfolk, VA that is running an even larger POWERHOUSE application that would probably be interested in exchanging information. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 455 1 replies Left by: LARRY GHERARDI On 20-Oct-89 At : (516)957-2300 Subject: DDCMP - CRC I am trying to implement the "Digital Data Communications Message Protocol" (DDCMP) on an IBM-PC. I'm using the DECNET DDCMP specification for version 4.0 dated march 1978. The problem I am having is in understanding the explanation of the CRC checksum. Has anyone out there implemented a CRC (preferably in 'C' language) and can you help me ?. Larry SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 316 0 replies Reply to # 315 Left by: PEDRO CRESPO On 20-Oct-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: RWAST STATE WITH TAPE MOU Have you tried to take the tape drive off-line...? I seem to recall a problem similar to yours, and I think that taking the tape off-line solved was the solution. Hope this helps. Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University VMS SIG Message # 1104 1 replies Reply to # 1103 Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 20-Oct-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM C Jim, Thank you for your reply... I will look at the code as soon as I log off... I think that the bug-check happens during the actual call because I have a DISPLAY as the first executable statement in the routine (which is nothing but another COBOL program). Thank you again, Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University (405) 521-5324 UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 53 1 replies Left by: ELAINE KIERNAN On 20-Oct-89 At : 808-244-5565 Subject: UNIX DATABASE PROGRAMS Hi, I'm looking to purchase a database program for Unix. I'm looking a stuff such as Oracle, Apogee, etc. I'm just wondering if anybody has any recommendations or warnings, based on their experiences. Much Thanks, Elaine APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 366 0 replies Left by: ELAINE KIERNAN On 20-Oct-89 At : 808-244-5565 Subject: UNIX DATABASES Hi, I'm evaluating databases (such as Oracle, Apogee, etc.) to run on a Unix System. Does anybody have some positive or negative opinions about any programs, based on their own experiences? Much Thanks, Elaine VMS SIG Message # 1105 0 replies Reply to # 1104 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 20-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM C Pedro, It has been twenty years or more since I last used COBOL but if DISPLAY does what I think it does, that's what's causing your bug check. Most system services; e.g. QIO, or RMS routines, cannot be used from kernel mode. Write your code to return the value you want and DISPLAY it in USER mode. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 317 0 replies Reply to # 315 Left by: CHUCK AHRENS On 21-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: RWAST STATE WITH TAPE MOU I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY SYSTEM. If you have patience, try to kill the process by raising the priority of the process you are doing the killing from to a really hi priority (like 9 ) and then if you type stop/id=pid# over and over and over about 10-50 times, it usually kills it. This is pretty bizarre but it seems to work. use the up-arrow to recall the stop/id command and you can do this pretty fast. If anyone sees any danger in raising the priority to a high number, then please add that comment to this ... RSTS SIG Message # 464 0 replies Reply to # 461 Left by: Brett Bump On 21-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: K-WORDS "Tweet!" Officials' Time Out. Excuse me while I consult the playback reel. Hmm. You are correct, Kelvin, he did preface "embarrassment" with "no". And I do agree that he was in bounds, and had forward motion when the flag was thrown. However, the call was illegal procedure, and the penalty assessed caused no loss of yardage. I don't believe Bruce will be upset with the call. And unless we get another ruling on the play, the penalty (time out for a DECUS blessing) shall remain. "Tweet!" SECOND DOWN. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 456 0 replies Reply to # 455 Left by: Phil Anthony On 21-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: DDCMP - CRC Larry, if it'll help you out, I have Microsoft C/MASM code for MS-DOS to calculate the CCITT CRC of a string. The reason for using assembler is that the calculation involves swapping the bytes of a 16.-bit integer ... and as- sembler is much more efficient than C for that operation. Give me a call at (215) 884-9128 and we'll arrange your getting the three files - the CRC cal- culation, the lookup table, and the assembler byte-swapping routine. P.S. It'll also work on a PDP with the DECUS C compiler if you change the assembler routine to read: swapi:: mov 2(sp),r0 ; Get the value to swap . swab r0 ; Swap it . rts pc ; Tha-tha-that's all, folks! Now, ain't that an efficient routine - and instruction set? UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 54 0 replies Reply to # 53 Left by: Phil Anthony On 21-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: UNIX DATABASE PROGRAMS Elaine, Oracle is very powerful and provides distributed data processing with a lot of other platforms (VMS, VM/CMS, MS-DOS) - but also tends to be slow. If you don't need that kind of flexibility, I'd recommend that you look at the latest version of Informix, which is much speeded up over what it used to be. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 313 0 replies Reply to # 310 Left by: Brett Bump On 21-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: MODEM WILL NOT WORK ON VM Bruce. Right offhand I would suggest that you check to see that your modem is receiving the Data Terminal Ready signal, DTR. This can usually be confirmed on the front of most modems by a lit Terminal Ready light, TR. The line that carries this signal is pin 20 on DB25s. I assume that your cabling is all right if you are getting through with RSTS. To make sure that your VAX is asserting this signal, you should see if the line is set to DIALUP. If not, then SET TER/DIALUP (line). I believe that a PERM qualifer may have to be included too. Hope this helps. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 655 0 replies Reply to # 650 Left by: MALCOLM BARNETT On 22-Oct-89 At : 972-2-242948 (ISRAEL) Subject: ASSIGNING FIXED LTAXXX TO DEAR RON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HINTS. WE ARE STILL RUNNING VMS VERS. 4.7. THEREFORE, YOUR FIRST HINT IS NOT APPLICABLE (THIS LEXICAL IS NOT SUPPORTED). WE TRIED TO DEFINE A LATCP PORT WITH THE ACCESS BEING DYNAMIC BUT THIS DID NOT FORCE A CONSTANT LTAxxx DESIGNATION. IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR VERSION 5 TO SOLVE THIS ONE. MANY THANKS Malcolm Barnett Manager, Computer Information Systems Israel Broadcasting Authority DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 656 0 replies Reply to # 651 Left by: MALCOLM BARNETT On 22-Oct-89 At : 972-2-242948 (ISRAEL) Subject: ASSIGNING FIXED LTAXXX TO DEAR ROBERT, WE ARE ABOUT TO MOVE TO VERSION 5 AND WE WILL TRY YOUR SOLUTION WHEN WE TRANSFER. AS YOU POINTED OUT, VERSION 4 DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF MANIPULATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT. Malcolm Barnett Manager, Computerised Information Systems Israel Broadcasting Authority SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 318 0 replies Reply to # 314 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 23-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: SYSUAF.DAT LAYOUT Do yourself a tremendous favor and use SYS$GETUAI for reading UAF information. It's write counterpart is SYS$SETUAI. This way you don't have to rewrite the thing each time a new release of VMS comes out that rearranges the UAF file. If you are really a glutton for punishment the file layout is in a module in a .MLB library in SYS$LIBRARY (I forget which file). But trust me, you are MUCH better off usiing the system services rather than doing your own OPENs and READs to the UAF. Note: At least in VMS 4.0 SYS$GETUAI would always return an RMS$ record not locked status if you had both SYSPRV and GRPPRV on. Digtal may have fixed this but I haven't bothered to check. VMS SIG Message # 1106 0 replies Reply to # 1105 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 23-Oct-89 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM C Actuall, most system services and RMS function can be used in kernel and exec mode, with only a few limitations... IPL should usually be 2 or less, 0 would be safest. If RMS is involved (directly or indirectly,) care must be taken to avoid blocking it's EXEC mode ASTs. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 458 0 replies Reply to # 456 Left by: LARRY GHERARDI On 23-Oct-89 At : (516) 957-2300 Subject: DDCMP - CRC Thanks for the help. I'll probably be using TURBO-C for the project but it shouldn't be hard to use inline assembly language. Larry LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 90 0 replies Reply to # 83 Left by: RICK MERRILL On 23-Oct-89 At : (508) 635-8287 Subject: CARTRIDGES (The ProPrinter cartridge is LN03X-IC.) There is also Software that may help: "LaserTwin" Q6VLP-CZ runs on the PC and converts HP LaserJet Plus HP/PCL into LN03 ANSI code. It includes soft font (downloadable) support but no ROM equivalency. It requires 28Kbytes of PC memory and two RAM cartridges on the LN03. "LaserTwin" was written by Metro Software, Inc. and is sold by Digital. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 91 0 replies Reply to # 47 Left by: RICK MERRILL On 23-Oct-89 At : (508) 635-8287 Subject: LN03 MAINTENANCE PROBLEM A new or empty LN03 must be loaded with two (2) toner cartridges. After 1000-2000 sheets the toner has settled to the perfect density for operation. The toner-out indicator senses the drag of the toner - when it activates there is room for one (1) toner cartridge only. Loading that one cartridge a.s.a.p. keeps the toner density at it's correct print quality density. This is why print quality does not seem to deteriorate for thousands of pages after the indicator comes on - but it should be maintained right away. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 464 0 replies Left by: DAVID DENARA On 23-Oct-89 At : (516) 560-6889 Subject: INACTIVITY LOGOUT DS200 The inactiviy logout feature on decserver 200 ports does not work when sessions are connected. I believe the inactivity timer should work all the time even when sessions are connected. For those users who find this an inconvenience, the inactivity logout feature can be disabled on a port by port basis. I am going to seek a change by DEC. Support or criticism would be greatly appreciated. Incidentally, this applies to modem services, non-lat services, printers, VAX hosts, and any other service which can be tied up by a user who leaves their terminal on when they leave for the night. Hofstra University Mcewen Hall Rm 111a Hempstead, NY 11550 UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 55 0 replies Reply to # 52 Left by: ROBERT W. BROWN On 23-Oct-89 At : EASTMAN KODAK CO. Subject: SETTING PRIORITY WITH SPL When specifying the driver in the files.vax file, you must specify the -NotBinary and -Unsupported keywords. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 314 1 replies Reply to # 312 Left by: J.T.W. On 23-Oct-89 At : 219-787-2473 Subject: SECURITY MODEMS TRY CALLING BLACK BOX AT COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 315 0 replies Reply to # 314 Left by: J.T.W. On 23-Oct-89 At : 219 787-2472 Subject: SECURITY MODEMS TRY CALLING BLACK BOX AT 412 746-5565. THEY OFFER A 2400 SECURITY MODEM THAT HAS: 1. NO SECURITY 2. PASWORD ACCESS 3. PASSWORD ACCESS PLUS MODEM CALLBACK. YOU SHOULD CALL THEM FOR A CATALOG FOR REFERENCE IF FOR NOTHING ELSE. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 329 0 replies Reply to # 328 Left by: TIM SAGSTETTER On 23-Oct-89 At : (715) 847-6784 Subject: CITOH 2500 PRINTERS Sorry I can't help out on the model 2500, but we do use the 3500, 4000, and 5000. C.Itoh's LA210 emulation is quite true to form on all of them including draft, NLQ, and graphics modes. We've been using them for 2-3 years now without a single failure. My only complaint so far has been with the CI-5000. The firmware used in the zero-tear bar feature has a mistake which causes lines 11 and 12 to overlap slightly on the next sheet. However, a chip replacement is forthcoming. Tim LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 92 0 replies Reply to # 89 Left by: GRAHAM HARWOOD On 24-Oct-89 At : UK +633 871111 Subject: APPLE LASERWRITER TO VAX. In an ideal world I would certainly experiment but unfortunately lack the time. Although users are screaming for this they would scream even more if the systems were not available! I'm hoping to find someone who has already done this work and I'm betting there's somebody out there who has. If no-one has made Laserwriters work with Scriptprinter software perhaps someone has made another non-DEC Postscript printer work with it? UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 56 0 replies Reply to # 55 Left by: Phil Anthony On 24-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: SETTING PRIORITY WITH SPL Bob, thanks for taking the time to tell us the answer to your own question. We're glad you found it, even though we weren't any help. Please stay tuned - there isn't a whole lot of heavy-duty, hands-on Ultrix experience among ARIS users, and yours may may be very helpful to other people with questions. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 615 0 replies Left by: SIMON BROWN On 24-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: VMS V5.2 Hi - just read the new DEC pro page 20, re Dr. R's report that there are changes to the file system in VMS v 5.2. Does anyone (even the good doctor) know what these changes are - I write close to the filing system, and would like to be fore-warned. Thanks a lot, Simon VMS SIG Message # 1107 0 replies Reply to # 1091 Left by: NIK On 24-Oct-89 At : Subject: RA60 DISK PACK RECYCLE Take the packs apart and remove the aluminum platters. Next go outside in your parking lot and one by one throw them high into air like frisbees. They make wonderful sounds as they hit the ground. They also bounce fairly well on cement, if you can make them land on the edge. Design a wind chime and sell it to VAX Professional for an advertisment. In Atlanta, we all saw the nice clock that was being raffled off, how 'bout that. Sharpen the edge of one of them and put it on your weed whacker, or sharpen the edge and play frisbee with your neighbor's dog that you hate so much, or maybe elephant hunting. Go to a shooting range, throw them out over the range while yelling, "PULL!". A hammer, use a hammer like you've always wanted but never could...ooooohh!, hammer and NAILS!, yeah use nails. The possibilities are endless. Take the platters and cut them in half, then stick them to the walls of your computer room as if they are half way through thet sheet rock. Call DEC field service and say, "My RA82 just expoded, Please, come quick." SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 319 0 replies Reply to # 316 Left by: On 24-Oct-89 At : Subject: RWAST STATE WITH TAPE MOU CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 465 0 replies Reply to # 464 Left by: NIK On 24-Oct-89 At : Subject: INACTIVITY LOGOUT DS200 I don't think DEC is really concerned with the idea of kicking people off the system. If you want a monitor that will kick people off, talk to Bob Schaffrath at (914) 335-9792. He wrote an excellent IDLE-MONITOR program that was submitted to DECUS, spring 1989. Inactivity logout is when the user is at the LOCAL> prompt. TIME SHARING n. A method of allocating resources to mulitple users so that the computer, in effect, processes a number of programs concurrently. Maybe you would like it to be: A method of allocating resources to multiple users so that the computer, in effect, processes a number of programs concurrently, and also deallocate resources if the user has not done anything within a specified time determined by the system manager. Once the users discover that they die. You'll find a lot of .com files that do: $loop: $ write sys$output " " $ wait 00:05:00 $ goto loop then what will you do? SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 320 0 replies Reply to # 314 Left by: NIK On 24-Oct-89 At : Subject: SYSUAF.DAT LAYOUT I think you're looking for: $lib/ext=$uafdef/out=tt:/mac sys$share:lib SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 321 0 replies Reply to # 315 Left by: NIK On 24-Oct-89 At : Subject: RWAST STATE WITH TAPE MOU Try this undocumented command: You'll need the DIAGNOSE priv. $ set device/diagnose mua0: $ set device/nodiagnose mua0: CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 466 0 replies Left by: NIK On 24-Oct-89 At : Subject: PCSA AND REGISTERING USERS PCSA v2.2/ VMS v5.2. One of our clients decided to register a user with a username of 'PCFS'. Then decided to get rid of it. PCSA_MANAGER said the user was not registered, so the client went into authorize and removed it and deleted the files that were created. He went back into PCSA_MANAGER and saw that the user or rather the identifier was still there. The UIC was changed to, [360,*] and the default directory was blank, however PCSA_MANAGER printed garbage to the terminal when it came to the directory and sent the terminal into VT100 line drawing mode. So now PCSA_MANAGER recognized the PCFS as user when if fact it's an identifier, The client freaked and called me. I saw that when I issued: $ PCSA SH USER ! everything was fine, but when I did: $ PCSA PCSA_MANAGER> SH U ! I went into VT100 line drawing mode when the default directory was printed...that's odd. To make a short story shorter, I removed the identifier with authorize, did a $ PCSA SH U and the 'user' was gone. Then I added the identifier and the user was still gone...problem solved. Don't use "PCFS" as a username!! CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 467 1 replies Left by: BRUNO P. JUGOVIC' On 24-Oct-89 At : 617-241-4899 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK We have a network consisting of a uVAX 3600 with a DEQNA-A controller, a DELNI-AA and 7 terminal servers and a DEMPR off the DELNI. We need to add more terminal servers to the network. So far I have come up with the following options: 1) Cascade another DELNI off the first 2) Buy another Ethernet controller and another DELNI 3) Buy another DELNI and use thin-wire between the DELNI'S and the CPU Any comments or alternatives would be appreciated. By the way, we have 3 DS200MC's and 3 Emulex P4000's for terminal servers. The DS200MC's must stay. Thanks in advance. Bruno. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 468 0 replies Reply to # 462 Left by: MARTY KUHRT On 24-Oct-89 At : CSC 818-957-0279 Subject: GETTING DECNET / LAT If you have access to DSIN they have example programs written in MACRO that are called MONLAT and MONLAV that monitor the Enet for certain type packets associated with LATs and LAVcs. I received my copy from a network guy at Digital, so I'd have to guess it does as 'advertised', but it's one of those projects that gets continually put on the back burner. I don't think I can release what I have since it is stamped with the usual 'This is mine! Don't touch!' label that comes with Digital example programs and procedures. VMS SIG Message # 1108 0 replies Reply to # 1106 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 24-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM C Lee, I stand .... er, I sit corrected. System services can be used from kernel mode. Some library routines, however, cannot. I remain suspicious of that DISPLAY statement. I doubt if the generated code was designed with kernel mode in mind. It should be much safer to limit the kernel mode routine to getting the required value. It can then be DISPLAYED in user mode. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 469 0 replies Reply to # 467 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 24-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK Bruno, Cascading another DELNI looks like the cheapest way to do the job provided that all the terminals will be fairly close to the computer room. If the additional terminals could or should be farther away from the computer room, you might want to run a segment of thinwire or thickwire Ethernet cable and hang DELNIs and/or servers off that. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 264 1 replies Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 25-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: DECWINDOWS ON VS2000 I have a client with a LAVC cluster consisting of two 3600's and 14 VS2000 workstations, each with 14 meg of memory. We are currently running VMS 5.0 and UIS windowing software. Does anyone have experience with DecWndows on Vax Station 2000s? How is the performance? Would we be better off staying with UIS until we can upgrade the 2000s to 3100s? Has anyone run VMS 5.3 yet? Will that make a performance difference over 5.2? LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 93 0 replies Left by: CAROL YOUNG On 25-Oct-89 At : (506) 453-2990 Subject: HP LASERJET ALLIN1 FONTS We have several HP LaserJet Series II laser printers hooked up to our MicroVAX 3600 through DECnet. We are running All-In-1 version 2.2 (hope to upgrade to 2.3 soon) and have several of the HP soft fonts that are downloaded to the LaserJets each morning and then accessed through A1 by using additions to the LASERJET printer table (we created the table by copying the LN03 table and making lots of changes). To select a font, a user does this: -------------------------- START CONTROL ------------------------- PRINTER TABLE 18_POINT_ROMAN_BOLD -------------------------- END CONTROL ------------------------ Most of the fonts that we have are proportional. Therefore, WPS-Plus doesn't know how to format the text properly to make it line up (Tabs, right justification, etc.). We can use monospaced fonts - they line up properly but the proportional fonts are a pain because the user has to play with the document for a long time to get it to line up properly. What I want to know is this: Is there anybody out there that knows how I can tell WPS-Plus (with a minumum of effort) how to line up the various proportional fonts that we have here? It would take some kind of formatting routine that takes the individual widths of the characters into account. (Whew!) Any responses would be greatly appreciated. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 367 0 replies Reply to # 366 Left by: S.D. LYON On 25-Oct-89 At : 609-737-0425 Subject: UNIX DATABASES I have used several database systems under UNIX and they all have different strengths (and weaknesses). SYBASE, for instance, is great for OLTP, but poor in the user-interface and developer tool area. INGRES is an all round good product, but they seem to be having some problems with their new version - still they have some great tools and it's performance is right up there. ORACLE and INGRES are about the same - although ORACLE 'seems' to be portable accross a wider range of platforms. INFORMIX has historically been strong in the UNIX market and is also an all round good product. There is also a product put out by AT&T that is only available on SYSTEM V (to my knowledge). The product is called TUXEDO and it seems to be ahead of the pack in distributed processing TUXEDO is a network model with an SQL interface and can be trying to use. My personal preferences are SYBASE, INFORMIX and INGRES (in no particular order) CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 470 1 replies Left by: DAVID ROBISON On 25-Oct-89 At : 702-364-8633 Subject: BOOT MV200 FROM MV2 We received a micro-vax 2000 and hooked it up to our micro-vax II and are trying to get the 2000 to boot off of the II. The two systems are communicating over the ethernet fine, but we don't know which files are needed for the 2000 to boot. We have tried setting the remote node's parameters in the NCP program but nothing has worked. I'm sure it must be real simple to do but we lack the documentation to tell us how to set it up. Does any one know how to do this??? SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 265 0 replies Reply to # 264 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 25-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: DECWINDOWS ON VS2000 VMS 5.3 has not been released yet as far as I know. VMS 5.2 just hit the streets about a month ago. DECWindows acquired a reputation as a real hog within weeks of its release. I understand that it is mostly the memory requirments that make it so. VS 2000s with 6MB would crawl. A VS 2000 with 14MB might offer acceptable performance. A VS 3100, however, would probably be a noticeable improvment. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 471 0 replies Reply to # 470 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 25-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: BOOT MV200 FROM MV2 You do not mention Local Area VAX Cluster (LAVC) software. You will need to install a key (for VMS V4.x) or a PAK for VMS V5.x before you will be able to boot the VS 2000 from the Micro-VAX II. If you do not have the clustering documentation, you should order it. I have never set up a cluster and I wouldn't dream of touching the job without having the documentation on hand. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 266 0 replies Reply to # 265 Left by: SIMON BROWN On 26-Oct-89 At : SWITZ 1 236 49 01 Subject: DECWINDOWS ON VS2000 Re DECWindows on WS2000 - it's a hog - I used it on a WS2000 with 14Mb, and it was pretty awful when compared to UIC or whatever. I now use a WS3100, which provides an almost acceptable performance. I'd recommend not using DEC Windows unless you want the functionality offered by DEC Windows. Cheers, Simon SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 267 0 replies Reply to # 264 Left by: Phil Anthony On 26-Oct-89 At : Here Subject: DECWINDOWS ON VS2000 Take a look at Message 237 in this SIG and the responses to it. The consen- sus seems to be that even with 12 Mbytes - much less the 6 that DEC official- ly recommends - DECwindows just doesn't hack it on VS2000s. Much too piggy .... VS3000s are a different story, suggesting that CPU rather than memory (paging) is the real limiting factor. Very often you can find the answer to your question by searching the message base for previous questions. Many of the same issues turn out to be on a lot of people's minds. When ARIS implements a search that examines all SIGs at once (hint, hint), checking out previous messages will be even easier and more rewarding. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 616 0 replies Reply to # 615 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 26-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: VMS V5.2 I can't tell you exactly what internals were changed but the changes were to remove the old RSX restriction that directory sizes could not exceed 1024 blocks. Apparently the removal of this limitation involved some subtle changes to ODS-2. If you stick to the RMS and ACP interfaces, you shouldn't have any problem. If you do physical I/O to the disk, you probably will need to get more information. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 94 0 replies Reply to # 93 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 26-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: HP LASERJET ALLIN1 FONTS We had a similar problem with WPS-PLUS and an LN03 using proportional fonts on cartridge (CG Triumvirate to be exact). There is no easy solution. According to DEC, you can sit down and manually line them up or buy DECpage! I don't believe WPS-Plus will be supporting kerning (sp?) in the near future. An excellent piece of software, though is Mass-11. It does support proportional fonts. We had a demonstration of it briefly. It worked great except the secretaries did not like the Gold key style editting. One other problem in the DEC world is that emphasis is being shifted from WPS-PLUS on character cell terminals to WSIWYG on VAXstations (more money in VAXstations). Look for all the enhancements in DECwrite. On a side note, I would be interested in knowing more about your HP LaserJet interface to WPS-Plus as well as the downline loaded fonts. We have several LJ II's here at GF that we have been planning to hook up. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 322 0 replies Reply to # 321 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 26-Oct-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: RWAST STATE WITH TAPE MOU I have used Nik's method and it does work most of the time. The main problem the you have with an RWAST is that it is a Resource Wait. What you want to do essentially is a SET PROCESS/IDENTIFICATION=xxx/NORESOURCE. Only problem is, this is a non-existant command. You may only use the /NORESOURCE qualifier on yourself. If you are up to a bit of internals, you can easily clear the resource wait bit on a process. It is beyond the scope here to explain all the details but assuming you are in Kernel mode with the target process's PCB address in R4, you would want to do a: BICL2 #PCB$M_SSRWAIT,PCB$L_STS(R4). This will in most cases cause the process to leave resource wait mode and terminate. If, however, the process is at IPL 2 or higher, it will remain in RWAST state regardless of the wait mode status. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 VMS SIG Message # 1109 0 replies Reply to # 1108 Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 26-Oct-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: CALLING SYS$CMKRNL FROM C Richard, I added the DISPLAY statement after the bugchecks first occurred to see what was being passed... Thanks for the info (everyone) I am still working on that program... It would be helpful if I could get the number of interactive users, which is what SYS$GW_IJOBCNT should be pointing to, but so far, I can't do it in COBOL. In MACRO isjust a matter of addressing mode (G^SYS$GW_IJOBCNT). Thanks again, Pedro Crespo, Oklahoma City University Information Systems (405) 521-5324 CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 472 0 replies Left by: NIK On 26-Oct-89 At : Subject: PCSA VIRUS 2.1 Enough said. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 95 0 replies Reply to # 94 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 27-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: HP LASERJET ALLIN1 FONTS TeX and the LaTeX macro package are an excellent solution to the problem of handling proportional fonts on any laser printer. We use it to produce letters, artcles, and reports. Things like two column output can be had for the asking. TeX is really a typesetting program rather than a word processor. It is very good with things like math and tables. It took me about a day to learn to use it well enough to reproduce a page from a scholarly journal with some moderately hairy math. I could do the same thing again in about 20 minutes, less if I weren't trying to duplicate the original exactly. The good news is that it's available from the DECUS Library for about $150. Order VAX SP58. The bad news is that the documentation reads like a textbook for a two semester college course. MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 273 0 replies Reply to # 269 Left by: HOWARD PARKER On 27-Oct-89 At : 301-290-8150 Subject: THIRD PARTY DISK -SCSI ONLY A RUMOR, BUT, HEWLETT PACKARD'S NEW 97544S AND 97548S (331MB AND 663MB FOR- MATTED, WORK FINE WITH DEC'S VAXSTATION AND DECSTATION SCSI PORTS. THESE ARE NE WER MATTED, WORK FINE WITH DEC'S VAXSTATION AND DECSTATION SCSI PORTS. THESE ARE NE WER 20MHZ TRANSFER RATE DRIVES. CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 117 0 replies Left by: MICHAEL COPPOLA On 27-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: TIMER BOARD I am looking for a device somewhat similar to the KWV11-C interrupt/ event timer board for Q-bus computers (i.e., MV3500 or uVAX-II). The additional capabilities desired are: 1) 32-bit counter (KWV11 has 16 bits). 2) External clear. 3) 8.33 MHZ clock 4) After reading the counter, the counter shall NOT reset. 5) Programmable interrupt period as often as 5 milliseconds. 6) cost, less than $10,000 Thank you. VMS SIG Message # 1110 0 replies Reply to # 1098 Left by: JIM FESSLER On 27-Oct-89 At : (301)805-0409 Subject: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL XLATE I received your listing in the mail. I believe it will provide the information I am after. It is a good example of what we need to do, ie. convert a physical address into something we can use in an executable program. Thanks for going to the trouble of mailing it. I really appreciate it. Jim Fessler UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 57 0 replies Left by: NATHAN JANETTE On 27-Oct-89 At : (203) 786-5400 Subject: ULTRIX DUMP BUG? We have a system that is experiencing what I believe may be a 'dump' bug. When a large custom dB is dumped and runs over one tape, the first blocks of the second tape are junked, but then the rest is OK. Neither restore nor dd can read the trashed blocks. The Ultrix version is 2.2. Any ideas? UTILITIES SIG Message # 416 0 replies Left by: NATHAN JANETTE On 27-Oct-89 At : (203) 786-5400 Subject: ULTRIX DUMP BUG? (Also posted in the Ultrix SIG) We have a problem where 'dump' seems to trash the first blocks of a second tape when a large custom dB is bigger that one tape. After the trashed tape blocks, it read the rest OK. The tape is a 1/2" 9 track, the OS is 2.2. Any ideas? CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 473 0 replies Reply to # 469 Left by: BRUNO JUGOVIC' On 27-Oct-89 At : 617-241-4899 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK Richard, What is considered fairly close? The terminals are all within 500 feet in our main facility. (We are using DECconnect 423). However, we do have 5 remote sites that are connected to our main site; each via a multiplexor/modem combination over a 3002 leased line. Could this setup create a problem?? If not, then I would agree that cascading the DELNI's would be a no-brainer. Thanks for your input. Bruno CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 474 0 replies Reply to # 473 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 28-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK Bruno, "Fairly close" means 50-100 feet for RS232. RS232 has been known to work at distances far in excess of this but 50 feet is the specified limit. I'm not really familiar with RS423 but I believe that 500 feet is well within specs. I don't see why your modem/multiplexer setup should create any problems. I made the suggestion about Ethernet cable in case it might be easier or cheaper to install and maintain one than to install and maintain a large number of long RS232 cables. If I already had an Ethernet cable in place I would certainly consider a remote terminal server as an alternative to running eight or sixteen long RS232 cables. VMS SIG Message # 1111 0 replies Reply to # 1110 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 28-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: PHYSICAL TO VIRTUAL XLATE Jim, I'm glad to have been able to help. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 96 0 replies Reply to # 94 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 28-Oct-89 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: HP LASERJET ALLIN1 FONTS Regarding using proprotional fonts... I don't know if the HP has a similar command, but the LN03 has a "justify with limits" escape sequence [?0spJ or something like that which will expand or compress whitespace in a line by 200% or 50% respectively. I use it in an application for outputting left and right justified text and it doesn't require font size tables. It isn;t perfect but it works for about 80% of the input with no tweeking. You might see if the HP has something like this. RSTS SIG Message # 465 0 replies Reply to # 463 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 28-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: K-WORDS The old gateway is a PDP, I don't know about the new one. We have one of each. The server 550's processor card has a number I can't remember but one of our PDP guru's took one look and said it was a PDP processor. In addition, the "ETHERNET" card is a modification of the one he just bought for a PDP, per him. I suspect either DEC has too big an investment in the PDP to scrap it, has too many people to retrain, has a box that really is one of those engineering accidents that actually is a good compromise or most probably, all of the above. I wonder if anyone knows how many PDP's have been built, official ones and the unofficial ones in gateways, servers,... and how many are still in operation. As for me, I've always been into what we call a real man's computer, the 370 line. They're blue boxes in case you aren't aware of the designation. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 475 0 replies Reply to # 474 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 28-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK There are a couple of things here to remember. first there is a recommendation that ethernet coax, thick or thin, don't go from one building to another. I've done it but the buildings must be grounded together, real good, big wire. The recommendation is fiber, or in other words , big bucks for the repeaters. The fiber isn't the big espense. We're using the DEC423 over distances of about 800 feet to RS232 devices using the H8571a passive adapter and it should be good for more if the device is a 423 or has an active adapter. Don't buy the H8571A from DEC - try Black box. The price is 1/2. (We use 4 wires for the 423 and it's the standard MA Bell stuff.) Better check the specs on the cascading the DELNI's with a DEMPR. I can't find the restriction but there is something nasty about the DEMPR/DELNI combo. I know DEC once said no DEMPR/DELNI on 500M Enet Segments and dropped that. Better check. Get the DEC network and communications buyers guide, a grey manual. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 476 0 replies Reply to # 470 Left by: Phil Gravel On 28-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: BOOT MV200 FROM MV2 The command procedure CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM in SYS$MANAGER is used to configure the cluster. As Richard suggested, I wouldn't attempt to configure a cluster without the documentation. Even with it, configuring a cluster is not a trivial task. Phil UNIX/ULTRIX SIG Message # 58 0 replies Left by: DR. R On 29-Oct-89 At : RECOVERY ROOM Subject: AN AQUARIUS ULTRIX GOTCHA Yes. It's true--the version of Ultrix that will be available on the VAX 9000 about one year from now will support only 256MB of physical memory. This does not bode well for VAX 9000 multiprocessor configurations running Ultrix! Speaking of which, the Ultrix version of the Fortran High Performance Option will not incorporate automatic decomposition. If you want to do it in parallel, you'll have to slice-and-dice your code the old fashioned way . . . PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 459 0 replies Reply to # 378 Left by: RICHARD KANDETZKI On 29-Oct-89 At : KAMAN CORP. BLOOMFIELD CT. Subject: DIBOL & LIB$SPAWN HI, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME REPLYING TO A MESSAGE LIB$SPAWN WILL NOT WORK IF YOU HAVE A CHANNEL OPEN TO SYS$OUTPUT THAT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE EVER HAD WITH SPAWN. FOR FOWF F YOU WOUL SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 323 0 replies Reply to # 318 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 30-Oct-89 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: SYSUAF.DAT LAYOUT I agree that the use of $GETUAI is a better choice than reading the UAF in almost every case - the exception being when you need to wildcard through the UAF. $GETUAI seems to want a specific user as input. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 460 0 replies Left by: SIMON BROWN On 30-Oct-89 At : HERE Subject: DATATRIEVE Hi - Datatrieve time - we have a database with date fields stored as 7 character strings (ddmmmyy), and unfortunately I must sort the database using one of these date fields _AND_ get the correct results. Despite reading the manuals a lot, I'm pretty much at a loss - every thing I try fails. I cannot change the format of the database. Any ideas, Aris landers? Attn. Mr Schaffrath - thanks for the VMS v5.2 info - for speed, I readin directories directly - it can be 50 times faster than using lib$ or $qio - so I'll have to be carefull. Cheers, Simon VMS SIG Message # 1112 1 replies Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 30-Oct-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: SYS$GW_IJOBCNT IN COBOL Well, in my quest for the value of SYS$GW_IJOBCNT, I just crashed my system...! I am still under the impression that I have to get the value of SYS$GW_IJOBCNT while in Kernel mode, so I am calling the system service SYS$CMKRNL to run a routine whose sole purpose in life is to get and pass the value of SYS$GW_IJOBCNT. I have tried to get the value from user mode (i.e. external value in the main program) and all I can get is the address, which makes sense, but what I need is the value stored in the location that the address is pointing to... *SIGH* if I only had a C compiler!... Anyway, if you have any ideas, I would really appreciate any input, and my program would really look good if I could get the number of interactive users in the system without having to go through the process list and count them... (the sloppy way to do it). Thank you, Pedro A. Crespo Information Systems Oklahoma City University VMS SIG Message # 1113 1 replies Left by: TOM CACHAT On 30-Oct-89 At : ARIS BBS Subject: QUE MANAGER STOPPING We recently went from vms 4.2 to 4.4 (11/785) and are having a problem with our que manager stopping that we did not have before the upgrade. We have tried the following, unsuccessfully: 1. start/que/manager/new, and 2. rebooting. This morning, I brought the system down and turned the Unibus expansion cabinet power off and also the console key switch from Local Disable to Off. If this does not fix things, I can think of a couple more things: 1. bring down system and turn off power to all hardware, 2. go to 4.5. I would appreciate any insights. Thank you. VMS SIG Message # 1114 0 replies Reply to # 1112 Left by: V JAMES KRAMMES On 30-Oct-89 At : (614) 228-2001X341 Subject: SYS$GW_IJOBCNT IN COBOL If all you're lacking is a C compiler, get the GNU C compiler from DECUS! It is free, and in the year or so I've been using it, I have yet to find a bug in the compiler! It links easily with all the run-time routines and is an optimizing compiler, too. If you're not a DECUS member, I can put a tape together for you, if you'd like (call me at (614) 228-2001 x 341 and we can discuss the details). If you're using COBOL simply because of the lack of another compiler, I highly recommend switching to GNU! The one time I had to use our COBOL compiler was because we only have the ORACLE pre-compiler for COBOL and I needed to do some database space reporting. --Jim VMS SIG Message # 1115 0 replies Reply to # 1100 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 30-Oct-89 At : 714-720-7868 Subject: DCL'S INQUIRE COMMAND Sasan, I don't know if this will help, but the INQUIRE command is designed to know what kind of mode it is operating from (ie INTERACTIVE, BATCH or NETWORK). If it is not INTERACTIVE then INQUIRE should look for input on the next line (this is according to the VMS 5.0 General Users Guide). If no input is found then it sets the symbol to "". You other solution looks more palausable, however remember to make sure the SYS$COMMAND is defined during the spawn. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 477 0 replies Reply to # 474 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 30-Oct-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK I thought I had aswered this but my message got lost- I didn't see it. RS423 is really DEC 423, a four wire differential signalling technique which can operate over longer distances than RS232. Even though the DEC wiring diagram shows 6 it only needs 4 - see below. With a Passive adapter on the terminal end - H8571a - we are operating terminals at 800 feet and they seem really solid. DEC spec is less than this. There is an active adapter available to extend the distance. I haven't needed it. To a DEC 423 device (one that has the MMJ not a DB 25) I have seen longer distances. We use plain old common telephone wire, some of it 30 years old. As for the H8571A, don't buy from DEC. They're about $30 each and you can get them for 13 from black box. In addition, BB will wire any custom config you may need for $1 each. I bought some and like them. There are probably other suppliers. One real neat thing with the H8571 and the DECCONNECT faceplate. If the device needs DTR/DSR signalling, the loop is made through the faceplate. If you don't carry 6 wires to the faceplate, you get a headache. Likewise, if you use a RJ-11 and only wire 4 wires, on some devices, particular one we hit was a HP plotter, we had to jumper the pins. I suggest not using RJ-11 because some one plugs the terminal into the adjacent phone jack and the phone ringing voltage zaps the terminal, usually 60 volts AC. DEC 423 has been good, we have 288 ports on 3 550's. Only problem been a noise problem which is fixed by a EC - which is free if you bought the Port boards before July 89. Problem symptom is port lockouts, and slow logon response. I have coppies of the DEC doc somewhere here. I had to stand on my head and spit BB's to get the DOC and FCO. A third party service provider got it for me. After I had it, DEC admitted the problem. VMS SIG Message # 1116 0 replies Reply to # 1113 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 30-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: QUE MANAGER STOPPING Tom, Is there any particular reason why you are still running VMS V4.4? It is something like three years "back level" by now! I'd suggest upgrading all the way to 4.7 if you want to stay with VMS V4. V5.2 is the current release. I don't recall any problems with the queue manager in VMS 4.4 but that was a long time ago. Does it just stop? Or does it crash and write a dump file? (DIR SYS$SYSTEM:*.DMP) Do you have disk quotas enabled on your system disk? Has the SYSTEM account by any chance exhausted its quota? CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 478 0 replies Reply to # 474 Left by: BRUNO JUGOVIC' On 30-Oct-89 At : 617-241-4899 Subject: EXPANDING NETWORK Thanks for the info, Richard. Bruno. VMS SIG Message # 1117 0 replies Left by: PAUL C. CROARKIN On 31-Oct-89 At : (202) 342-4784 Subject: SYSTEM SERVICES I am looking for a system service (or any other way) that will provide a program with the number of pages on the free list and on the modified page list. SYS$GETSYI provides the number of free pages in the paging and swap files, but not the above info. It must be possible at some level... PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 461 0 replies Reply to # 459 Left by: ROD FALANGA On 31-Oct-89 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: DIBOL & LIB$SPAWN Richard, You said that LIB$SPAWN will NOT work if a channel is opened to SYS$OUTPUT. I didn't know that, would you please elaborate or give a short example?! Rod Falanga PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 462 0 replies Left by: ABRAHAM A. SULEIMAN On 31-Oct-89 At : (212) 947-5770 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) I'vee been using MACRO-32 & DCL and a lousy Report Writer to do all of my PROGRAMMING and data extraction functions. I don't have to elaborate to explain how difficult things can get with these "primitive" tools (with all my respect to MACRO.) At this point you might wonder "Why Doesn't He Get a Compiler??" Well the story is that our CFO doesn't believe in spending $10,000 for a compiler and x% annually on maintenance. To make a long story short, IS THERE A PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER THAT DOESN'T COST AN ARM & A LEG?? Any language will do (C, PASCAL, MODULA, PLI, COBOL, ADA ... etc). The compiler will run on VMS 5.2 on a VAX 8200 platform. I will provide media and will pay for shipping and all other incurred charges. Abraham A. Suleiman System Manager United Cerebral Palsy Associations Of New York State 330 West 34th Street, 13 FL New York, N.Y. 10301 VMS SIG Message # 1118 1 replies Reply to # 578 Left by: GABRIEL R. TORO On 31-Oct-89 At : (303)2789800 Subject: TAPE RECOVERY I tried the procedure you suggested, but I get a parity error every time the QIO is issued (not just the first time). Any other possibilities?. WORD PROCESSING SIG Message # 129 0 replies Left by: GABRIEL R. TORO On 31-Oct-89 At : 303-278-9800 Subject: TEX PREVIEW DRIVER VMS I am currently using the Tex preview driver DVITOVDU (from DECUS tape SP58) to preview tex documents on Textronics compatible terminals. We find that the program is very slow. We tried increasing the terminal baud rate to 19200 (the maximum in our system), but this helped little. I would like to know if anyone has encountered the same problem and has come up with ideas on how to make the driver faster. If any one knows of other similar drivers that run faster, please let me know. (One potential problem in installing another driver is that we are running an old version of VMS (i.e., 4.2) and the only compiler we have is FORTRAN). CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 118 0 replies Left by: RONALD PHILLIP On 31-Oct-89 At : 407-951-5326 Subject: RQDX1 WITH A KDF11-A CPU HELLOW I AM LOOKING FOR A WAY TO USE A RQDX1 CONTROLLER TO BOOT WITH A 11/23 CPU BOARD,KDF11-A. I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO GET A 11/23+ CPU BOARD BUT IF ANY ONE KNOWS HOW TO BOOT WITH A TOGGLE IN PROGRAB I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SO THAT THEN I COULD BURN A ROM FOR IT. I HAVE ALREADY REWIRED THE BUS FOR THE 22-BIT ADDRESS LINE. THANKS FOR THE HELP. VMS SIG Message # 1119 0 replies Reply to # 1118 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 31-Oct-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: TAPE RECOVERY Gabriel, That was my best shot. What I suggested should have worked. It is possible that a TK-50 behaves differently in this respect than reel to reel tape. It is also possible that I have no idea what I'm talking about. :-) You could try issuing a skip file operation after detecting end of volume and issuing a read. That should skip to the beginning of the next file on tape. Other than that, all I can suggest is that you get a copy of "VAX/VMS I/O User's Guide" or whatever the current equivalent is called and read the chapter on Magnetic Tape Drivers _very carefully_. Most of your data should still be on the tape. The problem is to get the system to read past what it thinks is the end of data on the volume. VMS SIG Message # 1120 0 replies Reply to # 1117 Left by: NIK On 01-Nov-89 At : Subject: SYSTEM SERVICES $! This works for me. $ basic/object=get_it tt: 1 external long constant for_me declare long fre_pages,& long mod_pages,& long itmlst(1% to 2%) itmlst(1%) = loc(fre_pages) itmlst(2%) = loc(mod_pages) call sys$cmkrnl(for_me by value, itmlst(1%) by ref) print "Free pages: ";fre_pages,"Modified pages: ";mod_pages end $ create for_me.mar .link 'sys$system:sys.stb'/selective_search .entry for_me,^m<> movl @#sch$gl_freecnt,@(ap) movl @#sch$gl_mfycnt,@4(ap) ret .end $ macro for_me $ link get_it,for_me $ run get_it VMS SIG Message # 1121 0 replies Left by: CHRISTOPHER HILL On 01-Nov-89 At : (303) 651-9656 Subject: 3RD PARTY DISK CLUSTERED I recently installed a Imprimis Wren IV on a VXstation 3100 which is a satellite node in a 5.1 cluster. We were unable to serve it to the cluster although locally the drive functioned properly. When we tried to serve it we got the message "device invalid for operation" DEC tells me this is a known bug which 'may' be fixed in VMS5.2 or 5.3 . The drive shows up as a "generic SCSI disk"(DKA100). Does anyone know how to serve this drive to the cluster? VMS SIG Message # 1122 0 replies Reply to # 1117 Left by: NIK On 01-Nov-89 At : Subject: SYSTEM SERVICES PS. to last reply Bob Schaffrath pointed out to me, that SCH$GL_FREECNT and SCH$GL_MFYCNT can be read without privs. For example, in basic: $ basic/obj=temp tt: external long sch$gl_freecnt external long sch$gl_mfycnt print "Free pages: ";sch$gl_freecnt,"Modified Pages: ";sch$gl_mfycnt end $ link temp,sys$system:sys.stb/select $ r temp PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 463 0 replies Reply to # 462 Left by: V JAMES KRAMMES On 01-Nov-89 At : (614) 228-2001 X 341 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) I can highly recommend the GNU C compiler from the Free Software Foundation and available from the DECUS tapes. If you aren't a member of DECUS or don't have the right tapes, give me a call at the number above and we can work out a way to get a tape to you. --Jim DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 657 0 replies Left by: JACK BERGER On 01-Nov-89 At : 612-544-2721 Subject: AUTODIAL MODEM SOFTWARE DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN SETTING UP AUTODIAL MODEMS TO WORK WITH SYS$SHARE:DTE_XYZ? I HAVE LOADED DTE_AUTO (HO ARIS, BUT HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING IT ALL TO WORK. WHEN I DO "SET HOST/DTE TTXX/DIAL= (NUMBER:12345,MODEM=AUTO)" THE MODEM GETS THE 1ST MESSAGE TO SET RESPONSE TO INTEGER, BUT SYSTEM WILL LATER RESPOND WITH A MESSAGE THAT IT FAILED TO CONNECT TO THE PORT AND EXIT WITH A DATASET HANGUP ERROR. THE MODEM IS A MULTITECH 224EH. ANYONE KNOW MODEM SWITHCH SETTINGS TO USE. TERM PORT IS SET TO MODEM. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 316 0 replies Left by: JACK BERGER On 01-Nov-89 At : 612-544-2721 Subject: AUTODIAL MODEM ON PORT I NEED INFO ON SETTING UP AUTODIAL MODEM ON TERM PORT TO USE DTE_XXX FROM SYS$SHARE - SEE RELATED NOTE #657 IN CATEGORY 42 (COMM SOFTWARE). SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 324 0 replies Left by: LAURIE MAYTROTT On 01-Nov-89 At : 407-783-0300 Subject: NETWORK TAPE BACKUP We have a VAX 11/750, MicroVAX 3500, and VAXSTATION 3100 networked via DECNET (not clustered) and running VMS 5.1-1. I have a tapedrive down on one of the systems and understand that there is a (DEC unsupported) way to perform a backup to a tape drive on another node over DECNET. I have information from various sources, none which seem to do the trick. Most involve a variation of the following: On the node with the tapedrive - Have a file NETBACKUP.COM $ MOUNT/BLOCK=4096 tapedrive: $ ON ERROR THEN CONTINUE $ CONVERT/FDL=SYS$INPUT: SYS$NET: tapedrive:saveset RECORD FORMAT FIXED SIZE 4096 At the other node, I'm told to use: $ BACKUP/BLOCK=4096 input node::"TASK=NETBACKUP" This results in an "invalid backup device type 'node::"TASK=NETBACKUP"'" ANY IDEAS? (I know how to do a network saveset to DISK, but want the TAPE capability) THANKS! Laurie Maytrott, Florida Solar Energy Center 407-783-0300 PC'S SIG Message # 243 0 replies Left by: CLIFF BABKIRK On 01-Nov-89 At : (207)775-8414 Subject: MOUSE.COM FOR THE VAXMATE I am looking for documentation on and a copy of the extended DOS command file called MOUSE.COM which will allow the DEC-MOUSE to emulate other popular mouse types such as the MicroSoft-Mouse. The file is supposed to be provided with the installation disk set but is missing from the copies I have. I would appreciate any help or information anyone could give me. VMS SIG Message # 1123 1 replies Reply to # 1112 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 02-Nov-89 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: SYS$GW_IJOBCNT IN COBOL The page in the executive where SYS$GL_IJOBCNT is stored is protected as URKW - thus, you can read it from user mode, and don't need to change mode to kernel. Sorry, can't help with the COBOL syntax. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 658 0 replies Left by: DAVID JASANY On 02-Nov-89 At : 216-892-8050 Subject: LAT OVER BRIDGES Has anyone running LAT over remote bridges at speeds of 56KB or less? If so, I would appreciate your feedback on problems you may have encountered, such as performance, bridges used, etc. Thanks for the help! DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 659 0 replies Left by: DAVID JASANY On 02-Nov-89 At : 216-892-8050 Subject: LAN MANAGER Does anyone know when DEC will really ship DECNET Phase V and if it really will include LanManager? Any info on DEC's implementation of LanMan? DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 660 0 replies Reply to # 657 Left by: Phil Anthony On 02-Nov-89 At : Here Subject: AUTODIAL MODEM SOFTWARE For starters, Jack, make sure that the modem is set to indicate the true condition of carrier detect (CD) and to respond to data terminal ready (DTR) from your VAX. For some ungodly reason, Hayes decided to hold CD al- ways true and to ignore DTR as the default for their 2400-Baud modems, and everybody else in the business followed Hayes' lead. This effectively messes up any halfway intelligent communications program, as well as modem control on minis. Also, check your cabling - you should have at least Pins 2 (TD), 3 (RD), 6 (DSR), 7 (SG), 8 (CD), and 20 (DTR) wired straight through, and probably Pins 4 (RTS) and 5 (CTS) as well. The dataset hangup error suggests that one or both of these may be (part of) your problem. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 464 0 replies Reply to # 460 Left by: MARK STONE On 02-Nov-89 At : (617) 578-8665 Subject: DATATRIEVE Simon, have you tried using virtual (COMPUTED BY) fields? There's absolutely magical! They don't alter the layout or the structure of the database, since they don't REALLY exist, but DTR treats them as real fields. Try adding the following to the bottom of your Datatrieve record definition - I'm assuming the original date field (ddmmmyy) is called DATE1: 03 SORT_DATE1 COMPUTED BY CHOICE OF FN$STR_EXTRACT(DATE1, 3, 3) EQ "Jan" THEN FN$STR_EXTRACT(DATE1,6,2)|"01"|FN$STR_EXTRACT(DATE1,1,2) FN$STR_EXTRACT(DATE1, 3, 3) EQ "Feb" THEN FN$STR_EXTRACT(DATE1,6,2)|"02"|FN$STR_EXTRACT(DATE1,1,2) . . (for the rest of the months) . END_CHOICE. The will take your original DATE1 field (ex 05Jan86) and create a new field SORT_DATE1 with the contents of (860105). You can then use this field for sorting, reporting, or anything else except MODIFYing, since it's not really there. VMS SIG Message # 1124 0 replies Reply to # 1123 Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 02-Nov-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: SYS$GW_IJOBCNT IN COBOL Thanks for the info... I ended up writing a MACRO routine to do it... I can't find the syntax to get the value of the symbol in COBOL. It (COBOL) returns the address, but I don't know what the equivalent access mode for MOVW G^SYS$GW_IJOBCNT, @4(AP) -the ^G indicates global- is in COBOL. Thanks again, Pedro. FORUM - DEC SIG Message # 86 0 replies Reply to # 78 Left by: Phil Anthony On 02-Nov-89 At : Here Subject: MUMPS - AN OVERVIEW If you're still interested in MUMPS, the latest issue of Computer Language (November 1989) contains a major article describing the language/operating system. A sidebar gives the address of the MUMPS Users' Group as 4321 Hartwick Road, No. 510, College Park, Md. 20740, phone (301) 779-6555, and suggests a call or letter for further information. MICROVAX SIG Message # 223 0 replies Left by: NICK MCKAY On 02-Nov-89 At : 616-451-6675 Subject: VMS/SNA DOES ANYONE KNOW IF VMS/SNA IS SUPPORTED BY THE DSH32-B COMMUNICATION OPTION FOR THE MICROVAX 3100 ? I HAVE TRIED MY FRIENDLY DEC SALESMAN AND DEC TECH SUPPORT REP AND HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING A DEFINITIVE ANSWER. THE CURRENT VMS/SNA SPD DOES NOT SAY. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 661 0 replies Left by: NICK MCKAY On 02-Nov-89 At : 616-451-6675 Subject: IBM-MICROVAX 3100 FLOPPY WE HAVE A CUSTOMER THAT GENERATES 5 1/4 " FLOPPIES ON AN IBM MAINFRAME PLATFORM THAT NEED TO BE READ BY A MICROVAX 3100. DOES ANYONE HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR DEC OR THIRD PARTY HARDWARE/SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED ON THE MICROVAX APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 368 1 replies Left by: MARK D WEST On 02-Nov-89 At : (215) 251-4180 Subject: 4GLS FOR AD HOC VMS 4.7 AND UP RSTS SIG Message # 466 0 replies Left by: BOB DUDLEY On 02-Nov-89 At : (314) 731-3444 Subject: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER? Guess I should sign-on more often. Actually found two conversations I could have contributed to... YES, LPQUE(..) works fine with PBS... I have software and recommendations/help for protocol convertors. I have one client which auto-dials to Penneys & Wards everynight to receive batch orders. Both are 3780 emulations on an 11/44, using an external protocol convertor, sync auto-dial modem, connected to a DZ port. Have another client with an SNA sync connection, using SNA "cards" connected to DH ports to emulate SNA stuph. Phil, I'd like to see the assembler code for DIBOL tt: i/o. I've been toyibng with the idea of doing what you described above, especially for the terminal input. Bob APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 369 0 replies Reply to # 368 Left by: MARK D WEST On 02-Nov-89 At : (215) 251-4180 Subject: 4GLS FOR AD HOC VMS 4.7 A Take two. I am looking for information about 4GL report writers that can provide Ad Hoc report capabilities for end-users (that don't need to know what an Rdb/VMS database looks like) as well as handle sophisticated multi-relation reports. The product must run on VMS 4.7 and later, and be compatible with Rdb/VMS-RT. We have looked at FOCUS FOR VAX and found it to be less than exciting in certain areas. I have a little information about SmartStar, but have not used it. It seems interesting, but I wonder about the completely novice user. Any and all information will be helpful. Fast response time is critical, as is cost (biggest bang for the buck). Thanks! No vendors, please. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 662 0 replies Left by: DAN PETERS On 02-Nov-89 At : 812-377-6027 Subject: MACINTOSH/VTRANS WE HAV A mac plus PORTED AS A TERMINAL TO A vax 11/750. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO USE VTRANS FOR FILE TRANSFERS, USING THE VTRANS8 PROTOCOL. tHE MAC IS USING "MAC TERMINAL" EMULATION, AND THE DATA FILE IS IN "HYPERCARD". OUR PROBLEM IS: WE HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL ADDRESSING THE MAC DISK WITH VTRANS. IS SPECIAL HARDWARE NEEDED ON THE MAC? APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 372 0 replies Left by: CHRIS O'DONNELL On 03-Nov-89 At : 203-386-5631 Subject: C TO FORTRAN Does any one know of a way to go from ANSI standard C to ANSI standard FORTRAN? I do not want to re-train our C programmmers or purchase FORTRAN for our MICROVAX? Am looking for cross compilier of translator. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 373 0 replies Reply to # 2 Left by: CHRIS O'DONNELL On 03-Nov-89 At : 203-386-5631 Subject: VAX SOFTWARE JAN - VAX PROFESSIONAL published a DCL command file called KILLER.COM in the AUGUST 1987 issue. This command procedure was upgraded in December 1987 & August 1988. It allows you to set the inactive time period and you can specify user who are NOT to be logged off. I installed it under VMS 4.7 & it's still running under 5.2. My users hate it, so it must be working well. The original articel is called AUTOLOGOUT and was available thru ARIS. Subsequent upgrades were published by readers under PROTALK, also available via ARIS. If you cannot locate it, drop me a line and I'll type in my version RSTS SIG Message # 467 0 replies Reply to # 466 Left by: Phil Anthony On 03-Nov-89 At : Here Subject: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER? Yeah, Bob, we've missed you! Personally I'd like to see this SIG get as much activity as the Communications/File Transfer SIG, and maybe even two thirds as much as the VMS SIG. No, we'd never catch up with them - there are so many more questions to be asked about anything as complicated as VMS. I'm not sure which assembler code you're asking about, or which Phil you're addressing that to - there were two of us involved in that thread. But give me a call at (215) 884-9128 and I'll see if I can help you out. My information may be somewhat out of date (the last DIBOL I worked on at all extensively was V4.5, and DEC modified the internal storage of channel num- bers as well as the stack layout in an XCALL with V5.x), but we'll do what we can. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 465 0 replies Reply to # 464 Left by: SIMON On 03-Nov-89 At : HERE Subject: DATATRIEVE Thanks - as I was waiting for the ARIS box to get going I opened th DTR manual - An found just what I needed in the refernec section. I'm doing what you suggested - it works fine. Goodness, isn't DTR slow!!. We've just ordered two 9000s. That should crack it!! Thanks, Simon CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 119 1 replies Left by: TIM KENNEDY On 03-Nov-89 At : (508) 263-2060 OR HERE Subject: VMS V5 & CLOGGED PORTS Has anybody out there experienced problems with "clogged" ports under V5.1 and up? I am speaking specifically about MicroVAX IIs and 3100s with DHQ11s and the 3100 equivalent controller (can't remember the name at the moment). Each has the harmonica style 8-line external interface. We have three sites (of about 30) that are running 5.1 or 5.2. One is a uVAX II and the other two are 3100s. Other uVAX II sites running 4.5 to 4.7 do not experience this problem. The problem is that ports "clog" and you can't do anything but reboot the system to unclog them. If you enter Set-Up and 1) set "No XON" 2) set "Display Controls" and 3) Clear Comm, you can then see that the system is spitting out D3s (XOFFs) every time you press Return or type a character. Digital FS personnel cannot find reference to this problem, but say it is rumored that leaving terminals "turned on forever" can alleviate if not correct the problem. Any hints? CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 120 0 replies Reply to # 119 Left by: Phil Gravel On 03-Nov-89 At : HERE Subject: VMS V5 & CLOGGED PORTS There is a known problem with the Modified Page Writer under VMS V5.0 and V5.1 which causes the pagefile to rapidly become fragmented (internally). Eventually the file becomes so fragmented that the system hangs and must be rebooted. On large VAX systems the console will receive a warning message. On many MicroVAXs, the console is used as a terminal so that no message is ever seen. The good news is that the problem has been fixed under VMS V5.2. Phil DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 663 0 replies Reply to # 662 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 04-Nov-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: MACINTOSH/VTRANS Dan, For those of us who never heard of VTRANS or the VTRANS8 protocol, could you elucidate? Do you have some reason for not using one of the better known protocols such as XMODEM, or Kermit? I believe that DECnet is, or soon will be, available for Macs. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 97 0 replies Left by: THOMAS E. STRACK On 04-Nov-89 At : (404) 446-1400 X221 Subject: BBS S/W FOR VAX I am looking for S/W similar to ARIS BBS for use in the Pulp & Paper Industry. We presntly have a PC based BBS, and need to get it on the VAX asap to allow access to a large number of highly technical articles, Tables, etc. I would appreciate any help I can get. I can be reached at the above # or at 15 Technology Parkway S. Norcross, Ga. 30092 Thanks for your help... Tom CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 121 0 replies Reply to # 118 Left by: Brett Bump On 04-Nov-89 At : Here Subject: RQDX1 WITH A KDF11-A CPU Ronald. Booting with a toggle-in program is not hard, but it would be much easier with some other device. Do you have anything other than just the RQDX1? BTW. There are a stack of toggle-in's in the RT11-Installation Guide - Appendix B (none for MSCP though). What O/S are you trying to bootstrap? Also, make sure you check out my message in Comm/Mem #112. There are four lines that you need to wirewrap (unless yours is a BA11-SA). VMS SIG Message # 1125 0 replies Reply to # 1122 Left by: PAUL CROARKIN On 06-Nov-89 At : (202) 342-4784 Subject: SYSTEM SERVICES I tried reading those locations in an unprivileged mode, but only received zero's back. I don't have basic, but when I call the macro using sys$cmkrnl from a C program, the system crashes. CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 122 0 replies Reply to # 120 Left by: Tim Kennedy On 06-Nov-89 At : (508) 263-2060 Subject: VMS V5 & SINGLE CLOGGED PORTS Phil, Unfortunately, the problem you describe isn't the one I was describing, because the ports get this XOFF problem one at a time, and usually just once or twice a week (in 24-hour, 7-day shops). All other ports but the "clogged" one work just hunky-dory. No system errors, no terminal errors, and everything is fine but the one terminal line. The terminal line this occurs on is random as well, so that eliminates a single bad line as the problem. These systems generally do use OPA0 as a terminal, but leave OPCOM messages on for security purposes. Apparently, VMS is getting confused about single ports sometimes, and thinks the line should remain XOFFd. Again, this occurs on both 5.1 and 5.2. The other twenty-seven 4.5 and 4.7 sites we have experience no such problem. CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 123 0 replies Left by: Tim Kennedy On 06-Nov-89 At : (508) 263-2060 OR HERE Subject: VMS & SINGLE CLOGGED PORTS Phil, Unfortunately, the problem you describe isn't our problem. The "clogging" I referred to occurs to a single terminal line at a time, and causes no other ill effects. All other terminals are fine, and the system runs normally. No system errors, no terminal line errors, no OPCOM log messages. The problem hits random terminal lines, and usually happens only once or twice a week in these three 24-hour, 7-day shops, one a uVAX II with 5.1, the other two uVAX 3100s with factory installed 5.2. Apparently, VMS thinks that a particular line needs to be XOFFd, and won't stop. As I said, a reboot clears any and all XOFFd lines. This also definitely occurs at both 5.1 and 5.2 sites. Our other 27 sites, running 4.5 or 4.7 on uVAX IIs and 2000s, experience no such problem. FORUM - 3RD PARTY SUPPLIERS SIG Message # 116 0 replies Left by: RAOUF ROUSHDY On 06-Nov-89 At : (703) 749-1459 Subject: OCR PACKAGE - HELP Looking for an OCR package, on a uVAX II, to be used with the MD 300 scanner. RSX SIG Message # 283 0 replies Left by: MARK SCHUSTER On 06-Nov-89 At : (716) 477-5744 Subject: PDP LAT & DECSERVER KEEPALIVE Our DECent community here recommended that we (System Managers) set our DECserver KEEPALIVE timer from its default of 20 seconds to 180 seconds. This works fine for the VAX environment but, raises havoc with our PDP 11/44s and their LAT connections. It TERMINATES them with "262-- Terminal server shutdown in progress"! Currently we are running Phase IV (end node) DECnet on RSX11M+ V3.0E. I have tried several changes to LCP and NCP with no luck; the LCP "RECEIVE TIMEOUT" set to 200 seconds, (CFE) NCP exectutve "INACTIVITY TIMER" set to 180 seconds... I'm experienceing the same problem with either DECserver 200, V2.0 or V3.0 software. Is there some other timer setting for either LCP or NCP that can/should be defined? (Or is this a "terminal" ;} problem for RSX DECnet ?) LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 98 0 replies Reply to # 97 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 06-Nov-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: BBS S/W FOR VAX There are at least two BBS programs for the VAX of which at least one is available for download from CompuServe's VAX Forum (GO VAXSIG). Look for a program called UBBS. I believe that this is also available from the DECUS Library. VAXNotes, available from DEC, might also be a solution to your problem. VMS SIG Message # 1126 0 replies Reply to # 1088 Left by: MICHAEL E.T. HEWITT On 07-Nov-89 At : 1-416-429-4411 X3257 Subject: PEEKING USERS I would be very carefulful SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 325 0 replies Reply to # 324 Left by: ROB VUGTEVEEN On 07-Nov-89 At : (602) 792-3010 X334 Subject: NETWORK TAPE BACKUP Check in DSIN under DECNET-VAX for Backup operations across the network. There is an entry describing the use of the CONVERT utility which does what I think you want to do. What you want to do is not easy because DEC does not provide tape services the same way disk services exist. Oh well. It is a lot easier if you are clustered and have the disks "served" to the cluster member which owns the tape drive. I have been around and around on this... call me for a more candid commentary. Rob Vugteveen ASARCO Incorporated Tucson, AZ (602) 792-3010 x334 VMS SIG Message # 1127 0 replies Reply to # 1115 Left by: SASAN KASRA On 07-Nov-89 At : GDC CONN. (203) 758-1811 Subject: DCL'S INQUIRE COMMAND Thank you for the information on the INQUIRE. In solving my problem I ended up using the READ SYS$COMMAND in the subprocess. The extra cost there was having to add an extra line of DCL command to parse the input read in. Sasan Kasra VMS SIG Message # 1128 0 replies Reply to # 1120 Left by: PAUL CROARKIN On 07-Nov-89 At : (202) 342-4784 Subject: SYSTEM SERVICES I got it to work. The secret in C is to not declare it "extern", but to declare it "globalref": #include stdio main() { globalref long sch$gl_freecnt, sch$gl_myfcnt; printf ("Free list: %d, Modified page list: %d\n", sch$gl_freecnt, sch$gl_myfcnt); } It still must be linked with sys$system:sys.stb. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. VMS SIG Message # 1129 0 replies Left by: SUBHASH CHOWDARY On 07-Nov-89 At : 408-974-7355 Subject: MACINTOSH FRONT END CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 124 0 replies Reply to # 123 Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 08-Nov-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: VMS & SINGLE CLOGGED PORT This may not be relative to the problem - but in the chain someone mentioned letting terminals turned on all of the time. We have experienced a similar problem with servers 200 and 550. DEC was unable ?? to help but our third party service vendor researched it and found an EC that fixed the problem. As I remember, any DL 200's and DL 550 boards made before July 89 had a bad chip. (Might not be exact but close) It seems that this chip is used in the 200, 300 and 550. Maybe it's used in other boards for the VAX? VMS SIG Message # 1130 0 replies Reply to # 1088 Left by: MICHAEL E.T. HEWITT On 08-Nov-89 At : 1-416-429-4411 X3257 Subject: PEEKING USERS I would be very careful if I were you. I tested out the OBSERVE program from a Decus tape and it has the tendency to crash your system if the terminal you are observing goes away. There are better programs out there that are free where you can watch another users session. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 99 0 replies Left by: KEVIN LUNDY On 08-Nov-89 At : HERE Subject: HP LASERJET II I'm having a couple of problems with my Uvax II , 11/750, and an HP LaserJet series II. Hopefully someone will be able to help me. 1) Intermittantly, at the end of print jobs from either system, the printer from somewhere gets a series of 10 to 20 'DC1s' which is transmit on. They show up as sideways triangles, and the page does not eject. The result is that the next job contains these triangles. I've tried device control libraries and without. The annoying problem is the fact that it is intermittant. 2) On my Uvax, ALL my printer queues seem to stall on the first print job after that particular queue has been idle for several hours (like overnight.) If the job is deleted and then resubmitted, everything works like a champ. Any ideas GREATLY appreciated. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 330 0 replies Left by: BOB STEWART On 08-Nov-89 At : XYPLEX Subject: VT330 MULTISESSION PROGRAMMING Is there anyone out there who has figured out the control sequences for multiple sessions on the VT3xx line and wouldn't mind passing on the information? DEC didn't bother to put them in the programmer's manuals. Thanks. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 466 0 replies Reply to # 463 Left by: RON SALAZAR On 08-Nov-89 At : (818)967-9521X425 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) Jim, I am also loking for a compiler (C preferred). I have looked through the DECUS listings and have found a tape, but am not sure that it is the one I need. The DECUS number is VS0084, Symposium collection from the VAX SIG, Fall 1988. The abstract lists: Recent C compiler ... VMS binaries for boot GNU C. We are running VMS 4.7 on a MicroVAX II, is there anything special we need to use this tape? Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ron Salazar EG&G Power Systems APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 374 0 replies Reply to # 372 I don't believe that the cLeft by: MICHAEL JESSE CHONOLES On 08-Nov-89 At : 215/354-3185 Subject: C TO FORTRAN APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 375 0 replies Reply to # 372 Left by: MICHAEL JESSE CHONOLES On 08-Nov-89 At : 215/353-3185 GE Subject: C TO FORTRAN [Sorry about the previous message -- it seems to have been garbled] I don't believe that a general translation from C to ANSI-compatible FORTRAN 77 is possible. FORTRAN 77 is stuck with some rather severe limitations, such as: No pointer type, no record type, no mixing of character and non-character in equivalences,common blocks,or assignments, no bit-operations. These restrictions make FORTRAN 77 the most portable language possible for scientific and mathematitics, its made very hard to be machine dependent. I don't think that most ANSI-compatible C code would be compatible with those restrictions. Can you wait until Fortran 8X appears? Good luck. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 467 0 replies Reply to # 462 Left by: KELVIN SMITH On 08-Nov-89 At : (203) 357-0504 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) Your CFO ought to have his head examined if he really thinks he's saving money by having you write all your production code in Macro and DCL. Or do you (and everyone who will ever come after you to maintain the code) work for free? I've heard seat-of-the-pants estimates that programs run 50-60 times faster when written in Macro, to which is invariably added the comment, "And debugging and maintenance is 50-60 times slower." Fortunately, as other participants have already noted, there is a public domain version of C available. For some of the other languages you mentioned, none such will be available--Ada is certainly only going to be available in commercial versions. But don't assume that just because a compiler is free that it'll be less costly in the long run. There's truth to the idea behind the recent ad you've probably seen comparing Rdb and another DBMS: "One is free, the other pays for itself." (I can't vouch for the particular DBMS in question; I'm referring to the principle.) There are significant advantages to using products that are supported by the full-time efforts of a corporation, rather than the off-hours efforts of undoubtedly talented enthusiasts, that are often worth the additional cost. Unfortunately, they're not always easy to quantify well enough for bean counters like your CFO. -- Note to ARIS: Please don't publish this response. A comment like the first sentence doesn't look as good in a magazine as on a bulletin board. -- DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 664 0 replies Left by: MARK STONE On 09-Nov-89 At : (618) 578-8665 Subject: NOVELL FOR VMS Does anyone have NOVELL Netware for VMS? I've got a SLIGHT problem! I've got to move a file from a PC Novell LAN to our VAX and process it. But it MUST be initiated from the VAX and the VAX will not be the server. Basically, the VAX is peeking at one of the LANs major data files and scooping out information. Is this possible? Also what extra hardware is required beyond and ethernet board for the PC server? DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 665 0 replies Reply to # 663 Left by: DAN PETERS On 09-Nov-89 At : 812-377-6027 Subject: MACINTOSH/VTRANS WE DO HAVE KERMIT. HOWEVER, WE HAVE THE USER WANTING TO TRANSFER MAC DATA IN A CAPTURED ACCOUNT WITHOUT ACCESS TO KERMIT. WE COULD GIVE HIM ACCESS, BUT VTRANS IS READILY AVAILABLE. TSX SIG Message # 13 0 replies Left by: PHIL VANWERKHOVEN On 09-Nov-89 At : 301-698-4579 Subject: RT11 EMT ON TSX W/DECUS C I'm having trouble trying to figure out doing a RT11 EMT on a decus C program, d e 0ecus C has a provision of a function call, RTemt(EMT, Ro TSX SIG Message # 14 0 replies Left by: PHIL VANWERKHOVEN On 09-Nov-89 At : 301 698 4579 Subject: RT11 EMT ON TSX W/DECUS C Lets try this again....I', VMS SIG Message # 1131 0 replies Reply to # 1121 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 09-Nov-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: 3RD PARTY DISK CLUSTERED I am not familiar with the VS3100's SCSI port or the drivers but I would guess that the driver does not support MSCP. When your drive appears on the system, does it appear as NODE$DxA0: or just DxA0:. You definitely cannot serve the drive if it does not have a node prefix and, unless you write the driver yourself, fix it. MICROVAX SIG Message # 224 0 replies Reply to # 223 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 09-Nov-89 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: VMS/SNA According to the July-December issue of the Networking guide, the DSH32 is supported by VMS/SNA. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 326 0 replies Reply to # 324 Left by: DAVID ROBISON On 09-Nov-89 At : 702-364-8633 Subject: NETWORK TAPE BACKUP I recently got backup to work over DECNET between two MicroVAX II's. The following is the command file NETBACKUP.COM $ set verify $ open netlog sys$net $ init mua0: netsav $ mount/block mua0: netsav $ on error then continue $ convert/fdl=sys$input: netlog mua0:saveset RECORD FORMAT FIXED SIZE 4096 $ dism/nounload mua0 $ close netlog $ set noverify The open in the second line acknoledges the logical connection and prevents timeouts wile the tape is init and mounted. Then the command is: $ backup/block=4096 input: node::"0=netbackup"/save This works for me with both TK50's and TS11 tapes. If you have any questions, you can call me. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 666 0 replies Reply to # 664 Left by: Phil Anthony On 09-Nov-89 At : Here Subject: NOVELL FOR VMS Mark, to the best of my understanding of Netware for VMS, you're out of luck on this one. According to the speakers at a product announcement ses- sion late last year, the VAX is supported only as a file server on a Novell network. Unless they've added something without telling us - and we're authorized Novell installers - that means the VAX can't access a PC file server. However, you may not be completely dead in the water. Novell files under VMS are plain ol' RMS files. What's to keep you from storing the data on the VAX instead of on a PC file server? Then you could run a VMS process to extract the information from what is, to it, a native local file. Alternatively, you could buy the Netware Development Kit. With this, you could write a VAP running on the PC server to scan the database file peri- odically and send the information to the VAX. A third possibility would be to dedicate a workstation on the PC side of the network to running an MS-DOS program to do the checking on the PC server, then sending the data to the VMS server. I think the first method would be a whole lot cheaper and easier for you, though. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 468 0 replies Reply to # 467 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBET On 09-Nov-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) Kelvin, I think that estimates of "fifty to sixty times the speed" are overstated by about a factor of twentyfive to thirty for most compiled languages. A very good Macro programmer might expect to achieve 1-1/2 -- 2 times the speed of a compiled high level language. An inexperienced Macro programmer could easily do a lot worse than compiled code. Macro _might_ exhibit a speed gain of fifty to sixty over DCL or an interpreted language but I wouldn't make any bets on it without some careful testing first. VMS SIG Message # 1132 1 replies Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 10-Nov-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: NEW PROCS IN RWMBX STATE I'm having a problem with our uVAX II, some times for no apparent reason, all new processes go into RWMBX (Resource Wait - Mailbox Full). This happens to the processes right after going though the LOGIN procedure... it gets as far as the initial welcome message and last login date & time and then it freezes! Current working processes don't seem to be affected by this... they keep going normally, but when this happens, the only way that the system can accept new users is to reset it, or re-boot it if someone w/ enough privs is logged in at that moment. I have tried to determine the cause of this, but I am not sure of what I am looking for... SHOW MEMORY indicates that there is enough memory left, no swapped process entry or balance slots... SRP, IRP and IRP have plenty of packets free. There is not excesive paging, and more than enough space on the page files (2) and swapfiles. Is there something that I should be monitoring to better pinpoint the cause of this? BTW, the machine is running VMS 4.7, and has 9 MB of main memory. Thank you in advance for any suggestions... Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 469 1 replies Reply to # 466 Left by: V JAMES KRAMMES On 10-Nov-89 At : (614) 228-2001X341 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) Ron, I didn't get my tape directly from DECUS. I got it from somebody who got it from somebody who got it from DECUS. The GNU stuff (assembler, C compiler, BISON [YACC clone] and a couple of others) was all under a directory named VAX88A1, if that means anything. I've been told that I am running a beta release of this compiler and that another version is available, but my connection doesn't have it yet. I suppose that if I had to, I could break down and pay the media&doc fee that the Free Software Foundation lists in some of the accompanying documents, but I prefer to leave that as the last resort. Besides, after 8 month's use and close to 200,000 lines of code I've yet to _need_ any support. The compiler has performed admirably. I can cut you a tape (TU81 or TK50) if you want. Call me after 11/19/89 at (614) 228-2001 x 341. I'll be out of the office from 11/13 to 11/17, though. --Jim VMS SIG Message # 1133 0 replies Left by: JOHN E. BABBITT, JR. On 10-Nov-89 At : (206) 343-2333 Subject: BACKUP/LIST/BRIEF Does anyone out there have the microfiche to VMS v5.2 BACKUP? Can someone tell me where I can put a patch in to generate the file revision date instead of the file creation date when doing a BACKUP/LIST/BRIEF? I think it would be a simple task, as if we just search for ATR$C_CREDATE and replacing it with ATR$C_REVDATE. Your feedback/research will be much appreciated. John E. Babbitt, Jr. Systems Manager IPC Pension Services Co., Inc. 1215 Fourth Ave, 12th Floor Seattle, WA 98111 (206) 343-2333 GRAPHICS SIG Message # 96 0 replies Reply to # 76 Left by: AL SOLBERG On 10-Nov-89 At : Subject: REGIS TO HPGL You can get a converter from regis to hpgl from decus. I believe it is VAX 297. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 667 1 replies Left by: GLENN TAYLOR On 10-Nov-89 At : 816-997-4660 (voice) Subject: VAX/VMS BULLETIN BOARD I am looking for a bulletin board system to run on a VAX under VMS. I would prefer to pay as little as possible (free is nice). We have a rather large DECnet in plant, and we would like to share information. We looked into VAX NOTES and were shocked at the price. I was even wondering if the ARIS BBS sources were available. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 470 0 replies Reply to # 469 Left by: ABRAHAM A. SULEIMAN On 10-Nov-89 At : UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) The GNU C language compiler for VAX/VMS is a product from THE FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION 675 MASS AVE. CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 Phone: (617) 876-3296 The cost of the compiler is $150 and they accept donations (they're a non-profit organization.) I ordered my copy of the compiler and I expect it anytime next week. You get the compiler source code (which is a BIG plus) and a lot of unix-like utilities with that too. They also sell the ORIGINAL Emacs editor for the same price. VMS SIG Message # 1134 0 replies Left by: GEORGE GRIMES On 10-Nov-89 At : (408)437-5305 Subject: VMS SIG Message # 1135 0 replies Reply to # 1132 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 10-Nov-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: NEW PROCS IN RWMBX STATE Pedro, If you have software support it's time to scream for help from Colorado. If not, it might prove interesting to do a SHOW DEVICE/FULL MB: from one of your working processes. Do you know if the hung processes have started to execute SYLOGIN.COM? Do have anything in SYLOGIN.COM that might use a mailbox? DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 668 0 replies Reply to # 667 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 10-Nov-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: VAX/VMX BULLETIN BOARD This topic just came up a few days ago in the Laser Printer SIG. See message number 98 in that SIG. UTILITIES SIG Message # 417 0 replies Reply to # 383 Left by: MICHAEL M. FRAZIER On 11-Nov-89 At : 714 788 7490 Subject: CONTINUATION OF LAST MESS Sorry for the long delay of replying back to you. I haven't been able to get back on Aris for a while.... Anyway... WHAT.EXE is a program (That I have no idea where it came from) that seem to be able to watch processes, files that are open (all disks), look at the UAF (and sort it for display purposes), show circuits, and many other things that I never really got a chance to use! It allows you to create a init file so you can set up the screen, and it has a command line much like the TOPS 20 from the old DECSYSTEM/20's (Tab completes the command and ? will show what the options are at the current spot of the command. It uses SMG's to window, so you can show processes on the system while also showing the files open (This is slow but great!!). It even has logic so that you can put in your init file: IF PROCESS <> "FRAZIER" THEN EXCLUDE (This would show all processes but my own). Anyway, you can probably see why I miss it. Let me know if you, or anyone else has ever come across something like this. Give me a phone call if you do. later... Mike UTILITIES SIG Message # 418 0 replies Reply to # 385 Left by: MICHAEL M. FRAZIER On 11-Nov-89 At : 714 788 7490 Subject: WHAT.EXE Thanks, I'll try that... TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 331 0 replies Reply to # 330 Left by: NIK On 11-Nov-89 At : Subject: VT330 MULTISESSION PROGRA Need more input. What are you trying to do? VMS SIG Message # 1136 0 replies Left by: NIK On 11-Nov-89 At : Subject: 8MM/TU58 TRIVIA I'm upgrading my 8530 from v4.7 to v5.2 today, so I have alot of time on my hands. TU58 tape cartridge: (without case) Weighs 2 oz., contains 512 blocks, is 3.1875" by 2.4375" by .4375" and has about 157 ft. of tape. 8mm, tape cassette can store 2,300,000,000 bytes, 4,492,190 blocks. If you put the same amount of data on TU58's, you would need 8,774 tapes. They would: weigh in at 1,096.75 lbs. About 8 x RA82 drives. consume 2,485.36 cu/ft. About 6.184 x RA82 drives. cover 5,680.82 sq/ft. A square 75.3712 ft. wide and long. be about twice as high as one of twin towers in N.Y.C, if they were stacked long end to long end...not confirmed. be 319.885 feet high if stacked flat wise and you would have 1,377,520 feet of tape, that's about 261 miles. Can you imagine doing: $ BAC/VER CSA0:... ...Please mount volume 8774 on CSA0: CPU'S SIG Message # 69 0 replies Left by: BILL STYNE On 12-Nov-89 At : 516-7462350 Subject: VAX/11/730 COMPUTER HOTLINE ( A USED EQUIPMENT CATALOG) HAS SEVERAL LISTINGS EACH WEEK FOR USED 11/730 R80,RL02,W/VMS IN THE $1000-$1200 RANGE. I WOULD BUY A RUNNING 730 SYSTEM OVER A 1200 DOLLAR AT CLONE. QUESTION? WHAT ARE WE REALLY GETTING FOR $1000. HAVE 11/730 SYSTEMS REALLY DEPRECIATED THAT MUCH THAT THEY CAN BE GIVEN AWAY? ALL SPECULATION WELCOMED! VMS SIG Message # 1137 0 replies Reply to # 1091 Left by: RICHARD HAMMERSLEY On 12-Nov-89 At : 617-821-3579 Subject: RA60 DISK PACK RECYCLE Do you really need removable disks ? Replacement RA60 disk are getting close to the cost of a used RA81. I have had your problem and did not find a refurbisher of 60's packs. CPU'S SIG Message # 70 0 replies Reply to # 69 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 13-Nov-89 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: VAX/11/730 They have gotten that cheap alright. If you read on in computer hot line, you will see a lot of their component parts are for sale - they have gotten so cheap, that they are being busted up for parts. Think carefully, though, before you get one of these for a hobby system. I have, and, while I am perfectly satisfied with mine, they are not for everyone. They make a lot of fan and disk drive noise, and generate a lot of heat. THey take up more space than a PC desktop systems. They also consume a lot of power. If it breaks, you better be comfortable with doing your own trouble shooting, 'cause you sure won't be able to afford DEC field service. THey don't have very big disks (approx 121 Mbytes on the R80) and their controllers won't suppport more than one. They are also slower than I have a simile for - approx .25 to .3 VUP Licensing will be an issue, as most of these systems have a pretty cold paperwork trail, and a lot of resellers have no idea of how to transfer one even if they are entitled to. Layered products for VAXen cost much more than for a PC, and they cannot legally be transferred. If you want, say, FORTAN or BASIC, be ready to pay more than you did for the hardware. On the plus side, though, if you want a UNIBUS VAX to hack around on, it's an ideal system. It's cheaper than any of the MicroVAXen, and there is Lots of junk UNIBUS gear available, cheap, so there is plenty of opportunity for hardware experimentation. I like to get old obsolste UNIBUS sub systems, and plug 'em in and write drivers for them. You can also do things to the hardware that you would never try on the multi million dollar cluster at work. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 479 0 replies Left by: DON HOPINGS On 13-Nov-89 At : 419.247.4291 Subject: NETWORKED MACINTOSHS I am looking for comments regarding the networking of Macintoshs with a 6210(VMS) and MicroVaxes(VMS) and Silicon Graphics and Intergraph workstations. Existing machines are on Ethernet with DECnet between the VAXes and TCP/IP between the large VAX and the workstations. Are there any favored combinations of software and hardware? TCP/IP would be preferred, but DECnet is also OK. However, AppleTalk is not acceptable since it would add a the unnecessary complication of a third protocol. Connectivity requirements are for remote logins, terminal emulation and file transfer. Initially the MAC will run the native operating system. A/UX is a possibility for the future. Any suggestions out there? VMS SIG Message # 1138 0 replies Reply to # 12 Left by: DAVID TRAHAN On 13-Nov-89 At : 508-942-2000 Subject: RE: IDENTIFIERS VIA PROGR John's trick of using $FIND_HELD and $GETJPI works great assuming the user hasn't granted or revoked the ID to/from himself during the session (uses the dynamic attribute for IDs in UAF). Unfortunately, $FIND_HELD simply searches the rightlist database for users who will get the identifyer upon login. It DOES NOT check processes currently executing. I tried to do the same thing. As near as I can tell the only way to find an active users identifyers would be to take apart the users PCB and/or process header using system routines found on VMS fiche. NO FUN! Dave T VMS SIG Message # 1139 0 replies Left by: DAVID TRAHAN On 13-Nov-89 At : 508-942-2000 Subject: PROCESS ACCOUNT # I'm looking for suggestions on ways for a user to change his current account number. I don't mean changing it in the SYSUAF.DAT file, but rather changing the number he is currently charging to, so that when he logs out, the session will go to the new number. I reallize it's probably not TOO difficult to use the PID_to_PCB system routine to get the PCB, find the offset for ACCOUNT number and modify it accordingly, but if the program already exists on a DECUS tape, it would save me some time. Any suggestions? TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 332 0 replies Reply to # 251 Left by: DANIEL MULHERN On 13-Nov-89 At : 513-253-4770 Subject: POSTSCRIPT LASER PRINTERS Check with Graymatter software and Consulting. They have a product called scriptserver that works pretty well. VMS SIG Message # 1140 0 replies Reply to # 1135 Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 13-Nov-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: NEW PROCS IN RWMBX STATE Richard, I have done the $ SHOW DEV/FUL MB command, but I'm not sure of what I'm looking for... is it maybe a high number of Operations Completed, or maybe Reference Count? or inadecuate Default Buffer Size...? Where could I get information on how these MailBoxes affect the system, and how their parameters are controlled? Thank you in advance, Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University VMS SIG Message # 1141 1 replies Reply to # 1123 Left by: BRUCE ELLIS On 13-Nov-89 At : THE VASTEK COMPANY Subject: SYS$GW_IJOBCNT IN COBOL Forget SYS$GW_IJOBCNT. The value is meaningless junk after Version 5.2 of VMS. VMS SIG Message # 1142 0 replies Reply to # 1141 Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 13-Nov-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: SYS$GW_IJOBCNT IN COBOL Bruce, Thank you for the info... Will there be any other way to get the interactive job count on 5.2? I'll be upgrading real soon from 4.7 and I would like to be able to use the same program to produce accurate info. Thanks again, Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University VMS SIG Message # 1143 0 replies Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 13-Nov-89 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: VMS 5.2 SORT BUG I have heard that there is a bug in the sort utility (both internal and external) in VMS 5.2. Can anyone confirm/deny this...? I'd like to know before upgrading. I have contacted DEC, but since I don't have software support (phone), I can't talk to Colorado, and my local rep hasn't heard of this proble. My source is a company that provides some of our administrative packages (Information Associates). Thanks, Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 471 0 replies Left by: KEVIN VERBLE On 13-Nov-89 At : 714-998-5500 Subject: VAX C ENVIRONMENT We are starting up a conversion from Vax Basic to Vax C. We are all fairly new to C and are not sure of the best way to set up the development environment. This would be areas such as the C libraries, dealing with portable and non-portable code and anything else for that matter. I would like any suggestions or comments on how to and what's the best way to get going. If you have an environment that works for you I'd like to hear about it. Thanks in advance. Kevin EDITORS SIG Message # 233 0 replies Left by: KEVIN VERBLE On 13-Nov-89 At : 714-998-5500 Subject: SETTING TABSTOPS IN EDT I can't figure out how to set the tabstops in EDT. As near as I can tell there may not be a way. I can set the first one, but not the rest. I'm using EDT on a vaxstation 2000. I tried setting the tabs with the UIS tab logical, but it doesn't carry into EDT. If anybody knows how to set tabs, please leave a message. Thanks in advance. Kevin DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 669 0 replies Left by: KEVIN VERBLE On 13-Nov-89 At : 714-998-5500 Subject: MODEM7 I'd like to get a MODEM7 executable or source code. I saw MODEM7 on Compuserve but it was fortran source. I need either C or Basic. If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance. Kevin MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 617 0 replies Left by: JON SIKORSKY On 13-Nov-89 At : (407)843-5120 Subject: INTERGRAPH I have 11 years experience managing Intergraph Systems both VMS & Unix applications programming, etc... Need a systems manager for your Intergraph ? VMS SIG Message # 1144 0 replies Reply to # 1053 Left by: PAUL FORD On 13-Nov-89 At : University of Chicago 312/702-7411 Subject: PEEKING USERS We've used a trio of products from Precision Business Systems in NYC for a number of years (no address, I'm at home). They are called PHOTO, OBSERVER, and ADVISOR. Pretty inexpensive and they work (with the exception of RT terminals). PHOTO records terminal output for later playback, OBSERVER watches another terminal, ADVISOR lets you type commands to another terminal as well as observing it. Inspired, I think, by commands of the same name in TOPS-20. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 268 0 replies Left by: PAUL FORD On 13-Nov-89 At : UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 312/702-7411 Subject: MODIFIED PAGE LIST PARAMETERS I just digested Bruce Ellis' VAX Professional April 89 article on Modified Page Writing and started poking around comparing some of his recommendations with our current setup with the way autogen works. We've got 64MB with MPW_HILIMIT=10000, MPW_LOLIMIT=9000 and MPW_WRTCLUSTER=96 (the default) (VMS 5.1-1). Autogen sizes them as HILIMIT=MAX(500, memsize/25 ), LOLIMIT=MIN(120, BALSETCNT*3). Ellis recommends keeping HILIMIT-LOLIMIT limited to just a few WRTCLUSTERS, 5 or so. Whoever wrote AUTOGEN doesn't agree, for our system the autogen values difer by around 50 WRTCLUSTERS. Our current setup is closer to the Ellis model, with about a 10 WRTCLUSTER difference, but HILIMIT is twice what autogen would set. Our environment is a lot of academic research use, some moderate Ingres database activity, about 60-70 users, 130 processes, on a 6330. I haven't noticed any particular problems, but I was curious that there seemed to be significantly different interpretations about the best way to tune modified page writing. Any opinions or insights? PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 472 0 replies Reply to # 468 Left by: Rod Falanga On 14-Nov-89 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: PUBLIC DOMAIN COMPILER(S) Richard, I agree with you. A fast algorithm when implemented well within a high level language is most likely (if not always) faster than a slower algorithm which has been poorly implemented in MACRO. Rod PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 473 0 replies Reply to # 471 Left by: ROD FALANGA On 14-Nov-89 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: VAX C ENVIRONMENT I have an programming environment which I like a lot and I use it all the time in my C and FORTRAN development. It is a rather large selection of DCL code which I use to manage object libraries, text libraries and linking and so I. Unfortunately, it is rather large (i.e.: I would rather NOT try to upload it to ARIS, besides I don't think the Sysops will let me.) I got it from a fellow who used to work at the Space Telescope Science Institute. I think that it might be available on a DECUS tape, but I can't say for sure. Rod Falanga COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 317 0 replies Left by: RALPH BRANDT On 14-Nov-89 At : 717-751-5210 Subject: SNA GATEWAY We have twoo of the beasties. One is the older 32 port the other the brand sapnking new 128 port model. Can ASCII printers be attached to the network and used as if tey were IBM printers ? We seem to get conflicting answers froom DEC. If anyone has one of these and is using printers, I'll spend the price of a phone call to discuss it. VMS SIG Message # 1145 2 replies Left by: JOE O'CONNOR On 14-Nov-89 At : BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM Subject: READING BLOCK I/O We are currently running VMS v5.1 and PCSA v2.2 and experiencing a problem dealing with files that exist on the PC's. In particular, a graphics stream file that is too large to send to a system printer/plotter on the network. Upon entering the print command the following error message appears: %TYPE-W-READERR, error reading 'filename' -RMS-W-RTB, 67843 byte record too large for user's buffer %TYPE-F-WRITEERR, error writing SYS$OUTPUT:.; -RMS-F-RSZ, invalid record size The same thing occurs when you attempt to type this file to the terminal screen. The PC has no problem with the file in DOS format, but the VAX chokes on it. There seems to be no way to convert this file from stream to another RMS format that would be easier to deal with. Reading this file using Block I/O seems to be one solution. Does anyone know of any utilities or another method to accomplish the same thing? Now that we're using PC's in this manner, these files will become more common. Any help would be appreciated. VMS SIG Message # 1146 0 replies Left by: RICK MARSH On 14-Nov-89 At : 5036872520 Subject: LOGIN.MAR Mr. Goatly, I loved your login.mar. Now can you tell me how to do: define/key? I do a jillion of them. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 333 0 replies Reply to # 331 Left by: BOB STEWART On 14-Nov-89 At : XYPLEX Subject: VT330 MULTISESSION PROGRAMMING I want to be able to write an application program that controls multiple sessions on a VT3xx. My datascope tells me that there are control sequences to do that, but they aren't escape sequences and the look a little complicated. They do things like identify which session data is for, or select a session name or something like that. I could probably figure it out eventually, but I'd be happier, and not as busy, if someone else has it all straight and will pass on the information, or a suggestion as to where it is published. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 480 0 replies Reply to # 479 Left by: MARK PERRY On 14-Nov-89 At : 415-975-4540 Subject: NETWORKED MACINTOSHS Don, To answer your question regarding Macintosh connectivity with DEC systems in general. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the best of all solutions would be to install EtherNet controller cards in your Macintosh workstation. There are currently cards available for the Macintosh II family, Macintosh SE family and external ethernet device for the Macintosh Plus. Excelan/Kinetics offers all these controller cards. Each support TCP/IP or DecNet with Alisa Systems TSSNet product. Another method of profiding connectivity with the DEC world is the Kinetics FastPath LocalTalk/Ethernet gateway. This would allow a workgroup of Macintoshs to communicate over Ethernet with either TCP/IP or Decnet. Good solution if you currently have Localtalk cabling! Granted that the speed of Localtalk is slower than Ethernet. Products from Kinetics: EtherPort II $595 EtherPort SE $595 EtherPort IIL(lattisnet) $695 EtherPort SEL $695 EtherSC - currently not being sold FastPath - $2795 (allows 30 Macintosh's on Localtalk) LWP for Macintosh (Telnet/FTP) - $145 TSSNet - From Alisa Systems in Southern Calif. If you have any other questions or need more information regarding this subject, please feel free to call me at the above phone number. Mark Perry Technical Support, Kinetics/Excelan VMS SIG Message # 1147 0 replies Reply to # 1145 Left by: NIK ABBOT On 14-Nov-89 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: READING BLOCK I/O VMS SIG Message # 1148 0 replies Reply to # 1145 Left by: NIK ABBOT On 14-Nov-89 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: READING BLOCK I/O I used the NFT utility, Network File Transfer. It's in the \DECNET directory. E:\DECNET>NFT COPY/IMAGE/BLOCK...etc. copies the file to "FIXED 512" rather than "STREAM". I suppose you could even do: E:\DECNET>NFT COPY/IMAGE/BLOCK C:FILE.PIC NODE"USERNAME PASSWORD"::LTA1: I just tried the above, It works, but only on non-spooled LTA's. I believe the username and password are required. I kept getting "Device not ready" without them. I don't have any printers on my TXA's, so I don't know whether spooled or not is a factor with them. If your device is used as a print queue you'll have to unspool it: $ stop/next $ set dev/nospool ltan: $ start/que CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 481 0 replies Reply to # 480 Left by: SIMON BROWN On 15-Nov-89 At : HERE Subject: NETWORKED MACINTOSHS Here we have _many_ MAcs hooked up to a VAX in two different ways, one using Ethernet cards talking APLLETALK to the VAX. The VAX runs APPLETALK for VMS. This all comes from Alisa Systems. Other Macs use localtalk and have a Kinetics Fastpath as a Gateway. This is slower than Ethernet, but works a charm - plug it in, switch it on, watch the LEDs. Our APPLE manager recommends these solutions. Although we have SUNs using TCP/IP, we haven't hooked the MACs up to the SUNs. Once more, Kinetics stuff is recommended here. Simon. VMS SIG Message # 1150 0 replies Reply to # 1139 Left by: BRUCE ELLIS On 15-Nov-89 At : THE VASTEK COMPANY Subject: PROCESS ACCOUNT # I do not know if anything exists on the sig tapes. However, if you have a problem locating a program to perform the changes you can locate your PCB, simply by entering kernel mode with the $CMKRNL system service. Once you have entered kernel mode R4 contains your PCB address. form there you can go to PCB$L_JIB to locate the Job Information Block. In the JIB the account name is stored in the field JIB$T_ACCOUNT and is JIB$S_ACCOUNT bytes long. You also have to change the field CTL$T_ACCOUNT. This field is located in your process P1 space. To change this information for another process is non-trivial, since the P1 space location would require the queueing of an AST. I assume that you would also want to write an accounting record for the process changing its account name. To do this you would want to jsb to exe$prcdelmsg. This routine also blows away batch jobs, so you might want to investigate the counterpart routine. I hope this helps. I have written a couple different versions of this code, but none of them exist anywhere than my memory. VMS SIG Message # 1151 1 replies Left by: DAVID E. BALDWIN On 15-Nov-89 At : (412) 823-7440 Subject: DIAL UP MODEM LINES In a related article published in the Nov '89 edition of DEC Pro, Cristopher Atkins (SIG 37/MESS 940) "Aristalk page 32 'MODEM BLUES'" asked how to get a modem to hang up when the remote user disconnects. The response to his query works fine. However I have a problem with the other side of the coin. Not only do I want my modems to hang up when a remote user disconnects, but I want the process terminated. If a second user dials in on the same line that the first user just disconnected from, he presses RETURN a few times and gets a dollar sign. The first user`s process never terminated and now the second user is logged into his username with all his privileges. Needless to say, this is a serious security problem. Is there a way (softwarewise) that VMS can terminate the process when the modem disconnects the call (and the user neglected to logout)? The I/O Users Manual (Part I, sect 8.2.3 page 8-12) says that a CTRL/Y is delivered and DCL is responsible for process deletion ... What if CTRL/Y is disabled ($ SET NO CONTROL=Y) ? Does this also mean that my users needs to be in a captive account where a logout is forced in his LOGIN.COM if he/she reaches a dollar sign? David E. Baldwin MCS, Inc. 400 Penn Center Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5658 (412) 823-7440 SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 327 0 replies Reply to # 324 Left by: LAURIE MAYTROTT On 15-Nov-89 At : 407-783-0300 Subject: NETWORK TAPE BACKUP THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE HELP. BETWEEN THE INFO I RECEIVED HERE, DSIN INFO, FEEDBACK FROM SOMEONE DOING THIS DOWN IN THE MIAMI AREA, I FINALLY GOT IT TO WORK! THANKS TO ALL! - LAURIE VMS SIG Message # 1152 0 replies Left by: LAURIE MAYTROTT On 15-Nov-89 At : 407-783-0300 Subject: BROKEN DEBUGGER IN 5.2? I SPENT MY VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY UPGRADING OUR MICROVAX 3500 TO VMS 5.2 AND SOMEONE ELSE SPENT HIS SUNDAY UPGRADING OUR VAX 11/750. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO GO WELL AND THE NEW "SHOW USERS/FULL" ALMOST MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE. BOTH SYSTEMS ARE NOW AT 5.2 AND HAVE FORTRAN 5.2 ON THEM. NOW WHEN WE COMPILE & LINK A FORTRAN PROGRAM ON THE 750, WE GET AN ACCESS VIOLATION AS SOON AS WE TRY TO "STEP" OR "GO" IN THE DEBUGGER. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FINE ON THE MICROVAX! I'VE LOOKED OVER THE UPGRADE PRINTOUTS AND CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WE DID DIFFERENTLY BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS. ARE WE GOING CRAZY OR HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS? YOUR INPUT IS APPRECIATED! PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 474 0 replies Reply to # 418 Left by: DONALD FACEY On 15-Nov-89 At : Subject: SET TERM CHARACTERISTICS Setting the terminal from COBOL can be accomplished as follows: In working storage define the command for example: 01 DCLCOMMAND PIC X(18) VALUE 'SET TERM/WIDTH=132'. In the procedure division: CALL 'LIB$SPAWN' USING BY DESCRIPTOR DCLCOMMAND. If you want to return the screen to 80 columns at the end, you can use the samme procedure with a different command. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 482 0 replies Left by: JAMES SALTER On 15-Nov-89 At : HERE Subject: NETWARE/VMS SERVICE I would like to hear from some folks that have Netware for vms and what kind if any problems they have had with it,and what kind of support they have gotten from Novell. VMS SIG Message # 1153 0 replies Reply to # 1151 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 15-Nov-89 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: DIAL UP MODEM LINES David, SET NOCONTROL=Y will not affect the termination of your process when you hang up the phone, provided that everything else is set up properly. In order for VMS to realize that a user has hung up the phone several things must be set up properly. 1. The terminal must be set /MODEM. This tells the driver that it must generate, and respond to, modem control signals. 2. The multiplexer or server must support modem control signals. 3. The modem must be cabled properly; in particular, pin 8 (carrier detect), and pin 6 (data set ready) must be wired. These signals should not be jumpered to other pins. The DEC BC22E cable (or equivalent) is normally the proper cable to use. 4. The modem options must be set properly. The modem should assert carrier detect when it detects carrier from the remote modem. It should drop carrierdetect when it loses carrier from the remote modem. Many modems have an option to force carrier detect on at all times.