Re: VAX 4000/500 general questions

From: H Vlems (hvlems.nieuw_at_zonnet.nl)
Date: 10/18/03

  • Next message: David J. Dachtera: "Re: VAX 4000/500 general questions" 
    Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2003 10:06:38 +0200

    "Jeroen Lodewijks" <google@wondercool.com> schreef in bericht
    news:68baa2fe.0310171129.591a4f66@posting.google.com...
    > Rehi,
    >
    > Thanks for all your good tips:
    >
    > First, I have my SYSTEM account back. Thank god, the user account had
    enough
    > privileges!
    >
    > SET HOST 0 though, creates an inactive prompt (what does that command do
    > anyway?) but I didn't need it. Had to CONTROL C it

    $ SET HOST 0 creates a terminal session via DECnet on the same machine. The
    DECnet address 0.0 (or plain 0) is similar to 127.0.0.1 in the IP world. A
    lot shorter though. If the command hangs then DECnet is running, but not
    completely (try $ NCP SHO EXEC CHAR and $ NCP SHO KNOW LINE CHAR).

    >
    > I put a $exit in the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM file but unfortunately all of
    DECnet is
    > loaded *longtime* before that. I must be another file which controls this.
    > I will try to find out myself (I have a pdf with Boot and Shutdown
    procedures
    > explained somewhere).

    I'm afraid you're the victim of poor system management. DECnet ought to be
    started in SYSTARTUP_VMS. Adventurous souls try to put things in
    SYLOGICALS.COM. A quick attampt might be to put an $ exit in there and see
    what happens. If it does not work try $ SEARCH SYS$STARTUP:*.COM STARTNET
    The DECnet startup procedure is called SYS$MANAGER:STARTNET.COM.
    Two other ways to tackle this problem: (1) just rename STARTNET.COM to
    STARTNET.COM-ORG (and make sure there's no older version of it). Restart VMS
    and see where it complains that it cannot find STARTNET.
    (2) look for those system COM files that have been changed, i.e. with a
    version number 2 or higher. Most of these files are not changed that often.
    If version 1 is still present then you might copy it as the newest version.

    > The hardware guide seems to be essential, so I will be snooping around on
    EBay

    OK, a 4700 or 4300 guide may also work because these systems are fairly
    similar. The 4200 is a different machine.

    > I haven't got a clue what a RJ45 is or an AUI.

    RJ45 is the connector used for UTP ethernet and ISDN. AUI is a 15 pin
    connector similar in shape as an RS-232 connector (but that one has 25
    pins).
    >
    > All I know is that I connected my PC network card to the VAX by a coax
    10Mbps
    > ethernet cable. My PC network card is old as well (3COM Etherlink III) and
    > still has a coax connection. As said, it doesn't work yet.

    Err, there aren't that many people who run thinwire at home... You did put
    terminators and "T" connectors on the thinwire cable, right?

    > A Telnet server is loaded, as I know this from the SHUTDOWN messages :)
    > (I am flooded with error, warnings and messages at boot time)
    >
    Unless you can hook a serial PC port to the console there's no way of
    capturing all these messages.

    > In front of the main system cabinet are 3 more
    > modern twisted pair (telephone style) connectors labelled MO, SI and SO
    > respectively. I don't use those. I use the only coax type connector
    available.
    > Could anybody explain those ports?
    >
    The 4000-500 is used in DSSI cluster configurations. Most of the disks and
    tapes lived in other cabinets, similar in shape to the one that houses the
    4500. The SI and SO signals took care that flipping the power switch would
    not start all peripherals at the same time and trip a mains fuse. For your
    purpose (stand alone system) they are useless.

    > UCX is installed. I will mess around with that.
    >
    > One last? question: is there any command or tool to get an overview of all
    the
    > disks and their volumes?
    >
    Yes:
    $ SHOW DEVICE ! shows all devices present
    $ SHOW DEVICE D ! shows all disks
    $ SHOW DEVICE MI
    $ SHOW DEVICE MU ! shows tapedrives. sho dev m will also list all
    mailbox devices (many)

    > In Unix or DOS you can get a directory tree, is there something similar.
    > I mean: if you don't know which directories are on the disk, SET DEF won't
    get
    > you very far.

    Try this:
    $ SET DEF SYS$SYSDEVICE:[000000]
    $ DIR [000000...]/SIZE=ALL

    The [000000] directory is present on all VMS disks and serves the same
    purpose as \ on a DOS disk.
    >
    > Thanks again,
    >
    > Jeroen Lodewijks
    >
    > PS Good guess Hans, I am Dutch. I live in Ireland though...

    Ik stond juist op het punt om te vragen waar je woonde, dan kwam ik even
    langs. Ierland is een mooi land maar net even te ver weg...
    Overigens is het geen probleem om een CD op te sturen mocht dat nodig zijn.
    Ik ben alleen bang dat er geen CD in de 4500 zit en dat je een TK70 of TK50
    tapedrive hebt (een TK50/70 tape is 1 inch bij 4 inch).

    Hans

  • Next message: David J. Dachtera: "Re: VAX 4000/500 general questions"

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