INFO-VAX Mon, 01 Jan 2007 Volume 2007 : Issue 1 Contents: Re: "Big Grey Wall" in Chicago Re: %PCSI-E-READERR during Product Install on VMS/Alpha V8.3 Re: Accessing an Alpha running DECwindows from a Windows XP box Example: VMS hosted, Browser activated, Java Applet to VMS Application Server Re: Need help running a Decmate II Re: Renaming a root from [SYS0] to [SYS1] ? Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Re: US Military bans HTML in emails ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 31 Dec 2006 15:23:05 -0500 From: Rich Alderson Subject: Re: "Big Grey Wall" in Chicago Message-ID: "Jason T." writes: > I am currently being smothered under the weight of what I believe is a > nearly-complete set of VAX/VMS 5.x manuals. Core OS, extras, maybe some > hardware...it's a whole lotta books, about 14 medium moving boxes worth. [snip] > Naturally shipping would be pretty much out of the question, but some > travel could be possible for the right trade. I'm in the northwest > suburbs of Chicago. Oh, hell. I just flew home from Chicago yesterday, after visiting family in the north and northwest suburbs. I'd have shipped it on the company's dime. -- Rich Alderson | /"\ ASCII ribbon | news@alderson.users.panix.com | \ / campaign against | "You get what anybody gets. You get a lifetime." | x HTML mail and | --Death, of the Endless | / \ postings | ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:13:28 -0800 From: Ken Fairfield Subject: Re: %PCSI-E-READERR during Product Install on VMS/Alpha V8.3 Message-ID: <4vrjjgF1cocpiU1@mid.individual.net> Replying to my own post (and very sorry for the messed-up subject line while posting from Google), I wrote: > Folks, > > The good news is that I've installed VMS 8.3 on my PWS 600au, along > with VMS83A_UPDATE-V0100, thanks to a kind soul who loaned me the V8.3 > installation kit and CONDIST for DEC06. :-) [...] > However, there are about a dozen products on the CONDIST I wanted > to install, e.g., the JDK and compilers. I use a simple COPY from the > CD to the SYS$SYSDEVICE, but when I attempt a PRODUCT INSTALL, even when > I added the /OPTION=NOVALIDATE and /SAVE qualifiers, I get the following error: > ------------ > > $ prod inst cobol /opt=novali/save > ... > Portion done: 0%...80% > > %PCSI-E-READERR, error reading > DKA0:[SAVESETS.KITS.COBOL]DEC-AXPVMS-COBOL-V0208-1286-1.PCSI;1 > -PCSI-E-INVDOCMTL, internal error - product document has invalid > product material ordering > %PCSI-E-OPFAILED, operation failed > Terminating is strongly recommended. Do you want to terminate? [YES] > %PCSI-E-CANCEL_WIP, termination resulted in an incomplete modification > to the system > %PCSI-E-S_OPCAN, operation cancelled by request [...] The upshot is that I had done a COPY/LOG from the CONDIST CDs to the local SYS$SYSDEVICE. I found that not only were .PSCI kits corrupted, so were product.A, etc., backup savesets and .DCX_EXE files. I tried adding /CONTIGUOUS to the COPY command with no joy. Finally, I used BACKUP/VERIFY/LOG from the CD to the local disk and everything was "good". Sigh... (I understand that I could have installed directly from the CDs, but I prefered to have a copy on disk anyway.) Thanks, Ken -- Ken & Ann Fairfield Who: Ken dot and dot Ann Where: Gmail dot Com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 23:04:38 -0700 From: Jeff Campbell Subject: Re: Accessing an Alpha running DECwindows from a Windows XP box Message-ID: <1167631560_13549@sp6iad.superfeed.net> Andy Bustamante wrote: > See the help for $SET DISPLAY /CREATE and /TRANSPORT > > You'll want to connect and start your Xwindows session from a terminal. > Linux and OpenVMS Interoperabilty, by John Wisniewski > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1555582672/spyderbyte-20 has some > nice tips and examples. > > Why would I "want" to start my Xwindow session from a terminal, when what I described to Gremlin is what I am *using* to start Xwindow sessions on my PWS600au from my XP box desktop? Jeff ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 10:49:36 +0800 From: "Richard Maher" Subject: Example: VMS hosted, Browser activated, Java Applet to VMS Application Server Message-ID: Hi, Here FYI is a simple example of a web page (Frame.html) that while accepting character input into a text field, will query a VMS Application Server process for all matching Surnames, after each keystroke has been entered. The results are made available in a drop-down menu. This example uses the html->Javascript->Java Applet strategy (something I think you should all be looking at) and then employs Java Sockets to connect back to an INETd process on the VMS server. This example only works with Internet Explorer (I have a Firefox/Netscape or generic version if you need it) but requires absolutely no reduction in browser protection (other than what is commonly deployed ie: Javascript) The Applet connects back to the Codebase server, so everything is just peachy. The man responsible for this example (and whose continued generosity and patience I am extremely grateful for) is Bojan Nemec. A complete discussion on this example, including two working VMS server examples (one Rdb and the other RMS) can be found at http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1071300 (A SMG$ VMS client program is also available for contrast) In the coming weeks, I hope to produce a Java/Browser client for my Tier3 Demo (VMS queue enquiry) server that will pop-up a dialogue window for username/password as well as using the alternative java.nio and java.nio.channels classes. Bojan has also given a rock-solid undertaling :-) to investigate the use of a seperate Thread with an Applet so that the JVM may be cajoled into keeping the Socket open across WebPage changes. Now this strategy may not be for everybody, but if you are currently using, or you intend using, a WebBrowser GUI for your VMS applications then I think you could do a lot worse then investigate fully the technical merits of this solution! Or you can continue to listen to the same HP luminaries who have previously given you DECforms, Rally, DECAdmire, ONC/RPC, DCE/RPC, Bridgeworks, and most notibly/lamentably, the "Waste of Substantial Investment in Technology" or (WSIT). It's up to you; but here's a lovely "little" Hello-World EJB example from HP thenselves to help you make up your minds: - http://devresource.hp.com/drc/technical_papers/ejb_jboss/ And here's one where the same people who used to discuss the criticality of "seperating form and function" now discuss the "evils of point to point integrations". http://devresource.hp.com/drc/technical_white_papers/p2pSOA/p2pSOA_HP.pdf If you didn't laugh you'd cry :-( With all that intraspection, they must be the most lint-free navels on the planet. Anyway, let's all have a prosperous VMS New Year - We're not running any more! Cheers Richard Maher 1) Html Frame files ============= These three html files are used to illustrate how a Socket can survive a change of Page within a Frame but sadly not a global Change of page. (i.e. You don't need frames if you don't want them) Frame.html ------------ Test.html ----------
Next page
Test1.html -----------
Last search: Previous page
2) Applet Declaration =============== There should be IF-THEN-ELSE logic around this to cater for different browsers but for the moment it's just IE. You must change the "codebase" and "HOST" parameters to point to your VMS server's IP address. Applet.html ------------
3) Applet Source Files =============== The next two files containg the Java Applet source code. You must compile these files with: - Javac EmpClient.java Javac EmpApplet.java Jar -cf emp.jar EmpApplet.class EmpClient.class EmpClient$Message.class You must then copy the Archive/JAR file to the VMS server that will be hosting your application. If you're not currently running a WebServer on that system then let me know and we'll can get a quick and dirty DCL webserver running. EmpApplet.java ----------------- import java.applet.Applet; import java.io.IOException; public class EmpApplet extends Applet { EmpClient client; String lastSearch; public void init () { String host = getParameter("HOST"); int port = Integer.parseInt(getParameter ("PORT")); client = new EmpClient (host , port); try { client.open(); } catch (Exception e) { client = null; } } public String initEmployee (String employee) { try { client.initEmployeeRead(employee); lastSearch = employee; return null; } catch (IOException e) { return e.getMessage(); } } public String getLastSearch () { return lastSearch; } public String nextEmployee () { try { return client.readNextEmployee(); } catch (IOException e) { return null; } } public void destroy() { try { client.close(); } catch (IOException e) { } super.destroy(); } } EmpClient.java ---------------- import java.io.BufferedOutputStream; import java.io.BufferedReader; import java.io.IOException; import java.io.InputStreamReader; import java.io.OutputStream; import java.net.InetAddress; import java.net.Socket; import java.net.UnknownHostException; public class EmpClient { public static final String HOSTCHARSET="ISO-8859-1"; public static final byte [] CRLF = {'\r','\n'}; private Socket socket; private String host; private int port; private BufferedReader in; private OutputStream out; public class Message { String type; String message; Message (String type , String message) { this.type = type; this.message = message; } public String getMessage() { return message; } public String getType() { return type; } } EmpClient (String host , int port) { this.host = host; this.port = port; } public void open () throws UnknownHostException, IOException { socket = new Socket (InetAddress.getByName(host) , port); in = new BufferedReader (new InputStreamReader (socket.getInputStream() , HOSTCHARSET)); out = new BufferedOutputStream (socket.getOutputStream()); } public void close () throws IOException { try { sendMessage ("99",""); } catch (IOException e) { // close in any situation! } socket.close(); } public void sendMessage (String type , String message) throws IOException { byte [] msgtype = type.getBytes(HOSTCHARSET); byte [] msg = message.getBytes(HOSTCHARSET); out.write(msgtype); out.write(msg); out.write(CRLF); out.flush(); } public Message readMessage () throws IOException { String wholemsg = in.readLine(); String type = wholemsg.substring(0,2); String msg = wholemsg.substring(2); return new Message (type , msg); } public void initEmployeeRead (String employee) throws IOException { sendMessage ("20" , employee); } public String readNextEmployee () throws IOException { Message msg = readMessage (); if (msg.getType().equals("21")) return msg.getMessage().trim(); return null; } } //*NB This is just an example! It needs tightening up and error checking etc. You will need a Java programmer in real life. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:40:32 GMT From: Roger Ivie Subject: Re: Need help running a Decmate II Message-ID: On 2006-12-31, Michael Austin wrote: > The DECMateII required a boot/program floppy - It's only real function was > as a dedicated word-processor. Not true. In addition to WPS, they can run OS/8 (although DEC didn't sell them that way) and COS-310. With suitable options, they can run CP/M-80 and MS-DOS. I used one for many years as my primary computer, running CP/M. It's an excellent CP/M machine. In contrast, I had to give up on my Rainbow as both a CP/M and MS-DOS machine, because it wasn't very good at either. I suspect the DECmate II didn't make a very good machine for the same reason the Rainbow didn't: it became increasingly difficult to find software that did not rely upon the IBM hardware. (my major annoyances with CP/M on the Rainbow: the DECmate II's terminal emulation was faster and the DECmate II supported the IOBYTE. Since CP/M-86 didn't have the IOBYTE (AFAIK), CP/M-80 didn't support it on the Rainbow) Although AFAIK DEC didn't sell OS/8 for the DECmate II, it became available from DECUS eventually. > There were some with a HD, but the software for them > was extremely limited. Putting CP/M on the thing really opens it up. > There was at one time a spreadsheet type program. I've run Multiplan (which was sold by DEC for the DECmate II) and Supercalc on them. My primary word processor was (of course) WordStar. I also used a variety of assemblers, compilers, and interpreters; Microsoft's M80, SLR's assembler, Microsoft FORTRAN, Turbo Pascal, Microsoft BASIC, for example. I did occasionally boot the thing into OS/8, but only for fun; I never did any actual OS/8 work on the thing. > If you need a laugh, one of my teammates in Dallas gave a secretary a > boot/program floppy because the one she had "no longer worked". He walked by > her office 10 minutes later only to find the new floppy stuck to the "white" > board - with a giant magnet. She "always" kept it there so she would not > lose it... I had a friend who had similar difficulty with floppies. She gave me one and I looked it over only to find that it was absolutely blank. As in not even formatted. Puzzled me for a while, until I noticed that she tossed her backpack in the back seat on top of her very large speakers... -- roger ivie rivie@ridgenet.net ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:46:46 -0600 From: David J Dachtera Subject: Re: Renaming a root from [SYS0] to [SYS1] ? Message-ID: <45980596.407E4185@spam.comcast.net> JF Mezei wrote: > > Report 2: > > Was not able to use cluster_config to create a new root0 because it knew > this machine had booted as SYS0. (would have to see the code to see where > it got that info from since I have changed logicals). > > So I decided to reboot. But that is where things went sour.. > > I really should have used the SHUTDOWN option to verify I could reboot :-( > ;-( :-( > > SRM really couldn't find a valid operating system in any system root. > Figured I really should have done a proper "writeboot" before... > > So, I recreated the ALPHA boot CD on my vax, booted the alpha as satellite > from the vax, and fixed 2 things: renamed sys1.dir to SYS1.DIR and then > used writeboot. And then was able to boot normally. Ah, yes - the marvels of case-sensitivity... -- David J Dachtera dba DJE Systems http://www.djesys.com/ Unofficial OpenVMS Marketing Home Page http://www.djesys.com/vms/market/ Unofficial Affordable OpenVMS Home Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/soho/ Unofficial OpenVMS-IA32 Home Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/ia32/ Unofficial OpenVMS Hobbyist Support Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/support/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:55:34 -0600 From: David J Dachtera Subject: Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Message-ID: <459807A6.EF027BAC@spam.comcast.net> Bill Gunshannon wrote: > > In article <459783d4$1@news.langstoeger.at>, > peter@langstoeger.at (Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER) writes: > > In article , JF Mezei writes: > >>http://www.fcw.com/article97178-12-22-06-Web > >>## > >>Due to an increased network threat condition, the Defense Department is > >>blocking all HTML-based e-mail messages and has banned the use of Outlook > >>Web Access e-mail applications, according to a spokesman for the Joint Task > >>Force for Global Network Operations. > >>## > > > > Better late than never. I banned them (and MIME mails) some years ago > > (though I run my mail on VMS and don't fear virii/worms)... > > > > "Text mails only here. No HTML or binaries needed for proper communications..." > > What do you do when someone needs to send a Word document to someone else > at a remote location (inbound or outbound)? The Business Woirld still > runs on MS Office, like it or not. Word documents can also carry malware. Likely to be banned also, sometime soon. Text documents will suffice in the vast majority of cases. The world did not begin with M$ - it will not stop without it, either. -- David J Dachtera dba DJE Systems http://www.djesys.com/ Unofficial OpenVMS Marketing Home Page http://www.djesys.com/vms/market/ Unofficial Affordable OpenVMS Home Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/soho/ Unofficial OpenVMS-IA32 Home Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/ia32/ Unofficial OpenVMS Hobbyist Support Page: http://www.djesys.com/vms/support/ ------------------------------ Date: 31 Dec 2006 14:11:45 -0600 From: Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) Subject: Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Message-ID: <5QCQRzuMsprk@eisner.encompasserve.org> In article <459783d4$1@news.langstoeger.at>, peter@langstoeger.at (Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER) writes: > In article , JF Mezei writes: >>http://www.fcw.com/article97178-12-22-06-Web >>## >>Due to an increased network threat condition, the Defense Department is >>blocking all HTML-based e-mail messages and has banned the use of Outlook >>Web Access e-mail applications, according to a spokesman for the Joint Task >>Force for Global Network Operations. >>## > > Better late than never. I banned them (and MIME mails) some years ago > (though I run my mail on VMS and don't fear virii/worms)... > > "Text mails only here. No HTML or binaries needed for proper communications..." Congratulations. When I proposed such an approach, someone pointed out that what I wanted was not banning "MIME" message but banning "Multipart MIME" messages. It is a small language nit, but without language we have no communications. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Dec 2006 22:56:50 GMT From: bill@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) Subject: Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Message-ID: <4vqthiF1d87m9U1@mid.individual.net> In article <459807A6.EF027BAC@spam.comcast.net>, David J Dachtera writes: > Bill Gunshannon wrote: >> >> In article <459783d4$1@news.langstoeger.at>, >> peter@langstoeger.at (Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER) writes: >> > In article , JF Mezei writes: >> >>http://www.fcw.com/article97178-12-22-06-Web >> >>## >> >>Due to an increased network threat condition, the Defense Department is >> >>blocking all HTML-based e-mail messages and has banned the use of Outlook >> >>Web Access e-mail applications, according to a spokesman for the Joint Task >> >>Force for Global Network Operations. >> >>## >> > >> > Better late than never. I banned them (and MIME mails) some years ago >> > (though I run my mail on VMS and don't fear virii/worms)... >> > >> > "Text mails only here. No HTML or binaries needed for proper communications..." >> >> What do you do when someone needs to send a Word document to someone else >> at a remote location (inbound or outbound)? The Business Woirld still >> runs on MS Office, like it or not. > > Word documents can also carry malware. Likely to be banned also, sometime soon. Highly unlikely. Attempts by others to supplant MS Word have, up to this point, proved unsuccessful. > Text documents will suffice in the vast majority of cases. Not in the real world. Good enough doesn't cut it when someone higher than you says, "The corporate standard is MS Word." > > The world did not begin with M$ - it will not stop without it, either. Nice thought, but not grounded in reality. Even given the alternatives I have seen no move to eliminate MS Word from places where it counts. Like businesses and schools (who are busy creating yet another generation that will know only one way to do business.) DA uses MS products extensively. There has, so far, been no expressed desire to even consider an alternative like OpenOffice. bill -- Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves bill@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. University of Scranton | Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include ------------------------------ Date: 31 Dec 2006 22:59:50 GMT From: bill@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) Subject: Re: US Military bans HTML in emails Message-ID: <4vqtn6F1d87m9U2@mid.individual.net> In article <6i961cZIMptQ@eisner.encompasserve.org>, Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) writes: > In article <4vpvb2F1c6oicU1@mid.individual.net>, bill@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) writes: > >> What do you do when someone needs to send a Word document to someone else >> at a remote location (inbound or outbound)? The Business Woirld still >> runs on MS Office, like it or not. > > If the goal is file transfer (as distinguished from electronic mail), > using a file transfer protocol seems best. For those without DECnet > and FAL, FTP comes to mind. Except that while the majority of users know how to attachan MS Word document to their email they are woefully uninformed about how to use something like FTP. Then, of course, there is the total lack of FTP server availability for the majority of INTERNET users (including coporate ones!) The reality of the business today is still MS Word and email attachments. Not saying I like it, but at least I can see reality when it slaps me in the face. bill -- Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves bill@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. University of Scranton | Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include ------------------------------ End of INFO-VAX 2007.001 ************************