PAGESWAPPER How To Autodial 2780/3780 From a VAX By Jim Hobbs Adolph Coors Company, Golden CO, 80401 (303) 277-2855 Converting from an 11/70 to a VAX 11/780 one item that still had to work was the 2780 communications with other computers without operator intervention. On the 11/70 the RJ2780.BAS program source was modified to use the DN11 driver for a Bell 801 Automatic Calling Unit (ACU). Since VAX software comes only in executable form, and not desiring to purchase or modify the source to "REMOTE", a different way of autodialing had to be found. We were determined to find something that was not system related or system dependent as we had been with the 11/70. We discovered 'smart' ACUs, ones that could take ascii characters directly from an ordinary RS-232 port and convert them into the dialing of a telephone. But these units were 300/1200 baud modems used for terminal to host communications. There were also a few 4800 baud, but we had to have a 2400 baud modem for 1 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 How To Autodial 2780/3780 From a VAX our 2780/3780 communications with other systems with that baud rate requirement. We then found a unit from Racal Vadic that would take RS-232 protocol and convert it into RS-366 protocol to drive an 801 ACU. So with the Racal Vadic 831A/B, a 801 Bell or compatible ACU, and a Bell 201C or compatible 2400 baud modem is all the hardware required to let the VAX autodial and connect to another computer. (Any baud modem will work, 2400 is stated becuase that is what we use.) The commands for the Racal Vadic 831A/B are quite short, and easily written in DCL, or any other language. A dedicated RS-232 port is connected to the 831A/B, the 831A/B to the ACU and the ACU to the modem. With the use of four special characters (control-A, control-B, control-C and control-O) and zero through nine, '/' and '.' you can place your call. The sequence of events in making a call are: 1. Open the RS-232 port 2. Write commands to the 831A/B (dial phone) 3. Run REMOTE 4. Close the RS-232 autodialer port The following is an example of one of our command procedures: $! $! *** define special control characters *** $! $ CTRL_A[0,7] = 1 $ CTRL_B[0,7] = 2 $ CTRL_C[0,7] = 3 $ CTRL_O[0,7] = 15 $! $! *** open autodialer port and dial phone # *** $! $ OPEN/READ/WRITE AUTO_DIALER AD0: $ WRITE AUTO_DIALER CTRL_A $ WRITE AUTO_DIALER CTRL_B,"1800%%%%%%%",CTRL_O,CTRL_C $! $! *** run remote, set line mode, set on and $! let it wait for answer *** $! $! *** set receive files, send file and wait for $! receive file(s) *** $! $! $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:REMOTE 2 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 How To Autodial 2780/3780 From a VAX SET 2780 SET ON RECEIVE PRINT.GE/DEFAULT/PRINT RECEIVE PUNCH.GE/DEFAULT/PUNCH SEND WRK:[REMOTE]GEALL.RJE WAIT RECEIVE/INTERVAL=0:30:00 $! $! *** clear 831's RAM, close autodialer *** $! $ WRITE AUTO_DIALER CTRL_A $ CLOSE AUTO_DIALER $! The dial commands are passed off to the Racal Vadic 831A/B and while it is dialing the command procedure continues. REMOTE is started and line set active, until the line is actually connected the message "XJA0 is offline" is displayed on the console and any operator enabled terminals. After the line is up communications take place, when communications are done the line drops and we are out of "REMOTE". Before the command procedure is exited the 831A/B is cleared and the port to it is closed. Control-A clears the unit's RAM of any previous phone number, and recycles it back into an active state. The characters between Control-B and Control-O represent the phone number and how it is to be dialed. Control-C tells the unit that everything is stored, dial (or redial) the number stored in RAM. A maximum length of thirty one characters that can be sent between the Control-B and Control-O. This includes the telephone number, any slash(es) and a period if desired. A slash or slashes can be imbedded anywhere a pause should occur during the dialing, I.E. when a nine must be dialed on a PBX phone to get an outside line. A period can be used only at the end of the telephone number, this is converted into a signal for the ACU to switch immediately to the modem without waiting for the called station's answerback. The pause and immediate switch to modem are normal ACU functionality, and the converter box's slash and period allow their use. The 831A/B has a very extensive, and somewhat complicated, method of matching the computers's parity, bits, baud rate, etc. A phone call to the service center asking what the settings are to emulate a VT100, and a change or two afterwards the converter box has worked like a charm. 3 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 How To Autodial 2780/3780 From a VAX The configuration at our site is illustrated below: +------+ +------+ TTA0: !Racal ! !Rixon ! !----->!Vadic !----->!T801A !--+ +---+ !RS232 !831A/B!RS366 ! ! ! +-------+ +------+ !VAX! ! +------+ +------+ ! !outside! !remote! !780!--->! !-->!phone !--->!cpu ! ! ! ! +------+ ! !line ! ! ! +---+ ! DUP11 !Rixon ! ! +-------+ +------! !------------------->!TA201C!--+ ! ! +------+ 4 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 In this issue... In this issue... How To Autodial 2780/3780 From a VAX . . . . . . . . 1 In this issue... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Editor's Workfile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Commercialism Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Micro VAX Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 System Management tool: BECOME.COM . . . . . . . . 11 INPUT/OUTPUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 VAX System SIG Committee List . . . . . . . . . . 18 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 . 21 VAX Systems SIG Spring 1984 SIR Ballot . . . . . . 39 INPUT/OUTPUT Submission Form . . . . . . . . . . . 41 System Improvement Request Submission Form . . . . 43 General material for publication in the Pageswapper should be sent (US mail only -- no "express" services please) to: Larry Kilgallen, PAGESWAPPER Editor Box 81, MIT Station Cambridge, MA 02139-0901 Preference is given to material submitted as machine-readable text (best is Runoff source). Please do not submit program source, as that is better distributed on the VAX SIG tape. Material for "The DBMS Monitor" section of the Pageswapper (pertaining to VAX-11 DBMS) should be sent to: Julie Llewellyn United Technologies Microelectronics Center 1365 Garden of the Gods Road Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Change of address, reports of non-receipt, and other circulation correspondence should be sent to: DECUS U.S. Chapter, MRO2-1/C11 Attention: Publications Department One Iron Way Marlborough, MA 01752 USA Only if discrepancies of the mailing system are reported can they be analyzed and corrected. 5 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 Editor's Workfile Editor's Workfile by Larry Kilgallen, Pageswapper Editor With regard to the forthcoming DEC standard 32 bit bus discussed at Las Vegas (summarized in last month's Pageswapper), the legalistic possibilities under consideration were: 1. A public bus interface Like the Unibus, everybody builds their own whizmo to hook on. 2. A private bus interface Like the Massbus, DEC tries to keep everybody from hooking on except through their interfaces. Possible techniques (ordered according to decreasing difficulty of implementation) include threats of lawyers, moral suasion and unclear documentation. 3. A An "open" bus interface This would involve DEC licensing multiple IC manufacturers to build interface chips for sale to those wishing to interface. The would-be interfacer thus has a second source available, while in some regards the technical integrity of the bus is maintained. Yes indeed, that was a typographical error by your editor in this column of the November 1983 (Volume 5 Number 5) Pageswapper. The documentation for the next major release of VMS on display in Las Vegas was Field "Test" documentation, not Field "Service" documentation. In my effort to describe the graphic terminal shown at the DEC stockholders meeting, I forgot to mention the fun part. The DECtalk box, which has been previously described as having a varied repertoire of voice pitches had been programmed to change pitches during a single output stream. Put another way, it was singing - in this case, "Strangers in the Night". It seems there are escape characters honored in the input text stream to do a pitch change... I thought it did as well as any other version I have heard, but then again I never did like Frank Sinatra. 6 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 Commercialism Revisited Commercialism Revisited Commercialism Revisited by David A. Johnson Synertek, Inc. Santa Clara, CA From the DECUS U. S. Chapter Commercialism Policy: The primary purpose of DECUS is to support activities of mutual benefit to the Society membership and DIGITAL related to the use of related to the use of DIGITAL products and services. DIGITAL products and services Special Consideration for DIGITAL Special Consideration for DIGITAL DIGITAL receives special consideration at Symposia. This is consistent with the primary purpose of DECUS. DECUS requests DIGITAL to provide an exhibit of DIGITAL products and services. The exhibit area is staffed with DIGITAL representatives who provide information on product functionality, price, and delivery. DECUS does not request or permit other vendors to provide exhibitors on the DECUS Symposia site. In the September PAGESWAPPER, Ray Kaplan states that "While DECUS has an influence on DIGITAL, DECUS does not control the display area." Well, the policy indicates that they THINK they do. It is further stated that "someone said 'hey, why don't we try this'. Since DECUS is in the business of serving its membership the answer was 'sure, let's try it'." I submit that there are mechanisms available for DECUS to modify its policy; but until it does so, it is not free to engage in "noble experiments" which are in direct and unequivocal violation of that policy. 7 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 Micro VAX Presentation Micro VAX Presentation by John Heffernan RCA/Automated Systems Division Burlington,MA 01803 Summary The topic of the December Boston Area VAX LUG meeting was micro VAX and micro VMS. Kathy Morse, the principal software developer of micro VMS gave the presentation. Micro VAX is the smallest member of the VAX family. The VAX CPU is contained of two boards. This product is the first in a line of VAX processors that will culminate in a VAX on a chip. This family of VAX processors use the Q bus. Ms. Morse brought the third prototype micro VAX to the meeting and we saw it running a demo. The first model has a 10MB Winchester disk drive. The problem with this model is that VMS will not fit into 10MB. Therefore, VMS has been split up into different groups so that the user only puts on what he needs and has some space to work. All non-privileged code will run on micro VAX without modification. Compatibility mode, however, is not supported. The main difficulty in using this machine will be sufficient disk space. The next member of the family will have a 28MB Winchester drive. The only other important topic was software prices. Ms. Morse indicated that due to VAXClusters and micro VAXs, software prices are being cut. The following information was presented at the meeting. - The micro VAX instruction set is a subset of the VAX instruction set. The only instructions not supported are compatibility mode instructions. The instructions not microcoded are emulated in software. - The micro VAX is made from semicustom logic. The VAX on a chip will be a VLSI design. - The goal of micro VAX is to get DEC into the volume low end 32 bit market. - The following instructions are emulated: - The string instructions except MOVC3/5 - Packed decimal - D and H floating - There are two new exceptions to handle emulation. The exceptions decode the instruction and put the operands on the stack. The exception handler then takes over. 8 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 Micro VAX Presentation - The console device is not part of the system architecture. The console logic is on the CPU board. A VT100 (or a hard copy device) can serve as the console device. - Optional hardware availbale is a DZV-11 asynchronous line multiplexer and a QNA Ethernet board. - The micro VAX family will address components (VAX boards), desktop systems, small systems, and VAX chips. - The micro VAX project was started 1 year and 3 months ago. Note that DEC estimated that it would take 1990 VLSI technology to fit the full VAX instruction set on a chip. The semicustom chips used in micro VAX were produced by Silicon Compilers, Inc. Ms. Morse guessed that the first VAX chips were months away. Also, there are about 10 micro VAXs in existence. Manufacturing startup is slated for January. The first production units will go to the layered products people. The next units will go to field test. - Micro VMS is a version 4 VMS. - The 28MB disk is further out. The size of the disk is limited by the power supply in the cabinet. There are plans for larger disks. - One major software difference in micro VAX is that VMB ( the primary bootstrap) is in a boot ROM. There is not start up processor like the LSI-11 for other VAXs. The ROM is copied into memory and expected. - Micro VAX has a 22 bit backplane. Therefore 4MB is the maximum amount of physical memory supported by the micro VAX architecture. - There is no scatter/gather map is the micro VAX. Therefore, device drivers must ensure that they have allocated contiguous memory or allocate one page at a time. - The LOCC, SKPC, CMPC3, SCANC, and SPANC instructions were put in some micro-code space left over. - There is a new $CPUDISP macro to execute CPU specific code. Version 4 will have CPU specific code for each processor in one place. For example, for the micro VAX there is a sysloauv1.exe module. - For the future, DEC is working on faster, smaller and cheaper systems with more disk space. A DHV board and MT support are being pursued. Upgrade kits will be available to upgrade to later members of the micro VAX line. 9 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 Micro VAX Presentation - There are two new exception handlers. The first handles emulation. Note that emulation exceptions run in the same access mode as the process incurring the exception. The second handles the case of an emulation being excepted. For example, if the debugger must handle an access violation exception caused by a watchpoint. This uses the first part done bit in the PSL. - The distribution media for this machine is the RX50 5 1/4 inch floppy disk. DEC has split VMS into a base system which runs programs and options. The base system and a page file take up about one half of the 10MB disk. VMS is split as follows: BASE- code to boot, install, and run code. DCL and AUTH are in this category. Common utilities- EDT, MAIL, PHONE, DUMP, HELP, SEARCH, etc. Secure user option- ACC, DISKQ, V4.0 ACL code, Batch/Print queues. Network- DECNet Development tools option - LINK, MESSAGE, DEBUG, EDF, STARLET, etc. System Programming - SDA, DELTA, ANAL/IMAGE, MONITOR, ERF( the new SYE), Mag tape ACP, LIB.MLB, EXCHANGE, etc. Integrity option - Journaling, recovery, checkpointing and other V4.0 integrity features. Note that the above fits on 29 floppies. The documentation set also has a micro version that is the size of the DCL manual. Not included is UNIBUS/MASSBUS support, UETP, [syshelp.examples], tailoring, RSX, and pieces of starlet already in VMSRTL. - DEC is looking at downloading over the net which means that VMS would not have to be resident on the system disk ( at least that part that is memory resident). - The system ELAN builds is not part of micro VMS. - This machine will also run ULTRIX, DEC's UNIX system. - Cluster support is limited to Ethernet. - Supposedly, there is a new high density/speed cartridge being developed that will be the distribution device in the future. - The run time library is split up on version 4 so that all of need not be pulled in. 10 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 Micro VAX Presentation - There are no ICR, NICR, ACCS, and PME registers in micro VAX. Also, there is no TODR register but a macro to system service is provided to emulate it. System Management tool: BECOME.COM AUTHOR: Allen A. Watson The Record, 150 River Street Hackensack, NJ 07602 I have had some problems trying to set up command files and program images to be used by many different users. What I have been doing to test things out is to log off and log on as one of the set of users who will be using the particular facility. Logging off and on again, over and over, is troublesome. In addition, when I do this, I lose the context of my process -- things like foreign commands I've defined, etc. I wanted a way to "become" another user. Another reason for logging off and on has been editing things like SYSLOGIN.COM and SYSTARTUP.COM. So, I wrote BECOME.COM. This command procedure sets you up to look like another user. It changes your UIC to that of the other user, changes your default device and directory to his login defaults, and gives you only the privileges possessed by that user, with one exception that will become clear in a moment. To use BECOME.COM you must have the SETPRV privilege. That is the only requirement. When you are changed into another user, you retain SETPRV even though that user does not have SETPRV normally. This must be done so that you can use BECOME.COM to change back into yourself! We store BECOME.COM in a system command file directory known by the logical name of SYS$COM. Then any user can invoke it with "@SYS$COM:BECOME". If you are going to use it frequently you can define a foreign command such as: BECOME :== @SYS$COM:BECOME.COM BECOME will optionally accept a user name as a parameter, e.g. BECOME WATSON. If you omit the parameter you will be prompted for the "user to become". BECOME identifies itself and asks if you want to continue (we do this with most command files to accomodate the user who sees a command file in a directory and tries it to see what it does). 11 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 System Management tool: BECOME.COM Secondly, if you have ICE (the Interactive Command Editor from ICR on the Fall 1982 SIG tape) active, it tells you that you must stop ICE first, and exits. It also checks that you have SETPRV privilege before continuing. BECOME then proceeds to transform you into the other user by using AUTHORIZE to produce a listing of the user's login information, reading it, and changing UIC, defaults, and privileges. If you give an invalid user name it tells you there is no such user and puts you back at home. I did not choose to change the definition of SYS$LOGIN; it continues to point to your real login defaults. You also retain any foreign commands, symbols, and assignments that you have defined before executing BECOME. To completely become another user (as if they had just logged on), you should delete all symbols, deassign all assignments, run SYSLOGIN and then the local LOGIN.COM. In most cases that is not necessary or even desirable. BECOME.COM __________ $! Intent of this command file is such that a privileged user, $! with SETPRV privilege, can sort of "BECOME" another user. $! It uses AUTHORIZE to find the user's UIC and default directory, $! and then sets default to that directory and sets UIC to that UIC. $! It also sets your privileges to those authorized for the user $! in SYSUAF. It leaves you with the SETPRV privilege at all times $! so you can rebecome yourself. $! $! When you have done "being" that user, you must "BECOME" yourself again. $! $! First check that user has proper privilege to use this. $! $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "BECOME gives you UIC, defaults, and privileges of another" $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "user. If you wish to continue, answer YES to this question:" $ INQUIRE CONTINUE "Continue? [Y/N]" $ IF .NOT.CONTINUE THEN EXIT $! $! Test if ICE editor is active and if so tell user he $! must halt it. $! $ ICE_ON = F$LOGICAL("ICE_ACTIVE") .NES. "" $ IF .NOT.ICE_ON THEN GOTO CHECK_PRIV $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "You have ICE active. New user's privileges may not allow" $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "access to files ICE needs, so ICE must be stopped." $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "BECOME will now exit. Please type STOP to stop ICE and" $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "re-invoke BECOME." $ ASSIGN/PROCESS 1 ICE_WAS_ON $ EXIT $! $ CHECK_PRIV: $ PRIVS = F$PRIVILEGE("SETPRV") 12 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 System Management tool: BECOME.COM $ IF .NOT.PRIVS THEN GOTO NOPRIVS $! $! Begin by saving current defaults and UIC. $! $ OLD_UIC = F$USER() $ OLD_DEFAULT = F$LOGICAL("SYS$DISK")+F$DIRECTORY() $ ORIG_PRIVS = F$SETPRV("CMKRNL,SYSPRV,EXQUOTA") $ REALNAME = F$GETJPI("","USERNAME") $! $! Check if username given as parameter P1 $! $ IF P1 .EQS. "" THEN INQUIRE P1 "User to become" $ USER = P1 $ TESTNAME = USER + " " $ TESTNAME = F$EXTRACT(0,12,TESTNAME) $ START_ICE := "N" $ IF TESTNAME .NES. REALNAME THEN GOTO FINDUSER $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Welcome back to yourself, ''USER'!" $ IF F$LOGICAL("ICE_WAS_ON") .EQS. "" THEN GOTO FINDUSER $ DEASSIGN/PROCESS ICE_WAS_ON $ INQUIRE START_ICE "Do you want to restart ICE when you get home?" $ FINDUSER: $! $! Now see if there is such a user, and get his directory and UIC. $! Write a command file including user name $! $ OPEN/WRITE FILE 'OLD_DEFAULT'LISTUSER.TMP $ WRITE FILE "ASSIGN/USER NL: SYS$OUTPUT" $ WRITE FILE "RUN AUTHORIZE" $ WRITE FILE "LIST ''USER' /FULL" $ WRITE FILE "EXIT" $ CLOSE FILE $ SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM $! $! Rename old SYSUAF.LIS files if any are around $! $ TESTFILE :== @SYS$VPWFILES:TESTFILE $ TESTFILE SYSUAF.LIS $ IF $STATUS .EQ. 1 THEN - RENAME SYSUAF.LIS;* SYSUAFLIS.OLD $! $! Run the file to list user info to SYSUAF.LIS $! $ @'OLD_DEFAULT'LISTUSER.TMP $ DELETE 'OLD_DEFAULT'LISTUSER.TMP;* $ TESTFILE SYSUAF.LIS $ IF $STATUS .NE. 1 THEN GOTO NOSUCH $! $! Get user information from SYSUAF.LIS $! $ OPEN FILE SYSUAF.LIS $ FIND_UIC: $ READ FILE LINE $ POS = F$LOCATE("UIC",LINE) 13 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 System Management tool: BECOME.COM $ IF POS .EQ. F$LENGTH(LINE) THEN GOTO FIND_UIC $ NEW_UIC = F$EXTRACT(32,9,LINE) $ FIND_DEVICE: $ READ FILE LINE $ POS = F$LOCATE("Default Device",LINE) $ IF POS .EQ. F$LENGTH(LINE) THEN GOTO FIND_DEVICE $ NEW_DEVICE = F$EXTRACT(16,99,LINE) $ FIND_DIR: $ READ FILE LINE $ POS = F$LOCATE("Default Directory",LINE) $ IF POS .EQ. F$LENGTH(LINE) THEN GOTO FIND_DIR $ POS = F$LOCATE("]",LINE) - 18 $ NEW_DIR = F$EXTRACT(19,POS,LINE) $ NEW_DEFAULT = NEW_DEVICE + NEW_DIR $ LOOP: $ READ FILE LINE $ POS = F$LOCATE("Privilege",LINE) $ IF POS .EQ. F$LENGTH(LINE) THEN GOTO LOOP $ PRIV_LIST := "" $ LOOP2: $ READ/END_OF_FILE=NOMORE FILE LINE $ LINE = F$EXTRACT(2,132,LINE) ! Strip leading 2 blanks $ LOOP2A: $ POS = F$LOCATE(" ", LINE) ! Find next blank $ LEN = F$LENGTH(LINE) $ NEXT_PRIV = F$EXTRACT(0,POS,LINE) $ PRIV_LIST = PRIV_LIST + NEXT_PRIV + "," $ LINE = F$EXTRACT(POS+1,132,LINE) $ IF POS .EQ. LEN THEN GOTO LOOP2 ! Try next line $ GOTO LOOP2A $! $ NOMORE: $ CLOSE FILE $ POS = F$LENGTH(PRIV_LIST) $ PRIV_LIST = F$EXTRACT(0,POS-1,PRIV_LIST) ! Strip off last comma $ DELETE SYSUAF.LIS;* $! $! Restore old SYSUAF.LIS files if any $! $ TESTFILE SYSUAFLIS.OLD $ IF $STATUS .EQ. 1 THEN - RENAME SYSUAFLIS.OLD;* SYSUAF.LIS $! $! Now change to the new defaults, display them, and get out. $! $ SET UIC 'NEW_UIC' $ SET DEFAULT 'NEW_DEFAULT' $! $! Now strip user of all privileges but SETPRV, and remember what $! privileges he had as of now. $! $ INTERIM_PRIVS = F$SETPRV("NOALL,SETPRV") $! $! Give him USER's privileges from SYSUAF 14 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 System Management tool: BECOME.COM $! $ JUNK = F$SETPRV("''PRIV_LIST'") $! $! Report results $! $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "New defaults for UIC and device/directory are: $ SHOW SYMBOL NEW_UIC $ SHOW DEFAULT $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Login privileges of ''USER' are:" $ SHOW PROCESS/PRIVILEGE $ IF START_ICE THEN ICE $ IF TESTNAME .NES. REALNAME THEN - WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Remember to @SYS$COM:BECOME yourself when you are done." $ GOTO DONE $! $ NOSUCH: $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "No such user as ''USER'" $ FAILED: $! $! Restore old SYSUAF.LIS files if any $! $ TESTFILE SYSUAFLIS.OLD $ IF $STATUS .EQ. 1 THEN - RENAME SYSUAFLIS.OLD;* SYSUAF.LIS $ SET DEFAULT 'OLD_DEFAULT' $ SHOW DEFAULT $ PRIVS = F$SETPRV(ORIG_PRIVS) $! $ DONE: $ EXIT $! $ NOPRIVS: $ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "You do not have sufficient privilege to run BECOME.COM" $ EXIT 15 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 INPUT/OUTPUT INPUT/OUTPUT A SIG Information Interchange A form for INPUT/OUTPUT submissions is available at the back of the issue. INPUT/OUTPUT 223 Caption: Calling the Traceback Condition Handler Message: I have a short MACRO program which establishes the VMS traceback handler as a condition handler at higher levels than the main program. Any traceback listing generated goes back only as far as the caller of this routine. Hardcopy listings only are available. Contact: C Earp Computer Research Section, DSIR P O Box 1335 Wellington, New Zealand Date: November 16, 1983 INPUT/OUTPUT 224 Caption: Slave LQP02 will not activate automatic sheet feeder Message: In slaving an LQP02 with automatic sheet feeder to the printer port of a VT102, the escape sequence to activate the rear tray of the automatic sheet feeder is NOT passed through the VT102 to the sheet feeder. Has anyone been able to use the rear tray feed of an automatic sheet feeder on the LQP02 slaved thru the VT102 ??? Contact: Jim Kaminsky Leaf River Forest Products, Incorporated P. O. Box 329 New Augusta, MS 39462 (601) 964-3254 Date: November 22, 1983 16 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 INPUT/OUTPUT INPUT/OUTPUT 225 Caption: Obtaining a device name given a FORTRAN logical unit number Message: My plan was to get the RAB address, then the FAB address and then the NAM block address where the device name is stored. I couldn't get the RAB address from the FORTRAN logical unit number. DEC supplies a function called FOR$RAB which returns the RAB address given the LUN. This didn't work for me. I would appreciate ideas or word of successful use of FOR$RAB. Thanks. Contact: Mark Bullock 1121 San Antonio Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 (415) 964-9900 Date: November 29, 1983 INPUT/OUTPUT 226 Caption: Linear Programming package wanted Message: University of Denver is seeking a Linear Programming package. The more comprehensive and easier to use, the better. Any and all help and/or suggestions appreciated. Contact: Mike Koonce University of Denver 2020 South Race Street - BA469 Denver CO 80228 (303) 753-3171 Date: December 6, 1983 17 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 VAX System SIG Committee List VAX System SIG Committee List As of November 2, 1983 Joe Angelico - Volunteer Coordinator and System Management US Coast Guard CCGD8(DT) Hale Boggs Federal Building 500 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA. 70130 June Baker - Planning Joe L. Bingham - Librarian Mantech International 2320 Mill Road Alexandria, VA 22314 C. Doug Brown - Security Sandia Labs P.O. Box 2644 Albuqueque, NM 87185 Jack Cundiff - Assistant Symposium Coordinator Muskigum College New Concord, OH 43762 James R. Cutler - Hardware Software Results Corporation 2887 Silver Drive Columbus, OH 43211 Doug Dickey - Data Management SIG Interface CTEC, Inc. 6862 Elm Street McLean, VA 22101 Jim Downward - Migration and Host Development KMG Fusion Inc. 3621 So State Road, P.O. Box 1567 Ann Arbor MI 48106 Dan Fleury - Education University of Hartford West Hartford, CT 06117 Dennis Frayne - Real Time/Process Control McDonnell Douglas 5301 Bolsa Avenue Huntington Beach, CA 92646 18 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 VAX System SIG Committee List Carl E. Friedberg - Internals In House Systems 165 William Street New York, NY 10038 Stephen Gill - Commercial Ball Aerospace P.O. Box 1062 Boulder, Colorado 80306 Don Golden - Overseas Coordinator 500 Corporate Drive Sugarland, TX 77478 Gary Grebus - System Improvement Request Battelle Columbis Labs 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 Dr. Mark Hale - Education University of Florida 411 Weil Hall Gainesville, FL 32611 B. Hancock - Network Sohio Petroleum Company Two Lincoln Center 5420 LBJ Freeway, Suite 900/LB 03 Dallas, TX 75240 R. Haydt - Foreign Devices, Hardware/Software Information Consultants International Incorporated P. O. Box 2014, E. V. STA Ormond Beach, FL 32074 Jeffrey S. Jalbert - Symposium Coordinator Dennison University Granville, OH 43023 Ken Johnson - Handouts 800 N. Lindbergh Monsanto MS V2B St. Louis, MO 63043 Lawrence J. Kilgallen - Newsletter Editor Box 81, MIT Station Cambridge, MA 02139-0901 Margaret Knox - Chair Computation Center University of Texas Austin, Texas 78712 19 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 VAX System SIG Committee List Ross W. Miller - Vice Chair and Working Group Coordinator Online Data Processing, Inc. N 637 Hamilton Spokane, WA 99202 Bob Robbins - VAXElan Array Computer Consultants 5364 Woodvale Drive Sarasota, FL 33582 Larry Robertson - Real Time/Process Control Bear Computer Systems Inc. 5651 Case Avenue North Hollywood, CA P. Sandwell - Graphics Seismograph Service Corporation P. O. Box 1590 Tulsa, OK 74102 David Schmidt - LUG Coordinator Management Sciences Associates 5100 Centre Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15232 Al Siegel - Advisor Battelle Memorial Institute 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 D. Slater - Artificial Intelligence Mantech International 2320 Mill Road Alexandria, VA 22314 Louise Wholey - Languages and Tools Measurex Corporation One Results Way Cupertino, CA 95014 Douglas J. Wilson - Office Automation MIT Joint Computer Facility Room 5-137, 22 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 20 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 by Gary L. Grebus, SIR Coordinator Everyone has an opinion about what is right or wrong with VAX. Here is your chance to influence the directions of future DEC development. The VAX Systems SIG System Improvement Request (SIR) program provides a major vehicle by which the VAX user community expresses its concerns and desires to Digital. Your opinion is important, and every ballot adds to the influence of the SIR program. Attached you will find the current collection of System Improvement Requests and a ballot form on which to record your preferences. Please take the time to review the enclosed SIR's and assess their effect on your use of VAX's. Rank your favorites by assigning them a point value. For your convenience, the ballot items have been grouped by area of interest. Also, please fill out the revised questionnaire portion of the ballot. Such information helps point out requests which are important to a particular segment of the VAX community. Please return your ballot AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. To allow time for DEC to respond, ballots received after May 1 cannot be counted. The results of the balloting and DEC's responses will be given at the VAX SYSTEM SIG SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUESTS session of the Spring 1984 DECUS Symposium in Cincinatti. Instructions You have a total of 100 points to allocate among the SIR's on the ballot. The more points you allocate to a particular SIR, the more strongly you wish to see this feature included in the VAX or VMS. You may assign your points in either a positive sense (to encourage the change) or a negative sense (to discourage the change). In order to assure a wide range of improvements, we have limited the number of points that may be allocated to any SIR to 10. To allocate points to a SIR simply record the number of the SIR in the column labeled SIR NUMBER, and the number of points to allocate to it in the column labeled POINTS. Remember only 100 points total (absolute value). Please note that any ballot not following the points assignment rules, or not specifying a DECUS membership number will not be counted. Only one ballot per member will be accepted. 21 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 VMS Internals ___ _________ SIR: F83-1 Abstract: Improve the efficiency of image activation and process creation Description: Current trends in software design point strongly in the direction of modularity at the process level. The "Software Tools" concept dictates autonomous programs each performing one function. Artificial intelligence applications and object-oriented systems often require multiple, even asynchronous processes. Real-time processing and workstation based software often has the same requirements. However, VMS in its current form is not suitable for such applications. Indeed, the image activation and process creation needed to support these activities are some of the most "expensive" activities on a VAX system. While VAXelan and dedicated VAX's may address some of these needs, there is still a strong requirement for effective multiprocessing support, even for normal interactive computing. VMS should move to improve its support for such an environment. SIR: F83-2 Abstract: Provide a more accurate timing function Description: It would be useful for applications which require the accuracy to have a system timing function which has more accuracy (i.e. a finer timing granularity) than the present user callable function (limited to 1/60 or 1/50 second). There are privileged internal processor registers which have this increased accuracy. A user callable function to access them would be useful. SIR: F83-3 Abstract: Provide system wide common event flag clusters Description: VMS does not allow common event flag clusters to be created on a system wide basis. These clusters are implicitly 22 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 qualified by UIC group, a situation which can create problems in a multi-user environment. VMS should be enhanced to create a system wide version of this resource as for global sections and Lock Manager resources. SIR: F83-4 Abstract: Provide a system service for obtaining global section information Description: A system service is needed which will return status information about global sections. Such information would include filename, flags, ident, page count, protection mask, and particularly reference count. Reference count is needed so that a process which manages the section can tell when no references exist and a new section can be created. SIR: F83-5 Abstract: Document the format of image files Description: It would be useful to have documentation of the format of an image file. SIR: F83-6 Abstract: Provide support for the terminal "break" function Description: It should be possible for a program to detect the "break" (framing error) condition on a terminal line. This can be used to provide an "interrupt" capability on an otherwise transparent character stream. This capability is also required to properly support RSX-11 programs in Compatability Mode. It should also be possible to cause the terminal interface to generate a break condition when hardware support exists. There must be a parameter to specify the duration of the break, to allow for the common "short" and "long" breaks. This feature is useful when implementing "poor man's network", interconnecting two processors through terminal lines. 23 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 SIR: F83-7 Abstract: Provide for multiple associated mailboxes Description: It should be possible to associate multiple mailboxes with a device. Currently at most one mailbox can be associated with a device. It would be useful to have multiple asynchronous processes listening for events on a device (broadcasts, hangup, unsolicited input, etc). This is not possible with the current implementation. SIR: F83-8 Abstract: Provide a delete operation for temporary mailboxes Description: The creator of a temporary mailbox should be able to delete the mailbox, or mark it for deletion. This would cause other processes writing or reading the mailbox to receive an error status. This allows these processes to detect when their messages will no longer be read or when no more data can be expected. DCL and Utilities ___ ___ _________ SIR: F83-9 Abstract: Improve the execution speed of DCL Description: Many times, the most appropriate language for implementing a simple application is DCL. This is particularly true when providing a "menu" interface to standard VMS commands. However, on a heavily loaded system, the current speed of DCL is unacceptable. Perhaps even a DCL compiler and run-time system could be implemented to provide this improvement. SIR: F83-10 Abstract: 24 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 Enhance the symbol substitution facilities in DCL Description: Currently, DCL performs substitution of symbols delimited with apostrophes or ampersands. However, this substitution is performed only for command lines read by DCL. It would be useful to allow these substitutions to be optionally performed for data lines contained within a command procedure. These data lines are then read by a image called within the procedure. It should also be possible to disable substitution within DCL commands lines as well. SIR: F83-11 Abstract: Implement structured programming statements in DCL Description: It is an established fact that very large procedures are written in DCL (e.g. the VMSINSTAL procedure). It would greatly enhance the readability and maintainability of such procedures if such the common "structured programming" control statements were added to DCL. These would include, but not be limited to IF-ELSE, WHILE, FOR, REPEAT, etc. SIR: F83-12 Abstract: Enhance the SHOW PROCESS/CONTINUOUS command Description: This command is extremely useful both for users and system management. The virtual memory display should be enhanced to allow displaying the entire address space of the process. It should be possible to display a base address or page forward and backward through the address space. This command should also display other useful process information such as assigned channels. SIR: F83-13 Abstract: Provide alternate display order for DIRECTORY Description: The DIRECTORY command should have to ability to display a directory sorted first by filetype, or in order of creation 25 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 date, etc. A /SORT qualifier could provide a sequence of sort criteria to be used in generating the listing. SIR: F83-14 Abstract: Allow the DELETE command to prompt for version Description: One of the most common user errors on VAX systems is to omit the version number when issuing a DELETE command. The command should optionally prompt for the version or have an option which implies all versions. System Management ______ __________ SIR: F83-15 Abstract: Separate file "date last accessed" from "expiration date". Description: VMS provides the ability to maintain a pseudo "date of last access" for files by using a volume wide file retention period to update an expiration date. It would be desirable to be able to maintain this date, as well as maintain an explicit expiration date for a file. For example, it would be useful to allow a creating program to set a short expiration period for certain files (listings, scratch files, etc.), without conflicting with a longer term management policy (delete all files not accessed for one year). It seems that there should be two separate dates kept for these two separate functions. Ideally, the pseudo "date of last access" should be available expressed as a date of last access, within the resolution of the retention period. SIR: F83-16 Abstract: Provide for queueing of allocation of devices. Description: Some devices, for example, tape drives are non-shareable. It would be very helpful if requests for allocation of such 26 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 devices could be queued and the next user on the queue be informed when the device was available. SIR: F83-17 Abstract: Provide a facility for the transparent capture of terminal input/output in a log file. Description: This feature would allow the capture of all terminal input/output independent of the programs being executed (similar to PHOTO on DEC-20's). This capability would be particularly useful in the realm of academia in aiding instructors to create user documentation and verifying student work. SIR: F83-18 Abstract: Enhance VMSINSTAL to allow multi-node upgrades. Description: In a large networking environment in which the CPU's are physically remote, performing software updates can be very time consuming. Enhancing VMSINSTAL to allow some form of multi-node updates would result in substantial time savings. SIR: F83-19 Abstract: Make the upgrade procedures and kits for layered products consistent across all products. Description: Each layered product has different features in its upgrade kit. A consistent set of features is desired. Some of the required features would be machine readable release notes, the ability to upgrade into a separate directory tree, documentation of all files modified by the procedure, fast reinstallation from saved object files, and particularly setting of appropriate (or user specified) file protections on all files generated. SIR: F83-20 27 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 Abstract: Enhance BACKUP to permit remote saves. Description: In a networking environment BACKUP cannot be used to save files that reside on a remote node. This could be accomplished either by enhancing network file access to provide all information needed by BACKUP, or by providing a remote BACKUP object which could handle all necessary tape/disk volume mounts. As networks of "workstation" VAX's are installed, this capability becomes more critical. SIR: F83-21 Abstract: Enhance operator assisted volume mounting. Description: Currently, there is no way to request a volume mount without tying up the requesting terminal. Mount support should be enhanced to provide a MOUNT/NOWAIT qualifier. This would request a mount from the operator and return to the CLI, notifying the user when the mount is complete. SIR: F83-22 Abstract: Provide a BACKUP/OPERATOR capability. Description: Currently, when the BACKUP command is run interactively, request for additional tape volumes are directed to the interactive terminal. In a "closed shop" environment, the user receiving this request may not be in a position to respond to it. It should be possible to specify that all BACKUP tape requests be directed to the system operator. SIR: F83-23 Abstract: Provide CPU time to a cumulative maximum in lieu of a maximum per login Description: At present, the CPU time established by AUTHORIZE limits CPU time per session or job, and is of limited value to educational institutions and other organizations running 28 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 open time-sharing systems. A new parameter should be added to represent a maximum cumulative total CPU time that cannot be exceeded. The cumulative time could be reset when accounting data is reset. This would benefit any organization which rations CPU time to control demand as opposed to using a monetary chargeback system as a deterrent to excessive CPU time consumption. SIR: F83-24 Abstract: Provide a way to deallocate devices held by another process Description: Many interactive jobs run for a long period of time, and during their startup users may inadvertently allocate extra devices that are no longer being used. It should be possible for a suitably privileged user to deallocate the device without aborting the process. SIR: F83-25 Abstract: Enhance BACKUP with a /FIND=n qualifier Description: A /FIND=n qualifier on a BACKUP /SELECT command would allow BACKUP to stop searching after it has found n copies of the selected files. This would be especially useful on multireel backups to avoid unnecessary tape mounts. For single file selects, a default of /FIND=1 would be appropriate. For wildcard selects, a default would have to be chosen, perhaps based on whether one or multiple directories were being searched. SIR: F83-26 Abstract: Provide a "valid terminals" option in the User Authorization File. Description: This would allow the system manager to enter either a list of valid terminals or a system logical defined to be a list of valid terminals. This list could be checked during username/password validation, and the login rejected if the user was not using a valid terminal. This capability could be used to eliminate some potential security problems. By 29 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 allowing a system logical name to be used, the list of terminals could be easily changed. The default value for this option would be all terminals. Note that this option would not be useful for systems using random port-selection equipment as a front end for the terminal system. SIR: F83-27 Abstract: The DISMOUNT command should optionally indicate that a device cannot be dismounted. Description: When an authorized user tries to dismount a device, if the device cannot be dismounted, it is left mounted but marked for dismount. This situation can be resolved by manually locating and closing all open files, stopping spooled devices, and removing installed images that reside on the disk. It some situations, if would be preferable to receive an error status if the device could not be cleanly dismounted when requested. Commercial __________ SIR: F83-28 Abstract: Provide for character set translation when reading and writing magnetic tapes. Description: It is almost a daily requirement at many sites to process tapes written using a character set other than ASCII. It is ridiculous to require that a separate utility be used when the tape could be processed using VMS utilities. It should be possible to specify that data read from a tape be automatically converted to or from a non-ASCII character set. This specification should exist at both the file and volume level. At the minimum, the ASCII-EBCDIC conversion should be supported. Ideally, user specified conversions (perhaps provided via a logical name) should also be supported. SIR: F83-29 Abstract: 30 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 Provide support for EBCDIC tape labels. Description: Despite all tape format standards, it is a fact that VMS sites performing commercial processing must frequently process tapes containing ANSI labels written using the EBCDIC character set. The VMS MOUNT service should provide a qualifier which requests that tape labels be translated before they are processed. SIR: F83-30 Abstract: Provide full filespec on PRINT/HEADER Description: The header given by the PRINT/HEADER command should include the device and directory names. When printing out many files using wildcards in the directory name, it is impossible to distinguish from the listings where the files are located. SIR: F83-31 Abstract: Provide a utility to display the last n records of a file Description: Many times it is desirable to view the last records in a file. other record. It would be useful to have a utility which could display this. DUMP/RECORD=START:n is only suitable if you have some knowledge of the number of records in the file. The utility should make use of any optimizations available to avoid sequentially reading the entire file. For sequential files of variable length records, the utility could offer an "approximate" mode which performs block access to approximately the correct position and then interprets the record representation to display the file contents. Languages and Tools _________ ___ _____ SIR: F83-32 Abstract: Provide USEROPEN capability from all VAX languages 31 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 Description: All VAX-11 language compilers should support a USEROPEN subroutine that can be invoked during file open processing. It is very frequently necessary to set some RMS option not supported in the host language, as well as use the language's I/O statements. While this capability is available from some languages (FORTRAN and PASCAL for example), it is notably absent from others. COBOL in particular would benefit from this capability, since COBOL applications frequently require very explicit control over file attributes and structure. The language documentation must describe any RMS control block changes which are not compatible with the host language I/O statements. SIR: F83-33 Abstract: Digital should provide an extensible, customizable, screen-oriented text editor Description: Despite repeated requests from the user community, the capabilities of the EDT editor on VAX appear largely frozen. EDT provides insufficient features for customization and extension, and is hopelessly bound to VT52 and VT100 style terminals. Many of these restrictions may be traced to the fact that EDT as the "DEC Standard Editor" must be limited enough to fit onto PDP-11's. This is a penalty which VAX users should not have to pay. DEC should support a fully customizable, screen oriented editor. Customization is best handled in a manner similar to the EMACS editor, in which a text-oriented, generalized programming language (loops, variables, functions, etc.) underlies the editor, and is accessible to the user. This model is familiar to many VMS, UNIX, and particularly TOPS-20 users. The editor should support multiple windows on a screen, and should provide an interface by which any sufficiently powerful screen oriented terminal could be supported. SIR: F83-34 Abstract: Provide overtype mode in EDT Description: There should be an overtype mode in EDT. When in overtype mode, the character that the cursor is sitting on would be replaced instead of inserting in front of it. Overtype mode and insert mode would be mutually exclusive and insert mode 32 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 would be the default. SIR: F83-35 Abstract: Provide column restrictions in EDT Description: EDT should have the capability to process searches and changes with a column restriction. This might be implemented by a "SET COLUMN M N" command, where M is the starting column and N the ending column. The default would be the entire line. The search or change operation would only be satisfied if the entire target string were located within the column restriction. SIR: F83-36 Abstract: Provide wild-card search strings in EDT Description: The search functions within the EDT editor require exact matches of the text. Relaxing the match requirements to include wild-card characters would enhance the usefulness of EDT in two ways: first, the user could locate character sequences whose exact format is unknown; second, one editing command could be applied to a number of different, but similar text situations. SIR: F83-37 Abstract: Provide control over the cancellation of an EDT select range Description: In some situations there are several editing operations that must be performed on a range of text. The most convenient way to control this is to "select" the text and then perform the operations. Unfortunately, EDT presently removes the range selection after the first editing operation, so one must "reselect" the text if another operation must be performed. Giving the user the ability to control the removal of the range selection would eliminate this problem. 33 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 SIR: F83-38 Abstract: Give EDT the ability to operate on more than one "selected" range of text. Description: Many times the same editing operations must be performed on several sections of text which are not contiguous. (Operating on formatted data files, for example, or on several subroutines within one source file.) It would be very useful to "select" the appropriate ranges of text, and then perform the required editing operation on them. SIR: F83-39 Abstract: Improve the DEBUG syntax for specifying array ranges Description: The present debugger uses the very cumbersome syntax: ARRAY(1,1);ARRAY(1,20) to specify an array range to be displayed. A much simpler syntax is the following: ARRAY(1,1...20) or ARRAY(1,1:20) SIR: F83-40 Abstract: Allow the debugger to track compiler register usage Description: It is disconcerting at best to have the debugger EXAMINE command tell you that a variable is zero, when the behavior of the program clearly shows that this cannot be true. Since compiler optimizations are transparent to the user, the debugger should maintain this transparency by properly displaying variables which are temporarily resident in processor registers. This would avoid a confusing and sometimes misleading situation for the user. SIR: F83-41 Abstract: Provide a DEBUG command to cancel the current breakpoint Description: 34 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 The present debugger requires the user to enter a complete address specification to delete an individual breakpoint. In many cases, one would like to cancel the breakpoint at which execution is currently suspended; requiring the user to completely specify the current breakpoint seems needlessly complicated. SIR: F83-42 Abstract: Make DEBUG understand the "/NOLIST" option on compiler include files Description: Some compilers (for example, FORTRAN) offer the "/NOLIST" option on a source code "INCLUDE" statement. The debugger should recognize this option and not alter the numbering of source lines to account for the included text. The current behavior makes SEARCH and TYPE operations much more difficult than they need be. SIR: F83-43 Abstract: Add conditional breakpoints in DEBUG Description: DEBUG should provide breakpoints which are only executed when a specified program condition is true. SIR: F83-44 Abstract: Improve MACRO-32 error reporting Description: When an assembly error occurs within a macro, the assembler outputs a message and a flag indicating where on the line the error occurred, but does not normally output a copy of the bad line. This behavior makes it very difficult to identify the cause of the error. MACRO-32 should always display the line in the macro body which causes the error, regardless of the listing options in effect. (This is the way MACRO-11 does it.) SIR: F83-45 35 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 Abstract: Improve the MACRO-32 cross reference listing. Description: The cross reference page numbers generated by MACRO-32 don't correspond to the page numbers in the listing, but instead to the page numbers in the input file. With multiple input files, the situation becomes hopelessly confusing. MACRO-32 should be modified to produce a useable cross reference listing. SIR: F83-46 Abstract: Compilers should support wild cards and a /LOG qualifier Description: It should be possible to compile a group of source files in one command without specifying each file separately. The usual way of specifying a group of files with wildcards should be accepted by all compilers, too. All compilers should also have a /LOG qualifier, which would cause the compiler to display the full file specification of each processed input file. SIR: F83-47 Abstract: Improve the FORTRAN compiler listing Description: It would be more useful to have the FORTRAN compiler generate at least some of the map and cross reference information in the event of a compiler error. Very often, this information will point up more than one error, saving needless compilations. Also, it should optionally be possible to display the values of FORTRAN PARAMETERs in a compilation map. SIR: F83-48 Abstract: Provide listing control directives in all compilers Description: The internal documentation of programs would be much more effective if directives within the program could provide 36 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 page ejects, page titles, and subtitles. A table-of-contents page listing the location of each subtitle (or module) should also be provided. SIR: F83-49 Abstract: Provide a UNIX emulator and command interpreter as an alternative to DCL Description: Since UNIX(tm) has become so widely known and used, compatibility has become a necessity for many users. However, this requirement often conflicts with the necessity of running VMS as the primary operating system. A UNIX CLI running under VMS, along with a UNIX system call emulator would provide the compatibility needed. Miscellaneous _____________ SIR: F83-50 Abstract: Enhancements to the MAIL utility Description: Several additional capabilities are required in the VMS MAIL utility. The "FORWARD WITH COMMENT" command would allow a user to forward a message to another user (or group of users) with additional comments, without having to squeeze them into the subject line or re-edit the message. The "REPLY AND RETAIN COPY" would send a reply to a message while retaining a copy of the reply. This would avoid the additional time consuming steps now required. /BEFORE and /AFTER qualifiers added to the MAIL DIRECTORY command would be very helpful in selecting the messages to be read. SIR: F83-51 Abstract: Allow MAIL to access files with read-only permission. Description: The MAIL utility currently requires write access before it will read mail from a .MAI file. If MAIL could access a file with read-only access, "bulletin boards" could be easily created. Adding to the board would be a simple 37 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BALLOT - SPRING 1984 matter of sending a note to the owner of the file. The current requirement of write access allows unauthorized users to remove notices from the "board". 38 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 VAX Systems SIG Spring 1984 SIR Ballot VAX Systems SIG Spring 1984 SIR Ballot VAX Systems SIG Spring 1984 SIR Ballot Questionnaire DECUS membership number __________________ My VAX experience level (check one): Wizard ____ Expert ____ Knowledgeable ____ Normal ____ Novice ____ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Our site uses the following VAX models (check all that apply) 11/782 ____ 11/780 ____ 11/750 ____ 11/730 ____ 11/725 ____ MicroVAX I ____ Our site uses the following operating systems (check all that apply) VAX/VMS ____ VAXelan ____ ULTRIX ____ UNIX (tm) ____ RSX-11 ____ RSTS ____ RT-11 ____ IAS ____ TOPS-10 ____ TOPS-20 ____ Other ____________________________ We are currently running VMS Version __________ (if applicable) ----------------------------------------------------------------- We use VAX's in the following applications (Check all that apply) Business EDP ____ Software Development ____ Education ____ Computer Science Research ____ Real-Time Processing____ CAD/CAM ____ Service Bureau ____ Hardware Development ____ Scientific/Engineering ____ Office Automation ____ Other ____________________________ Our principal programming language is _________________________ 39 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 VAX Systems SIG Spring 1984 SIR Ballot VAX SYSTEMS SIG SPRING 1984 SIR BALLOT Tally Reminder: The total number of points (absolute value) which you allocate on this ballot may not exceed 100 points. No more than 10 points may be given to any single SIR. SIR Number: Points: ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ Mail to: Mr. Gary Grebus Battelle Columbus Laboratories Room 11-6011 505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201 40 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 INPUT/OUTPUT Submission Form INPUT/OUTPUT Submission Form A SIG Information Interchange Please reprint in the next issue of the Pageswapper If this is a reply to a previous I/O, which number? ________ Caption: ______________________________________________________ Message: ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Contact: Name _______________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Telephone ____________________________ Signature _____________________________ Date ________________ Mail this form to: PAGESWAPPER Editor, DECUS, MRO2-1/C11, One Iron Way, Marlborough, MA 01752, USA 41 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 INPUT/OUTPUT Submission Form Tear out to submit an I/O item PAGESWAPPER Editor DECUS, MRO2-1/C11 One Iron Way Marlborough, MA 01752 USA 42 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 System Improvement Request Submission Form System Improvement Request Submission Form Page 1 of _____ ________________________________________________________________ Submittor: Firm: Address: Phone: ________________________________________________________________ How to write an SIR: Describe the capability you would like to see available on VAX systems. Be as specific as possible. Please don't assume we know how it's done on the XYZ system. Justify why the capability would be useful and give an example of its use. If you wish, suggest a possible implementation of your request. ________________________________________________________________ Abstract (Please limit to four lines): ________________________________________________________________ Description and examples (use additional pages if required) 43 PAGESWAPPER - January 1984 - Volume 5 Number 7 System Improvement Request Submission Form Tear out to submit an SIR Gary L. Grebus Battelle Columbus Laboratories 505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201 USA 44