Free MV3100/80 & Misc (Melbourne, .au)

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Fri Apr 12 09:05:26 2002

----- Original Message -----
From: <cvisors_at_carnagevisors.net>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 7:31 PM
Subject: Re: Free MV3100/80 & Misc (Melbourne, .au)


> On Fri, 12 Apr 2002, FLTLT(AAFC) Geoff Roberts wrote:

Sorry, wrong FROM line, been sending a lot of traffic from that one
lately....

> got it working.. cool..
> now to learn vms ;)
> I have no idea realy on how to use this system unfortunatly I am quite
> used to the way UNIX works (ducks) and VMS is so differnt. does anyone
> know a good site for VMS newbies?

The VMS FAQ is a good reference.
At the prompt on your machine HELP (like MAN only more useful;^)

The directory structure will probably have you scratching your head if you
are a unix type.
For a start, there is no common root, each device (disk/tape) has a root
directory.
path is along the lines of DUA0:[000000] for the root directory of drive
0.
DOS style DIR works, but CD doesn't the VMS equivalent is SET DEFAULT which
is a bit tedious,
but you can define an alias for it. There are also utils that will pretty
much give you a CD command.
full path to a file goes like this:

DUA0:[dir.subdir.subdir]filename.extension;version number.
DU is disk unit A means it's the first identified controller 0 is the number
of the drive on the controller.
Tapes are usually MU cd's normally DU.
VMS will produce multiple versions of the same file name, very handy when
you find you stuffed up
SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM (sorta like autoexec.bat). A .COM file is a DCL Script,
like a unix shell script
in a lot of ways, though probably more powerful. You run a .com file by
preceding it with an _at_ sign.
so to run reboot.com you would type _at_ reboot.com or @reboot.
Binary executables are .EXE files, and need to be preceded with the RUN
command, also you can't use command line
switches with RUN so you need to define an alias for the EXE file, then you
can use switches with the alias.
Equivalent to unix ROOT is SYSTEM as you have discovered, unlike unix, there
are not just two levels of user but everything from read only in a small
area to full access to everything, and every variant inbetween. Vaguely
reminscent of netware permissions in a way.
(Bindery not NDS)
Terminal config is via the SET TERMINAL command. SHO TERMINAL will give you
the current config of your terminals.
Most of the configuration files are in the SYS$MANAGER directory. System
EXE files are in SYS$SYSTEM which live on SYS$SYSDEVICE which is the boot
drive. These are all system Logicals so you can SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM and
it will take you there. There is an edt command but it's ugly, there is a
better editor called EVE that works a bit like the dos edit function, it may
well be configured already. SHO DEFAULT will show you the name of the
current directory.
SHO SYSTEM will tell you what processes are running, SHO DEV D will show the
status of disks.

That should give you a kickstart at least. Any questions drop me a line.
CAVEAT: I'm not professionally trained in VMS, though I now manage a VMS
system at work, like you I got one dropped in my lap and learned how to
drive it, then moved it to my workplace where it's lived happily since. My
first vax was rather bigger than yours though :^)

You are fortunate to have the docs, the VMS doc set is very good and if you
work your way through the system managers manual, the start is "Installing
and maintaining a system"(something like that anyway) and it will give you a
good walkthrough of it.

One other thing, I'll be away on a detachment from the 15th to the 28th
(with a brief visit back home on Anzac Day) so email will be on hold til I
get back. Will probably sift through some on the eve of the 24th, but might
not get time.

> Anyway, I am not sure what I am going to do with this machine yet, I may
> end up installing Net or Open BSD

NetBSD is the only supported one on Vaxen AFAIK. These boxes are happiest
with VMS.
You can also run DECWindows which is essentially X11 either on DECNET or
TCP/IP or both.

> on the beast, so I can get it talking to
> the rest of my network here which is a linux box, a Mac (running OS X) and
> My sgi...

VMS 6.1 has UCX which is Digitals VMS stack. Or there are third party
things. I think there is also a DECNET client for
Linux. Used to be one for macs too, I have a Webster Appletalk/Ethernet
Gateway that speaks DECNET as well as TCP/IP and Appletalk/Localtalk.

> anyway thanks for your help.... so far so so good..

Anytime.

Cheers

Geoff
Received on Fri Apr 12 2002 - 09:05:26 BST