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To:	EVERHART
Subj:	SHAR + PIPES, KRON

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Date: 14 Sep 87 12:06 +0800
From: Ken Wallewein <kenw%noah.arc.cdn%ubc.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET>
To: Info-VAX@KL.SRI.COM
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Message-Id: <891*kenw@noah.arc.cdn>
Subject: SHAR + PIPES, KRON

$SHAR:

  Michael Bednarek's VMS_SHAR is a major contribution to the distribution of
software on the net. However, it doesn't solve the problem with tabs; many
mailers convert tabs to spaces. This causes checksum failures, and in the case
of our dearly beloved (;-) Fortran, causes the software to break. 

  We have a solution. It is part of a new update to the PIPE package I sent out
a couple of weeks, which was subject to the above problem. Quite simply, to
prepare for packaging in SHAR format, you enter the command 

   SUBSTITUTE *.*; "    " "<tab>"

where "    " is a real tab character. This replaces all real tabs with <tab>.
After the package is received and unSHARed, the receiver enters the command

   SUBSTITUTE *.*; "<tab>" "    "

where "    " is , again, a real tab character. This restores all the real tabs.

  Since I just posted PIPE recently, I'm hesitant to do so again so soon, even
with the significant updates I've added.  However, if I get enough requests, I
will do so; otherwise I'll just send it those those who ask for it. 

$KRON:

>I recently decided that I needed help handling all those periodic batch jobs,
>and that the KRON package from Battelle on the VAX85C Decus tape was the thing
>to use. Unfortunately, it appears not to work. The problem appears to be in
>it's handling of the KRON_INPUT.DAT file.

  I posted the above message myself, and got no response. However, after
phoning Mark Oakley at Batelle directly, I have a solution. The DECUS
distribution from the VAX85C tape was missing the KRON_INPUT.DAT file, and
I assumed the documentation meant KRON_SCHED.DAT. It didn't. The essential
contents of KRON_INPUT.DAT are as follows:

    $run bat*sched:kron.exe
    $st=$status
    $if st .eq. %x20b4 then $exit 'st'	!operator abort
    $request "KRON process terminated unexpectedly - exit status ''st'"
    $exit 'st'

Also, I added the following two lines to the front of of START_KRON.COM
  
    $ def/group bat$sched sys$locroot:[kron]
    $ def/group kron_sched bat$sched:kron_sched.dat

KRON now appears to be working. I _still_ think it looks like the best of the
CRON-type programs for VMS.

/kenw
                                                                 A L B E R T A
Ken Wallewein                                                  R E S E A R C H
                                                                 C O U N C I L


