VMS SIG Message # 1230 1 replies Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 02-Jan-90 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: VMS 5.0 IMAGE INSTALL @ SYSTARTUP I went through a failed attempt to upgrade our 8250 from 4.7 to 5.0, and noticed that the VMSIMAGES.COM command file is missing from VMS 5.0. Since as I said, the installation wasn't successful (DEC didn't send me a PAK for DECNET) I did not get to play with the new release much, but I was wondering if this command file has been replaced by a similar one, or do I have to write my own? If there is not a replacement for this command file in 5.x, any suggestions for installing the site-specific images would be appreciated. VMSIMAGES was very convenient since you could use a data file to specify which images you wanted installed. Thank you in advance, Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 655 1 replies Reply to # 654 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 02-Jan-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: ANYBODY AN AMAET MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 656 0 replies Reply to # 655 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 02-Jan-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: Amateurs Recognized so far... Oops on message 655. A little bit of QRM! Well so far I have noted Simon Brown GD4ELI with a very interesting home QTH (checked the callbook), John Rice K9IJ, and Brett Bump's brother-in-law(?) WB0TYA. Maybe there are more out there who haven't been on ARIS lately. From the people I have met on the local repeater, a large portion are computer junkies so I gather we will have more. And Brett, a little bit of study or memorization and you can get a license fast. Then of course you find yourself with a $10000 wish list and neighbors whose TV's suddenly go haywire! As for the KMV11 isn't that a DDCMP only device? I think you would need either a DPV11 or KMV1A to perform AX.25. It should be possible. You need the VHF modem and something to interpret the protocol. I believe the specification is available from ARRL. --... ...-- Robert G. Schaffrath de N2JTX System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 VMS SIG Message # 1231 0 replies Reply to # 1230 Left by: MARK E LEVY On 02-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: VMS 5.0 IMAGE INSTALL @ST Did you actually complete the entire installation procedure? VMSIMAGES.DAT gets created by AUTOGEN which is run when the mandatory update is applied. If you need more info, leave me a message here (with a phone #) and I'll be glad to give you a call. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 677 0 replies Left by: ROY MILANO On 02-Jan-90 At : (914)694-9200 X138 Subject: HOW CA I TALK TO A AS400 I am currently looking for a way to be able to both send/receive mail (vms or All-in1-) and provide interactive sessions between a Vax 8600 running VMS and an IBM AS/400 running OS/400 and OS office system. We currently have vms 4.7 and have WOLLONGONG TCP/IP ROY MILANO HITACHI METALS AMERICA 2400 westchester Ave Purchase, N.Y. 10577 (914)694-9200 x138 VMS SIG Message # 1232 1 replies Left by: DAVID ROBISON On 02-Jan-90 At : 702-364-8633 Subject: TS11 TAPE ERROR I have an 11/785 system with a TS11 tape driver. Periodicaly I get the following message %BACKUP-F-LABELERR, error in tape label processing on MSA0:xxxxxxxxxxxx -SYSTEM-F-DRVERR, fatal drive error Can any one tell me what this error means and what are the situations that can cause this error? Any help would be appriciated. VMS SIG Message # 1233 0 replies Reply to # 1232 Left by: DAVE DESROCHES On 02-Jan-90 At : (508) 875-7511 Subject: TS11 TAPE ERROR I have a TSV05 on a MicroVAX II and have seen similar problems. Usually the first thing I try is to clean my tape drive (dirty tapes can leave deposits quicker than you might imagaine). This usually works for me. Otherwise, check the error rates you are receiving in the error log to see if you might have a controller problem. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 346 0 replies Reply to # 338 Left by: DAVID ROBISON On 02-Jan-90 At : 702-364-8633 Subject: NETWORK TAPE BACKUP The secrit is to open the decnet connection early with the command $ open netlog sys$net This will confirm the decnet connection and will prevent a time out. If you still have problems, feal free to give me a call. VMS SIG Message # 1234 1 replies Left by: JOHN P. FLYNN On 02-Jan-90 At : 615-269-2266 Subject: CDD.DIC PROTECTION Greetings, My [SYS0.SYSEXE]CDD.DIC file had no world-read access, so I changed the UIC-based protection and the ACL to allow this. This worked. However, something keeps changing the protection back to how it was set originally, which is (S:RWED,O,G,W) with an ACL like: (ID=%X80010005,ACCESS=...) (ID=[*,*],ACCESS=NONE) After I defined a security alarm on the file, it appears that the changes are done by some batch jobs which use Datatrieve. Not all such batch jobs appear to do it, however, and no interactive jobs appear to do it. The batch jobs do not appear to explicitly mess with the protection on any files. I'm sure there's an obvious explanation for what's going on. Does anyone know? Thanks- John. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 663 0 replies Reply to # 653 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 02-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD Randall, You can get the LK-201 in various flavors from DEC. If you need a PC keyboard, what you want is the LK250, also available from DEC. A company called KEA Systems makes an LK-201 lookalike for PCs. VMS SIG Message # 1235 0 replies Reply to # 1234 Left by: JOHN RICE On 02-Jan-90 At : 708-438-7011 Subject: CDD.DIC PROTECTION Look to see if the version number of the CDD.DIC file is incrementing. Then look for a batch job calling CDDV and doing VERIFY and COMPRESS. When CDDV compresses the DICTIONARY file, it writes a new version of the file. It's possible that the new file is then created with new protection, very likely protection/ACL's derived by the protection codes on the directory in which the CDD resides. J.R. CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 129 0 replies Left by: MIKE STEVENS On 03-Jan-90 At : 919-541-2711 Subject: 'CHRISLIN IND. MEMORY' HELP!! I've got several 256 KB memory boards for a PDP-11 built by Chrislin Industries Caribe - that I understand has been bought out by another company several years ago. I inherited these boards and have no documentation for them. The model ## is CI-1123. Does anyone have a copy of the documentation sets or know who purchased the company? Any help is appreciated - thanks in advance!! - Mike. VMS SIG Message # 1236 1 replies Left by: MICHAEL R. PARROTT On 03-Jan-90 At : 1-416-429-4411 X3362 Subject: V5 MEMORY USAGE I have a concern about the new 'feature' in VMS V5 memory usage. The output from a SHOW MEMORY displays a field "Reservable". This is a new field and I have asked Digital about it. "What values are normal?" "What calculation is being used?" "Why is it there?" and "Why is there air?" the usual. Since I received an inadequate response from them, I was hoping the folks at VAX Professional could help. On most systems the value is negative. Is that 'normal'? Any information would be appreciated. yours, mp VMS SIG Message # 1237 1 replies Reply to # 1235 Left by: JOHN FLYNN On 03-Jan-90 At : 615-269-2266 Subject: CDD.DIC PROTECTION John, Thanks for the excellent hints. However, no new versions of the CDD.DIC are being created. I'm dealing with my original version of the file, dated 3 years ago. John. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 390 1 replies Left by: SCOT SHAW On 03-Jan-90 At : (615)377-1707 Subject: UIC TRANSLATION I have an application that uses the GETUAI System Service call to extract information from UAF. Part of the info extracted is the UIC, which happens to be a longword. How can I translate this longword into the Member and Group Numbers? It seems as though I recall a RTL Routine or another System Service Call that did this. Thanks, DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 678 0 replies Reply to # 677 Left by: IBM HATER On 03-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HOW CA I TALK TO A AS400 Don't bother trying to connect the AS/400. Just junk it. You'll save lots of money and frustration. VMS SIG Message # 1238 0 replies Reply to # 1236 Left by: Serge Stein On 03-Jan-90 At : (312) 507-4296 Subject: V5 MEMORY USAGE The Reservable count indicates, as I understand it, the number of blocks that would be left in the page file if every user currently using the particular page file used up their available page file quota. "Normal" depends on how your system is tuned, the applications running, the typical number of users logged on, etc., etc. However, it is very common to see negative numbers, in most situations this is what you would expect. The more static the system the closer to zero you would tune the number. It's a fairly useful metric on some systems, although its looks can be deceiving. Serge APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 391 0 replies Reply to # 390 Left by: Serge Stein On 03-Jan-90 At : (312) 507-4296 Subject: UIC TRANSLATION Scot, The routine I believe you're looking for is SYS$FAO. The !%U directive translates a longword UIC to the form "[ggg,mmm]". The !%I directive will convert a longword UIC to the form "[group_identifier,member_identifier]". If you need the group and member numbers by themselves you should be able to get binary word representations from SYS$GETUAI and use the !OW directive of SYS$FAO to get the octal numbers. Luck, Serge VMS SIG Message # 1239 0 replies Reply to # 1237 Left by: JOHN FLYNN On 03-Jan-90 At : 615-269-2266 Subject: CDD.DIC PROTECTION Additional information: The problem with resetting protection on CDD.DIC does in fact occur when exiting Datatrieve interactively. But only when this is done from the node in my mixed-version cluster that is running VMS A5.1-1 and DTR 4.2 and CDD 4.1. From my other node, running VMS 4.7 and DTR 4.1 and CDD 3.4, this problem does not occur. This problem has nothing to do with batch jobs, as I previously thought. So, it appears to be something in Datatrieve 4.2 that, upon exiting, resets the protection on CDD.DIC. Any more hints? John. PC'S SIG Message # 259 0 replies Left by: NIK On 03-Jan-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: JUST FOR KICKS AND REBOOTS VMS v5.2 and PCSA v2.2. Remember the TV shows that had dangerous stunts on them and then the host of the show would say, "Now these are trained, experience men. These stunts should NOT be performed at home!" I got curious to see what would happen if I tried to create a disk service on a tape drive. So I defined LAD$APPLICATION_DISKS to MUA0:[], mounted the tapee and went intothe PCSA_MANANGER menu to create a service. The container file was created and the size was allocated alright but then everything got real slow, my system crashed. I never did get the statement from my HOST...get it? HOST?... Anyway, wouldn't it be nice if PCSA had a facilty to allow a PC user to "BACKUP" his/her C: drive to a tape drive on the server? Incidently, I learned something new today. With LAT installed and using the SETHOST utility. I can SETHOST to services define in my terminal servers, from my PC. (ie. modems) APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 392 0 replies Reply to # 391 Left by: SCOT SHAW On 04-Jan-90 At : (615)377-1707 Subject: UIC TRANSLATION Worked like a champ. Thanks for the assist. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 505 1 replies Reply to # 504 Left by: On 04-Jan-90 At : Subject: LOCAL TO REMOTE VAX FILE CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 506 0 replies Reply to # 505 Left by: JOHN WARDEN On 04-Jan-90 At : 508-681-0600 X4561 Subject: LOCAL TO REMOTE VAX FILE Thanks, Dave. Come to find out, many of the files are indexed. Think that leaves KERMIT out. Have been trying to create an async ddcmp link over a modem line (unsuccessful at this point in time - modem configurations.... speed, flow control, buffering, etc?!?). Have any suggestions? DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 679 0 replies Reply to # 677 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 04-Jan-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: HOW CA I TALK TO A AS400 Roy, If you open your window and yell out I'll probably hear you! I am in that big white building down the road from you (the Taj Mahal)! Here at GF we are slowly migrating to AS/400's. I seem to recall that there is a third-party solution to your problem. Currently, IBM has issued a 'position statement' that they will support OSI sometime down the road. However, nothing is available now that I know of Essentially, you have two options. Look for an X.400 MAIL environment or TCP/IP. TCP/IP is probably the better alternative now. If I recall, you said you had Woollongong(sp?) TCP/IP already running. We were using that in our Houston plant via a Mitek box. It provided communication to a System/38. In this environment we had TELNET for terminal access to the System/38 and we had MAIL courtesy of All-in-Fun (Message Router). You might check with Mitek (sorry, no address handy) and see what they are doing with AS/400's. As for the IBM hater, that is a rather narrow minded attitude. While I agree that DEC's overall computing strategy is better than IBM's, in the real world we have to coexist. And here in Westchester County (IBM's living room) it is a necessity! If we were to simply opt for the best architecture and forget everyone else, a VAX would not be my choice. While VMS is an excellent operating system (probably the best general purpose system around), I think the Data General Eclipse/MV series have a superior CPU architecture over the VAX (after all, DG had a VAX to look at when they built their machine). Only problem is that DG's AOS/VS is not as good as VMS so we opt for the VAX. Now if I could get VMS to run on an MV/20000... Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 (physically located at) 800 Westchester Avenue <-- pretty close to 2400 Westchester Ave. Rye Brook, NY 10573 COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 319 2 replies Left by: AL LILIANSTROM On 04-Jan-90 At : 708-719-7128 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS A while back someone left a message regarding some BASIC programs that allowed him to communicate with terminal servers. I was searching thru ARIS trying to find your name to contact you but had no luck. Could you please post your name and how to contact you again. Thanks in advance, Al VMS SIG Message # 1240 0 replies Left by: ANTONIO CARLINI On 04-Jan-90 At : PMS COMMS (UK) Subject: EXECUTIVE LOADABLE IMAGES I am about to write a user-written system service which needs to have certain code sitting in non-paged pool (basically I want to submit this code as the target of a special Kernel mode AST to be executed by another process). There appear to be at least two ways of doing this. One way is to write a privileged shareable image which incorporates a change mode dispatcher, have it allocate non-paged pool do its stuff and have the AST routine deallocate it again. It would be neater (and save time) to have a loadable executive image containing the service routine and the AST code loaded at boot time. That part is easy and documented. However there seems to be no documented way of getting to the code. The standard VMS Change Mode to Kernel dispatcher will, apparently, call a routine specified at EXE$GL_USRCHMK - this appears to be a cell designed to hold the address of a system-wide user-specified Change Mode dispatcher. It would appear therefore that the lodable image's initialisation routine could put the address of its dispatcher in that cell (after saving the contents) and expect to get called whenever VMS's dispatcher fails to recognise the CHMK code. Of course if it does not recognise the code either it must chain to the previous contents of EXE$GL_USRCHMK. My question is: has anybody any idea whether this will work? Has anybody already done this? Or is there a better way? Antonio Carlini, Systems Manager, PMS Communications SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 347 0 replies Reply to # 336 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HITMAN PROCESS KILLER Thanks for the info. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 664 0 replies Reply to # 638 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: PRAISE PROFESSIONAL PRESS indeed deserves our praise for offering this service. I dropped a note to DEC's Electronic Store saying that it would be great if they'd offer a place for users to converse. They replied that they didn't want to get involved in that. Oh well. I guess we just need to publicize PROFESSIONAL's magazines and this service so this becomes even more popular. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 665 0 replies Reply to # 654 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: ANYBODY AN AMAET I'm not a ham, but I try to pick "y'all" up. I'm just a SWL. VMS SIG Message # 1241 0 replies Reply to # 1232 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: TS11 TAPE ERROR Do you have the full VMS Doc set? If not, I could run upstairs here and check what it says the error may be. VAX/ELN SIG Message # 26 0 replies Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! CP/RSX VERSUS VAXELN VAX/ELN SIG Message # 27 0 replies Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! CP/RSX VERSUS VAX/ELN Did anyone out there compare DEC's RSX coprocessor that fits into a MicroVAX (etc.) to the VAX/ELN? CP/RSX is cheaper up front, but it'll be phased out sooner. Personally I'm inclined to go with ELN with more tools, etc. available over the CP/RSX. Anyone out there knowledgable? VAX/ELN SIG Message # 28 0 replies Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! C VERSUS ADA, ETC. We're contemplating CP/RSX versus VAX/ELN. We're also not sure what languages to explore if we go with either. Does anyone have experience with DEC's VAXELN/Ada or VAXELN/C ? Are there many software tools to speed up development? Our application would be unmanned machine control on the factory floor. Input would be through Burr-Brown type of stripped down keyboards with one-line LCD displays. If you have non-DEC suggestions I would be interested in hearing that, too. Thanks. RSX SIG Message # 287 0 replies Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! DECUS C (OR OTHER) Here I am with an old Pascal-like proprietary language on a proprietary operating system on an LSI-11. I want to upgrade to a modern language with a modern editor (EDT or EVE is sufficient). One school of thought here is to keep using our LSI-11 boards and use DECUS C and use DEC's "CP/RSX" coprocessor board for compilation. Another school of thought (and it costs more UPFRONT) is to move to VAX/ELN and replace the LSI-11 boards with KA620's and memory boards (will cost about $4000 per computer). Application: machine control out on the factory floor. Is anyone using DECUS C and would choose another (compatible) language if they were to do it again? (Etc.) Does anyone have any thoughts here? Thanks. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 280 0 replies Reply to # 268 Left by: BRUCE ELLIS On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MODIFIED PAGE LIST PARAME There are a few areas where "whoever wrote AUTOGEN" I disagree. My objective is to minimize I/O activity. With a difference of 50 MPW_WRTCLUSTERs you are talking about fifty very large I/Os, assuming the Modified page list gets up to the HILIMIT. This is a large amount of disk activity. If you are running Ingres, I would bet that the Modified page list (MPL) rarely gets that large. Most database applications tend to be fairly extensive users of global sections. Assuming that these are temporary sections, your modified page list is being "flushed" to zero regularly. So you probably wouldn't be experiencing the large writes that could potentially occur. I contend that the developer that wrote AUTOGEN bases most of his/her calculations on the development systems, which are most likely different from most systems in the real world. This is not a knock on the AUTOGEN people. In any performance environment you should understand your workload and apply the theory to meet your needs. If you're experiencing "flushing," you might note that the Version 5.2 solution may be worse than the pre-5.2 problem. This is due to the SWAPPER algorithm for guaranteeing that pages which should be written, indeed are. A smaller difference between the HILIMIT and MPW_LOWAITLIMIT parameters becomes more crucial until this searching behavior is corrected. As for the reasoning behind the AUTOGEN settings, I recommend you take the question directly to the VMS Performance people at DECUS or write them at Spitbrook Rd., Nashua, NH. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 680 0 replies Reply to # 677 Left by: Phil Gravel On 04-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HOW CAn I TALK TO An AS400 Robert Schaffrath is on the right track. I think that the third party he was referring to is SoftSwitch. It is a company that specializes in electronic mail exchange. They are a cooperative marketing partner of IBM's. Try getting some information from your IBM sales rep on the company. If they can't find it, have them call IBM's Engineering and Scientific Center in Dallas. I just read something in one of the trade rags about IBM entering into a special agreement with SoftSwitch to write some software for them. Token-ring to DECnet sticks in my mind for some reason. Phil COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 320 0 replies Reply to # 319 Left by: NIK ABBOT On 04-Jan-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 321 0 replies Reply to # 319 Left by: NIK On 04-Jan-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS It would be nice to be able to "QUIT" out of this editor without leaving a message. Does any know how to do that? Al, the conversations you are looking for are in the SITE MANAGEMENT sig starting at messages #339 and #345. The program I wrote uses the "Remote Console" protocol to communicate with DECservers just as the NCP> CONNECT NODE SERVER does. I'm in the process of rewriting it with comments/readability. You can call me or leave your address here, I'll send you the source when it's done. Once the ethernet port is created, assign channel XQA0, you have to know what to hit the port with in the form of a QIO SETMODE. Then, the rest is just an I/O loop while keeping track of "handshaking". The program is interactive. It just loops until your terminal enters a command, then the AST kicks in and the command you typed gets QIO'd to the port. The server's response is then QIO'd to your terminal during the I/O loop. Of course DEC's Terminal Server Manager does a better job, but this is free. .<>. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 350 1 replies Reply to # 348 Left by: John Rice On 11-Jan-90 At : Here on ARIS Subject: GOING CRAZY Marty, Look at SIG 11, Msg 352. No, you aren't going crazy, It really was there. J.R. ;-} VMS SIG Message # 1251 0 replies Reply to # 1249 Left by: SIMON BROWN On 11-Jan-90 At : ARIS-BOX Subject: ANYONE WITH KNOWLEGE OF A I'm also using DEC Assets - in this case primarilly the File Transfer Spooler, which copies files from one node to another reliably, recovering from crashes, network attacks by System Managers etc. all in al, I recommend this software - at least get the info. from your sales rep. The software I use has a callable interface, which is _very_ useful indeed. Best of luck, Simon COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 325 0 replies Reply to # 324 Left by: NIK On 11-Jan-90 at 10:00 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS It has been pointed out to me by my good friend and neighbor, Robert G. Schaffrath, who joking denys any association with me as a result of some of my more bazaar messages left on the BB. (I try to create a little humor within the context of my messages, no offense. It's all in good fun. Sorry, Bob. I just couldn't take the credit for your discovery.) That SERVER.BAS has a problem with the termination routine, DONE:. Apparently the when the code exits, the "session" to the remote console is not dissolved. There by, creating a situation where a: $ MC NCP CON NODE SERV01 would result in continuation of the previous session...ooops. So, here is the new DONE: routine, first include, "EXTERNAL LONG FUNTION SYS$CANCEL" in the system services department at the top. DONE: eth_cmd = sync(sync_flag) + "LO" + chr$(13% ! logout command to server gosub talk ! pipe it out and read response. eth_cmd = chr$(15%) ! this is the byte of destruction, 0F(16) istat = sys$qiow (,en_chan by value,io$_writevblk by value,,,,& . eth_cmd by ref,1% by value,,,& . loc(extnd_char_buf(10%)::par_id) by value,) ! NOTE: no response from server, it's dead now. ! Close up shop istat = sys$qiow (,en_chan by value,& . (io$_setmode or io$m_ctrl or io$m_shutdown) by value,,,,,,,,,) istat = sys$dassgn (en_chan BY VALUE) istat = sys$cancel (tt_chan by value) istat = sys$dassgn (tt_chan BY VALUE) END ! This is the end. My only friend, the end. I haven't incorporated any error checking, after all it is only a BASIC example of how to communicate with a DECserver. TSM is still better. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 508 1 replies Reply to # 358 Left by: MARK E LEVY On 11-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: ALF ON Contrary to popular belief, ALF does not stand for Alien Life Form. Seriously, the features you described (server/port name) are not supported by ALFMAINT. SYSMAN, however, will allow the entry of the server/port information. SYSMAN:==$SYSMAN SYSMAN ALF ADD blah blah blah Etc. VMS SIG Message # 1252 0 replies Reply to # 265 Left by: MARK SICKING On 11-Jan-90 At : (3140279-5639 Subject: VAX11-C TRNLNM SERV. I Also have been trying for some time to call the TRNLNM system service form VAX C. I finally gave up when I found out that the getenv("LOGNAM") command will do it for me. If then name is not a logical name then it will check the symbol table to see if it is a defined symbol. It's a lot easier. VMS SIG Message # 1253 0 replies Reply to # 1201 Left by: TONY FIORITO On 11-Jan-90 At : 215-781-4140 Subject: DISK TO DISK BACKUPS There is an exabyte BI tape drive available from a company called MegaTape in California. I have one on my 8530 and it works fairly well. Clearpoint makes the controller which sold me on it. With one of the 8mm units you could backup a boatload of RA81s (I backup 4 RA90s to it). The only hitches are 1) do you mind 3rd party stuff in your bus and 2) will your bugdet handle it (it's about $18k). LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 109 1 replies Left by: L. K. HIGHT On 11-Jan-90 At : P.S.E.&G. 244 CHESTNUT ST, SALEM, NJ 08079 Subject: LN03 FONT FILES I would like to create a font file to download to my LN03. The tech manual gives the command to download font files, but I can't find information on what the "DEC standard font file format" is, or how to create my own fonts. I would appreciate any help someone might be able to give to get me started. Thank APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 395 1 replies i Does any one know how to set an integer symbol from a program .? lib$set_symbol allows you to set string symbols only Left by: JAYESH SHAH On 11-Jan-90 At : 2126766920 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBOLS CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 509 2 replies Reply to # 508 Left by: NIK On 11-Jan-90 at 22:40 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: Velocity of Water Do any programmers out there calaculate this kind of stuff? I need to know how much water can flow through a hole about the size of a basketball. There is NO water pressure. Imagine the hole in a dam, just below the water line and the water just flowing naturally. Educated guesses are welcome. Cubic feet per second or gallons per second. Thanks... LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 110 0 replies Reply to # 109 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 11-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: LN03 FONT FILES There is a manual that describes the DEC Common Font File Format. Bug your DEC sales rep till he finds it for you. There is also a font editor program for the DEC Rainbow 100 with color graphics installed. I believe it can still be found in the Libraries on CompuServe's DECPC forum (GO DECPC). CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 510 0 replies Reply to # 509 Left by: NIK On 11-Jan-90 At : Subject: last message Sorry about the last message being in the Cluster SIG. I started to reply to message and forgot where I was. I do need answer to the water problem though. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 511 0 replies Reply to # 509 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 11-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: ALF ON If there is NO pressure, there is NO FLOW. Actually, in the situation you describe, the pressure is zero at the top of the hole and increases with distance below the surface. I'd expect that the shape of the hole would be important, a square opening giving you quite different results from a circular opening with equivalent area. Check some engineering handbooks for formulas for calculating something like this. I think that there is a Mechanical Engineer's Handbook or something with a similar title which would be a good place to start. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 499 0 replies Reply to # 391 Left by: BOB RUDIS On 12-Jan-90 At : 717-346-8505 Subject: SMALLTALK ON VMS? If you hear of where I can find it, let me know. I love Smalltalk/V on the PC and would like to see it's capabilities on a system with a wealth of built-in functions like VAX/VMS. BITNET: RER1@SCRANTON thanks, boB PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 500 1 replies Reply to # 493 Left by: PAUL CZACHOR On 12-Jan-90 At : (215) 341-6447 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER I have checked into GNU "C" from DECUS and it is available at a very good price.($140.00) We want to use a "C" complier only for learning purposes. If we want to use "C" for development purposes we will buy VAX-C from DEC. Does anyone know if GNU "C" is well documented and easy to use? Any information would be appreciated. Thank You UTILITIES SIG Message # 432 0 replies Reply to # 431 Left by: JOSEPH PASQUALE On 12-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: CONVERSION >JULIAN DATE You might want to check the DCL Dictionary for information on the lexicals F$TIME and F$CVTIME (will allow you to parse time strings). I hope this is what you are looking for. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 512 0 replies Left by: JAMES A MEEKS On 12-Jan-90 At : (03)632-2961 Subject: ESE20 PERFORMANCE ON A VAXCLUSTER I CURRENTLY HAVE A 4-NODE VAXCLUSTER WITH 2-6410 AND 2-6210. FOR DISK STORAGE I HAVE 2-SA550 DISK ARRAYS AND 1-SA482 ON TWO HSC70 CONTROLLERS. I A CONSIDER PURCHASING 2-ESE20 AND ANOTHER HSC70 CONTROLLER TO GET THE I/O RATE DESIRED. I WAS WONDERING IF ANY ONE HAS DONE THIS AND WHAT BUGS THEY RAN INTO AND WHAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE INCREASE THEY EXPERIENCED. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 396 1 replies Reply to # 395 Left by: Comet On 12-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBOLS FROM A PROGRAM Use LIB$SET_SYMBOL. First, you must convert the numeric value to an ASCII representation of a signed decimal number before calling this service. DCL doesn't have strong typing. To show this, you can do the following at CLI level: $ A:=3 $ B="4" $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT 6+A $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT 5-B APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 397 1 replies Reply to # 396 Left by: Comet At : (408)982-5238 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBOLS FROM A PROGRAM $ A:=3 $ B="2" $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT A*B ! returns 6 $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT A+B ! returns 32 $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT A+B+0 ! returns 32 $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT 0+A+B ! returns 5 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 501 0 replies Reply to # 500 Left by: V. JAMES KRAMMES On 12-Jan-90 At : (614) 228-2001X341 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER I've been using a beta release of the GNU C compiler for nearly a year now and have had no problems. The version I got (from a friend of a friend... etc.) had very little documentation on the C language itself, and none on the run-time library (because there isn't one; it uses the standard VAXCRTL library). To address the documentation shortage, I would suggest buying a good C language reference book, and the VAX C Run-Time Library Reference Manual (Order Number AI-JP84A-TE). This manual describes the entire C runtime, including the CURSES library. I've used this compiler to develop several utility programs, including a resource-accounting package, and have had no compatibility problems interfacing with any runtime routines, including system services. One drawback is that I haven't figured out how to produce compile listings or map files yet. Hopefully, the version for sale has these features. Call me if you would like more info. Jim Krammes Systems Programmer The Midland Mutual Life Insurance Company (614) 228-2001 x 341 APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 398 0 replies Reply to # 394 Left by: CHARLES On 12-Jan-90 At : 713-483-8350 Subject: POLICE DISPATCH SW APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 399 0 replies Left by: On 12-Jan-90 At : Subject: APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 400 0 replies Reply to # 394 Left by: CHARLES BIRKHEAD On 12-Jan-90 At : 713-483-8350 Subject: POLICE DISPATCH SW I have a client in the Galveston Police Department. He is Terry Hoecker. His beeper number is 409-766-8365. He is/has developed software written in BASIC f VAX SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 351 0 replies Reply to # 350 Left by: MARTY JOHNSON On 12-Jan-90 At : (203)666-1737 Subject: GOING CRAZY THANKS! I needed that! :-) Thanks too to the previous reply. It did the trick. Marty SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 352 0 replies Left by: DAVE GRIST On 12-Jan-90 At : 508-880-1610 Subject: SYSTEM STATUS I'm looking for a command procedure that can help me to determine if all parts of my system are online. For example all the system processes (NULL,EVL,etc.), and all the applications we run. Has anyone had any experiences with this? If so I'dlike to hear from you!!! Thanks, Dave Grist Senior Computer Operator GTE Tactical Systems Taunton, Mass. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 326 0 replies Reply to # 323 Left by: BRUNO P. JUGOVIC' On 12-Jan-90 At : 617-241-4899 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD FAX ME A COPY. THANKS IN ADVANCE. FAX NO: 617-241-4934 APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 401 0 replies Reply to # 397 I would like the value of the symbol to be displayed as an hex integer after i c ompletye the program execution and enter $ sho symbol xxx I would also like to be able to , say add 24 to the symbol from DCL. Any suggestions? Left by: JAY SHAH On 12-Jan-90 At : 2126766920 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBO VMS SIG Message # 1254 0 replies Reply to # 1245 Left by: Phil Gravel On 13-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: VMS 5.0 IMAGE INSTALL @ST Pedro, VMS V5 implements a new way to startup layered products using SYSMAN. It is discussed extensively in the V5 release notes and the SYSMAN manual though I have not used it personally on any of my systems. You can either use this mechanism or start your software form SYSTARTUP_V5.COM either directly or retain your separate file, VMSIMAGES.COM, and call it from SYSTARTUP_V5.COM. Phil VMS SIG Message # 1255 0 replies Reply to # 1246 Left by: Phil Gravel On 13-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: 5.0 - NCP'S DATABAS Pedro, I also had the same concern when I upgraded to VMS V5 and saw these new NCP messages. I called Digital's customer support about it. They pointed out that they are informational (NCP-I-) messages, not error messages. This change in NCP was implemented to differentiate between successful command completion and completion where nothing had actually happened. (Under VMS V4, you simply got the NCP> prompt back regardless of whether the command had completed success- fully or simply did nothing.) Since these are informational messages, you can ignore them. DECnet starts normally as it did under VMS V4. As far as LAT is concerned, the VMS upgrade procedure created new versions of site-specific files. Among them are SYSTARTUP_V5.COM, SYLOGIN.COM, and LTLOAD.COM. You will need to put your site-specific commands back into the new version of LTLOAD.COM to start LAT. Make sure you have edited SYSTARTUP_V5.COM to call LTLOAD. I have had not problem running LAT and communicating with terminal servers after upgrading to VMS V5. No change to the DECSERVER directory or terminal server database was required. Phil VMS SIG Message # 1256 0 replies Reply to # 1248 Left by: Phil Gravel On 13-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: 5.0 - NCP'S DATABAS Marty, According to Digital's customer support, there is a known problem on VAXclusters with the SYS$UPDATE:NETCONFIG_UPGRADE.COM procedure supplied with the VMS V5.2 upgrade. The result, as you discovered, is that after upgrading the system, the passwords on the DECnet objects does not match the passwords for their repsective accounts in SYSUAF. The solution (as best as I can recall now) is to go through the upgrade procedure. Run SYS$UPDATE:NETCONFIG_UPDATE.COM on the boot node, but when prompted about running the command procedure it creates answer No. After finishing the procedure, execute SYS$MANAGER:UPDATE_NODEINFO.COM. Then on each of the satellites, execute SYS$MANAGER:UPDATE_CLUSTER_MEMBERS.COM. Phil APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 402 0 replies Reply to # 401 Left by: Phil Gravel On 13-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBO Jay, I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but LIB$STOP will return an ASCII string representing the hex value of the argument passed to it in the DCL symbol $STATUS. In Fortran you would do Call Lib$Stop(%Val(integer)). This routine has the (un)desirable effect of exiting the program. You can then use the lexical function F$Integer to convert this string to an integer symbol. Phil APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 403 0 replies Reply to # 401 Left by: NIK On 13-Jan-90 At : Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBO I'm not exactly sure if this will help, but you can numbers with different radixes by using a percent sign and an 'X'(hex),'O'(octal), 'D'(decimal). $ a = %Xdeaf + %Xbeef + %Xcafe So, I guess you can do something like: $ sh sym it $ it = it + 24 ! The default radix is decimal $ sh sym it $ it = it - %x18 $ sh sym it ! Back to original value of it. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 502 0 replies Reply to # 492 Left by: RANDALL NEWCOMB On 13-Jan-90 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Two of my clients have been doing AI/Expert System work in other departments. One was using an Apollo platform to create an electronic technician to do circuit board defect locating. The other client is developing a variation on a neural-net for in-house use using a Mac front end and a Vax with an Rdb database for information storage. They are about 6 months into what will probably be a 3 year project. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 670 0 replies Reply to # 653 Left by: RANDALL NEWCOMB On 13-Jan-90 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD Just as an informal survey, how many people are out there that have/had carpal tunnel syndrom or tendonitis from long hours of typing? How about your co-workers? If you don't have it anymore, what cured it? Surgery? Change of work habits? (By the way, I've switched to a Dvorak key layout on my VaxStation and that has helped, but I'm still not cured of the CTS.) .<>. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 327 1 replies Reply to # 321 Left by: Brett Bump On 14-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS NIK. I haven't actually logged into ARIS in over a year, so am not sure if you are using EDT or TPU. As I recall, there isn't (wasn't) any way of leaving the editor without leaving a message, but that's not to say it can't be implemented (as it should be). BTW. Its nice to see another person with a good sense of humor on ARIS. Loved your message about Vacs. Keep it up! Bonnie: I believe GOLD 7 could easily be defined as a QUIT key. Could this be arranged? [Somehow, these ARIS messages, and my replies, magically appear and disappear from my machine every Saturday night. They are usually preceded by a high-pitched scream, but I can never find anyone around. Strange....] BeeeeSquaeel.. CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 130 1 replies Reply to # 129 Left by: Brett Bump On 14-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: 'CHRISLIN IND. MEMORY' Mike. Wish I could help directly. But maybe I can help indirectly. Give Dave McGuire (609) 584-8079 a call and mention my name. I believe he is still using some Chrislin boards and may be able to help. You could also tell him I'm thinking of becomming a packet ham(mer), and that we have been discussing it here. That ought to get him back on ARIS. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 671 0 replies Reply to # 656 Left by: Brett Bump On 14-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: ANYBODY AN AMAET Robert. Nope, bro Bruce ain't too heavy, but he is blood. Speaking of brothers, however, tonight (1/4/90) I was talking to another type of brother about PACKET. Chuck (W0ZYJ) is a Masonic brother. I figured he would know about such things since I can remember watching him work his radios twenty-seven years ago (I was very young). He too mentioned the new cost of radios (as I gasped). And while I'll admit to having gone a little overboard with Hi Fi, Dirt Bikes, and Computers, I think a little conservatism is in order. Bro Chuck recommended that I go 2-meter. And financially I can see why. I always thought that 80-meter was the "end all". But then I'll also admit that I know as much about radio as a car mechanic knows about organ transplants. Of course the parts are interchangable, but does a kidney have left- or right-handed threads? I think I can handle the study or memorization part (I was typing 10wpm in Dvorak 1 hour after I looked at it), it's actually the lack of information that eludes me (look where I is). Chuck is now involved though, and I'm sure he will be passing eons (and eons) of ham knowledge. Addendum (1/11/90). Robert. I had a chance to observe a packet-ham(mer) in operation on Tuesday. 2-meter packet is cake. HF packet looks like a pain. My brother dropped off some 5wpm CW tapes and an old (old) Radio Shack theory book (this is a triode tube symbol... Hmm.). But he forgot to bring his practice keyer. I'll be sending for "Tune In The World" tomorrow. Can you recommend any articles on packet (still looking for QST 8/85)? Thanks for the help. FORUM - 3RD PARTY SUPPLIERS SIG Message # 124 0 replies Reply to # 121 Left by: Brett Bump On 14-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: TICKER TELEVISION - HELP? Oh Paul, that's easy. Tell you what. I'll try to give you a call tomorrow (1/12/90). If I don't get you before you read this, you can call me before Jan. 19th at (308) 432-2828. After the 19th, I'll be zipping around the country until February. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 404 0 replies Reply to # 394 Left by: Brett Bump On 14-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: POLICE DISPATCH SW Roland. You might give Gerald Duprey at MicroSage a call at (313) 695-5160. I know that they are setting up PDP/VAX systems for local government agen- cies. Gerald is also available on BIX. RSTS SIG Message # 479 0 replies Reply to # 478 Left by: Brett Bump On 14-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: 11/84S AND V9.6 Bob. I called Colin on Friday since I had missed my response window. It seems that they are getting a valid boot (I may be wrong) to Option level. However, the drives are emulating "DR", and that may be closer to their real problem. They do have an Emulex MSCP controller collecting dust, so I recommended that they try that. He will keep us informed. RIGHT, COLIN? COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 328 0 replies Reply to # 327 Left by: NIK On 15-Jan-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS Brett, how were able to read my "VAX vs. VACS" message? A couple of days after I wrote it, it was gone. I thought the ARIS/BB blew it away as a result of it being too long. Where did you find it? PC'S SIG Message # 262 1 replies Left by: NIK On 15-Jan-90 at 11:39 est. At : 914 347 2700 Subject: PCSA CLIENT V3.0 SHIPMENT Does any one know why DEC hasn't shipped PCSA client v3.0? I heard DEC found a problem and is trying to resolve it before shipping it out. I've had a PCSA client v3.0 pre-release for a couple of monthes now. There doesn't seem to be any wrong with it. Anybody know something I don't? PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 503 0 replies Reply to # 494 Left by: Rod Falanga On 15-Jan-90 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER I use VAX C quite a lot and don't have any problems. In fact I like it a lot. I would recommend it. Also for the VAX there is GNU C, which I have not had the pleasure of using but from what I hear it is quite good. As far as the PC world goes, I have much less experience than I have in the VAX world. I have used Turbo C though (teh Developer's version) and found it to be quite nice. I've never used MicroSoft C so I can't say anything about it. Rod Falanga PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 504 0 replies Reply to # 499 Left by: Rod Falanga On 15-Jan-90 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: SMALLTALK ON VMS? I don't have any experience with Smalltalk but would LOVE to get some, so if you learn of some version of Smalltalk for a VAX running VMS, I would be interested too. Rod Falanga PC'S SIG Message # 263 0 replies Reply to # 262 Left by: V JAMES KRAMMES On 15-Jan-90 At : (614) 228-2001 X 341 Subject: PCSA CLIENT, V3.0 (NOTE: Please DO NOT print this message!!) We had a pre-release version of PCSA V3.0 here and uncovered a couple of problems, most notably with standalone BTRIEVE V5.0. The application was designed to use Novell file servers, but was not Novell specific & I was trying to get it to work over PCSA using out 6250 as a server. V2.2 worked fine, but didn't leave enough memory in the PC to run the complete application (written in Realia COBOL); Version 3 of PCSA relieved the memory crunch, but caused the PC to crash (hard, even ctrl-alt-del wouldn't work). Perhaps there are other problems, as well. --Jim EDITORS SIG Message # 239 2 replies Left by: On 15-Jan-90 At : Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS Question, I'm on a vt340 in 8 bit mode. I can use either edt or tpu but I would prefer the later. How can I enter 8 bit control characters such as CSI, DCS, ESC , etc. into a text file? Where can this be looked up, I've searched every manual I can think of, and believe me I think I have them all. The vt340 manuals do a good job explaining how the sixel graphics work, but don't explain HOW to enter the control characters from the keyboard. Thanks in advance for any help. UTILITIES SIG Message # 433 3 replies Left by: BAYDOUN On 15-Jan-90 At : Subject: MAIL/EDIT I have a symbol for mail :== mail/edit/etc... that allows our VMS mail users to use the full screen editing capibilites of EDT. I am sure this is very common. Recently I have been asked to supply some users with the TPU editor instead. However the mail/edit qualifier only appears to work for EDT. Does anyone know how I can define the TPU editor to be the editor of choice for my mail users. Thanks. Michael A. Baydoun EDITORS SIG Message # 240 0 replies Reply to # 239 Left by: DAVE DESROCHES On 15-Jan-90 At : (508) 875-7511 Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS I have not had the time to learn how this would work in TPU but in EDT it is a snap. All you do is hit "GOLD" followed by the ASCII number for the control character (i.e. ^C is 3, escape is 27, etc.), then hit the GOLD key again and then hit the keypad number three (3). This will enter the desired value into the text string. UTILITIES SIG Message # 434 0 replies Reply to # 432 Left by: DAVE DESROCHES On 15-Jan-90 At : (508) 875-7511 Subject: CONVERSION >JULIAN DATE The lexicals F$TIME and F$CVTIME will not return any Julian date formats. But they can return the necessary information to allow for a routine to calculate the Julian date. $ julian_cnt = "0/31/59/90/120/151/181/212/243/273/304/334" $ julian_year = f$extract (2,2, f$cvtime (,,"YEAR")) $ julian_days = 'f$element (f$cvtime (,,"MONTH")-1, "/", julian_cnt) - + 'f$cvtime (,, "DAYS") $ if julian_year .ne. 0 .and. (julian_year / 4 * 4) .eq. julian_year .and. - f$cvtime (,,"MONTH") .gt. 2 then julian_days = julian_days + 1 $ if julian_year .eq. 0 .and. - (f$cvtime(,,"YEAR") / 400 * 400) .EQ. julian_year .and. - f$cvtime (,,"MONTH") .gt. 2 then julian_days = julian_days + 1 $ julian_date = "''julian_year'''julian_days'" UTILITIES SIG Message # 435 0 replies Reply to # 433 Left by: BAYDOUN On 15-Jan-90 At : Subject: MAIL/EDIT One more note on the last message, the set editor command which I just discovered in my 5.0 docs is not available to me, we are still on 4.7 UTILITIES SIG Message # 436 0 replies Reply to # 433 Left by: MARK SCHUSTER On 15-Jan-90 At : (716) 477-5744 Subject: MAIL/EDIT Michael, I have been using TPU for MAIL for some time, both on VMS V4.n and now on VMS V5.n. Here's how I set the TPU editor for VMSmail: $! Define symbols to use TPU. The '/section=...' is used only if you have $! your own personal section file. $ eve :== "edit/tpu/section=sys$login:eve$sect.init" $ edit :== "''eve'" $! $! Now define the TPU section file logical for your personal section file. $ assign sys$login:eve$sect.init tpusecini $! $! Tell MAIL to use the TPU editor. $ assign sys$system:mailedit.com mail$edit $! $! If you have any key definitions within mail, make the following assign. $ assign sys$login:mail$keydef.ini mail$init Each user requesting the TPU editor can place the above commands in his/her LOGIN.COM. Good luck! mark... Mark Schuster Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, NY 14652-3730 CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 131 0 replies Reply to # 130 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 15-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 Subject: 'CHRISLIN IND. MEMORY' Brett, I believe that you may have given the wrong exchange for Dave McGuire's phone. I think it's 586 or 587 but I don't recall and I can't find the piece of paper that I wrote it down on. Anyway I think he's moved since then. His work number is (609) 396-7191. EDITORS SIG Message # 241 0 replies Reply to # 239 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 15-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS The place to look is not in the terminal manuals but in the editor manuals. In EDT you can enter characters not on the keyboard by typing GOLD GOLD SPECINS. Escape would be entered as GOLD 27 GOLD SPECINS (spaces inserted for clarity, don't type them.) I presume that TPU has equivalent functionality somewhere but I'm a diehard EDT user. UTILITIES SIG Message # 437 0 replies Reply to # 433 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 15-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 Subject: MAIL/EDIT Michael, I believe that there is a command within mail to set the default editor for an account. I think the user can do it for himself. Naturally, I'm at home and the manuals are at work so I can't look it up. It can be done. I'm just not really certain of the details. VMS SIG Message # 1257 0 replies Reply to # 1247 Left by: GREG SCHULZ On 16-Jan-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: ANYONE WITH KNOWLEGE OF A Contact your DEC sales rep or if you happen to a know a good DEC sales support person you will be even better off. One of the better products that I have used out of the assets program was SPA which has since been bundled into SPM as of V3.3. At one time there was an RPC package in the assets program but with DECWINDOWS I am not sure of the status of this. GPS VMS SIG Message # 1258 0 replies Reply to # 1206 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 16-Jan-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: FILE SYSTEM PROBLEMS WITH Read the V5.2 cover letter in case you are running any disk defragmenters. There in fact has been some changes that will cause some of the disk defragmenters to cause problems with your files. GPS PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 505 0 replies Reply to # 503 Left by: Phil Anthony On 16-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER Rod, I've used Microsoft C since V3.0, and all I can say about it is that it gets better with each release. The library is quite UNIX/XENIX-compati- ble, except of course where MS-DOS doesn't provide the necessary function- ality (e.g., I had to write my own sleep () routine). Each new version comes closer to the ANSI spec. Its only real competitor right now is WATCOM, which may do a slightly better job over-all. The down side of Microsoft C is the support they provide. For example, I found a bug in printf () and called them up. Oh, yes, they knew about it and even had a patch all ready, which they shipped me free. So what am I griping about? The fact that they never told me until I asked. It makes me wonder sometimes what other bugs are hidden away waiting to bite me (and probably when I'm cranking out code on deadline and can't wait two or three days for a patch). Turbo C is also a good product, and several programmers I respect highly do all their work in it. But Borland is in financial trouble, which makes me question what kind of support it'll get down the line. Look what happened to Turbo BASIC. (Turbo *what*??!?) PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 506 0 replies Reply to # 493 Left by: Phil Anthony On 16-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER Paul, if the version of PC-DOS you're using wasn't a typo, I strongly suggest you upgrade to a later release as soon as possible. V3.0 had quite a number of bugs that were corrected in V3.1, and the functionality upgrades in V3.2 and V3.3 are worth the price. V4.x is also quite well debugged by now if you don't want to be limited to 32-Mbyte hard drive partitions under plain-jane vanilla PC-DOS. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 329 1 replies Reply to # 328 Left by: Phil Anthony On 16-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS NIK, I cannot tell a lie. I dial in every day or two and pull off every- thing that's been left since the last time I was on (it's a local call, and my Mirror script automates the process). Then, once or twice a week, I ARC the collected goodies and ship it all out to Brett in Chadron, New Braska. Makes it a lot cheaper for him than the long-distance bills he'd run up calling ARIS directly. One advantage is that I get hold of stuff before the ARIS message base file structure eats it, or our good Sysop decides it's too long or whatever and expunges it. And the only reason I'm replying to Brett's message is that this batch won't get to him till Thursday, and Friday morning he starts off wandering through scenic Arizona .... Have a good trip, Brett! UTILITIES SIG Message # 438 1 replies Reply to # 435 Left by: Comet On 16-Jan-90 At : (408)998-1105 Subject: MAIL/EDIT $ define mail$edit "Callable_TPU" ! Undocumented? feature for VMS 4.x $ ! You can put this in the SYSTEM table, if you want everyone to use it. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 672 1 replies Left by: Comet On 16-Jan-90 At : (408)998-1105 Subject: "old things-2/time-4" relation resolution and january, a Month ning of to beg in Year ships new of Day MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 673 0 replies Reply to # 672 Left by: COMET On 16-Jan-90 At : (408)998-1105 Subject: ARIS Features Strangely, ARIS seems to have eaten the spaces which were at the beginning of the lines, print- ing them all on the left. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 682 1 replies Left by: KEVIN JOYCE On 16-Jan-90 At : 1-800-833-9581 Subject: INEEDFILETRANSFERPROTOCOLS I am in search of two items. One is a BBS shell for VMS 5.0 and the other is the standard variety of file transfer protocols such as Xmodem (checksum, CRC and 1k blocks), Ymodem, Ymodem-G, Kermit and Zmodem. My basic intent is to create a BBS where clients can log into a captive account to retrieve TV listings data in the form of ASCII files. The transfer protocols need to be compatible with the standard Mac/PC communications packages. I anybody can help me, please contact me at: TV Data Northway Plaza Queensbury, NY 12804 1-800-833-9581 Thanks... Kevin Joyce VMS SIG Message # 1259 0 replies Reply to # 1256 Left by: MARTY JOHNSON On 16-Jan-90 At : (203)666-1737 Subject: 5.0 - NCP'S DATABAS I found it easier to just go into NCP and AUTHORIZE and change the passwords to match. I did all 9 nodes manually, but I could have written a command procedure to execute on each node. In any case, changing the passwords solved the problem. Marty PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 507 1 replies Reply to # 494 Left by: MARTY JOHNSON On 16-Jan-90 At : (203)666-1737 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER I've been using VAX C for the last 3 years. I haven't seen any "illegal" files created. VAX C creates files in STREAM_LF format, in which line feeds are normally interpreted as the end of a record. Problems occur with EDT, TYPE, etc when the file does not contain any line feeds. These utilities cannot determine the end of a record without the line feeds. VAX C on the other hand has no problem with the lack of line feeds since most functions that read files, like fgets, have a max character parameter to limit the number of characters read. In short, if you need to access files created by VAX C problems with other VMS utilities, make sure the files have line feeds after each record and the record size is not too large (e.g. 255 characters for EDT). Marty P.S. DUMP will work on any STREAM_LF, regardless of record length, but it is a little difficult to read. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 330 0 replies Reply to # 329 Left by: NIK On 16-Jan-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS Phil/Brett, AH HAAA! So, that's why your right margins are so straight. Your using a real word processor. Let me get this right. Phil, your system goes into promiscuous mode, utilizing a "scratch and sniff, sniff, sniff" protocol. THEN! You resort to POSTALnet, with the X.25 cent protocol, to deliver the packets to Brett. Talk about a LANd/Bridge. EDITORS SIG Message # 242 0 replies Reply to # 239 Left by: JOHN FLYNN On 16-Jan-90 At : 615/269-2266 Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS Entering 7-bit control characters (like ESC) in TPU is not too hard, using the CTRL/V functionality. Press CTRL/V followed by the control character you want to enter. E.g. CTRL/V CTRL/L enters a form-feed, CTRL/V CTRL/{ enters an ESC, CTRL/V CTRL/@ enters a null. The only way I know to enter 8-bit control characters is with TPU programming language commands. Press Do to get to the command line, then type "tpu copy_text(ascii(155))" to get a CSI, for example. The same technique can be used for 7-bit characters. If you know how to program keys in TPU, you can assign this TPU command to a key. You could also write a TPU procedure to ask for an ASCII value and copy_text() the character. That would give you the same functionality that is built into EDT. John. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 683 0 replies Reply to # 682 Left by: TONY FIORITO On 16-Jan-90 At : 215-781-4140 Subject: INEEDFILETRANSFERPROTOCOL We got our Kermit from DECUS. The tape had kermits for a bunch of different machines (from Amigas to CDC Cybers). You might be able to get Xmodem there also (we have xmodem but I'll be dipped if I can remember where it came from). DECUS is a great place to get public domain stuff. Tony Fiorito UTILITIES SIG Message # 439 0 replies Reply to # 438 Left by: BAYDOUN On 16-Jan-90 At : Subject: MAIL/EDIT Perfect, works great. Thanks. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 674 2 replies Left by: On 16-Jan-90 At : Subject: RTL'S FROM DCL Is it possible to call a RTL from DCL? If so how? I have the extended Doc set ($2,000) worth, just point me in the right direction and I would be very thankful. EDITORS SIG Message # 243 0 replies Reply to # 240 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 16-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS The way to enter control characters in tpu is by the using the QUOTE command throught the DO key or using CTRL/V. After issuing the command you are prompted for the key to be add (ie CTRL/[ is the escape character). MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 675 0 replies Reply to # 674 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 16-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: RTL'S FROM DCL In short, NO. I guess the answer depends on what you are trying to do (ie use them as lexicals?). Send me an update. Same VAX time, same VAX channel. UTILITIES SIG Message # 440 0 replies Reply to # 437 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 16-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 Subject: MAIL/EDIT As has been pointed out elsewhre in this thread, for VMS V4.x, mail uses a logical name, MAIL$EDIT, to find a callable editor. This is not documented in the MAIL manual. Maybe in release notes somewhere. Mail also uses the logical name MAIL$INIT to find an initialization file which may contain DEFINE /KEY statements. Again, it's not documented in the MAIL manual. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 508 0 replies Reply to # 507 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 16-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER Marty, Those illegal files I was talking about come about as follows: a steam lf file whose last byte falls on a 512 byte block boundary will not have a terminating line feed in the next block. This is apparently done for Unix compatibility reasons but somebody forgot to tell the rest of VMS! The rest of VMS insists that the terminating line feed must be there. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 676 0 replies Reply to # 674 Left by: Comet On 16-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: RTL'S FROM DCL Calling a run-time library routine from DCL. Hmm. I recall using an extended-EVE interface to VAXTPU, which came from one of the DECUS symposium tapes. It allowed one to CALL_USER just about any RTL function. The method it used to do this, was LIB$FIND_IMAGE_SYMBOL, I think. To use LIB$FIND_IMAGE_SYMBOL, though, you need to use an image which is not part of standard DCL. So I guess you can't call a run-time library routine from DCL, UNLESS you extend DCL. Some DCL commands call run-time library routines, so you may not have to do any programming. What do you want to do? APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 405 0 replies Left by: COMET On 16-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMS? On IBM PC's (and their brethren), it is possible to have several programs in memory simultaneously. Is is possible to write a TSR for a VAX? Perhaps a timer AST stuffed into the "process common area"? Or do you need privileges, and stick the code into non-paged pool a la the VAX Pro articles? I was just wondering if a grunt programmer could do this kind of thing, WITHOUT resorting to subprocesses. (Possibly a limited demonstration is possible by running a first image that declares the timer AST and somehow orchestrates image run-down so that the AST code is not removed from the working set, and demonstrating that another user-written image can then be activated without stomping on the AST routine.) Anybody out there have any ideas on this subject? PC'S SIG Message # 264 0 replies Reply to # 263 Left by: AL LILIANSTROM On 17-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: PCSA CLIENT, V3.0 According to my DEC software support person PCSA 3.0 client will ship Friday Jan. 19. According to her there were some minor last minute bug fixes that were implemented. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 677 1 replies Left by: BOK On 17-Jan-90 At : Subject: RTL'S FROM DCL More info ... I am trying to call some of the MTH$ routines. For an example let's look at the MTH$HACOSD routine (Arc Cosine of angle Expressed in degress). 90% of my command procedure is done and I would like to keep it all in DCL if possible (non-programmers want to easily modify other parts of the 'program'). MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 678 0 replies Reply to # 677 Left by: Comet On 17-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: RTL'S FROM DCL MTH$HACOSD? DCL lets you store integers or character strings in symbols. Floating point support is non-existent. I suggest you make your own command, and return the value in a symbol. (e.g. $ CHECKSUM returns the checksum in the symbol CHECKSUM$CHECKSUM). Use strings representing the floating point value. Example of a foreign command below. (You could instead use the command definition utility to make a native command.) $ ACOSD := $SYS$LOGIN:ACOSD.EXE ! You write this program. $ ACOSD "0.5" ! returning angle in symbol ANGLE $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "ANGLE is: ",ANGLE I haven't seen any documentation explaining how to write your own lexical functions, so I guess your command procedure won't have anything like $ A = F$ACOSD("0.5") ! But I'd like to hear from anyone in ARISland who knows how to perform this magical feat. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 331 0 replies Reply to # 323 Left by: JERRY VEZZOSI On 17-Jan-90 At : 201 802 6249 Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS I would appreciate you FAX me a copy of your BASIC routine that you use to communicate with terminal servers. Our FAX number is 201 802 9370. Thanking you in advance. Jerry RSTS SIG Message # 480 0 replies Reply to # 477 Left by: Jerry Vezzosi On 17-Jan-90 At : (201) 802 6249 GIB Laboratories Subject: 11/84S AND V9.6 I had problems with 2 distribution tapes from DEC. One was version 9.7 and the other was a DECNET update. When I first told DEC I had problems they said to call field service and have my tape drive checked out. Our tape drive (TSV05) was fine, so I had to get new distributions. Is it possible you are having a similar problem? DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 684 0 replies Reply to # 190 Left by: Comet On 17-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: HOBBS HAYES DIALER The "DATASET HANGUP" problem you are experiencing is probably caused by the modem "asserting DSR prematurely." According to DSIN, in the article called "How To Configure/Troubleshoot Hayes Modem Connected to VMS Port", you showuld enter the following command: AT Q1 &S1 &D2 &C1 &W0 &Y0 and this should properly configure the port. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 509 1 replies Reply to # 508 Left by: MARTY JOHNSON On 17-Jan-90 At : (203)666-1737 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER That's strange! Our programs have created tens of thousands of files, most of which have been printed or edited. I've never seen the problem. I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks Marty APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 406 0 replies Reply to # 405 Left by: ANDREW DUGGAN On 17-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMS? It seems to me, that TSR's are MS-Dos's kludgy work around to a lack of multi-tasking. If you can have real multiple processes active at one time why would you want/need a TSR. Of course maybe your application really needs one. I certainly would not want any other program written by some other programmer to have access to my program's address space. I sometimes don't trust myself not to trash my data structures, without the worry of some other "program". What is so bad about sub-processes anyway. If you aren't creating/trashing them constantly they are not as evil as their repuation. From what I can tell, you can get alot of your functionality out of DECWINDOWS, but that violates your multiple process requirement. If your TSR doesn't need access to your address space, you could use sub-processes, and define a OUT-OF-BAND AST to call LIB$ATTACH to switch you back and forth. Good luck. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 332 0 replies Reply to # 330 Left by: Phil Anthony On 17-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS Ah-h-h, our secret is out! Well, what the script does at 12:03 AM most mornings, when I'm fast asleep, is Option 5 for seven different SIGs, then Option 4 for the stuff that gets shipped westward - ARC'd to about half its uncompressed size, of course - in the Kermit packet of the Pony Express. Since the Nebraska transfer is done at 2400 Baud after eleven o'clock at night, the "X" in X.25 cents is a small positive integer .... The final kicker is a program generated by lex (under XENIX on another PC) to strip the ARIS prompts, escape sequences, and spare carriage returns with no line feeds out of the captured text before it gets sent. Haven't figured out how to do that with text retrieval yet (*all* those escape sequences!), but when it comes back, I'll probably give it a try. And yes, I use a word processor (either WordPerfect or the Smart wp on my PC), but Brett pulls up a real pretty text editor called CygnusEd on his Amiga. (It doesn't hyphenate, though. Doesn't spell-check either, so I have to do that on this end before I upload. Are you aware that a favored spell-checker replacement for "DECnet" is "decadent"?) Beats the heck out of having to use DEC's RUNOFF to get all the pretty right-justification. But then I wrote a TECO program to do right-and-left alignment - indented from the left for printing, while I was at it. The hardest part was writ- ing the code to prompt for margins. Hasn't that been implemented in EDT or TPU yet? If I still had a PDP to play on regularly - Still, the philosophy is simple. Capture it all, think about it and com- pose off-line where you aren't spending anything but your time, using the most powerful software at your disposal, then upload any replies. The back-and-forth with Brett only amounts to adding a Nebraskanet node. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 407 0 replies Reply to # 405 Left by: Phil Anthony On 17-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMS? I may just be unimaginative, Comet, but I really doubt it's possible. TSRs on PCs rely on being able to get hold of the whole system (look at key- strokes coming in before any other program gets 'em, for instance, and then pass on what they don't use). They also have to be able to suspend your "foreground" process when you hit the hot key, which the VMS scheduler might not appreciate - or permit. ISRs (interrupt service routines), on the other hand, seem to be fairly close to ASTs. You probably could throw together an AST to set off an alarm at a predetermined time, for example. But it'd likely be easier to combine an asynchronous spawned process and MAIL to do the same thing. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 685 0 replies Reply to # 682 Left by: Phil Anthony On 17-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: INEEDFILETRANSFERPROTOCOL Kevin, if you want to develop your own and need the protocol definitions, I can help you out with XModem and YModem documentation, together with some C or BASIC code for CRC-CCITT. Frank Da Cruz' book "The Kermit Transfer Protocol" will tell you everything you'll ever want to know about Kermit, and then a little more. YModem-G, as I understand it, is straight YModem that doesn't bother ACKing and bombs out on a CRC error. YModem, YModem-G, and ZModem protocols are detailed (exhaustively) in documentation on the distribution disk you get from Chuck Forsberg when you register your PC copy of DSZ for $20 with Omen Technlogy of Portland, Ore. As Tony mentioned, you can get Kermit and XModem executables for VAX through DECUS. I don't know of YModem, YModem-G, or ZModem for VMS, but if it exists, it's probably on CompuServe. VMS SIG Message # 1260 0 replies Left by: CLARENCE VENSEL On 17-Jan-90 At : 814-456-8511 EXT 2415 Subject: DEC/WINDOWS WITH NON-DEC SYSTEMS I would like to be able to set host from a vaxstation 3100 running DECwindows into a UNIX based Tektronix workstation that supports X11. Once logged onto the UNIX system (that by the way has decnet running on it from Ki research), to somehow create a X11 windown on my 3100 to display output from the x11 program running on the Tek system. Does anyone know how this might be done? Clarence E. Vensel PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 510 0 replies Reply to # 509 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 17-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER Marty, I first encountered the problem with some programs from an older version of the DECUS TeX tape (V-SP58). NEWFFC converted font files to be used with the LN03 driver. The driver couldn't read some of the files! Both NEWFFC and the LN03 driver were written in C! The driver has since been replaced with one that takes its font files straight so it's no longer a problem for me. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 513 0 replies Left by: MARK SCHUSTER On 18-Jan-90 At : (716) 477-5744 Subject: PDP LAT & DECSERVER KEEPALIVE Our DECnet 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 executive "INACTIVITY TIMER" set to 180 seconds... I'm experiencing 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?) MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 679 0 replies Reply to # 671 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 18-Jan-90 At : 914-335-9792 OR 147.06+ IN NY Subject: ANYBODY AN AMAET The ARRL has some excellent books on packet. Also, in the 1989 ARRL Handbook there was an extensive bibliography on packet. I'll try to get a copy of it and get it to you. Also, the ARRL publishes the AX.25 protocol specification in what they say "enough detail to allow a programmer to implement it". I would like to try to implement it on a VAX and have 2 or 3 ports active simulateously in a gateway type format. What can I say? I'm crazy. Robert G. Schaffrath de N2JTX System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 FORUM - DEC SIG Message # 92 1 replies Left by: RAY STONE On 18-Jan-90 At : 805 968 3838 Subject: DEC FREIGHT CHARGES Do you ever check your DEC Freight billings? We got the invoice for our new VAXStation 3100 a few days before the hardware arrived. The invoice listed freight charges for 6 pieces, total weight 3429 pounds. I'm sure you'll agree that's a hefty average weight per piece. We awaited the shipment with trepidation, being on the second floor of a building with no elevator. When it arrived, the 6 boxes were easily handled, making us wonder what the total weight really was. So we weighed them, and they totalled a bit over 400 pounds. Called DEC. What is this freight charge for 3429 pounds? The call was returned in 4 days, and the lady very politely stated that we were right. They weighed a similar shipment and it weighed a bit over 400 pounds, and we'll receive a credit. Because I had a similar bad experience with shipping charges a few years back with DEC Direct over the method used and cost for shipping us one manual, I wonder if I've stumbled upon a DEC Revenue Enhancement policy. What bothers me is that the original invoice looks like the output from a billing program that has the weight built in for this standard package. What must be the weights for other, much larger standard packages? Has anyone else out there had similar or contradictory experiences? Do you ever weigh or at least eyeball your shipments to verify the billing is in the right ballpark? Maybe we're just an isolated case. FORUM - DEC SIG Message # 93 0 replies Reply to # 92 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 18-Jan-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: DEC FREIGHT CHARGES - Now that you mention it... I have noticed that also. But not in the same way. I received an LN03R which according the the invoice weighed in at 120LBS. When I got the printer, the shipping label stated it weighed around 60LBS. I would say it is definitely a revenue enhancer since they seem to create the bill before they determine the actual shipping charges! PC'S SIG Message # 265 0 replies Reply to # 264 Left by: delete me At : Subject: VMS SIG Message # 1261 0 replies Reply to # 1240 Left by: GREG SCHULZ On 18-Jan-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: EXECUTIVE LOADABLE IMAGES Look in the back issues of Bruce Ellis's Hithchikers series in VAX professional as well as a program from a month or two ago in the same magazine that show how trim working sets using a technique similar to what you want to do. If I recall the code was present... GPS VMS SIG Message # 1262 0 replies Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 18-Jan-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: AN IDEA, PROPOSAL, WISH How many of you out there have ever had to go through the exercise of evaluating various vendors products such as disks and have to sift through their claims of Seek times, MTBF, etc. Wouldnt it be nice if their were a common source of information (for a fee/surcharge) where you could find out the actual availability/failure rates of devices etc. What I propose is something similar to a service that we subscribe to for our mainframe systems. We along with several other companies across the country report on a regular basis to a service how many failures etc. for our drives. The neat thing about this service is that we have disks from several vendors as do most of the subscribers. When we go to evaluate a new disk we can see the reports that published by this service and see how the MTBF of field installed disks from any vendor stack up. We also use this as a tool to see if our data center procedures need to be looked at if our rates are worse then others. Any thougts?? Greg P. Schulz Burlington Northern RR VMS SIG Message # 1263 0 replies Reply to # 1260 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 18-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: DEC/WINDOW WITH NON-DEC S Clarence, VMS V5.3, is supposed to include support for TCP/IP as a transport mechanism for DECWindows. With earlier versions, I don't think it is possible. It probably won't be easy with 5.3. I don't think that DEC supplies a TCP/IP implementation. I think that they have just supplied a documented interface for TCP/IP developers to use. The developers of a couple of the commercial TCP/IP implementations are said to be working on it. Also the developer of a noncommercial implementation. .<>. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 514 0 replies Left by: BILL SLAYTON On 19-Jan-90 At : (404) 980-6074 Subject: LINK LOST DURING TRANSFER I need help with a subject with which I am unfamiliar. I have been transferring files from our remote MicroVaxes using DecNet. The commands I use are as follows: $ set host/dte txa1: ctrl-e *dt91remote_phone_number username: (system acct on microvax) password: $ @ddcmp (control returned to VAX 6310) $ copy/log filename.dat aaa::dua0:[directory]*.* My hardware configuration is as follows: VAX 6310/DMB32/Modem ----> Modem/TTA2:/MicroVax Error messages are as follows: %COPY-E-WRITEERR, error writing aaa::dua0:[directory]filename.type -RMS-F-SYS, QIO system service request failed -SYSTEM-F-PATHLOST, path to network partner lost %COPY-W-NOTCMPLT, filename.type not completely copied %COPY-E-CLOSEOUT, error closing aaa::dua0:[directory]filename.type as output -RMS-F-SYS, QIO system service request failed -SYSTEM-F-LINKABORT, network partner aborted logical link Am using a Racal-Vadic Maxwell 2400 VP modem on both ends. Am also using Dialup Asynchronous DecNet. The link drops about 60% of the time which makes it very difficult to get all files downloaded to the Vax 6310. The link won't drop when a terminal is used through a modem to the MicroVax. I would appreciate either a solution or advice on what I may do to solve. Thanks... DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 686 0 replies Left by: BILL SLAYTON On 19-Jan-90 At : (404) 980-6074 Subject: FTSV FILE XFER UTILITY Has anyone out there ever heard of a file transfer utility called FTSV? I used it at a previous job, but can't find it anywhere. It was located in the sys$system directory. It supposedly transferred files across a network and wouldn't lose any data if the link was lost. It would check every five minutes to see if the link was back up and, if so, would start transmitting where it left off. I would appreciate any info on this utility. Thanks... VMS SIG Message # 1264 2 replies Left by: SARAH MCKNEALLY On 19-Jan-90 At : 404-639-3595 Subject: FILE FAILS TO CLOSE We have a microvax II/GPX system with a DRV11-WA interface to laboratory instrumentation. Data is collected in 200-4000 block files. Periodically the files fail to close after data has been captured. We have replaced almost every component of both the computing system and the laboratory instrumentation system, cables and connectors, checked for grounding and power fluctuation problems. We have tried storing the files on both an internal DEC hard disk and on an external Maxtor disk with a Sigma controller. The problem persists. Do you have any suggestions? VMS SIG Message # 1265 0 replies Reply to # 1264 Left by: COMET On 19-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: FILE FAILS TO CLOSE It sounds to me like a software problem. You can do a $ SHOW/DEVICE/FILE/NOSYSTEM on the disk that the files are open on, and then you will see what process has them open. Using $ SHOW SYSTEM will then let you look up the pid of the process whose name you now know. Then, you can use SDA or $ SHOW PROC/CONT/ID=pid to try to figure where the problem is. If there ISN'T a process, then the program must have closed the files improperly... try a $ SET FILE/UNLOCK filename command. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 111 1 replies Left by: Comet On 19-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: RUNOFF support for "foreign" laser printers. At my site, I do not have an LNO3. Instead, I have a Texas Instruments OmniLaser. Using the HP LaserJet+ emulating interface, there are escape sequences to &dD Underscore &d@ and to (s3B Bold (s0B . I'm sure some knowledgable ARIS reader will be able to tell me which modules in the system device control library are used by RUNOFF/DEVICE=LNO3, and what they do. That way, I can create my own version so that RUNOFF will include the correct escape sequences for my laser printer. I'll no longer have to insert escape sequences myself. Thank you for your help, kind person. WORD PROCESSING SIG Message # 134 1 replies Left by: Comet On 19-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: RUNOFF AND LASER PRINTERS I want RUNOFF to generate the correct escape sequences (for underlining, bolding, etc.) for my Texas Instruments OmniLaser. Please help me. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 408 0 replies Reply to # 397 Left by: JAY SHAH On 19-Jan-90 At : 2126766920 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBO Thanks for your suggestions but my problem is not solved: I want to create 2 DCL integer symbols from my program which will be later used as input to lexical functions whic have integer parameters. I could create string symbols from the program, exifrom the program and convert the string symbols to o integers from DCL. I want to avoid the last step. HELP!!! VMS SIG Message # 1266 0 replies Reply to # 1260 Left by: RICH PIKE On 19-Jan-90 At : (617) 935-9050 Subject: DEC/WINDOW WITH NON-DEC S Clarence, If the Decnet emulator on the UNIX system is complete then you should simply "setenv DISPLAY vax_node_name::0.0". Note the double colon; this indicates a DECnet connection as opposed a TCP/IP connection. Refer to page 34 of Oliver Jones' "Introduction to the X Window System" which Tektronix supplies along with their documentation. I have not actually tried this; we do have a Tektronix XD88 (sometimes) but we don't have a DECnet emulator on it. We can only connect to it from our VAX by going through an IRIS 4D/20 which is running the 4DDN DECNET emulator. I don't think there is any way for us to define a working DISPLAY under these circumstances. Good luck! If you have any problems (or success) please let me know. Rich Pike Project Engineer Northern Research & Engineering Corporation FAX: (617) 935-9052 TELEX: 466928 VMS SIG Message # 1267 0 replies Reply to # 1264 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 19-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: FILE FAILS TO CLOSE Sarah, You say your files "fail to close". Can you be a little bit more explicit? How do you know that your files fail to close? Does your program execute the code to close the files? Does your program check the status returned from the close function? If the close returns an error status of some sort, that will tell you what the problem is. If your program never executes the close, it's still surprising that the files are not closed by image rundown. Give us a little more to go on and we may be able to give you a little more help. LASER PRINTERS SIG Message # 112 0 replies Reply to # 111 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 19-Jan-90 At : (609) 452-6217 OR 5130 Subject: RUNOFF Comet, The system device control library (SYS$LIBRARY:DEVCTL.TLB) is not used by RUNOFF (DSR). The device control library is used by the print symbiont. May I suggest TeX as a replacement for RUNOFF? RUNOFF is something out of the dark ages! TeX will let you use proportionally spaced type which RUNOFF can't do. (You can get the proportionally spaced type if you work at it but RUNOFF does not know how to fill and justify it.) TeX, together with the LaTeX macro package, is available from the DECUS Library as V-SP58 for about $160. It's a real bargain. You will soon be producing output that only an expert will be able to tell from type set. In fact, drivers exist for some commercial photo-typesetters at 1200 or 2400 dpi resolution! If, for some reason, you must have RUNOFF, try Bonner Lab RUNOFF. The Bonner Lab version is also available from the DECUS Library and includes support for various letter quality printers as well as the means to define new printers. (I still think TeX is superior, I have Bonner Lab RUNOFF but I haven't used it in more than two years.) WORD PROCESSING SIG Message # 135 0 replies Reply to # 134 Left by: John Rice On 19-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: RUNOFF AND LASER PRINTERS Comet, We use RUNOFF at our site, with LN03's. The /LN03 device qualifier in RUNOFF does NOT call a module from the device control library for the laser printer. What it does (I believe) is cause RUNOFF to insert the proper esc sequences in the output sent to the LN03 by RUNOFF. I don't have a RUNOFF manual here at home, (I don't use it myself). The people that use it, tell me that there are some alternatives described in the RUNOFF manual to solve your problem, to 'manually' include the sequences you need for the non-supported devices. If I remember Monday, I'll try to dig up a runoff manual and see what I can find. J.R. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 409 0 replies Reply to # 401 Left by: John Rice On 19-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBOL Jay, Once you have the symbol in dcl, you might try $ symbol = 'f$integer(symbol) this will force it to an integer value, if it's an ascii string representation of an integer . Then you can add,subtract,multiply, etc it as an iteger. J.R. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 515 0 replies Reply to # 514 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 21-Jan-90 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: LINK LOST DURING TRANSFER Well, one thing that can cause this, is a modem that is "too smart" for its own good. While in use for DECnet, asynch terminal lines will not be able to do flow control, either XON/XOFF or CTS - so, if you are feeding the modem at > 2400 bps, and letting the modem do some compression, when it gets behind and wants to stop the host, things could get ugly. Some times it works out ok, some times not - depends on the traffic and the mode, APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 410 0 replies Reply to # 405 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 21-Jan-90 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMS? Easiest thing in the world...write your code, preferrably in MACRO, being sure that it is postion independent. Then, allocate some process-private address space in the process allocation region via exe$alop1proc. This is documented on page 63 of the VAX Internals and DaTa Structures Manual, Version 4.4. Next, use MOVC3 to copy your routine to that space. Now, create either a timer AST, or a terminal out-of-band AST that points at it. The trick in the last step is to do it in EXEC mode - this avoids losing the ASTs when the image runs down. I use this mechanism rather than using non paged pool when the code is not of general interest to many processes on the system - if a lot of processes use it, I go to more trouble and put the routines in non paged pool - the real problem there, is that the code must be re-entrant, as well as PIC, since many processes can execute it at the same time. I have a trivial example of the process private technique, if you want it - it loads some code that sets your DCL prompt to the current time, and updates each minute via an EXEC mode TQE AST. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 516 0 replies Reply to # 510 Left by: DR. R On 21-Jan-90 At : AT THE FIREHOUSE Subject: Hydraulic Prestidigitation Yes. To determine the volume of water flowing through an orifice, one needs to know the diameter of the orifice, the *length* of the hole or pipe associated with said orifice (to calculate friction loss), and the distance from the surface of the water to the orifice (to calculate static pressure). Supply me with this info and I'll provide you with an accurate answer. PS--Just what IS this thread doing in the cluster conference? PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 511 0 replies Reply to # 500 Left by: DR. R On 21-Jan-90 At : @DECWEST Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER Yes. My software sleuthery reveals that Digital is developing a C++ compiler in conjunction with the OSF-compliant OZIX operating system. Perhaps a call to DECwest would elicit some of the lurid details on the new C++ compiler--or the even-more-mysterious PILLAR system implementation language! MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 680 0 replies Reply to # 544 Left by: TERRY C. SHANNON On 8-Jan-90 At : IN THE BIG WHITE PANEL TRUCK Subject: ORIGIN OF PSEUDONYM I confess. From its inception in July 1986 until January 1988 I was the author of the "Rumor Roundup" column in a DEC-specific tabloid. Guess you could say I was . . . . . . a "MATCO TOOL." RSTS SIG Message # 481 0 replies Reply to # 480 Left by: COLIN SHAW On 21-Jan-90 At : (805)494-7530 Subject: 11/84S AND V9.6 I don't think it's the same problem. I did talk to Brett (as he says) and we think the problem looks like a controller incompatibility. The tape drive is a Kennedy 1600/6250 unit and I think the controller is from Emulex. Unfortunately as I'm here in Los Angeles and the system is in New York I can't check it out for sure! Anyway, I will probably be going to Gotham City soon (hopefully after it gets a little warmer!) and so I will try out all this then. Thanks for all the suggestions and I promise I WILL let you all know how it goes. Colin Shaw. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 687 0 replies Reply to # 686 Left by: Phil Gravel On 21-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: FTSV FILE XFER UTILITY Bill, FTSV is a nice utility. One of the best features is that it's free through the DEC Assets program. This is software that DEC has developed, but for one run reason or another decided not to commercialize. They make it available at no cost to their customers through the Assets program. Contact your local DEC sales rep. Phil VMS SIG Message # 1268 0 replies Left by: Phil Gravel On 21-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: F$ENVIRONMENT PROBLEM Here's a VMS problem to watch out for. I have some command procedures that I use cluster-wide. I store them in a directory named [.SYSCOM] that I created under [SYS0.SYSCOMMON]. In the procedures is the following line which I use to resubmit the procedure to run another day: $ FILE = F$ENVIRONMENT("PROCEDURE") According to the log file, this lexical returns something like: DUA0:[VMS$COMMON.SYSCOM]filename.filetype VMS$COMMON is an alias filename in the disk's master file directory (MFD) which points to [SYS0.SYSCOMMON]. Recently this code quit working. The log file showed that this lexical was returning: DUA0:[SYSCOMMON.SYSCOM]filename.filetype After calling Digital's Customer Support, I found out that this is a known problem with VMS V5.2 when you do an image backup and restore of a disk. (I had just upgraded a system to VMS V5.2 and did an image backup and restore.) Apparently BACKUP doesn't properly create the backlink for VMS$COMMON. The workaround is to create an alias for the MFD for SYSCOMMON using SET FILE /ENTER=.... (If you do this and DEC fixes the problem, remember to use SET FILE /REMOVE to get rid of the alias rather than deleting the files and the directory!) This goes along with another problem in V5.2 BACKUP. What problem you ask? The one where BACKUP hangs when doing a standalone backup because you used the /LOG qualifier.... Phil MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 681 0 replies Reply to # 544 Left by: TERRY C. SHANNON On 22-Jan-90 At : IN THE BIG WHITE PANEL TRUCK Subject: ORIGIN OF PSEUDONYM I confess. From its inception if July 1986 until January 1988 I was the author of the "Rumor Roundup" column in a DEC-specific tabloid. Guess you could say I was . . . . . . a "MATCO TOOL." VMS SIG Message # 1269 0 replies Left by: SARAH MCKNEALLY On 22-Jan-90 At : 404-639-3595 Subject: FILES FAIL TO CLOSE Files appear in the directory with 0 blocks, lights flash on disk drive during course of data acquisition. If all goes well, when the data acquisition is terminated (software for which we have no source code), the file closes with 200-2000 block sizes and the file name is incremented by the software in preparation for the next experiment. If all does not go well, the file name disappears from the directory and the software does not increment the file name for the next experiment. We do not have access to the source code but suspect, on historical grounds, that it uses simple Fortran OPEN and CLOSE statements. So far, the vendor has not been willing to let us try to trouble shoot or to make the return messages available to us. Today DEC came and patched the XA driver to see if that would help. Several hours later we have logged no errors to the device nor had file closure problems. However, as I mentioned in the earlier message, the problem is intermittent. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 682 0 replies Reply to # 670 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI) On 22-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD I have not experienced it and haven't come across anyone who got it. Years back I was a straight keypunch operator who typed for (summers) at a time. I didn't experience any problems then nor did I come across any people with those complaints. Eye problems, yes! Wrist, finger problems, no. As I get older (I'm only 32 now), I still am at the keyboard quite a bit, but still don't get carpal-tunnel (or however you spell it). I do get sore wrists from a bad angle to the keyboard to my wrists, and from being "tense" while typing. I also touch type with 10 fingers, which also might be a factor in your "study". Hope my info was helpful. Please keep us updated. It is an area affecting us all. UTILITIES SIG Message # 441 0 replies Reply to # 433 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI) On 22-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MAIL/EDIT To get MAIL to come up in the EDT editor, you specify MAIL :== MAIL/EDIT at the $ prompt, as you have done. To get the TPU editor to come up in MAIL, you now change the MAIL configuration. At the MAIL> prompt, enter SHOW ALL About midway down you'll see the current default editor. To change it to TPU, enter SET EDITOR TPU or something along those lines. Enter HELP within MAIL if the syntax is wrong. Enter SHOW ALL again to make sure you got what you wanted. Happy mailing. VAX/ELN SIG Message # 32 0 replies Reply to # 29 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI) On 22-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! C VERSUS ADA, ETC. Sorry, no, I haven't heard of him. I'm on the opposite side of the country. Thanks for your suggestions, though. VAX/ELN SIG Message # 33 0 replies Reply to # 29 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI) On 22-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! C VERSUS ADA, ETC. As for your "business" questions, we're going to be doing the development ourselves. Of course, though, one should also leave one's options open with regards to contractors. If we started programming here in Ada and wanted to use Ada programmers, we would have to find them. MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 279 1 replies Reply to # 278 Left by: JAMES A MEEKS On 22-Jan-90 At : 703-632-2961 Subject: ESE20 - HSC70 PERFORMANCE THE DISKS IN THE SHADOW SET ARE ABLE TO RESIDE ON DIFFERENT HSCs SUPPLING A MORE EFFECIENT FAILOVER CAPABILITY. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 350 1 replies Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 22-Jan-90 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: ATTACHING A LJ250 TO A VS3200 I need to know if anyone here has ever attached a printer to a VAXstation 3200. I am trying to connect a LJ250 color inkjet printer to one. There is a 9 pin connector in the back of the VS3200 that the manual points out is the one to connect to. When connected to this port it turns out to be CSA0: which I thought was reserved for console devices. Any way I can interactively set up a print queue for this device and it works ok, however, on rebooting the VS3200, the commands in SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_V5.COM to start up a print queue will not work with device CSA0:. How can I get around this problem? Patrick Mahan Ford Aerospace Corp Newport Beach, CA VMS SIG Message # 1270 0 replies Reply to # 1266 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 22-Jan-90 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: DEC/WINDOW WITH NON-DEC S Just for your information. Digital does supply a TCP/IP transport with VMS v5.3, however, it is for use with only their Ultrix connection product. The release notes and the New Features manual describe this but point out that DEC's implementation uses a non-standard socket interface. However, they do include a manual to write your own TCP/IP transport with the programming documentation for DECwindows. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 351 0 replies Reply to # 350 Left by: NIK On 22-Jan-90 at 21:57 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: ATTACHING A LJ250 TO A VS3200 Pat, I'm really confused. What do you get when you do, $ SH DEV/FUL CSA0: or, $ SH TER CSA0:? Is there a logical name your not telling us about? I can't believe that a CSA0: can be used as a printer. What do you mean by the commands won't work during systartup_v5.com? Normally, the CSAn: devices are NOT autoconfigured during boot time and have to be connected manually, SYSGEN> CONN CONSOLE. Perhaps the systartup_v5.com is trying to start the printer queue before the device is connected and connecting CSA0: later on. I can't believe I used, "printer" and "CSA0:" in the same sentence. It's stranger than fiction, too bazaar for truth...UNHOLY!!... I like it. $ SET HOST/DTE CSA0: MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 280 0 replies Left by: DR. R On 22-Jan-90 At : ON CALL Subject: ESE20 ACCELERATOR Yes. Be on the lookout for a forthcoming turbocharged version of the ESE20 that boosts throughput from 400 to as many as 1000 I/Os per second. Could this provocative product be slated for introduction as part of the late-February DECtp II initiative? Well, even though my powers of prognostication are a tad obscured by CIRRUS clouds, methinks the answer is yes. facts not rumours, dr. r. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 333 2 replies Left by: CHUCK AHRENS On 23-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MODEM SENDING CTRL_S Does anyone know how to send a raw control-S across from a terminal (vt100) thru the microvax and the modem connected to it to a remot host ...? We are having trouble getting the interface with TRW set up, (it requires a control-s to finish a tranaction.). I thank you. VMS SIG Message # 1271 0 replies Reply to # 1269 Left by: MICHAEL A. BAYDOUN On 23-Jan-90 At : Subject: FILES FAIL TO CLOSE This data acquisition software, is it a 'marketed' piece of third party software or is it 'custom'? If it is marketed, what is it's name? I can't imagine a marketed piece of software deleting the previous versions of a file if 'all does not go well'. Also, are there any version limits on the file or the directory the files reside in, and is it safe to assume that this is the only file causing you problems? Sorry I can't be of much help right know, but if we know the products name maybe someone can help. UTILITIES SIG Message # 442 0 replies Reply to # 441 Left by: MICHAEL A. BAYDOUN On 23-Jan-90 At : Subject: MAIL/EDIT I would like to thank everyone who responded to my message, they were all helpful. In conclusion, for users with vms v4.x I think the easiest way to do this is to define the mail$edit logical to "callable_tpu". The proper way for vms v5.x users would be to use the set editor command from mail. Thanks again for all your help. Mike COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 334 0 replies Reply to # 333 Left by: JOHN RICE On 23-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MODEM SENDING CTRL_S There are a number of "tricks" to getting control_s through a modem. Some may be dependant on the modem software you're using. Control_s is equivalent to "x_off" (control_Q is "x_on"). You need to make sure that the "x on/off" option in your modem software is disabled, if used. In your VAX do $ set term/passthru (or passall -one will work and frankly I forget which). If you are using VT220 or 320 or the like, make sure that the terminal is set "NO XOFF" in set-up. Then you should be able to pass ctrl_s through your modem. HOpe this helps.. J.R. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 335 0 replies Reply to # 333 Left by: JOHN RICE On 23-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MODEM SENDING CTRL_S Went back and checked my system. The terminal setting is $ set term/passall then when you're done, to return the terminal to normal $ set term/interactive hope it helps J.R. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 512 0 replies Reply to # 511 Left by: Rod Falanga On 23-Jan-90 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: Search for a C complier A C++ compiler from DEC, huh. That IS interesting!! I'd love to see that! By the way, what is PILLAR?? Rod Falanga VAX/ELN SIG Message # 34 0 replies Reply to # 30 Left by: RICK KAERWER (ICI AMERICAS) On 23-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: HELP! CP/RSX VERSUS VAX/ Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 683 0 replies Reply to # 681 Left by: REALLY BUMMED On 23-Jan-90 At : ANYWHERE Subject: ORIGIN OF PSEUDONYM Gee, that's too bad. And to think I patterned my (hic) life after his. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 352 0 replies Reply to # 350 Left by: BILL HALFORD On 23-Jan-90 At : (601)634-3098 Subject: ATTACHING A LJ250 TO A VS You should have a "HSCUISDEVICES.COM" in your [sysmgr] dir. You should edit this file to set up the port, queue name, printer type, and any other params you might want. The hscuissetup.com will run at startup read HSCUISDEVICES and configure the queue and port accordingly. Good Luck EDITORS SIG Message # 244 1 replies Reply to # 242 Left by: ROB VUGTEVEEN On 23-Jan-90 At : (602)792-3010 Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS I'm in the process of weaning myself from EDT and learning the EVE editor. But I carry on with my old familiar key sequences by setting SET KEYPAD EDT which gives me the good ol' EDT keypad on the right! With that, you can enter special characters into your file using the [gold] {ascii-value} [gold-3] key sequence. Won't this work for the eight-bit sequences also? EDITORS SIG Message # 245 3 replies Left by: ROB VUGTEVEEN On 23-Jan-90 At : (602)792-3010 Subject: COLUMN EDITOR FOR VMS? We are looking for a VAX text editor that can work in "columns". For example, selecting one or several columns (rather than lines), cutting the selected columns and moving them around. Functionally, it would work like "K-edit" does on an IBM PC (or so I'm told... I don't speak PC). Our DEC rep thinks that LSE (Language Sensitive Editor) will do this, but isn't sure. Anyone know if LSE is the ticket, or is there something else available? (I get back to the ARIS/BB about once every 6 weeks.) THANKS MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 684 0 replies Reply to # 682 Left by: Comet On 23-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: Ten-fingered touch-typing! Really? What do you type using your left thumb? EDITORS SIG Message # 246 0 replies Reply to # 244 Left by: Comet On 23-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: 8 BIT CONTROL CHARACTERS Yes, you can enter 8-bit control characters in EDT/TPU by using the GOLD/KP3 sequence. The TPU that ARIS gives you apparently is using a modified version of the obsoleted EDT emulator that VMS shipped with version 4.4+ (I think). This lets us use the SPECINS binding of GOLD/KP3. Unfortunately, we don't get any of the "goodies" here (overstrike/insert mode, for example) that the EVE interface gives. EDITORS SIG Message # 247 0 replies Reply to # 245 Left by: Comet On 23-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: COLUMN EDITOR FOR VMS? Look for rectangular cut and paste extensions to your favorite TPU interface on the DECUS tapes. Detabbing/entabbing and control-character display are other common extensions which can be found on tapE. The FMS editor lets you do rectangular cutting and pasting, but is quite limited in other respects. EDITORS SIG Message # 248 0 replies Reply to # 245 Left by: COMET On 23-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: COLUMN EDITOR FOR VMS? Follow conversation from message 47 in this SIG for TPU rect. cut/paste info. VMS SIG Message # 1272 0 replies Reply to # 1269 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 23-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: FILES FAIL TO CLOSE Sarah, Have you considered getting a new vendor?!!! Your's sounds like the pits to me. I have a piece of code (in Fortran) that reads from a DR11W and writes to a file. We use it to upload image data from a PC equipped with a frame grabber. It's nothing polished or fancy but it worked last time we tried it. It would probably need some customization (maybe a lot) for your application but you would have source and you would be able to solve your own problems. If you would like a copy, give me a call and we'll find some way to get it to you. VMS SIG Message # 1273 0 replies Left by: BOSCO DIAS On 24-Jan-90 At : (415)604-5381 Subject: ACCESSING MEMORY ON THE Q-BUS Recently we acquired a special purpose interface for out microVAX 3600. The inteface appears to the VAX as 128kb of QBus memory (in the 30000000 region). I am able to use the VMS create and map system service to access this memory. I would also like to access this memory from a VAX device driver. Does anyone know how I could a access a specific PFN from a driver? MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 685 0 replies Reply to # 684 Left by: Phil Anthony On 25-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD Ctrl-F7 .... CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 517 1 replies Reply to # 509 Left by: Brett Bump On 25-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: ALF ON (Huh? How'd this get here?) Educated Guess #1. Well, Nik, I'm not really an expert in hydrodynamics, but being an avid computer user with a disk drive, I just had to jump in when I saw a question that related to Bernoulli's equation. Or more specifically in this particular case, the speed of efflux, Torricelli's theorem. Since you have indicated no "water pressure", we will assume that the only pressure involved is the atmospheric pressure from above. We can also neglect the initial velocity value v1, because the surface area of your "dam", A1, is much larger than the area of the "hole", A2. Thus, a simple equation emerges: . | Atmospheric pressure from above (g=gravity=9.8 meters per second) . V wwwwwwwwww| ^ ~-- A1 -->| | -- Depth to oriface A2 (h=height) . | | . | | __ 2 . O v __| A2 = Pi * R (Pi=3.14, R=Radius) . | ____ . | Velocity: V2 = \/ 2gh \O Run Little . | |\ Dutch Boy . | 3 / \ . | Volume: V = V2 * A2 . | . | Answer: VOL_CUBED = SQR(2*9.8*H) * (3.14*R^2) Note that the area of your hole, A2, has little to do with the velocity in this case, no matter what the shape. Its only real requirement is that it exist. To calculate the volume of water displaced, however, requires that it be included in your formula. (Output in cubic meters per second) I dare not continue this discussion further, for fear that it would necessitate the inclusions of calculations concerning laminar flow and turbulent flow (and bore you to death). COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 336 0 replies Reply to # 328 Left by: Brett Bump On 25-Jan-90 At : ARIS_Phil$NodeNew_Braska$Node$Bump Subject: BASIC/TERMINAL SERVERS Reply to Comm #328: Reply to Comm #330: Uh... Vacs message? Hmm. I don't Word Processor? Why NO! I don't recall ever seeing such a thing. | | use a word processor. Gee, Phil, do Maybe it was something you ate! |O| you use a word processor? I use a Yeah, that's the ticket. Or maybe | text editor called CygnusEd (but I it was just some dream that you / \ made it look like EDT - FAST EDT) had! Uh... Or maybe... (Quick, on an Amiga, but it's really not a Phil, think of something!) | word processor. . V Reply to Comm #332: Ok Ok. I give up. Well, I knew it had to happen some time. Why did you do it, Phil? Was it the money? The fame? The glory? The motion picture rights? Yeah, they'll probably pin a medal on you for this one. I suppose I'll get the chair. How about that nice captain's chair over in the corner there, yeah, that looks nice. Yes, NIK, it's true. We read the unCENSORED version of Aris. But our communications method makes it much easier to live with the AT&T charges. We actually spend more time talking than our computers do. By the way, Bob Schaffrath is not crazy. Anyone who can run GF's systems from inside that asylum can't be all bad. No, Bob, you're not crazy. But spending all afternoon trying to call out when the "Death Stars" computer is on the blink can sure get you close. Keep my "packets" posted. It seems to be the only consistently reliable communications method. ...-.- I'm learning. As for you, Phil, I'll take care of you when I get, NO, dont hang that... MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 686 0 replies Reply to # 670 Left by: Brett Bump On 25-Jan-90 At : Here Subject: ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD Pabeannv Co Ekrpat yd. rbnf t.fxrape yday frg go.Z Rp er frg oycnn go. a ',.pyf t.fxrape anorZ As you can see, I do the former. But one of these days I'll have my speed up to par and give the other one up. (What did he say?) CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 518 0 replies Reply to # 517 Left by: ROB VUGTEVEEN On 25-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: ALF ON Ah- pure P H Y S I C S !! another kindred soul on ARIS (I guess Clustering/Networking SIG will do in the absence of a Fluid Dynamics SIG) APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 411 1 replies Left by: ROB VUGTEVEEN On 25-Jan-90 At : (602)792-3010 X334 Subject: INTERSECTING POLYGONS I need to determine the common region of two intersecting polygons of arbitrary shape. The polygons are digitized and possibly complex, and there may be more than one intersecting region. For example, overlapping two parantheses () could give you one or two separate areas depending on how you position them. Surely some article has come out on this somewhere... Anybody know ? Seeing the treatise on fluid flow in the Clustering/Networking SIG so neatly answered, I thought this could be a good spot to seek a solution! DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 688 0 replies Left by: JAMES TRIETSCH On 25-Jan-90 At : (915) 674-2676 Subject: MAC TERMINAL EMULATORS DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 689 0 replies Left by: JAMES TRIETSCH On 25-Jan-90 At : (915) 674-2676 Subject: MAC TERMINAL EMULATORS WE HAVE SEVERAL USERS WHO USE MACINTOSHES THAT OCCASIONALLY HAVE TO ACCESS OUR VAXCLUSTER TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS. WE ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING A VT TERMINAL EMULATOR TO USE IN THIS APPLICATION. WE NEED AT LEAST VT100 COMPATBILTY. I AM AWARE OF A PRODUCT FROM WHITE PINE SOFTWARE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHAT EXPERIENCE OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH ANY OF THESE PRODUCTS AND WHERE I COULD LOOK FOR REVIEWS, ETC. ON THE PRODUCTS. THANKS. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 353 0 replies Reply to # 351 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 25-Jan-90 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: ATTACHING A LJ250 TO A VS Nik, The command $SHOW DEVICE/FULL CSA0: is as follows: Terminal CSA0:, device type unknown, is online, allocated, record-oriented device, carriage control Error Count 0 Operations completed 0 Owner process "" Owner UIC [SYSTEM] Owner process ID 00000000 Dev Prot S:RWLP, O:, G:, W: Reference count 2 Default Buffer size 512 The way I found out that this is the device was by using COPY and copying my login.com to ever device on the system. Device CSA0: was the only device that outputted to the printer. I agree with the possiblity that the device is not yet configured. However, I haven't added the code to handle that possiblity. Patrick TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 354 0 replies Reply to # 352 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 25-Jan-90 At : (714) 720-7868 Subject: ATTACHING A LJ250 TO A VS Bill, Sorry, but no .COM files with the name of HSCUISDEV.COM exists in SYS$MANAGER. I've heard of that file, but I believe it only is loaded if the VAX is using HSC storage. Patrick APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 412 1 replies Reply to # 411 Left by: COMET On 25-Jan-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: INTERSECTING POLYGONS Algorithm for computing common area of digitized polygons. "Digitized" polygons. Hmm. Digits. Hmmm. Discrete coordinates. I assume that by "digitized polygon" you are referring to a bit-mapped image of a polygon, and not a set of (2-dimensional) vertices. ******************************************************************************** The common area is directly proportional to the number of identical digitized points. Use some kind of ANDing function and a mapping function between the number of bits in your data type and do a summation over all the points in one of the polygons, preferably the smaller one. 000(0 0)000 00000 0 00(00 00)00 00100 1 0(000 000)0 00000 0 0(000 AND 000)0 = 00000 maps to 0 0(000 000)0 00000 0 00(00 00)00 00100 1 000(0 0)000 00000 0 --- 2 units of area (pixels) APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 413 0 replies Reply to # 412 Left by: ROB VUGTEVEEN On 25-Jan-90 At : (602)792-3010 Subject: INTERSECTING POLYGONS Comet, thanks for the reply, and so fast, too! The "digitized" part mislead you. I have the coordinates of all the vertices, in order, clockwise, of two closed polygons. I need the coordinates of the vertices of the polygon(s) resulting from the intersection of the first two polygons. We have an elaborate, inelegant set of code that handles only special cases, and seek something akin to polygon panacea. Perhaps someone familiar with the "Journal of Applied Mathematics"... or, better yet, the "Journal of Solutions You're Looking For" (a.k.a. ARIS) .<>. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 692 0 replies Reply to # 689 Left by: SIMON BROWN On 29-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: MAC TERMINAL EMULATORS I use White Pine's VT241 emulator (MAC241). It works o.k., has Kermit and Xmodem built in. I believe there's a product from Pacer available, but I ain't seen it. all I can say is that MAC241 works, no bugs, and I'd use it again. Simon , Switzerland 1 236 49 01 (work) COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 337 0 replies Left by: KEITH EDWARDS On 29-Jan-90 At : (904) 565-7126 Subject: MUXSERVER W/STATMUXES We are trying to use some MuxServer 100's and 300's with Codex 6740 Statistical Multiplexers. The MuxServers use a poll address of 00 for polling and the stat muxes us poll address 00 for a service or maintenance request. Any way to change the address used by either piece to hardware? Any other suggestions?? Please call and if no answer then leave word on the recorder Thanks DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 693 0 replies Reply to # 687 Left by: dave bowers On 29-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: FTSV FILE XFER UTILITY ASSETS are most certainly NOT free! You have to buy them from Digital Software Services. They are supported by the local PSS unit with limited telephone support available from, I believe, Atlanta. Assets come in 2 flavors: tools and packages. The former are routines or functions which need to be incorporated in a custom solution, typically by your local DEC folks. The packages are more nearly "products" and include stuff like FTSV, which you basically install and use. The original ASSETS program included only code developed by Software Services for clients. Much of the original stuff was ALL-IN-1 customizations, In recent years, DEC-internal utilities have been added to the library. This is where FTSV comes from. By the way, the cluster managment and monitoring software that appeared at DECworld '87 has just been put into the ASSETS library. Your DEC Sales Support Specialist should be able to get you a catalog for the ASSETS library. As recently as last year, the SS folks had a specific goal to sell ASSETS. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 687 0 replies Left by: MICHAEL A. BAYDOUN On 29-Jan-90 At : (317)364-1323 EXT. 486 Subject: SHORT TERM RENTALS This may sound like a strange request, but does anyone know where I may be able to rent a system for a very short time period (1-2 weeks)? I need a Vax Station 3100 model 30 package # PV012-B4. Any suggestion? MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 688 0 replies Reply to # 684 Left by: EILEEN On 29-Jan-90 At : Subject: ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD In standard touch typing the left thumb is for the space bar same as the right thumb. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 519 0 replies Left by: JEFF ARONOWITZ On 29-Jan-90 At : HERE. Subject: VAX TO FOREIGN VAX DECNET I am trying to connect my local VAX network (about 16 DECnet nodes connected via Ethernet) to an outside vendors network via asynch DECnet. My problem is several of the DECnet node addresses on my net are the same as on the remote net (i.e. node 1.1 appears in both networks). I want to be able to connect to the remote network, retrieve afew files, and then disconnect without having to disconnect my system from my local network. Further, I do not want the vendor to have access to my network while the connection is active. If anyone has any ideas, it would be most appreciated!!! Thanks! Jeff CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 520 0 replies Reply to # 519 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 30-Jan-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: VAX TO FOREIGN VAX DECNET There is no solution to your problem other than to reassign the node numbers. This could be as simple as allocating a block of numbers under area 1 to yourself (ie. 1.100 -> 1.199) or as complex as changing areas and setting up level 2 routers. Two node 1.1's, 1.2's, etc. cannot exist at the same time. Your easiest solution may be to disconnect your machine from your network (assuming it's node number is unique) and connect in to the remote network. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 VMS SIG Message # 1277 0 replies Left by: Robert G. Schaffrath On January 30, 1990 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: SHOW security feature under VMS V5.2 This was picked up on another BBS: Under VMS V5.2 SHOW was modified to allow you to 'hide' users on the system from one another. This is accomplished by removing WORLD privilege from the installed image. In this situation, SHOW USERS and SHOW SYSTEM will only show those users with the same UIC as the calling process. Also the interactive job count on SHOW USERS will reflect the number of users displayed not the system wide IJOBCNT. Prior to VMS V5.2, SHOW SYSTEM would display all processes even if WORLD privilege was not present, and SHOW USERS would display the system wide interactive job count even though it only displayed a limited number of users. If users are grouped together, GROUP privilege can be provided instead to allow group users to see each other. If you do implement this feature, don't forget the PHONE utility's DIR command! Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 EDITORS SIG Message # 249 0 replies Reply to # 245 Left by: ROD FALANGA On 30-Jan-90 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: COLUMN EDITOR FOR VMS? Rob, I see that yo have gotten 3 replies to this question, but even so, I think that I'll add my two cents worth. Vanilla LSE will not do what you speak of (if I understand what it is that you're trying to do), but you can write a TPU initialization file (and then later compile that file into a section file) which will give you the functionality that you seek, i.e.: rectangle deletion and insertion. I have such a file from off of a DECUS tape (I forget which one it is now and our Systems manager has deleted the whole thing from off of the system.) Rod Falanga PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 514 0 replies Reply to # 513 Left by: ROD FALANGA On 30-Jan-90 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER Thank you, Dr. R., for more info on PILLAR. Rod Falanga APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 415 0 replies Reply to # 408 Left by: JAMES JOHNSTON On 30-Jan-90 At : (215) 441-2166 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBO Believe it or not, you don't have a problem! $ I1 := 4 ! sets a string symbol. value "4" $ i2 = 5 ! sets an integer symbol value 5 $ i3 = 'I1 ! " " " " value 4 $ I4 = 'i1''i2' ! sets an integer symbol value 45 (2D hex) In your lexical call where it needs the integer value, just put the string symbol in, enclosed in single quotes! NO conversion necessary! No Problem! Jim APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 416 1 replies Reply to # 226 Left by: JAMES JOHNSTON On 30-Jan-90 At : (215) 441-2166 Subject: USING RMS WITH C UTILITIES SIG Message # 443 0 replies Left by: On 30-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: ASCII TRANSLATION UTILITIES SIG Message # 444 0 replies Left by: AL LILIANSTROM On 30-Jan-90 At : HERE Subject: ASCII TRANSLATION Does anyone know of a fairly simple way to convert 8 bit ASCII text to 7 bit. I remember seeing a utility that does this but I cannot remember where. If anyone can help please leave a message here. Thanks Al. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 417 0 replies Reply to # 416 Left by: JAMES JOHNSTON On 30-Jan-90 At : (215) 441-2166 Subject: USING RMS WITH C Sorry about the last non-message, i have a problem with TPU - H's & ;'s. I am relatively new to ARIS & have been looking through the index since begin of time. I have a few years of VAX C experience and have had a good time with it. Structures, descriptors & #include routines for VMS calls are a specialty of mine. Since your message is so old i was wondering if the need/desire still exists to call RMS from C. I could probably be of help to just about anyone (except Rex Jaeschke). I am here and willing to assist or inform anyone with problems. jim PS C is not my only area of expertise. VMS SIG Message # 1278 0 replies Reply to # 265 Left by: JAMES JOHNSTON On 30-Jan-90 At : (215) 441-2166 Subject: VAX11-C TRNLNM SERV. Doug, I have written a program in response to your question. It gets involved rather quickly. I am aware of the easy-way-out but took it as a challenge to do it the hard way. If you (or anyone) are interested in details, leave me a message here or call. I'll be glad to hear from you. jim SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 353 0 replies Reply to # 352 Left by: On 30-Jan-90 At : Subject: SYSTEM STATUS SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 354 0 replies Reply to # 352 Left by: JAMES JOHNSTON On 30-Jan-90 At : (215) 441-2166 Subject: SYSTEM STATUS Dave, I might be able to help. i've got a .COM file that scans all of the processes on our system for a particualr user name. I haven't tried it, but i suppose it could be modified to look at process names or some other process-specific item. Let me know if you still want/need more details. jim DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 694 0 replies Left by: PETER LOPEZ On 30-Jan-90 At : 617 732 31319 Subject: DOWNLOADING Hello... I am looking for information about downloading software to my MicroVax II. I dial out from my Vax using a modem connected to a server which I am hardwired to from my VT330. The VT330 is also my console terminal for the vax in session 1. I have Kermit on the uVax if I need it, but I don't know how to get to it from session 2 on the VT330, which is what I use to dial out in the first place. Oh, that number is 3139, or 3179 works also. Thanks!! PC'S SIG Message # 266 0 replies Left by: GRAHAM HARWOOD On 31-Jan-90 At : UK +633 871111 X3448 Subject: PCSA V3 We have not yet received V3 but would like an independent opinions of it. What is the performance of file services like? Are memory problems solved for 286's with expanded memory and extended memory and does this need an expanded memory manager? What about the same on 386's? SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 355 1 replies Left by: ROBERT BLADER On 31-Jan-90 At : 703-663-7571 Subject: CORRUPT SYSUAF.DAT After completing the VMS5.2 upgrade, I was unable to log in to any account including the SYSTEM account - I got the error CAPINT captive account, ...access denied and then logged out. I called DEC and after doing a conversational boot, did $ANALYZE/image on several files, and looking for stray files, did $ANAYLYZE/RMS on the SYSUAF.DAT file and got the following: ** VBN 83: SIDR pointer extends past end of SIDR record. Unrecoverable error encountered in structure of file. Dec had me do $CONVERT SYSUAF.DAT SYSUAF.DAT; and then the $ANAL/RMS ran clean but I still could not log in. So, I figure everything worked BEFORE I started the upgrade, so it must have been corrupted durring the upgrade. So I restored the system disk from a standalone backup. $ANALYZE/RMS SYSUAF.DAT gives me the same error but NO problems logging in!! I backup SYSUAF.dat and the rightslist everyday so I take the oldest backup I have - OCT and the same error happens doing $ANAYZE/RMS SYSUAF.DAT !! Are there any suggestions for how best to recover?? Has this happened to anyone else? Why do things still work under 5.1-1 and not 5.2? Thank you for any insight. Robert Blader Naval Surface Warfare Center E323 Bldg 111T Dahlgren, Va 22448 (703) 663-7571 DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 695 0 replies Reply to # 694 Left by: MICHAEL BAYDOUN On 31-Jan-90 At : Subject: DOWNLOADING Peter, I have a similar setup, let me tell you what I have done. My modem is connected to my decserver 200. The port it is connected to is setup as a service on the network (Modem1). On all of my microvaxs I have setup n lta device in sys$manager:ltload.com for that service. Now from any inter- active session on any vax I can get into kermit, connect to the lta device (which is really the modem), call a BBS and download away using kermit. I hope this helps. If you need more detail info leave me a message here. Mike VMS SIG Message # 1279 0 replies Left by: ROBERT BLADER On 31-Jan-90 At : (703)663-7571 Subject: CORRUPT SYSUAF.DAT FILE I tried the upgrade proc's for vms 5.2. The procedure went well until the end when I tried to log in the SYSTEM account from the operator console and got a CA PINT errorr, captive accountm access denied. Called digital support after a conversational boot, checked for duplicate files (sysroot and syscomm), ANAL/image and ANAL/RMS. The latter when done on the SYSUAF.DAT file and the following error came up: ** VBN 83: SIDR pointer extends past end of SIDR record". Unrecoverable error encountered in file structure. CONVERT utility cleaned up the structure but did not help with the login problem. What's real strange is that EVERYTHING was working fine before I started the upgrade, and when I restored the standalone backup copy of the system disk, I found that that version of the SYSUAF.DAT file has the same error but does not cause any problems. SYSUAFF.dat from the oldest backup I have (OCT) has the same error in it. Why do things work under 5.1-1 and not under 5.2??? How can I fix SYSUAF.DAT?? could something altogether different be the cause of the login problems?? Any insight will be greatly appreciated. Rob Blader (703)663-7571 Naval Surface Wepons Center E323, Bldg 111T Dahlgren, Va. 22448 P.S. Forgive me, I also left this message under the Site management SIG not knowing which SIG was the appropiate one. UTILITIES SIG Message # 445 0 replies Reply to # 444 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 31-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: ASCII TRANSLATION Al, By "converting eight bit ASCII to seven bit ASCII" I assume you mean stripping out the high order bit. I don't know offhand of anything that does this but it is simple enough to do. It's about five minutes worth of programming in the language of your choice. Just AND each character with a hexadecimal 7F. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 356 0 replies Reply to # 355 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 31-Jan-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: CORRUPT SYSUAF.DAT Robert, This is a known problem. One of the early versions of VMS V4 was shipped with a "pre-corrupted" SYSUAF.DAT. The fix is, as you indicated, to use CONVERT to straighten it out. I have no idea what happened to your file during the upgrade but the corruption dates from VMS V4.4 or thereabouts. UTILITIES SIG Message # 446 1 replies Reply to # 445 Left by: NIK On 01-Feb-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: ASCII TRANSLATION I was going to suggest that solution too. But what if he's is trying to convert a into [. To convert control characters, my LN03 programmers manual says: 1. Insert an ESC character. 2. Clear the eight bit and set the seventh bit of the 8-bit control char. thus a , 10011011, 8-bit, becomes [, 00011011,01011011, 2 X 7-bit...but not all eight bit bytes are are control characters. The manual I have, has a table of twelve 8-bit to 7-bit equivalents. UTILITIES SIG Message # 447 0 replies Reply to # 446 Left by: AL LILIANSTROM On 01-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: ASCII TRANSLATION The file I am trying to convert is plain text but is approximatily 7 Megabytes in size. As far as I can tell from the layout that was passed along their are no special control characters. I'm going to try and put together somthing to AND 7F to each character and rewrite and see what happens. I was just kind of hoping that someone had a little utility to do this as my programming skills are not that great. Thanks for the help. Al MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 281 0 replies Reply to # 277 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 01-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: ESE20 - HSC70 PERFORMANCE I might be able to give you a hand. I currently have one of my clusters configured with two strings of (each string has two HSC70's) disks all of which are dual ported and shadowed. In one of these strings I have had two ESE20's shadowed and dual-ported for about six months. The big restriction is that your shadow members have to be on the same HSC but you can certainly dual port to another HSC for failover. Failover works great but watch out for shadow copies if you have RA90's. Another tip is to have configure your disks and channel cards in the following order... SLOT 9 = LOW SLOT. TA90 = LOWEST SLOTS RA90 = NEXT RA82 + ESE20 NEXT RA70 + RA81 + RA60 ETC. YES THAT IS NOT A TYPO ON THE ESE20 BEHIND THE RA90 BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH TRANSFER RATES ETC. Give me a all if you want more details... GPS .<>. MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 282 0 replies Reply to # 280 Left by: GREG SCHULZ On 01-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: ESE20 ACCELERATOR Well 400 I/O per seconds is not bad for a MicroVAX with 120MB of memory running RA82 firmware!!! If you want raw throughput however I suggest looking at VMS disk striping. GPS VMS SIG Message # 1281 0 replies Reply to # 1274 Left by: BOSCO DIAS On 02-Feb-90 At : (415)604-5381 Subject: ACCESSING MEMORY ON THE Q Response #1274 did not understand my request. Where does the question of needing PFNMAP privilige arise when your trying to access a PFN from a device driver? I have come up with a solution that uses the system service LDR$ALLOC_PT to allocate a specific number of system page table entries (SPTEs) and then loading them with the appropriate PFNs. Thanks CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 132 0 replies Reply to # 131 Left by: Brett Bump On 02-Feb-90 At : New_BraskaNet Subject: 'CHRISLIN IND. MEMORY' Richard. I talked to Dave on that number, oh, maybe a month ago. He had moved in with another Dave for a while, then got a place of his own. So that was the latest and newest number I had. I also had the same work number. Has he moved again? VMS SIG Message # 1282 0 replies Reply to # 1276 Left by: RICK KAERWER On 02-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: CALLABLE MAIL INTERFACE ALL RIGHT! BBC WORLD SERVICE! I listen to you often. Keep up the great work. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 696 0 replies Reply to # 692 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 03-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: MAC TERMINAL EMULATORS I am using MAC241 to type this from home on an Async. line and I also use MAC241 at work on my other MAC using TSSNET and Ethernet. MAC241 works great with the Async. lines but have encountered some problems with the TSSNET CTERM driver. For the most part the CTERM driver is great if you have enough memory in that I usually have five to six terminal windows running at a time. Other products that I have used include MACterminal, and Versa-Term. Both are good if you want plain Vt100 type emulation. I have also used Kermit emulation on the MAC but it was so so... GPS DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 697 0 replies Reply to # 693 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 03-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: FTSV FILE XFER UTILITY Some of the assets products do in fact become products. In fact I bieleve DECCP was originally an ASSETS package. I have also heard of some neat network management and performance tools in the assets library. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 689 0 replies Reply to # 687 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 03-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: SHORT TERM RENTALS First look in the classified sections of journals such as DEC pro, Digital News, etc. You may also want to call NEWMAN (313)994-3200. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 521 0 replies Reply to # 520 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 03-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: VAX TO FOREIGN VAX DECNET Not guarented but, if you have access to some sort of ethernet bridge you can go through you might be able to filter out the ethernet address of the other devices but if all you have is Async. then you are probally S.O.L. UTILITIES SIG Message # 448 0 replies Reply to # 446 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 03-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: ASCII TRANSLATION NIK, You do have a point about the eight-bit control characters but I do think that if that was what he wanted, he might have been a little more explicit. CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 133 0 replies Reply to # 132 Left by: Richard B. Gilbert On 03-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6127 OR 5130 Subject: 'CHRISLIN IND. MEMORY' Brett, Then you have more recent information than I have. Last I knew, he was still living with the other Dave. .<>. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 515 0 replies Reply to # 491 Left by: MELANIE STEWART On 04-Feb-90 At : (502)527-3293 Subject: DIBOL AND FMS The newer version of Dibol (4.0 and greater) will allow calls to FMS using the %REF function. In some cases, constants are allowed and in some cases they are not and you must use variables. I don't know specifically which ones or why this is. UTILITIES SIG Message # 449 0 replies Left by: LYNDON HANDY On 04-Feb-90 At : 416-730-7257 Subject: LOOKING FOR ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT UTILITES I am interested in system management utilities for user and proxy account maintenance accross a wide area network of VMS systems. Preferably a package to incorporate account additions, deletions, modifications and security reporting facilities. The closest utility so far is in the August 1985 issue of VAX Professinal called 'securitrieve'. The only problem with securitrieve is that it covers only the security retrieval and reporting aspects. Any suggestions? Please feel free to contact me at (416) 730-7257 EST. Lyndon Handy Information Systems Specialist SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 357 0 replies Left by: On 04-Feb-90 At : Subject: VMS SIG Message # 1283 1 replies Reply to # 1275 Left by: COMET On 05-Feb-90 At : (408)998-1105 Subject: SOME SHOW PATCHES Yes, I'm interested in the AUTHORIZE patches. Please enter them. Thanks. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 522 0 replies Reply to # 519 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 05-Feb-90 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: VAX TO FOREIGN VAX DECNET You'd be better off, security-wise, to install VMSnet, also known as DECUS UUCP, and transferring files via mail. It would be less of a management nightmare, and more automatic than asynch DECnet. 'Course, they'd have to install it on the other end as well... VMS SIG Message # 1284 0 replies Reply to # 1281 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 05-Feb-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: ACCESSING MEMORY ON THE Q I did misunderstand your question. I was under the assumption you had an application program that wanted to access Q-BUS memory MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 283 0 replies Left by: JEFFREY THOMAS On 05-Feb-90 At : 212-536-5470 Subject: CARTRIDGE TAPE BACKUP We have been trundling along with a TU80 for our vax750, and a TK50 for our microvax, for several years...Because it's so time- consuming, we do not make full backups as often as we should. We have been lucky so far... I want to buy a couple (two, to provide mechanical backup for each other in case of device failure) of tape cartridge machines so that I can run unattended backup of our total approx. 900mb disk on each system. Problem: one needs to be a Unibus device; the other, a Q-bus. As I understand it, most of these tape machines use SCSI ports, with an interface box to convert it to the appropriate vax bus. Thus, I want to be able to keep the interface-box in place, and plug in the tape drive to either machine. Is that practical? or possible? Thus far, the 4mm drives seem to have the best combination of features (capacity, backup speed, search speed, price), so I'm leaning that direction -- any comments? real-life experiences? vendor plugs? warnings? Thanks much. --jdt PC'S SIG Message # 267 0 replies Left by: JEFFREY THOMAS On 05-Feb-90 At : 212-536-5470 Subject: PACER LINK INSTALLATION I am now in the process of installing PacerLink/PacerShare/PacerPrint on my MicroVax, to plug in my several macintoshes and laserwriters and ibm-PCs. It is a complicated job, and I'm getting there. But I wonder if other readers of this column have any experience with it, to share war stories with. F'rinstance, what sort of naming conventions you use for your various "nodes" and printers; or how you built the nifty "soft button" options that pacerlink allows. Thanks jt VMS SIG Message # 1285 0 replies Reply to # 1283 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 05-Feb-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: SOME SHOW PATCHES Well, since you asked, here they are. I found these to be of help due to a very strange set of circumstances. At one time, a user had been granted all privileges with MODIFY/PRIV=ALL/DEFP=ALL. Then someone, revoked the privileges by typeing MODIFY/PRIV=(NOCME,NOCMK,NOSYSP,NOSYSN,etc...) until finally all you would see is TMPMBX and NETMBX for privileges as well as default privileges. Along I come and do a SHOW/BRIEF *. Low and behold, the privilege category is 'Files', not 'Normal'. After patching AUTHORIZE, up pops UPGRADE and DOWNGRADE on the user. Anyhow, here are the patches: AUTHORIZE for VMS V5.1-1 REPLACE/INSTRUCTION 7696 'BEQL 76F6' EXIT 'NOP' EXIT REPLACE/INSTRUCTION 76A2 'BEQL 76F6' EXIT 'NOP' EXIT AUTHORIZE for VMS V5.2 REPLACE/INSTRUCTION 8308 'BEQL 8368' EXIT 'NOP' EXIT REPLACE/INSTRUCTION 8314 'BEQL 8368' EXIT 'NOP' EXIT AUTHORIZE for VMS V5.3 REPLACE/INSTRUCTION 8350 'BEQL 83B0' EXIT 'NOP' EXIT REPLACE/INSTRUCTION 835C 'BEQL 83B0' EXIT 'NOP' EXIT After these patches are installed, the UPGRADE and DOWNGRADE privileges will appear for a username which has them (such as SYSTEM). Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 418 0 replies Reply to # 415 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 05-Feb-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: SETTING INTEGER DCL SYMBO That is an interesting solution. After checking out SYS$CLI, I find that it cannot define an integer symbol. However, if you have CMEXEC privilege and some fiche, you can call the DCL$ALLOCYM routine (which actually defines symbols) directly! The main problem with DCL$ALLOCSYM is that it's location has a habit of changing from one version of VMS to another and the symbol is not defined in any of the VMS libraries. Anyone who is interested in learning more about using the routine feel free to drop me a line and I can give you a copy of a sample MACRO program for calling the routine. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 VMS SIG Message # 1287 2 replies Left by: DAVE DESROCHES On 05-Feb-90 At : (508) 875-7511 Subject: CREATE GROUP TABLES I am trying to create group logical tables at system startup time. I have created a command procedure the uses the CREATE/NAME_TABLE command but have run into a problem. When the first user who resides in one of the tables logs in to the system, the previously defined logicals disappear! The exact syntax I am using on the CREATE command is: $ CREATE /NAME_TABLE /PARENT=LNM$SYSTEM_DIRECTORY /LOG - /PROT=(S:RWED,O:RWED,G:RWED,W) /ATTR=(NO_ALIAS, SUPERSEDE) - LNM$GROUP_000200 I then use: $ DEFINE /TABLE=LNM$GROUP_000200 LOGICAL_NAME VALUE to define the individual logical values needed. Anyone know why the tables appear to be re-initialized the first time a valid user logs in? VMS SIG Message # 1288 0 replies Reply to # 1287 Left by: JOHN FLYNN On 05-Feb-90 at 3:36pm At : 615-269-2355 Subject: CREATE GROUP TABLES I don't know why the group logical name table gets re-initialized when the first user in that group logs in. Maybe you're creating it with a different access mode than VMS wants to use? Anyway, here's how I do it: $ RUN/UIC=[200,0]/OUTPUT=NL:/INPUT=NL:/ERROR=NL: SYS$SYSTEM:LOGINOUT It's a detached job that does nothing and immediately logs off. But it has the same effect as the first user logging in, i.e. it creates the group table. John. GRAPHICS SIG Message # 99 1 replies Left by: J. BOYD NOLAN On 06-Feb-90 At : (405)677-0526 Subject: REGIS AND IGES OR HPGL CONVERSIONS I NEED SOME INFORMATION ON CONVERTING REGIS TO SIXEL AND IGES OR HPGL TO TEKTRONICS OR SIXEL. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO A DUMP FROM A VT240 TERMINAL TO GET REGIS TO SIXEL, BUT I NEED TO DO IT ALL FROM A FORTRAN PROGRAM. THE IGES OR HPGL FILES ARE 3D RACK DRAWINGS CURRENTLY IN CADKEY. I AM RUNNING VMS 5.1 (SOON TO BE 5.2) ON MICROVAX II/3800'S AND NEED TO PRINT THEM ON AN LN03 PLUS. ANY HELP AND/OR INFORMATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 281 0 replies Left by: BRIAN MCGUIRE On 06-Feb-90 At : 419-666-8800 Subject: VMS 5.0 PERFORMANCE I HAVE RECENTLY UPGRADED OUR VAXCLUSTER TO VMS 5.0-2. I AM FULLY PLANNING ON GETTING TO 5.2 IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT HAVE NOTICED SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS SINCE GOING TO 5.0. MY INTERUPT STACK TIME IS HIGHER, MY KERNEL MODE TIME IS HIGHER, AND MY EXECUTIVE MODE IS HIGHER. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT USER MODE TIME SEEMS TO HAVE DROPPED APPROX. 10% WITH NO REAL CHANGE IT WORKLOAD. I'VE TALKED TO DEC ABOUT IT, AND ALL THEY'LL SAY IS THAT THEY QUOTED A 3% PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION UNDER VERSION 5. I'M SEEING MUCH MORE THAN THAT, AND I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE WAS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 355 0 replies Left by: BRIAN MCGUIRE On 06-Feb-90 At : 419-666-8800 Subject: HIGH SPEED PRINTERS I'M TRYING TO FIND SOME OPINIONS/SUGGESTIONS ON HIGH SPEED PRINTERS ON THE MARKET. WE ARE CURRENTLY UTILIZING 2 ION DEPOSITION PRINTERS, AND ARE LOOKING INTO REPLACING THEM WITH A MORE RELIABLE DEVICE. (WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS THAT I WON'T GO INTO, BUT LETS SAY THAT OUR FE PRACTICALLY LIVES HERE.) i'M INTERESTED IN ANY EXPERIENCES YOU MAY HAVE WITH PRINTERS THAT HAVE A MONTHLY DUTY CYCLE OF AT LEAST 250,000 PAGES, AND PRINT IN THE AREA OF 50-60 PAGES/MINUTE. WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL TECHNOLOGIES, BE IT LASER, LED ARRAY, OR I SUPPOSE EVEN ION DEPOSITION. UTILITIES SIG Message # 450 0 replies Left by: ROD FALANGA On 06-Feb-90 At : 505-822-7393 Subject: MAIL drawers/folders I get to use a VAXstation 3100 every now and then and I love DECwindows. But one thing that I have done which now leaves me with a problem is that I have defined a drawer within my MAIL file to fine-tune the MAIL messages that I've accumulated over time according to category. This is great, so long as I'm at the 3100, but boy, once I'm back at my VT340, I can't get to that new drawer, it just stays in the MAIL drawer. How can I access the new drawer from a terminal, copy/move MAIL message to it or from it, etc?? We are currently using VMS 5.2 but will soon upgrade to 5.3. Rod Falanga VMS SIG Message # 1289 0 replies Reply to # 1287 Left by: NIK On 06-Feb-90 at 13:45 est At : 914 347 2700 Subject: CREATE GROUP TABLES In your SYSTARTUP[_V5].COM do: $ SUBMIT/NOLOG/USER= 200_GROUP_LOGICALS.COM _____ $! 200_GROUP_LOGICALS.COM $ DEFINE/GROUP...etc. $ DEFINE/GROUP...etc. The needs GRPNAM priv. If you don't want to give out GRPNAM, or if all the accounts in that group are CAPTIVE. Create a 'batch only' account in the same group,[/flag=nocaptive] and use that for SUBMIT/USER=. Note: $ SUBMIT/USER=blah requires CMKRNL priv and RW acces to uaf. SYSTEM should have that already. $ DEFINE/GROUP GROUPER SYS$BIG_FISH DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 698 0 replies Reply to # 660 Left by: JACK BERGER On 06-Feb-90 At : 612-544-2721 Subject: AUTODIAL MODEM SOFTWARE IT WAS REALLY MUCH SIMPLER THAN ALL OF THE ABOVE. IT INVOLVED SETTING THE MODEM TO NOT ECHO COMMAND CHARACTERS. ON MULTITECH 224EH MODEMS THIS IS DONE BY SETTING SWITCH #4 TO THE DOWN POSITION. I CAME ACROSS THIS IN A SIMILAR NOTE IN THE DECUS PAGESWAPPER BB. THANKS FOR THE REPLY DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 700 0 replies Reply to # 660 Left by: JACK BERGER On 06-Feb-90 At : Subject: AUTODIAL MODEM SOFTWARE THANKS AGAIN FOR RESPONDING. ACTUALLY, ALL OF THE COMMENTS YOU MADE APPLY TO THE PROBLEM, BUT WERE ALL IN PLACE OR HAD BEEN DONE. IT JUST TOOK MORE SEARCHING AND FINDING THE RIGHT SWITCHS TO SET ON THE MODEM. I WILL B GLAD TO FURNISH TH FINAL SETUPS TO ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 690 1 replies Left by: JOHN FLYNN On 07-Feb-90 At : Subject: VAX What is the correct plural of the word VAX? MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 691 7 replies Reply to # 690 Left by: NIK On 07-Feb-90 At : Subject: VAX I think VAX stands for Virtual Access eXtension or eXchange... I forget. So the word VAX describes the type of computer system and is not really a noun. VAXes is ok, but I think the correct plural for "VAX" is "VAX systems" or "VAX computers". What does STARLET mean and why do I keep typing it as STARTLET? MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 692 0 replies Reply to # 691 Left by: NIK On 07-Feb-90 At : Subject: VAX I think there is a problem here. I went to reply to my last message and hit return when prompted for the editor, to exit. The ARIS/BB displayed my last message, and incremented the replies field. Then I hit return to continue, and I got the same message and was stuck until I typed E. Anyway VAX stands for Virtual ADDRESS eXtension. GRAPHICS SIG Message # 100 0 replies Reply to # 99 Left by: Phil Gravel On 07-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: REGIS AND IGES OR HPGL CO The REGIS to SIXEL is easy. DEC licenses a product called RETOS (REgis TO Sixel converter). It's fairly inexpensive as DEC software goes. I think it was taken from All-In-One. Hopefully someone else can help you with the other conversions. Phil UTILITIES SIG Message # 451 0 replies Left by: NIK On 07-Feb-90 at 23:50 est At : 914 347 2700 Subject: SDA PROBLEM I found something strange...annoying. I want to see if any of you have the same result. try this: $ ANA/CRASH SYS$SYSTEM ! need a valid dump of course. SDA> EXAM/INST R5;10 !<- this command is unusual, but can happen, typo. (boink...ACCESS VIOLATION) $! gee, why didn't I just type EXIT. It seems that SDA is missing a brain cell. I've tryed this on two of our systems (v5.2, v5.3) and got the same result. The register can be any valid register, the quanity can be anything. The contents of the register doesn't seem to matter either. I discovered this after doing my SDA> READ... commands and building a nice command recall buffer to view different blocks of code with a simple up-arrow and then, flush down the toilet...ARRRRGH! All because I forgot the '@' sign. A valid command would be: SDA> EXAM/INST @R5;10 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 516 0 replies Left by: SIMON BROWN On 08-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: RMS $PARSE SEARCH-LISTS I have a logical which is in fact a search-list, with a lot of varied dev:dir specifications. I'd like to get at the equivalence strings as produced by RMS $PARSE. How do I go about getting at each valid but different dev:[dir] that this logical name points to? I don't want to go opening files in each directory, just see what the dirs are. I'm after getting something similar to that produced by Show Log/Full. Cheers, Simon CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 523 0 replies Left by: DANIEL BRUCE STYER On 08-Feb-90 At : (912) 926-3236 Subject: GRAPHICS PLOTTERS I work for the U.S. Air Force. Problem # 1. I need sources for graphics plotters and/or printers, that support Tektronix Plot10 4010A01 and Advanced Graphing II 4010A02 software. Problem # 2. Most advertisements do not spell out supporting software. Daniel B. Styer WR-ALC/MMETI Robins AFB, GA 31098 (912) 926-3236 MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 284 0 replies Reply to # 283 Left by: TONY FIORITO On 08-Feb-90 At : 215.781.4140 Subject: CARTRIDGE TAPE BACKUP While it's true that many of the new backup devices are SCSI at heart, many do the coversion on the controller board thats plugged into your bus. Often the controller is just as expensive (or more expensive) than the storage unit itself. I wouldn't recommend sharing one device and two cards, for the same reasons that you don't buy two PCs and move one monitor back and forth. Having two complete subsystems makes more sense from a redundancy standpoint also. As far as what flavor to get, I have an 8mm drive, but it's slow and really geared for huge backups (multiple gigabytes). I've heard good things about both 4mm and erasable-optical. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a vendor for either that has both Unibus and Q-bus varieties... Tony Fiorito DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 701 0 replies Left by: DON MATYAS On 08-Feb-90 At : (609) 984-5239 Subject: PCSA FILE SERVICES We are currently running at VAX 6310 with PCSA. We just purchased 20/20 for the VAX because of it's ability to work with WPS+,123 Excel,Oracle and others. When I NFT a WK1 file to the VAX for use in 20/20, everything works just fine. Now that we are running PCSA NFT seemed to be unnecessary since PCSA's file services bring VMS directories to the PC level. The problem is when I save a Lotus WK1 file to a File Services Disk, 20/20 cannot read it. It returns a file read error and gives up. Does anyone have any ideas ? Don Matyas SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 282 0 replies Reply to # 281 Left by: Phil Anthony On 08-Feb-90 At : Here Subject: VMS 5.0 PERFORMANCE Brian, you might want to browse through the messages in this SIG starting with No. 240 (08-Aug-89) through maybe No. 263. There was quite a bit of discussion in there concerning performance problems with VMS V5.0. Among the possible culprits identified were (1) multiprocessing code in Version 5 that might slow uniprocessors down, (2) a bug that increased interrupt stack activity (you say you've seen that), and (3) microcode levels in your processor (the particular machine was an 11/750, but the problem may exist in other machines as well, especially the older ones). But there's hope. The consensus was that a lot of the problems went away in V5.2. You might want to push up your schedule for installing it. UTILITIES SIG Message # 452 0 replies Reply to # 451 Left by: Phil Anthony On 08-Feb-90 At : Here Subject: SDA PROBLEM NIK, sounds to me as if you got caught by a little-known law that I explain to all my clients. It's provisionally named Uncle Phil's Two-Year-Old Law of Computing: All computers are two years old. Like any other two-year-old, they want desperately to please and to be loved. But they have certain well-known limitations. 1. They are very literal. They'll do exactly what you tell them, so long as they're capable of understanding it - no more, and no less. *Never* tell a two-year-old to get lost; she or he will. 2. They need a great deal of love and parental supervision. If you allow them a way to get in trouble, they'll find it and explore it gleefully. But it's not out of meanness or perversity, it's just the nature of the critter. When it happens, as it will in the best-regulated households, the only effective response is to guide them to another, approved, activity, followed by steps to make sure they never are able to perform the unaccept- able behavior again. 3. Two-year-olds will catch every childhood disease going around. Typi- cally a two-year-old has minor sniffles 50 per cent of the time. If a disease is contagious, every playmate the two-year-old comes in contact with will also develop that ailment within two weeks of being exposed. 4. The language skills of two-year-olds are minimal. They range from "I want!" to "%RMS-E-GRONCH, Buzzards in the cornfield." Neither of these is dreadfully helpful in trying to figure out what *really* went wrong; it takes a lot of imagination to relate what the two-year-old says to what was happening when the problem arose. 5. Once in a while, for reasons that make no sense whatsoever to the adult world, two-year-olds will throw a tantrum - usually at the most inconven- ient possible time for his or her parents. Getting upset only makes matters worse; the best way to deal with a tantrum is simply to pay more loving attention to the offending child. If tantrums persist, a visit to the pediatrician is probably in order to determine if there's a physical basis for the behavior. 6. Unlike human children, computers never turn three. The probable reason for this is that by the time they've matured enough to be halfway civil- ized, they're replaced by something new, better, and more powerful. Hope this helps explain your problem. SITE MANAGEMENT SIG Message # 358 0 replies Left by: PAUL S BUOB On 08-Feb-90 At : (309)578-3829 Subject: SECURITY FOR VS3100 I AM IN NEED OF SOME SORT OF THIRD-PARTY PRODUCT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO LOCK UP A WORKSTATION (VS3100) SO THAT ANY INPUT WOULD BE DISABLED WITHOUT A KEY, (OR ANY OTHER VERIFICATION DEVICE). WE WILL HAVE OUR VS 3100'S OUT IN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD ACCIDENTLY HALT THESE NODES. INSECURELY YOURS PAUL BUOB CATERPILLAR INC. (309)578-3829 FORUM - 3RD PARTY SUPPLIERS SIG Message # 125 0 replies Left by: PAUL BUOB On 08-Feb-90 At : (309)578-3829 Subject: SECURITY FOR VS3100 I AM IN SEARCH OF SOME THIRD PARTY DEVICE TO ALLOW US TO SECURE OUR VS3100 IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT. WE WOULD PREFER A KEY METHOD OF ENTRY (LOCK/UNLOCK) BUT ARE NOT VERY PICKY. I HAVE SEEN PREVIOUSLY VTXXX'S HAVE HAD LOCKS AVAILABLE FROM THIRD PARTY VENDORS BUT NEVER A WORKSTATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY HELP CALL ME! PAUL BUOB CATERPILLAR INC. (309)578-3829 TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 356 0 replies Left by: PAUL BUOB On 08-Feb-90 At : (309)578-3829 Subject: SECURITY FOR VS3100 I AM IN SEARCH OF A THIRD PARTY DEVICE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO SECURE A VAXSTATION 3100, IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT. WE WOULD PREFER A KEY LOCK METHOD TO SECURE THE WORKSTATIONS. WE WILL ACCEPT ANY METHOD OF SECURING THE WORKSTATION. CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS. PAUL BUOB (309)578-3829 SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 283 0 replies Left by: CHARLES BIRKHEAD On 08-Feb-90 At : 713-483-8350 Subject: DECNET PHASE V PERFORMANCE I am planning resources for future VMS DECnet phase V upgrade. Does anyone have an insight into how much more VAX resources will be required, on the average, for DECnet phase V as compared to phase IV. I have read Bill Hancock's articles, but I still do not come away with a warm feeling as to how much; only that it will be more. .<>. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 517 0 replies Reply to # 516 Left by: ANDREW DUGGAN On 08-Feb-90 At : Subject: RMS $PARSE SEARCH-LISTS If I understand you correctly, SYS$TRNLNM will do what you want. It takes a item_list_3 as one of the arguments. You can call it once to get the maximum number of equivalence names, then build another item list or lists to return all the equivalences at once. I never actually needed to get more than one equivalence back, so I don't know if you can stack multiple LNM$_INDEX requests in a single itemlist, or if you have to use the LNM$_CHAIN to "chain" a lot of them together. (I think the latter is probably correct.) Other than that slight ambiguity (or is it my thick skull), the documentation is quite straight forward. (Although IMHO setting up item_lists in a HLL is pain, but I really always liked MOVAx, etc better.) UTILITIES SIG Message # 453 1 replies Reply to # 452 Left by: NIK On 09-Feb-90 At : @ Subject: SDA PROBLEM Yeah right. I ran tSDA with the debugger today. In every case where I tryed to EXAM/INST R0;10, SDA try to MOVL fro a location that wasn't in phS/I3>Jyc UTILITIES SIG Message # 454 0 replies Reply to # 452 GRAPHICS SIG Message # 101 0 replies Reply to # 100 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 09-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: REGIS AND IGES OR HPGL CO Take a look at the sig tapes and DECUS lirary tapes. I know there is a regis to sixel conversion and a regis to HPGL. I agree that RETOS is a great product for the price as I use it for converting regis for LN03 output... SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 284 1 replies Reply to # 282 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 09-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: VMS 5.0 PERFORMANCE VMS V5.2 solved a lot of V5.0 and 5.1 problems but it has several of its own. First for some ideas about your slowdowns. There is a pretty well known bug in V5.0 upto 5.2 that causes premature modified page writing. The characteristic of this would higher then normal hard paging, kernal, and some interupt for I/O handling. This flushing seems to be worsended by such products as LSE/TPU, MAIl, and dead page table scans. Other prev 5.2 problems relate to SMP and some locking if you are in a cluster.If by chance you are running INGRES certain versions under VMS V5.x support a very nice bug that forces very high kernal mode activity with the time being spent in the acquire device spinlock code. VMS V5.2 bugs include fixing the modified pagewriting bug but possible breaking the swapper which does the page writing, changes to scheduler for pre-emptive scheduling, and LAT load-balancing breaks for clusters. stay tuned.. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 285 0 replies Reply to # 283 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 09-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: DECNET PHASE V PERFORMANC I wonder if it will be enough to dedicated a small microvax or a decnet/ethernet router to handle the routing activity??? UTILITIES SIG Message # 455 0 replies Reply to # 453 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 09-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: SDA has some other nice bugs such as sometimes not being able to access certain memory locations. The best example of this is using the SDA command SHOW POOL/SUM which some times works but not always... SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 286 0 replies Reply to # 284 Left by: BRIAN MCGUIRE On 09-Feb-90 At : 419-666-8800 Subject: VMS 5.0 PERFORMANCE Phil/Greg, thanks for the replies. I feel quite behind the times to still be bringing up 5.0 performance problems. I just never was real excited about blowing an entire weekend on the upgrade, so I put it off for a while. Plus all of our machine are uniprocessors and I didn't feel 5.0 really would do a lot for us. I did investigate very closely the modified page write bug, which a became aware of a few months back. I don't see my modified list flushing too frequently, so I don't believe I'm suffering from that. Although it does seem to take the Swapper longer to flush a 1500 page modified list that it used to under 4.7. I don't if I'm just imagining that or not. I may try to get 5.2 up a little faster than I had planned. I heard there's a change to the Distributed Lock Manager code that looks really good. Lock mastership will be dynamically moved to a source that is issuing more lock requests than the current master of a given resource. We've had significant problems here when a 785 master locks to a resource that our 8810 is accessing. The process on the 8810 sits in RWSCS quite often waiting for the 785 if it's loaded. I had been waiting for something like this. Maybe my SPR a couple of years ago actually had minor impact. Thanks again... UTILITIES SIG Message # 456 0 replies Reply to # 450 Left by: COMET On 09-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: MAIDRAWERS/FOLDERS MAIL> DIRECTORY/FOLDER MAIL> SELECT folder-name APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 419 0 replies Reply to # 410 Left by: COMET On 09-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMS? Yes, I would be DELIGHTED to see and use your sample program that changes the prompt to be the current time using the technique you have indicated. Secondly, is there a simple way using VAX C to determine what is a process's prompt string. And changing it? Thanks. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 518 1 replies Reply to # 278 Left by: COMET On 09-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: CAPTURE TRACEBACK SS$_DEBUG signal? My query: HOW DO YOU MAKE A VAX C PROGRAM DISPLAY A TRACEBACK (and then continue on its way)? UTILITIES SIG Message # 457 0 replies Reply to # 308 Left by: COMET On 09-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: TERMINAL MAILBOXES The current version of VWS includes a demo program that does what you want. When an operator message is broadcast, an `operator window' appears on the VAXstation. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 702 0 replies Reply to # 701 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 09-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: PCSA FILE SERVICES Don, To define your problem a little better, try DIR /FULL and ANALYZE /RMS_FILE on files that you transfer with NFT and on files that your transfer using PCSA. I seem to recall that PCSA uses stream or stream-lf files. Whatever it is, its probably not what your spread sheet is looking for. If you figure out the difference, it may be possible to use CONVERT or Joe Meadows' FILE utility to diddle the file attributes to get what you need. Or, it could be that the simplest thing to do is to continue to use NFT to transfer your spreadsheet files. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 519 0 replies Reply to # 518 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 09-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: CAPTURE TRACEBACK Comet, There is nothing special about VAX C in this regard. Use the library routine LIB$SIGNAL to get the traceback. If you wish to continue unconditionally you will have to twiddle the error code so that it is no worse than WARNING. Of course it also helps if your program is prepared to do something halfway intelligent about the error you just got. UTILITIES SIG Message # 458 0 replies Reply to # 453 Left by: Phil Anthony On 10-Feb-90 At : Here Subject: Obstreperous two-year-olds Hmph! After reading Message 453, I come to the conclusion that a two-year- old computer didn't like what you were saying! Temper, temper .... DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 703 0 replies Left by: JULIAN H. UNGER On 10-Feb-90 At : (713)774-0160 Subject: MESSAGE 657 I JUST HAD A PROBLEM WITH A USROBOTICE 9600 HST TYPE MODEM WHERE I ALSO GOT A FAILURE TO CONNECT WITH DATASET HANGUP. THE FACTORY SWITCH SETTING USED DTR, I HAD TO SET THE MODEM TO HOLD DTR TRUE. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 287 0 replies Reply to # 286 Left by: GREG P. SCHULZ On 10-Feb-90 At : (612)298-7344 Subject: VMS 5.0 PERFORMANCE More fule for thought on the pre-V5.2 performance problems. We two see process in RWSCS on our pre 5.2 systems such as the job-controllers on the various nodes in the system. Something you might want to try until you upgrade is to make sure that your mpw params are set to v4.7 style and leave mpw_iolimit etc alone until 5.2. The idea is to make VMS run like a v4.7 system as far as paging goes. .<>. MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 693 0 replies Left by: Brett Bump On 11-Feb-90 At : Here Subject: NEW HAM OK, Bob. I just got back from the tests (2/10/90). They say sometime within the next three months I should be receiving my license. Now that I've got my Tech out of the way, I guess I get to start drooling and dreaming, huh? Did you get your TNC yet? Do you know if there exists any for PACSAT yet? You can put the ham in the hacker, but you can't get the hacker out of the ham. 11/73 SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 288 0 replies Reply to # 285 Left by: LEE K. GLEASON On 11-Feb-90 At : 713/528-1859 Subject: DECNET PHASE V PERFORMANC Well, since Phase V routing will not (at least initially) be possible on a VAX, a dedicated VAX for routing wouldn't be very useful ;-) At a DEC presentation at the local ATC, the networking guy said that even if/when it is provided on the VAX, it will take enough resources that you will really want to buy a router box to perform routing. UTILITIES SIG Message # 459 0 replies Reply to # 458 Left by: NIK On 11-Feb-90 At : Subject: The SDA command: EXAM/INST R0;10 generated an access vio. only while I was, ANA/CRAS DUMP. The command "worked" while, ANA/SYST. SDA trys to do a MOVL from a location in some other galaxy. So I PATCHED it. Before SDA attempts the MOVL we do a PROBER, and return if failure. $ PATCH SDA.EXE PATCH> SET MODE INST PATCH> EXAM 23E1B 00023E1B: ADDL2 L^22E5A(R9),R0 PATCH> EXAM 23E22 00023E22: MOVL B^10(R0),R1 <- CULPRIT PATCH>INSERT 23E1B OLD>"ADDL2 L^22E5A(R9),R0" NEW>"PROBER #0,#1,B^10(R0)" NEW>"BEQL 23E2F" <- LOCATION OF 'RET' IF FAIL. NEW>EXIT PATCH>UPDATE PATCH>EXIT The command EXAM/INST Rn;nn will "work". It will generate output, somewhat useless output, but at least you won't get kicked out of SDA. I don't want my two year old's hands in the cookie jar. But, I would feel real bad if he/she fell off the chair while reaching. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 524 0 replies Left by: GARRETT PLATEK On 12-Feb-90 At : 203-321-2452 Subject: CAPTURING LAT SERVICE NAMES Has anyone been able to capture the LAT service name that a user chooses once the user has logged into VMS. Although you can obtain other LAT info, i.e. port etc. the service name the user picks is not available. In configs where we run multiple applications around All-in-1, obtaining service names, and then launching applications within syslogin would be extremly useful. Any comments or ideas would be apprec. I am surprised that DEC has not implemented such an option...thanks... VMS SIG Message # 1290 0 replies Left by: MARTIN STANELL On 12-Feb-90 At : 215-895-6957 Subject: VMS HELP LIBRARIES According to VMSHelp, HELP will search the logical name tables for logical names of the form hlp$library, hlp$library_1, hlp$library_2, ... This should happen if help/userlibrary is specified (/userlibrary is the default). My HELP doesn't seem to want to search the alternate user libraries. It is possible to use help/library=file.hlb, but there are several user libraries to which I would like access every time HELP is invoked. I'm using VMS v5.1-1. Suggestions, please? MASS STORAGE SIG Message # 285 0 replies Left by: ABE BRODY On 12-Feb-90 At : (617) 734-2839 Subject: WINCHESTER SYSTEMS Anyone having experience with Winchester Systems, Woburn, MASS. disk and tape subsystems with regard to performance, reliability etc., please call or leave message in this SIG. Thanks VMS SIG Message # 1291 1 replies JAMES J. PRETE On 12-Feb-90 At : 312 782-4600 Subject: BOOK READER & TEXT TERMINALS I have the DEC CDROM with the VMS DocSet but unfortunately, I do not have a DEC Windows machine at this site. Does anyone know how to access the Book Reader application from a VT320 type terminal. Thanks Jim Prete VMS SIG Message # 1292 0 replies Reply to # 1291 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 12-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: BOOK READER & TEXT TERMIN James, The CD-ROM stores a bitmap of the documentation pages, not the character codes for the text. As far as I know, it is not currently possible to access bookreader from an alphanumeric terminal and there are no plans to implement such a capability in the future. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 520 1 replies Left by: CRAIG BOYHONT On 13-Feb-90 At : 717-898-0161 Subject: FORTRAN FORMATTING NUMBERS I need some help formatting numbers in Fortran (v5), vms 5.1. I'm reading an unformatted direct access file and then need to format the numbers for output to FMS (v2.3). Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any assistance. TERMINALS/PLOTTERS/PRINTERS SIG Message # 357 0 replies Left by: TOM FISK On 13-Feb-90 At : (507) 285-4341 AFTER FEB 19 255-4341 Subject: LASER PRINTER REQUEST I am looking for a vendor's laser printer which supports the following requirements... 2 sided printing Preferably LN03 emulation or Postscript compatible with the LN03R Can accept paper sizes of up to 9 1/2 X 14 inches Is reasonably priced. If anybody knows of such a printer, please let me know. Thanks! Tom. UTILITIES SIG Message # 461 0 replies Left by: JEFF BEARDSLEY On 13-Feb-90 At : ARIS/BB Subject: BUCKET SPLITTING UTILITY As you can tell, I'm new at this. Can anybody help me with Greg Dumbrell's bucket splitting utility? I've made the syntax corrections which were in the February issue of Vax Professional, but I'm still getting the following error: 0050 21 KEYXAB: $XAB KEYREF=0 ! %MACRO-E-UNRECSTMT UNRECOGNIZED STATEMENT I'm getting no other errors. I'm running VMS 5.1-1. Thank you! Jeff Beardsley MISCELLANEOUS SIG Message # 694 0 replies Reply to # 693 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 13-Feb-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: NEW HAM Congratulations! Actually you will probably receive your license within 4 weeks. They say 3 months but it is shorter. I did purchase a TNC, an MJF-1278T. It worked for three days and then blew out!! The organization I purchased it from said they would swap it so I am now waiting for the replacement. Anyhow, I discovered that packet is ssslllllooooooowwwwwww. A 1200 baud dialup line is faster. But still the novely of connecting into bulletin boards and leaving mail without the use of phone lines is impressive. r VMS SIG Message # 1293 0 replies Reply to # 1290 Left by: Comet On 13-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: VMS HELP LIBRARIES Make sure that you have a logical called HLP$LIBRARY. I'm fairly certain that you must have a contiguous chain of logical names: HLP$LIBRARY HLP$LIBRARY_1 HLP$LIBRARY_2 . . . I recall that if you are missing HLP$LIBRARY that HELP will not search HLP$LIBRARY_1.... And if you are missing HLP$LIBRARY_1, that HELP will not search HLP$LIBRARY_2.... Secondly, make sure that you don't use a symbol help that equates to HELP/NOUSERLIB or somesuch. Lastly, make sure that you ask for help on a topic that is found NOT in HELPLIB.HLB but IS FOUND in your user library. If you still need help, please write or call. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 521 0 replies Reply to # 520 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 13-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: FORTRAN FORMATTING NUMBER Craig, What format does FMS want the numbers in? Once you know what format you want, it is quite simple to have Fortran do the conversion. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 522 1 replies Reply to # 521 Left by: BOYHONT On 14-Feb-90 At : 717-898-0161 Subject: FORTRAN FORMATTING NUMBER Richard, FMS is text-oriented. Once I read in an unformatted real number, it's in scientific notation. I used the lib$cvt_dx_dx routine to convert it to characters, but the text value is still in scientific notation. I need to convert that to something legible (eg, F5.2). Craig VMS SIG Message # 1294 0 replies Left by: GARRETT PLATEK On 14-Feb-90 At : 203-321-2452 Subject: CAPTURING LAT SERVICE AFTER LOGIN HAS ANYONE BEEN ABLE TO CAPTURE THE LAT SERVICE NAME CHOOSEN BY THE USER AFTER OR DURING THE USERS LOGIN TO THE VAX. THIS CAPABILITY WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IN HOMOGENEOUS CLUSTERS WHERE MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS EXIST ON EACH NODE, AND WE DO NOT WANT USERS TO BE INTERRUPTED BY OPTION MENUS ON THEIR WAY INTO THEIR APPLICATION...THANKS... CONTROLLERS/MEMORY SIG Message # 135 0 replies Left by: SCOTT MARTIN On 14-Feb-90 At : (408) 945-5300 Subject: UNCLOGGING CLOGGED PORTS I talked to Digital Customer Support about the clogged port problem (it's happened to us several times). There is a known bug in the YFDRIVER. The YFDRIVER software has the XOFF bit set without the terminal controller board (we have the DHV11) knowing about it, and it doesn't always get cleared. DEC has a patch for the YFDRIVER through version 5.2 (the support person didn't know if it was fixed in v5.3). There IS a workaround to the problem without having to reboot: $ SET TERM/READSYNC/PERM frozen_terminal_device: $ SET TERM/NOREADSYNC/XON/PERM frozen_terminal_device: Issue these commands from another terminal (you might have to increase your privilege level to change the terminal setting). This will restore the terminal port back to working order. You can also enter the frozen terminal's SET-UP mode and set the terminal to IGNORE RECEIVED XOFF's (COMM PORT MENU on C.ITOH CIT326) and ClearComm. This will allow terminal operation, but will NOT fix the XOFF problem. Issue the above SET TERMINAL commands to correct the XOFF problem. APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 420 0 replies Left by: JERRY WENZEL On 14-Feb-90 At : Subject: CURVE FITTING PROGRAM APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 421 1 replies Left by: JERRY WENZEL On 14-Feb-90 At : (414)435-8821 Subject: CURVE FITTING PROGRAM Does anyone know of a good curve fitting program that runs on VMS? I need it to do up to 7th order polynomials. It can either be public domain or purchased. Thanx for your help. VMS SIG Message # 1295 0 replies Reply to # 1244 Left by: STYER On 14-Feb-90 At : (912) 926-3236 Subject: O Please add me to your mailing list Daniel B. Styer WR-ALC/MMETI ROBINS AFB, GA 31098 UTILITIES SIG Message # 462 0 replies Reply to # 461 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 14-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: BUCKET SPLITTING UTILITY Jeff, I'm shooting in the dark because I don't have the original program handy. The most likely cause of the error is that the assembler does not have a definition for the $XAB macro. Try using a command line like this: $ MACRO /LIST BUCKET.MAR,SYS$LIBRARY:STARLET.MLB/LIBRARY Check the manuals for the exact syntax for specifying a macro library. This is something I do about once a year and I wouldn't want you to rely on my memory. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 523 0 replies Reply to # 522 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 14-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: FORTRAN FORMATTING NUMBER Craig, I'd suggest using an "internal write" statement. This takes the variables in the I/O list, formats them according to the FORMAT statement, and stores them in a character variable. It might look something like this. REAL*4 BIGNUM CHARACTER*10 OUT_STRING . . . WRITE(OUT_STRING, 1001) BIGNUM 1005 FORMAT(F10.2) . . . STOP END The remainder of the program will be left as an exercise for the student . APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 422 0 replies Reply to # 421 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 14-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: CURVE FITTING PROGRAM Jerry, I have a curve fitting program that handles up to 10th degree polynomials and 250 or so points. You specify the degree, the number of terms, and data points as (X,Y) pairs. A weight may be specified for each point in cases where some data are known to be more reliable than the rest. If you have access to the internet, I can make it available for anonymous FTP. If not, you could send me a tape and return postage. Let me know. CLUSTERING/NETWORKING SIG Message # 525 0 replies Left by: DON HOPINGS On 15-Feb-90 At : 419.247.4291 Subject: MAC TO VAX W/ TCP We recently had a need to network a Mac IIci with a Vax 6210 (VMS) and several Unix workstations. All of the machines supported TCP/IP on Ethernet so we wanted the Mac to speak TCP also. The package purchased was TCP/Connect from InterCon in Sterling, Va. This particular version allows Telnet logins to other computers as a VT-240 workalike. Bi-directional Ftp is also supplied. An additional IBM 3278 emulation capability is available. The software has been in use now for about 6 weeks and continues to impress. The installation and configuration were fairly straightforward. File transfers seem to be comparable to workstation speeds. If anyone is looking for these capabilities, I would definitely tell them to consider TCP/Connect. DATA/FILE TRANSFER SIG Message # 704 0 replies Reply to # 689 Left by: S.D.LYON On 15-Feb-90 At : (609)737-0425 Subject: MAC TERMINAL EMULATORS I have used White Pine's MAC240 terminal emulator and it is flexible without being unfriendly. A client of mine uses alot of MACS to connect to VAX bases applications, and there are never any problems with key mappings. Of course, you may not need to do 2xx emulation, and in that case the extra expense may not be worth it. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 338 0 replies Left by: JOEL ROSANO On 15-Feb-90 At : 201-445-3000 Subject: PDP V VAX FLOW CTRL PROB I'm trying to migrate my GSI phototypesetter (1200 baud) from a PDP 11/34 TSX/RT11 system to a MicrovaxII. Flow control from the GSI is via XON/XOFF and works fine on the PDP system. But the VAX seems to "miss" some of the XOFFs sent by the GSI. As a result, the VAX sends data to the GSI too quickly, the GSI buffer overflows, the GSI loses some critical control characters, and I get typeset garbage. I've noticed a similar problem with Hazeltine 1510 CRTs (9600 baud) on my VAX: when the Hazeltine is doing heavy term output (e.g., TYPEing), it does not respond reliably to CTRL-S typed on its keyboard. Nor does it reliably capture into its type-ahead buffer all characters typed ahead. I've investigated this problem a bit, and I don't think it's anything as simple as TTSYNC/READSYNC/PASTHRU etc. I also experimented (somewhat blindly) with the SYSGEN params TTY_SILOTIME,TTY_SCANDELTA,TTY_DMASIZE ... to no effect. HELP !!! PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 524 0 replies Reply to # 523 Left by: CRAIG BOYHONT On 16-Feb-90 At : 717-898-0161 Subject: FORTRAN FORMATTING NUMBER Hi Richard, Thanks for the info. I stumbled across the same thing in the FMS Form Driver manual. I had to use an internal read/write to format the output for FMS and then used the lib$cvt_dx_dx to convert the text returned from FMS back to a "real" number. Maybe VMS 6 will support a "lib$format" function. Craig APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 423 1 replies Left by: NARAYANAN On 16-Feb-90 At : 914-620-5124 Subject: VMS EXE$... CALLS FOR LOWLEVEL PRGMG I am a new subscriber to VAX-PRO and have been immensely interested by the several system programming articles. Many neat things can be done with the low level EXE$ calls. Could someone tell me where can I find further documentation on these $EXE subroutines, including their args etc. I do not have access to VMS microfiche and yes I can use SDA. currently we are running VMS 4.7 on a VAX cluster (8200/8530). Thanks in advance! L. Narayanan NYNEX Computer Services 2 Blue Hill Plaza, 1st floor Pearl River, NY 10965 (914)620-5124 APPLICATIONS SIG Message # 424 0 replies Reply to # 423 Left by: Comet On 16-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: VMS EXE$... CALLS FOR LOW I found some documentation in the "VAX/VMS Internals and Data Structures" book. I have the Version 4.4 edition by Lawrence J. Kenah, Ruth E Goldenberg, and Simon F. Bate. [(c) 1988 by Digital Equipment Corporation, published by Digital Press] The index lists the following EXE$ procedures: EXE$ASCEFC, EXE$ASSIGN, EXE$ASTRET, EXE$CRELNM, EXE$CRELNT, EXE$CREPRC, EXE$DELLNM, EXE$DELPRC, EXE$DEQ, EXE$ENQ, EXE$EXCMSG, EXE$EXIT, EXE$FORK, EXE$GL_ABSTIM, EXE$GL_PAGEDYN, EXE$GL_TODR, EXE$GQ_SYSTIME, EXE$GQ_TODCBASE, EXE$HWCLKINT, EXE$IMGFIX, EXE$IMGSTA, EXE$INIT, EXE$NAMPID, EXE$POWERFAIL, EXE$PROCSTRT, EXE$RESTART, EXE$RUNDWN, EXE$SCHDWK, EXE$SETPRI, EXE$SNDJBC, EXE$SUSPND, EXE$SWTIMINT, EXE$TRNLNM VMS SIG Message # 1296 0 replies Left by: Comet On 16-Feb-90 At : (408)982-5238 Subject: What is the name of an arbitrary process' job logical name table? Richard, Nik, anybody: I have noticed that my LNM$JOB table has some long odd name, strangely reminiscent of those long .MAI filenames. Using GETJPI (Job/Process Information), what item should I ask for to get the name of the LNT? {I've wondered why GETJPI isn't just GETPI, since "PROCESS" information seems to be what is returned, and not "JOB" info. Of course, I may have overlooked the obvious.} GRAPHICS SIG Message # 102 0 replies refresh set keypad edt refresh refresh quit refresh quit tpu quit sho qqqqqqquit qqy tpu erase(current_buffer) tpu eve_quit quit Left by: BRENT TAYLOR On 16-Feb-90 At : (415) 887-8811 Subject: VAX IMAGE APPLICATION SERVICES GRAPHICS SIG Message # 103 0 replies Left by: BRENT TAYLOR On 16-Feb-90 At : (415)-887-8811 Subject: VAX IMAGE APPLICATION SERVICES Has anyone had any experience with VAX-Image. I've been trying to write a file converter to go from Calera PDA format to DDIF. I've run into a few problems and I'm wondering if anyone else can provide some insight on it. The documentation is accurate, but not very detailed. DEC does provide example programs but there is at least one bug in the example programs: The file "IMG$COMMAND_UTILITY_C.C" uses the value for the "stored semantics DDIF flag" of %X2BCE0F010301, this is not correct. The correct value is %X2B0C8773010301. I found this value by useing ANALYZE/RMS/FDL on a good DDIF file. "Stored semantics" are not explained anywhere (that I can find ). They are understood by the DIRECTORY and ANALYZE/RMS commands. I checked the VMS 5.2, 5.3 and VAX-IMAGE documentation, but couldn't find anything. UTILITIES SIG Message # 463 0 replies Reply to # 462 Left by: JOHN MCGLINCHEY On 16-Feb-90 At : VAX PRO REVIEW BOARD Subject: BUCKET SPLITTING UTILITY Change the following code from : $keydef $bktdef $ircdef to .library "sys$library:lib.mlb" $keydef $bktdef $ircdef and all will work fine. I tested this out on my system today. John PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 525 0 replies Reply to # 505 Left by: ANDREW BELL On 16-Feb-90 At : (402) 293-1599 Subject: SEARCH FOR A C COMPLIER I HAVE DONE DEVELOPMENT IN BOTH MICROSOFT AND TURBOC C ON A PC AND WOULD TAKE THE TURBO C IF GIVEN ONE OF EACH. NEITHER PRODUCT HAS VERY GOOD SUPPORT, BUT THE TURBO C PRODUCT IS CHEAP. TURBO C ALSO HAS AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS MUCH EASIER TO USE THAN THE MICROSOFT QUICK C. IT ALSO HAS FULL MEMORY MODEL SUPPORT. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 526 0 replies Left by: DAVID ZANZE On 16-Feb-90 At : (714) 863-1000 Subject: PASCAL Please contact me if you are using VAX Pascal! I would like to know who is using Pascal! .<>. VMS SIG Message # 1302 0 replies Reply to # 1294 Left by: ROBERT G. SCHAFFRATH On 22-Feb-90 At : 914-335-9792 Subject: CAPTURING LAT SERVICE AFT I do not believe there is any way to determine that information. The only information currently available is SERVER, PORT, and the LAT LINK. If you where to set up dedicated services for each of your applications, that might solve the problem. Robert G. Schaffrath System Manager General Foods Corporation White Plains, NY 10625 SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 289 0 replies Reply to # 287 Left by: BRIAN MCGUIRE On 22-Feb-90 At : 491-666-8800 Subject: VMS 5.0 PERFORMANCE That RWSCS state can be deadly. Luckily I'm not seeing any of my job controllers in that state. Sounds like maybe some locking slowdowns while access the jbcsysque.dat file if the job controller were in that state. Oh well, I am moving my 5.2 schedule ahead. We've also had some misc. crashes and queue manager screw ups that I'm attributing to early 5.0 bugs. Kinda makes me realize how nice and stable 4.7 was for us. VMS SIG Message # 1303 0 replies Reply to # 1292 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 22-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: BOOK READER & TEXT TERMIN The BookReader is a DECwindows based program only, the format of the BookReader files is not publicly known but you can generate these files if 1) you have VAXDocument and 2) you have the current ASSET tape from digital. DEC is planning on creating a CDA version of the BookReader which will allow you to display this information on character-cell terminals. GRAPHICS SIG Message # 104 0 replies Reply to # 103 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 22-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: VAX IMAGE APPLICATION SER Brent, The documentation on DDIF files is located in the CDA manual, these manuals are part of the DECwindows programmer doc set and retail for about $600.00. DDIF stands for Digital Document Interchange Format and CDA stands for Compound Document Architecture. Both are based on ISO standard ODA/ODIF. To create, manipulate DDIF files the CDA manual is a great place to start. I have used the VAS and if you currently have v1.0, please obtain version 2.0 (called DECImage App- lication Services) it fixes most of the bugs, adds color support, and speeds up processing time. Good Luck, if you need any help you can contact me at (714) 720-7868 or here on ARIS PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 527 0 replies Reply to # 526 Left by: PATRICK MAHAN On 22-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: PASCAL Yes, I use PASCAL, have been for the past 4-5 years. VMS SIG Message # 1304 0 replies Reply to # 1294 Left by: NIK On 22-Feb-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: CAPTURING LAT SERVICE AFT It can be done through programming. Every time I think about what's involved, I get this uncontrolable twitching in my left eye and neck. Using the Remote Console protocol on the ethernet, the program would issue a, LOCAL> SHOW USER command, Hunt down the entry for your port NUMBER, and then parse out the service. The key to getting any info about a server port is having the port NAME relate somehow to the port NUMBER, ie. PORT_5. It's impossible to associate a port NAME like, EXT_215_NIK, to the port NUMBER 5. The DECserver makes the connection between port name and number. Even with DEC's Terminal Server Manager product, it would still require some fancy foot work. It would be more trouble than it's worth. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 340 3 replies Left by: PEDRO A. CRESPO On 22-Feb-90 At : (405) 521-5324 Subject: HAYES-TO-DECSERVER200 PINOUT I am trying to set up ports in our DECServer-200's as modems (with modem support) but I need the correct pinout for the cables... I have them connected as terminals using a 4-wire straight pinout (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 7-7) and this generally works fine, but I need the servers to drop the connection to the host if the modems hang up. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Pedro A. Crespo Oklahoma City University FORUM - 3RD PARTY SUPPLIERS SIG Message # 126 0 replies //iiILeft by: GARRY A WEIL On 22-Feb-90 At : WEIL@LEWISR.HF.INTEL.COM (INTERNET) Subject: ASOFT'S NU/TPU FOR DOS I have just received version 2.0.3 of aSoft's TPU clone for DOS. I am having a problem with this editor using up to much memory. I can only edit file that are less than 25k bytes, not very useful!! Is there anyone out there who has experience using this editor?? Maybe you know how to configure DOS/nuTPU to run in DOS's limited memory environment?? I NEED HELP!! I can also be reached at intelhf!lewisr!weil (uucp) Garry VMS SIG Message # 1305 0 replies Reply to # 1297 Left by: Phil Gravel On 22-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: F$ENVIRONMENT PROBLEM It's not quite clear where the problem resides, though it manifests itself when you use F$ENVIRONMENT. All I really know is that some code that ran under VMS V5.1-B quit working under VMS 5.2. Colorado customer support is aware of it. I suspect that this problem is an outfall of the major changes that were made to the BACKUP utility under VMS V5.2. I don't know if the problem been's fixed under VMS V5.3 but I do know that the /LOG qualifier problem in standalone backup hasn't. If I do DIRECTORY $DISK1:[VMS$COMMON] everything works OK. When I use the F$ENVIRONMENT lexical, it doesn't. This suggests to me that F$ENVIRONMENT is having the problem since VMS$COMMON works properly. The problem appears only after an image backup and restore. Phil COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 341 1 replies Reply to # 340 Left by: MICHAEL A. BAYDOUN On 23-Feb-90 At : Subject: HAYES-TO-DECSERVER200 PIN Make sure that your decserver port has the DSRlogout characteristic enabled. This should cause the port to logout when the modem disconnects. I have a similar setup so if you can not make it work, call me at (317)364-1323 ext 486 and I'll read you my port configurations. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 342 0 replies Reply to # 341 Left by: AL LILIANSTROM On 23-Feb-90 At : HERE Subject: HAYES-TO-DECSERVER200 PIN If you are not using a Modem Control terminal server( and from your description of your wiring it sounds like you're not) you may have trouble getting reliable disconnects. I have Multitech modems hung off a 200MC with ablutly no problems. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 343 0 replies Reply to # 340 Left by: NIK On 23-Feb-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: HAYES-TO-DECSERVER200 PIN I think you need pins 6-6, 20-20. COMMUNICATIONS SIG Message # 344 0 replies Reply to # 340 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 23-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: HAYES-TO-DECSERVER200 PIN Pedro, In addition to pins 1 (protective ground), 2 (Receive data (on the MODEM)), 3 (Transmit data (on the MODEM)), and 7 (Signal ground) you will need pin 6 (Data Set Ready or DSR), pin 8 (Data carrier detect or CD), pin 20 (Data terminal ready (DTR) and pin 22 (Ring Indicator). Pin 4 (Request to send or RTS) and pin 5 (Clear to send or CTS) may also be useful in some applications. I'm not certain whether or not the DECserver 200 requires or supports them but some devices do. You also, as another reply pointed out, need the right flavor of DECserver 200. The DSRVB-AA or DECserver 200/MC supports full modem control. The DSRVB-BA support EIA-423 signaling which, as far as I know, can't be used with modems. The DEC BC22E cable in the length of your choice is the proper cable to connect a modem. In a pinch you can get a ribbon cable from Radio Shack but this is not a shielded cable and will not meet FCC requirements. In a noisy enviroment, it could pick up electrical noise as well as broadcasting it. VMS SIG Message # 1306 0 replies Reply to # 1291 Left by: RICHARD B. GILBERT On 23-Feb-90 At : (609) 258-6217 OR 5130 Subject: BOOK READER & TEXT TERMIN James, I now believe that my earlier reply to your message was wrong. A program has been distributed over the Internet which purports to display Bookreader documents on alphanumeric terminals. I don't have the necessaries to test this program but I'll be glad to send you a copy if you'll send me a small tape and return postage. UTILITIES SIG Message # 464 0 replies Left by: NIK On 23-Feb-90 At : 914 347 2700 Subject: BACKUP, CTRL-T, BATCH Backup assigns a channel and sets up an out of band AST on SYS$COMMAND, if SYS$COMMAND is a terminal device. The AST uses LIB$PUT_OUTPUT to display the message to SYS$OUTPUT. In batch, SYS$COMMAND is not a terminal... not normally. This is the 'low' TECH-TIP for batch backup and ctrl-t. $ define/user sys$command opa0: $ define/user sys$output opa0: $ backup/ver your_files my_tape ! type ctrl-t at opa0:...file scan. NOTE: If you get errors during the backup, they will appear at opa0. If you are NOT logged in at opa0. You won't be able to, until the backup command finishes. This may be ok, since during normal operations opa0 has little to do anyway. If you decide to use a dedicated lat port for this, you run the risk of having backup stop during the display of an error message if there is NO connection to the service. In response to this I've come up with a 'high' TECH-TIP. Let's edited the AST routine. Instead of LIB$PUT_OUTPUT, we are going to do a SYS$QIO. After all, backup already assigned a channel, let's use it. My BACKUP.EXE checksum is: 2448867206. VMS v5.2. I think VMS v5.3 BACKUP is the same, I'll check. Copy SYS$SYSTEM:BACKUP to your directory and create this patch command file. $ CREATE BACKUP.COM BACKUP.EXE SET MODE INSTRUCTION REPLACE 4124 'PUSHL SP' ! OLD EXIT 'MOVZWL (SP),R0' ! NEW...Save string length only from descriptor 'MOVL B^4(SP),R1' ! Save starting location of string 'ADDL3 R0,R1,R2' ! Get location one byte beyond string 'MOVB (R2),R3' ! Save what's there 'MOVB #0D,(R2)' ! Put there instead 'MOVB #0A,B^7(SP)' ! Put in front of string 'CLRQ -(SP)' ! P6 and P5, start load of SP for SYS$QIO 'CLRQ -(SP)' ! P4 and P3 'ADDL3 #2,R0,-(SP)' ! P2, add 2 to qty. of bytes, string 'SUBL3 #1,R1,-(SP)' ! P1, Start 1 byte earlier, at 'CLRQ -(SP)' ! ASTPRM and ASTADR 'CLRL -(SP)' ! IOSB 'PUSHL #30' ! FUNC, io$_writevblk 'MOVZWL @#47C,-(SP)' ! CHAN, got it from SYS$ASSIGN 'CLRL -(SP)' ! EFN...Full metal jacket, lock and load, 'CALLS #0C,@#7FFEDFC8' ! Fire! Call SYS$QIO 'MOVW R3,(R2)' ! Restore what used to be out there 'MOVAL B^8(SP),B^4(SP)'! Restore original start address, no 'RET' ! Return, r0,r1,r2,r3 restored on re-entry EXIT UPDATE EXIT $ PATCH @BACKUP.COM ! Execute patch $ DEFINE BACKUP DISK:[MY_DIR]BACKUP.EXE ! Define backup image to mine. The new BACKUP.EXE works just fine interactively, the output is identical, or all we have to do is DEFINE/USER SYS$COMMAND to any port and hit control-t at that port. Dedicated lat ports are safe now, error messages will go to the batch log file, if you use one. DO NOT PUT NEW BACKUP.EXE IN SYS$SYSTEM!!! DEFINE THE LOGICAL "BACKUP" TO THE LOCATION OF NEW IMAGE, IN YOUR BATCH FILE: $ DEFINE BACKUP DISK:[MY_DIR]BACKUP.EXE $ DEFINE /USER SYS$COMMAND LTA333: $ BACKUP/... ! If lta333 is dedicated, connect to the service, ctrl-t. sorry for the length of message. VMS SIG Message # 1307 0 replies Reply to # 1238 Left by: NORM DONOVAN On 23-Feb-90 At : (408) 970-5678 Subject: V5 MEMORY USAGE The reservable field is NOT the sum of all the PGFLQUOTA 's of all the active users! A "specialist" at Colorodo also told me this and when I insisted that he was wrong, told me that my system was "different than any other out there". To verify this add up the PGFLQUOTA's of all users by hand, you will see that it is quite a bit larger (at least on our systems) than the difference between the total pages in the pagefile and the reservable pages. What actually happens is that when a process is created pagefile space is reserved in chunks set by the non-documented SYSGEN SPECIAL parameter RSRVPAGCNT. The default value for this parameter is ~2000 pages. If your process grows, then the pagefile space is also incremented by this value. I think that this acts to keep all of a process' pages together in the pagefile and thus reduce pagefile fragmention, but I am not sure. The problem with a negative reservable space is that pagefile space can only be allocated to a new process by "stealing" reserved space from other process' reserved areas, thus causing fragmentation. The VMS Internal's Manual for VMS 5.0 has not yet covered paging and swapping so this is only my understanding and not authoritative. Norm Donovan SYSTEM PERFORMANCE SIG Message # 290 0 replies Reply to # 280 Left by: NORM DONOVAN On 24-Feb-90 At : (408) 970-5678 Subject: MODIFIED PAGE LIST PARAME We have a uVAX 3400 running a CIM system that supports 85-95 users. The database is RMS ISAM files. When we upgraded from VMS 4.7 to 5.0-2A, we experienced modified page flushing that seriously degraded performance. We recently upgraded to VMS 5.3 and we observe no flushing at all, but performance has not improved. I was intrigued by your comments that "the 5.2 solution may be worse than the pre-5.2 problem" due to some problems in the SWAPPER. We are seeing a relativly active SWAPPER process and I was wondering if you could elaberate. What is the nature of the problem? Is it fixed in VMS 5.3? Are there ways to tune a system so as to minimize the problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Norm PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/AI SIG Message # 528 0 replies Reply to # 526 Left by: RANDALL C. NEWCOMB On 24-Feb-90 At : (612) 778-7216 Subject: PASCAL One of my clients uses it on an "as-justified" basis. They are predomnatly a Fortran and Basic shop. .<>.