Everhart, Glenn From: Steve Lionel [Steve.Lionel@digital.com] Sent: Monday, November 16, 1998 3:42 PM To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com Subject: OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Part 1/3 Archive-name: dec-faq/vms/part1 Posting-Frequency: bi-monthly Last-modified: 16 November 1998 Changes since last edition ========================== Add DOC11 on tutorial user information Update VAX5 on VAXstation 3100 disk size limit Update Y2K3, add Y2K6 on "do I need to consider Y2K?" Add FILE8 on the size of a disk block. Add new MGMT8 on changing the timezone in batch (old MGMT8 was a duplicate) Add MGMT17 on negative pagefile reservable pages number. Add MGMT18 on updating layered product versions when OpenVMS is updated Add PROG14, PROG15 on number of bytes in a disk block and memory page Add PROG16 about creating a process under another username Add DCL7 about changing the system prompt. Add DCL8 about doing DECnet task-to-task I/O in DCL Add DECW11 about XtAppAddInput. Overview ======== This is part 1/3 of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) posting for the comp.os.vms and vmsnet.misc newsgroups. (comp.os.vms is bidirectionally-gatewayed to the INFO-VAX mailing list - see INTRO3 for further details.) It contains answers to frequently asked questions about Digital's OpenVMS operating system and the computer systems on which it runs. This FAQ is archived in the following locations: comp.answers and news.answers newsgroups ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/dec-faq/vms ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/dec-faq/vms CompuServe VAXFORUM, Library 0, VMSFAQ.TXT User-created HTML versions of the FAQ are located at: http://www.kjsl.com/vmsfaq http://eisner.decus.org/vms/faq.htm To make suggestions for changes or additions to this Frequently Asked Questions list, send mail to the editor at Steve.Lionel@digital.com. Answers are especially appreciated. Please do NOT send technical questions to the editor - post them to the appropriate newsgroup instead. Some general notes: The term "VMS" is synonymous with "OpenVMS". "Alpha", "AlphaGeneration" or "AXP" generally refers to any system or product based on or related to Digital's Alpha processor architecture. OpenVMS manual names mentioned are those as of V7.1 - names may be different in other editions of the documentation set. World-Wide Web Universal Resource Locator (URL) notation is used for FTP addresses. Many people have contributed to this list, directly or indirectly. In some cases, an answer has been adapted from one or more postings on the comp.os.vms newsgroup. Our thanks to all of those who post answers. The name (or names) at the end of an entry indicate that the information was taken from postings by those individuals; the text may have been edited for this FAQ. These citations are only given to acknowledge the contribution. Although the editor of this FAQ is an employee of Digital Equipment Corporation, this posting is not an official statement from Digital Equipment Corporation. AlphaGeneration, AlphaServer, AlphaStation, Alpha AXP, AXP, DEC, DECstation, DECsystem, OpenVMS, ULTRIX, VAX and VMS are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. OSF/1 is a registered trademark of the Open Software Foundation. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd. Other names are properties of their respective owners. Table of Contents - Part 1/3 ____________________________ Introduction ======================================== INTRO1. What is the scope of comp.os.vms? INTRO2. What other newsgroups carry VMS-related information? INTRO3. What is INFO-VAX? INTRO4. How do I subscribe to or unsubscribe from INFO-VAX? INTRO5. How do I submit a question or a response? INTRO6. What is DECUS? INTRO7. What archives of comp.os.vms/INFO-VAX are available? General questions about OpenVMS ======================================== VMS1. What is OpenVMS? What is its history? VMS2. What is the difference between VMS and OpenVMS? VMS3. How do I port from VMS to OpenVMS? VMS4. Which is better - OpenVMS or UNIX? VMS5. Is Digital dropping support for OpenVMS? VMS7. What OpenVMS CD-ROM products are available? VMS8. In what language is OpenVMS written? VMS9. How do I obtain or transfer a VMS license? VMS10. What is OpenVMS doing about the Euro currency symbol? Alpha and Alpha-based systems ======================================== ALPHA1. What do the letters AXP stand for? ALPHA2. What are the OpenVMS differences between VAX and Alpha? ALPHA3. Are there Alpha systems on the net I can try out? ALPHA4. How do I join Digital's Association of Software & Application Partners program? ALPHA5. Where can I find performance information about Alpha systems? ALPHA6. Where can I get updated console firmware for AlphaServer systems? ALPHA7. How do I boot an AlphaStation without monitor or keyboard? ALPHA8. Will OpenVMS run on a Multia? ALPHA9. What is the least expensive system that will run OpenVMS? VAX and VAX-based systems ======================================== VAX1. Please explain the back panel of the MicroVAX II VAX2. What is the layout of the VAX floating point format? VAX3. Where can I find more info on VAX systems? VAX4. Where can I find information on NetBSD for VAX systems? VAX5. Tell me about the system disk size limit on the VAXstation 3100. VAX6. How does OpenVMS VAX maintain system time? Documentation and other resources ======================================== DOC1. Where can I find online copies of OpenVMS manuals? DOC2. What online information is available? DOC3. What books and publications are available? DOC4. How do I extract a HELP topic to a text file? DOC5. Does OpenVMS Marketing have an e-mail address? DOC6. What OpenVMS-related WWW sites are available? DOC7. Where can I find patches for OpenVMS and Digital layered products? DOC8. Where can I find info about undocumented OpenVMS features? DOC9. Where is documentation on the DECnet Phase IV protocols? DOC10. Where can I learn about how the VMS executive works internally? DOC11. Where can new users find tutorial information about OpenVMS? Year 2000 Issues ======================================== Y2K1. Does OpenVMS have a problem with the year 2000? Y2K2. What happens with the C tm_year field in the year 2000? Y2K3. What happens with the year 2038 with C? Y2K4. Is the year 2000 a leap year? Y2K5. What is covered by the OpenVMS Y2K Evaluation? Y2K6. Do I need to consider Y2K? Do I even need the Y2K ECO? Table of Contents - Part 2/3 ____________________________ System Management ======================================== MGMT1. What is an installed image? MGMT2. Are there any known viruses for OpenVMS? MGMT3. How do I mount an ISO-9660 CD on OpenVMS? MGMT4. How do I extract the contents of a PCSI kit? MGMT5. I've forgotten the SYSTEM password - what can I do? MGMT6. How do I connect a PostScript printer via TCP/IP? MGMT7. Why can't I do a SET TIME command? MGMT8. How do I change the timezone differential and time in batch? MGMT9. How do I change the node name of an OpenVMS System? MGMT10. What is the correct value for EXPECTED_VOTES in a VMScluster? MGMT11. Why doesn't OpenVMS see the new memory I just added? MGMT12. How do I write a BACKUP saveset to a remote tape? MGMT13. Tell me about SET HOST/DUP and SET HOST/HSC MGMT14. How do I install DECnet Phase IV on VMS 7.1? MGMT15. How do I change the text in a user's UIC identifier? MGMT16. What are the OpenVMS version upgrade paths? MGMT17. Why do I have negative number in the pagefile reservable pages? MGMT18. Do I have to update layered products when updating OpenVMS? MAIL ======================================== MAIL1. How do I send Internet mail? MAIL2. How do I get IN% or MX% added automatically to Internet addresses? MAIL3. How do I automatically append a signature file to my mail messages? MAIL4. Do I have to use VMS MAIL? I like my Unix mailer better. MAIL5. How can I forward my mail? Can I forward it to an Internet address? MAIL6. How can I forward my mail to a list of addresses? MAIL7. MAIL keeps saying I have new messages, but I don't. What do I do? MAIL8. How do I extract all of my mail messages to a file? MAIL9. How do I send or read attachments in VMS MAIL? Other Utilities ======================================== UTIL1. How do I play an audio CD on my workstation? UTIL2. How do I access a MS-DOS floppy disk from OpenVMS? UTIL3. How do I play sound files on an AlphaStation? DECsound doesn't work DCL and command usage ======================================== DCL1. How do I run a program with arguments? DCL2. How can I redefine control keys in DCL? DCL3. How can I clear the screen in DCL? DCL4. How do I do a REPLY/LOG in a batch stream? DCL5. How do I generate a random number in DCL? DCL6. What does the MCR command do? DCL7. How do I change the OpenVMS system prompt? DCL8. Can I do DECnet task-to-task communication with DCL? File System and RMS ======================================== FILE1. How can I undelete a file? FILE2. Why does SHOW QUOTA give a different answer than DIR/SIZE? FILE3. How do I make sure that my data is safely written to disk? FILE4. What are the limits on file specifications and directories? FILE5. What is the largest disk volume size OpenVMS can access? FILE6. What is the maximum file size, and the RMS record size limit? FILE7. How do I write recordable CDs on OpenVMS? FILE8. How many bytes are in a disk block? Programming ======================================== PROG1. How do I call from ? PROG2. How do I get the arguments from the command line? PROG3. How do I get a formatted error message in a variable? PROG4. How do I link against SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.STB on an Alpha system? PROG5. How do I do a SET DEFAULT from inside a program? PROG6. How do I create a shareable image transfer vector on an Alpha system? PROG7. How do I turn my Fortran COMMON into a shareable image on Alpha? PROG8. How do I convert between IEEE and VAX floating data? PROG9. How do I get the argument count in a Fortran routine? PROG10. How do I get a unique system ID for licensing purposes? PROG11. What is an executable, shareable, system or UWSS image? PROG12. How do I do a file copy from a program? PROG13. What is a descriptor? PROG14. How many bytes are in a disk block? PROG15. How many bytes are in a memory page? PROG16. How do I create a process under another username? Table of Contents - Part 3/3 ____________________________ DECwindows ======================================== DECW1. How do I let someone else display something on my workstation? DECW2. How do I create a display on another workstation? DECW3. How can I get the information from SHOW DISPLAY into a symbol? DECW4. How do I get a log of a DECterm session? DECW5. Problem - the DELETE key deletes forward instead of backward! DECW6. Problem - On a DEC2000-300, Motif doesn't start DECW7. Problem - My LK401 keyboard unexpectedly autorepeats DECW8. Problem - My LK411 sends the wrong keycodes or some keys are dead DECW9. How do I set the title on a DECterm window? DECW10. How do I customize DECwindows, including the login screen? DECW11. Why doesn't XtAppAddInput() work on OpenVMS? Miscellaneous ======================================== MISC1. What is the pinout for the DECconnect DEC-423 MMJ connector? MISC2. What are the escape sequences for the VTxxx function keys? MISC3. Can I reuse old keyboards, mice and monitors with a PC? MISC4. What is the pinout for the MicroVAX DB9 connector? MISC5. Where can I find performance info and specs for older systems? MISC6. What does "failure on back translate address request" mean? Software ======================================== SOFT1. Where can I find lots of free software for OpenVMS? SOFT2. Where can I find the UNIX tool for OpenVMS? ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO1. What is the scope of comp.os.vms? The comp.os.vms newsgroup is the primary newsgroup for discussion of Digital's OpenVMS operating system and the computer systems on which it runs. Questions about layered products which run on OpenVMS are also welcome, though many of them (in particular, language compilers and database systems) have more specific newsgroups. If a question has some relationship to OpenVMS, it belongs here. ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO2. What other newsgroups carry VMS-related information? The vmsnet.* hierarchy, run by DECUS, contains several newsgroups of interest, including vmsnet.misc and vmsnet.alpha, the latter being mostly devoted to Alpha topics. There's also vmsnet.sources (and vmsnet.sources.d) to which sources for or pointers to freeware are posted. See the separate "What is VMSNET" monthly posting for further details. The comp.sys.dec newsgroup carries discussions about all Digital systems as well as about Digital itself. ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO3. What is INFO-VAX? INFO-VAX is a mailing list which is bidirectionally gatewayed to the comp.os.vms newsgroup. This means that postings to comp.os.vms get automatically sent to INFO-VAX subscribers and messages sent to the INFO-VAX list are automatically posted to comp.os.vms. INFO-VAX can be a useful way to participate in the newsgroup if you can't access the group directly through a news reader. An important point to keep in mind is that propagation delays vary, both within the newsgroup and with INFO-VAX mailings. It's possible that postings may not be delivered for several days and some may appear out of order. ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO4. How do I subscribe to or unsubscribe from INFO-VAX? The address for subscription requests, as well as notes intended for the moderator, is Info-VAX-Request@Mvb.Saic.Com. Subscription requests are handled automatically by a mail server. This mail server ignores the subject line and processes each line of the message as a command. The syntax for subscribing and unsubscribing and setting digest or non-digest modes is: SUBSCRIBE INFO-VAX (ADD is a valid synonym) UNSUBSCRIBE INFO-VAX (REMOVE, SIGNOFF, and SIGN-OFF are valid synonyms) SET INFO-VAX DIGEST (to receive in Digest format) SET INFO-VAX NODIGEST (to receive each message individually) Case is irrelevant and attempts to fetch a copy of the mailing list will be rejected (I consider the information to be confidential). Any message not understood by the mailserver will be forwarded to a human (allegedly) for manual processing. [Mark.Berryman@Mvb.Saic.Com] If you are on Bitnet, send a mail message containing the text "SUBSCRIBE INFO-VAX" to LISTSERV@(nearest listserv system). To unsubscribe, send a message containing the text "SIGNOFF INFO-VAX" to the *SAME* listserv address. If you are on the Internet in the UK, send a message containing the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) to info-vax-request@ncdlab.ulcc.ac.uk. ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO5. How do I submit a question or a response? If you are using a news reader, post your question to comp.os.vms. If you want to submit through INFO-VAX, send the message to Info-VAX@mvb.saic.com. Before posting, please use available local resources, such as the manuals, HELP and this FAQ first. Also make a point of reading the release notes for the product you're using, generally placed in SYS$HELP. Often you'll find the answer and will save time and effort for all concerned. When posting, please consider the following suggestions: 1. Include a valid e-mail address in the text of your posting or in a "signature" appended to the end. Reply-to addresses in headers often get garbled. 2. If you are submitting a question, please be as specific as you can. Include relevant information such as processor type, product versions (OpenVMS and layered products that apply) and a short, reproducible example of problems. Say what you've tried so far, so that effort isn't duplicated. Keep in mind that there's not yet a telepathy protocol for the Internet - the more detailed your description, the better people can help you. 3. If responding to a posting, include in your reply only as much of the original posting as is necessary to establish context. As a guideline, consider that if you've included more text than you've added, you've possibly included too much. Never include signatures and other irrelevant material. 4. Be polite. If the question isn't worded the way you think is correct or doesn't include the information you want, try to imagine what the problem might be if viewed from the poster's perspective. Requests for additional information are often better sent through mail rather than posted to the newsgroup. 5. If you have a problem with Digital (or any vendor's) product, use the appropriate support channel. Don't assume that newsgroup postings will get read or responded to by the appropriate developers. ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO6. What is DECUS? DECUS, the Digital Equipment Computer Users Society, is a World Wide organization of Information Technology professionals interested in the products, services, and technologies of Digital Equipment Corporation and related vendors. Membership in the Chapter is free and provides participants with the means to enhance their professional development, forums for technical training, mechanisms for obtaining up-to-date information, advocacy programs, and opportunities for informal disclosure and interaction with professional colleagues of like interest. For further information, see the separate monthly "What is DECUS" posting, or refer to the US DECUS WWW server at http://www.decus.org or the Canadian DECUS WWW server at http://www.decus.ca . ------------------------------------------------------------ INTRO7. What archives of comp.os.vms/INFO-VAX are available? Everything posted since 1990 is archived and available at: ftp://crvax.sri.com/info-vax/ [Arne Vajhøj] ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS1. What is OpenVMS? What is its history? OpenVMS, originally called VMS (Virtual Memory System), was first conceived in 1976 as a new operating system for Digital's new, 32-bit, virtual memory line of computers, eventually named VAX (Virtual Address eXtension). The first VAX model, the 11/780, was code-named "Star", hence the code name for the VMS operating system, "Starlet", a name that remains to this day the name for the system library files (STARLET.OLB, etc.). VMS version X0.5 was the first released to customers, in support of the hardware beta test of the VAX-11/780, in 1977. VAX/VMS Version V1.0 shipped in 1978, along with the first revenue-ship 11/780s. OpenVMS was designed entirely within Digital Equipment Corporation. The principal designers were Dave Cutler and Dick Hustvedt. OpenVMS was conceived as a 32-bit, virtual memory successor to Digital's RSX-11M operating system for the PDP-11. Many of the original designers and programmers of OpenVMS had worked previously on RSX-11M, and many concepts from RSX-11M were carried over to OpenVMS. OpenVMS is a 32-bit, multitasking, multiprocessing virtual memory operating system. Current implementations run on Digital's VAX and Alpha computer systems. [Paul Winalski] For more details on OpenVMS and its features, read the OpenVMS Software Product Description at: ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/info/SPD/25-01-XX.txt Additional information on the general features of various OpenVMS releases, release dates, as well as the development project code names of specific releases, is available at: http://www.openvms.digital.com/openvms/os/openvms-release-history.html ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS2. What is the difference between VMS and OpenVMS? VMS and OpenVMS are two names for the same operating system. Originally, the operating system was called VAX-11/VMS; it changed to VAX/VMS at around VAX/VMS V2.0. When the VMS operating system was ported to the Alpha platform, it was renamed OpenVMS, for both VAX and Alpha, in part to signify the high degree of support for industry standards such as POSIX, which provides many features of UNIX systems. An OpenVMS license allows you to install and run POSIX for OpenVMS at no additional charge; all you need is the media and documentation which can be found on the Consolidated Distribution and On-Line Documentation CD-ROMs. For more information on POSIX for VMS see question SOFT2. What became confusing is that the OpenVMS name was introduced first for OpenVMS AXP V1.0 causing the widespread misimpression that OpenVMS was for Alpha AXP only, while "regular VMS" was for VAX. In fact, Digital officially changed the name of the VAX operating system as of V5.5, though the name did not start to be actually used in the product until V6.0. The proper names for OpenVMS on the two platforms are now "OpenVMS VAX" and "OpenVMS Alpha", the latter having superseded "OpenVMS AXP". ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS3. How do I port from VMS to OpenVMS? You already did. Wasn't that easy? (See question VMS2.) ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS4. Which is better - OpenVMS or UNIX? This question comes up periodically, usually asked by new subscribers who are long-time UNIX users. Sometimes, it is ignored totally; other times, it leads to a long series of repetitive messages that convince no one and usually carry little if any new information. Please do everyone a favor and avoid re-starting this perpetual, fruitless debate. [leichter@lrw.com] Seriously, OpenVMS and the better implementations of UNIX are all fine operating systems, each with its strengths and weaknesses. If you're in a position where you need to choose, select the one that best fits your own requirements, considering, for example, whether or not the layered products or specific OS features you want are available. See also questions VMS2 and SOFT2 for information on POSIX for OpenVMS which provides significant UNIX functionality on OpenVMS. [Steve Lionel] ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS5. Is Digital dropping support for OpenVMS? People who ask this question, most recently, have read about the May 1995 announcement of an association between Digital and Microsoft to provide greater affinity between OpenVMS and Windows NT. Some trade publications interpreted this announcement as signalling that Digital was going to drop OpenVMS and move its customers onto Windows NT. Nothing could be further from the truth. For more information, see: http://www.openvms.digital.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ [VMS6 removed, replaced by Y2K section] ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS7. What OpenVMS CD-ROM products are available? Beginning in December '96, the OpenVMS VAX "binaries-only" and "library package" offerings will be enhanced to include the complete operating system kit. In addition, all online documentation offerings will be enhanced to include the operating system documentation as well as software layered products documentation. The enhanced offerings are indicated by a plus sign (+) in Table 1. New Offerings (New Part Numbers Must Be Ordered) Also beginning in December '96, the complete operating system kits will be combined with layered product kits for OpenVMS Alpha and Digital UNIX[R]. The combination of operating system plus layered products will ship quarterly, on the current schedules. OpenVMS Alpha or Digital UNIX customers may request the new part numbers indicated by an asterisk (*) in Table 1. [This means that anything that ships with the operating system binaries kit ("H-kit"), such as the Freeware CD, will be included with the Software Product Library distribution. Previously, you had to specifically order the OS kit in order to get these extras. - SBL] For orders or pricing information, contact 1-800-DECSALE after 8 November, 1996. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1: Software Product Libraries and Online Documentation Libraries ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- One-Time Service (a) Binaries Only - No Documentation Order Subscription --------------------------------------------- -------- ------------ +OpenVMS VAX Software Layered Products and Operating System Library QA-VWJ8A-H8 QT-VWJ8A-C8 *OpenVMS VAX Software Layered Products Library QA-5FW8A-H8 QT-5FW8A-C8 *OpenVMS Alpha Software Layered Products and Operating System Library QA-5FX8A-H8 QT-5FX8A-C8 OpenVMS Alpha Software Layered Products Library QA-4KL8A-H8 QT-4KL8A-C8 One-Time Service (b) Documentation Only Order Subscription ---------------------- -------- ------------ OpenVMS VAX OnLine Documentation Library QA-VYR8A-G8 QT-VYR8A-C8 +OpenVMS Alpha OnLine Documentation Library QA-4KM8A-G8 QT-4KM8A-C8 One-Time Service (c) Library Packages - Binaries, Documentation Order Subscription ---------------------------------------------- -------- ------------ +OpenVMS VAX Software Layered Products and Operating System Library Package QA-YL48A-H8 QT-YL48A-C8 *OpenVMS VAX Software Layered Products Library Package QA-5G88A-H8 QT-5G88A-C8 *OpenVMS Alpha Software Layered Products and Operating System Library Package QA-5G9AA-H8 QT-5G9AA-C8 OpenVMS Alpha Software Layered Products QA-03XAA-H8 QT-03XAA-C8 Library Package ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- + indicates an enhancement * indicates a new offering The following CD-ROMs contain just the OpenVMS Alpha operating system - they are bootable and can be used to run BACKUP in a standalone environment. QA-MT1AP-H8 OpenVMS Alpha V6.1-1H2 hardware release CD-ROM (US$11) QA-MT1AG-H8 OpenVMS Alpha V6.2-1H3 hardware release CD-ROM (US$22) QA-MT1AD-H8 OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-1H1 hardware release CD-ROM (US$22) ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS8. In what language is OpenVMS written? OpenVMS is written in a wide variety of languages. In no particular order, OpenVMS components are implemented using Bliss, Macro, Ada, PLI, VAX and DEC C, Fortran, UIL, VAX and Alpha SDL, Pascal, MDL, DEC C++, DCL, Message, and Document. And this is certainly not a complete list. However, the rumor is NOT true that an attempt was made to write pieces of OpenVMS in every supported language so that the Run-Time Libraries could not be unbundled. (APL, BASIC, COBOL and RPG are just some of the languages NOT represented!) There are a large variety of small and not-so-small tools and DCL command procedures that are used as part of the OpenVMS build, and a source code control system capable of maintaining over a hundred thousand source files across multiple parallel development projects, and overlapping releases. ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS9. How do I obtain or transfer a VMS license? If you are a DECUS member and are considering acquiring and using a VAX-based system for hobbyist use, a (free) license for OpenVMS VAX is available from US DECUS for V5.5-2 and V6.1. In addition to the license, a distribution CD-ROM kit is available with OpenVMS, DECwindows, and assorted Freeware for a nominal fee (currently US$30). For further information, link to: http://www.montagar.com/hobbyist There is currently no hobbyist license for OpenVMS Alpha available. Further information on DECUS and on DECUS membership is available at: http://www.decus.org/ To transfer a commercial OpenVMS license from one owner to another, or to purchase a commercial license, you can contact Compaq Computer Corporation at 1-800-DIGITAL (in North America), or your local or regional sales office. [Steve Hoffman] ------------------------------------------------------------ VMS10. What is OpenVMS doing about the Euro currency symbol? For information on the current status and plans for support of the European Monetary Union's Euro currency symbol in OpenVMS, see: http://www.openvms.digital.com/euro/ ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA1. What do the letters AXP stand for? While there are many fanciful "definitions" which have circulated widely, the truth is that AXP is not an abbreviation nor an acronym; the letters do not mean anything. They are just three letters chosen to form a trademark. When it came time to chose a "marketing name" for the Alpha AXP line, Digital was in a quandary. The internal "code name" for the project, Alpha, was widely known and would seem the ideal choice, but it was already in common use by a number of other companies and could not be trademarked. A well-known "name search" firm was hired and was asked to come up with two lists of possible names. The first list was intended to evoke the feeling of "extension to VAX", while the second list was to suggest "not a VAX". Unfortunately, none of the choices offered were any good; for example, "VAX 2000" was found on the first list while the second list contained "MONDO" (later to be used for a kids' soft drink). Shortly before announcement, a decision was made to name the new line ARA, for Advanced RISC Architecture. However, a Digital employee in Israel quickly pointed out that this name, if pronounced in the "obvious" manner, sounded very much like an Arabic word with decidely unfortunate connotations. Eventually, AXP was selected; the architecture would be referred to as "Alpha AXP" whereas products themselves would use just "AXP". Despite all this, everyone went on calling the new line "Alpha". Digital has recognized this by coining a new "AlphaGeneration" trademark to apply to all products (hardware, software and services) related to the Alpha AXP line. Digital has phased out the use of the AXP name, using Alpha instead. For example, OpenVMS AXP is now called called "OpenVMS Alpha". ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA2. What are the OpenVMS differences between VAX and Alpha? Very few. As of OpenVMS V6.1, the VAX and Alpha platforms are very close to "feature parity". Most applications can just be recompiled and run. Some differences to be aware of: - The default double-precision floating type on OpenVMS Alpha is VAX G_float, whereas on VAX it is usually D_float. D_float is available on Alpha, but D_float values are converted to G_float for computations and then converted back to D_float when stored. Because the G_float type has three fewer fraction bits than D_float, some applications may get different results. IEEE float types are also available on OpenVMS Alpha. - Data alignment is extremely important for best performance on Alpha. This means that data items should be allocated at addresses which are exact multiples of their sizes. Quadword alignment will offer the best performance, especially for character values and those smaller than 32 bits. Compilers will naturally align variables where they can and will issue warnings if they detect unaligned data items. - DEC C is the only C compiler Digital offers on OpenVMS Alpha. It is compatible with DEC C on OpenVMS VAX, but is somewhat different from the older VAX C compiler most people are familiar with. Read up on the /EXTERN_MODEL and /STANDARD qualifiers to avoid the most common problems. - The page size on Alpha systems is variable, but is at least 8K bytes. This can have some effect on applications which use the $CRMPSC system service as well as on the display of available memory pages. The page size is available from $GETSYI(SYI$_PAGE_SIZE). There are also a number of manuals which discuss migration to Alpha. - "A Comparison of System Management on OpenVMS AXP and OpenVMS VAX" - "Migrating to an OpenVMS AXP System: Planning for Migration" - "Migrating to an OpenVMS AXP System: Porting VAX MACRO Code" - "Migrating to an OpenVMS AXP System: Recompiling and Relinking" These are part of the "AXP Migration Kit" (which is part of the "Programming Kit" - which in turn is part of the "Standard Set" if ordering documentation.) Check out the "Overview of OpenVMS Documentation" book on the Bookreader-based doc set included on the OpenVMS AXP V6.1 distribution CD for part numbers of both assorted "kits" and/or individual manuals. ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA3. Are there Alpha systems on the net I can try out? As of November 1, 1995, Digital's service of Internet-accessible Alpha "test drive" systems was suspended. A revised service may appear in the future. For more information, write to Jack Lucier at lucier@kacie.enet.dec.com. ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA4. How do I join Digital's Association of Software & Application Partners program? The Association of Software & Application (ASAP) Partners is a Digital program designed to provide members with a broad base of development support, promotional tools, and services. The ASAP program is open to software partners throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and selected countries in Asia Pacific. For more information about the Software Developer Kits and the Association of Software Application Partners (ASAP) Program, contact the ASAP Program Office as follows: Via phone: 1-800-332-4786 in the U.S. +353 91 754 299 in Europe Via E-Mail: alpha-developer@digital.com Via WWW: http://www.partner.digital.com/www-swdev/ ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA5. Where can I find performance information about Alpha systems? Digital makes a wide range of performance documents available through its FTP and WWW Internet servers (see DOC2). The specific WWW subject page is http://www.digital.com/info/performance.html, for FTP look in ftp://ftp.digital.com/info/performance. Documents with "flash" in their names are short summaries with performance charts, those with "brief" are longer documents with more detail on the specific tests and configurations. ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA6. Where can I get updated console firmware for Alpha systems? Firmware updates for Digital Alpha systems are available from: ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ http://www.service.digital.com/alpha/server/firmware/ The files are structured similiar to those on the firmware CD, and are separated by CD release. For example, the contents of the V3.7 firmware CD are located at: ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/v3.7/ The latest and greatest firmware (if released since the last firmware CD) is located at: ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/interim/ Please send your comments and feedback to alpha_server@service.digital.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA7. How do I boot an AlphaStation without monitor or keyboard? The AlphaStation series will boot without a keyboard attached. To use a serial terminal as the console, issue the console command SET CONSOLE SERIAL - after that, it will use the terminal. Older Alpha workstations generally can't be booted without a keyboard. ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA8. Will OpenVMS run on a Multia? No. Not just an "unsupported" - it won't boot. ------------------------------------------------------------ ALPHA9. What is the least expensive system that will run OpenVMS? The cheapest system, sold by Digital today, that will run OpenVMS is the AlphaStation 255 4/233. Other companies sell Alpha-powered systems, some of which will run (and can be purchased with) OpenVMS. There are also many used DEC 3000 models available which are suitable. ------------------------------------------------------------ VAX1. Please explain the back panel of the MicroVAX II The MicroVAX-series console bulkhead was used with the KA630, KA650, KA655 processors. There are three controls on the console bulkhead of these systems: Triangle-in-circle-paddle: halt enable. dot-in-circle: halt () is enabled, and auto-boot is disabled. dot-not-in-circle: halt () is disabled, and auto-boot is enabled. Three-position-rotary: power-up bootstrap behaviour arrow: normal operation. face: language inquiry mode. t-in-circle: infinite self-test loop. Eight-position-rotary: console baud rate selection select the required baud rate; read at power-up. Those versions of the console bulkhead that do not have an MMJ have a 9-pin submini connector (DB9), and the pinout of this connector predates the PC 9-pin pinout -- the console pinout is consistent with the EIA232 pinout. See MISC4 for details of the DB9 pinout. For those bulkheads not equipped with an MMJ, use the H8575-B adapter to convert the console connector to MMJ. See MISC1 for further details. Also present on the bulkhead is a self-test indicator: a single digit. This matches the final part of the countdown displayed on the console or workstation, and can be used by a service organization to determine the nature of a processor problem. The particular countdown sequence varies by processor type, consult the hardware or owner's manual for the processor, or contact the local hardware service organization for information the self-test sequence for a particular processor module. Note that self-tests 2, 1 and 0 are associated with the transfer of control from the console program to the booting operating system. [Steve Hoffman] ------------------------------------------------------------ VAX2. What is the layout of the VAX floating point format? The VAX floating point format is derived from one of the PDP-11 FP formats, which helps explain its strange layout. There are four formats defined: F 32-bit single-precision, D and G 64-bit double-precision and H 128-bit quadruple precision. For all formats, the lowest addressed 16-bit "word" contains the sign and exponent (and for other than H, some of the most significant fraction bits). Each successive higher-addressed word contains the next 16 lesser-significant fraction bits. Bit 15 of the first word is the sign, 1 for negative, 0 for positive. Zero is represented by a biased exponent value of zero and a sign of zero; the fraction bits are ignored (but on Alpha, non-zero fraction bits in a zero value cause an error.) A value with biased exponent zero and sign bit 1 is a "reserved operand" - touching it causes an error - fraction bits are ignored. There are no minus zero, infinity, denormalized or NaN values. For all formats, the fraction is normalized and the radix point assumed to be to the left of the MSB, hence 0.5 <= f < 1.0. The MSB, always being 1, is not stored. The binary exponent is stored with a bias varying with type in bits 14:n of the lowest-addressed word. Type Exponent bits Exponent bias Fraction bits (including hidden) ========================================================================== F 8 128 24 D 8 128 56 G 11 1024 53 H 15 16384 113 The layout for D is identical to that for F except for 32 additional fraction bits. Example: +1.5 in F float is hex 000040C0 (fraction of .11[base 2], biased exponent of 129) [Steve Lionel] ------------------------------------------------------------ VAX3. Where can I find more info about VAX systems? Digital runs a VAX "InfoCenter" at: http://www.digital.com/info/vax Jim Agnew maintains a MicroVAX/VAXstation FAQ at: http://anacin.nsc.vcu.edu/~jim/mvax/mvax_faq.html James Lothian maintains a VAX-11/750 FAQ at: http://www.dcs.napier.ac.uk/~oose5002/750faq.html ------------------------------------------------------------ VAX4. Where can I find information on NetBSD for VAX systems? Gunnar Helliesen maintains a NetBSD VAX FAQ at: http://vaxine.bitcon.no/ ------------------------------------------------------------ VAX5. Tell me about the system disk size limit on the VAXstation 3100. System disks larger than 1.073 gigabytes (GB) -- 1fffff hexidecimal blocks -- are not supported on any member of the VAXstation 3100 series, and are not reliable on any member of the series. Various of the SCSI commands used by the boot drivers imbedded in the console PROM on all members of the VAXstation 3100 series use "Group 0" commands, which allow a 21 bit block number field, which allows access to the first 1fffff hexidecimal blocks of a disk. Any disk references past 1fffff will wrap -- this wrapping behaviour can be of particular interest when writing a system crashdump file, as this can potentially lead to system disk corruptions should any part of the crashdump file be located beyond 1.073 GB. More recent systems and console PROMs use "Group 1" SCSI commands, which allow a 32 bit block number field. There was a similar limitation among the oldest of the MicroVAX 3100 series, but a console boot PROM was phased into production and was made available for field retrofits -- this PROM upgrade allows the use of the "Group 1" SCSI commands, and thus larger system disks. There was no similar PROM upgrade for the VAXstation 3100 series. Systems that are affected by this limit: o VAXstation 3100 series, all members. No PROM upgrade is available. o MicroVAX 3100 models 10 and 20. No PROM upgrade is available. o MicroVAX 3100 models 10e and 20e. Only systems with VMB versions prior to V6.4 are affected. PROM upgrade (once) available. [Steve Hoffman] ------------------------------------------------------------ VAX6. How does OpenVMS VAX maintain system time? VAX systems maintain an interval clock, and a hardware clock. The VAX hardware clock is called the TOY ("Time Of Year") clock. The register associated with the clock is called the TODR ("Time Of Day Register"). The TOY clock -- as used -- stores time relative to January first of the current year, starting at at 00:00:00.00. It is a 100 Hz, 32-bit counter, incremented every 10ms, and thus has a capacity of circa 497 days. OpenVMS (on the VAX platform) stores system date information -- and in particular, the current year -- in the system image, SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.EXE. The TOY is used, in conjunction with the base date that is stored and retrieved from the system image, to initialize the interval clock value that is stored in EXE$GQ_SYSTIME. Once the interval clock is loaded, the system does not typically reference the TOY again, unless a SET TIME (with no parameters) is issued. The interval clock value is updated by a periodic IPL22 or IPL24 (depending on the specific VAX) interrupt. (When these interrupts are blocked as a result of the activity of higher-IPL code -- such as extensive driver interrupt activity or a hardware error -- the clock will "loose" time, and the time value reported to the user with appear to have slowed down.) Because the TOY has a resolution of 497 days, you need to issue a "SET TIME" (with no parameters) at least once between January 1st and about April 11th of each year. The SET TIME is issued during various OpenVMS procedures such as SHUTDOWN, and can be issued directly. Issuing SET TIME resets the value stored in the TOY, and updates the current year saved in the system image. This usage is the reason that OpenVMS installation kits explicitly prompt for the time during bootstrap, and why the time value can "get weird" if the system crashes outside the 497 day window (if no SET TIME was issued to update the saved values), and why the time value can "get weird" if a different SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.EXE is used (alternate system disk, standalone BACKUP, etc). On most (all?) VAX systems, the battery that is associated with the TOY clock can be disconnected and replaced if (when) it fails -- TOY clock problems in VAX systems do regularly get tracked back to a failed nicad or lithium battery pack. [Steve Hoffman] ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC1. Where can I find online copies of OpenVMS manuals? Digital's OpenVMS documentation is copyrighted and is not freely available on the net. Documentation is offered in CD-ROM form through a subscription to the Consolidated On-Line Documentation (ConOLD) product (see VMS7.) ConOLD manuals are readable with Bookreader, a viewer that is supplied with DECwindows Motif. MGBOOK, a viewer for Bookreader documents which is usable from character-cell terminals (eg. VTxxx) is available from the WKU VMS Freeware file server - see question SOFT1 for details. [Steve Lionel] We are allowing interactive viewing of the Consolidated Distribution Documentation CDROMs (NOT copying, just reading). Currently available by: telnet://vtbook@condist.acornsw.com/ We're planning to leave this on the network indefinitely, but we MAY limit access in some way depending upon load. [munroe@dmc.com] A selection of OpenVMS documentation is available in HTML form at http://www.openvms.digital.com:81/ ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC2. What online information is available? On your OpenVMS system, the HELP command can provide a wealth of information, not only on DCL commands but on system services (HELP System_Services) and Run-Time Library routines (HELP RTL_Routines). The introduction displayed when you type the HELP command with no additional keywords provides further pointers. In SYS$COMMON:[SYSHLP.VMSDOC] (OpenVMS V6.0 or later) you'll find the following three files: VMSDOC_GLOSSARY.TXT - Glossary of OpenVMS terminology VMSDOC_OVERVIEW.TXT - Overview of OpenVMS documentation VMSDOC_MASTER_INDEX.TXT - Master index of OpenVMS documentation These files are optionally installed; some system managers may have selected not to install them or to put them in another location. If you cannot locate them, ask your system manager. OpenVMS Marketing runs a WWW server at http://www.openvms.digital.com/ Here you'll find product information, strategy documents, the contents of the latest OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM and much more. Product information for just about everything Digital sells is available from Digital's Internet servers. If you're using a World-Wide-Web (WWW) browser, use http://www.digital.com/info.html For anonymous FTP access, log in to ftp.digital.com. Software Product Descriptions, performance data, product infosheets, release notes and much more are available. In addition, http://www.digital.com/info/forms/search.html provides a handy method to search all of Digital's public web servers for information of any kind. Digital's Multivendor Customer Services organization also hosts an Internet server. If you have a software support contract you can obtain patches from here - even without a contract you can browse through the "readme" files for correction kits. The WWW URL is http://www.service.digital.com/ For ftp access use ftp://ftp.service.digital.com/ A WWW version of the DECdirect catalog is also available at http://www.service.digital.com/ddi/html/ddhome.html Digital's Electronic Connection, also called "E-store", provides product information, prices and even lets you order online. For free access, TELNET to order.sales.digital.com or connect via modem at 800-234-1998. If you're on TYMNET, connect to ECONN. If you need to get pricing for Digital software licenses for your configuration, this is the place to get them. Information on Digital and on Digital hardware, software, products and services is available through various telephone numbers: 1-800-DIGITAL : voice : DECdirect products, books and services 1-800-PCBYDEC : voice : Digital PC hardware and software 1-800-DECINFO : voice : General Corporate Information 1-603-884-0924 : voice : (alternate number for above) 1-800-234-1998 : modem : The Digital Electronic Connection 1-800-DEC-2717 : voice : The DECchip Hotline 1-508-568-6868 : voice : (alternate number for above) David Mathog offers two HTML documents which contain useful information about OpenVMS. http://seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu:8000/www/vms_sheet.html http://seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu:8000/www/vms_beginners_faq.html ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC3. What books and publications are available? DEC Professional is alive and well. It's a monthly magazine that helps you manage your Digital systems in a multivendor environment. Subscriptions are free to qualified Digital sites. Digital Systems Journal is a bimonthly magazine that contains more in-depth, hands-on, how-to information. Subscriptions are paid. If you're interested in acquiring a subscription to DEC Professional or Digital Systems Journal, contact Omeda Communications: 800-306-6332 708-564-1385 They'll send you everything you need. [morrison@elvis.cardinal.com] Digital Press, an imprint of Butterworth-Heinemann, has a web site at: US & Canada URL http://www.bh.com/dp UK & Europe URL http://www.butterworth.heinemann.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC4. How do I extract the contents of a HELP topic to a text file? To extract all the text of a HELP topic (and its subtopics) to a text file for perusal with a text editor, printing out, etc., use the following command: $ HELP/OUT=filename.txt help-topic [help-subtopic] If the help text you want is not in the standard help library (for example, it's help for a utility such as MAIL that has its own help library), add /LIBRARY=libname after the HELP verb. To see the names of help library files, do a directory of SYS$HELP:*.HLB. ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC5. Does OpenVMS Marketing have an e-mail address? Yes - if you can't get the answers to questions elsewhere, if you have comments or complaints about OpenVMS, send mail to openvms-info@digital.com. This is NOT a support channel, but an informal method to communicate with OpenVMS Marketing. Please be courteous and careful using this address so that it may continue to be of benefit to all. ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC6. What OpenVMS-related WWW sites are available? http://www.openvms.digital.com/ (Sponsored by OpenVMS Marketing) http://www.montagar.com/ (Sponsored by DECUS - DFWLUG) http://www.levitte.org/~ava/ (Sponsored by Arne Vajhøj) http://www.saiga.com/ (Sponsored by Saiga Systems) http://www.tachyon.com/ (Sponsored by Wayne Sewell) http://www.progis.de/openvms.htm (Sponsored by proGIS Software) ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC7. Where can I find patches for OpenVMS and Digital layered products? Digital is now providing many patches (correction kits) for OpenVMS and layered products on the Internet. The easiest way to search for and retrieve the patches is through: http://www.service.digital.com/html/patch_service.html You can also find the patches and the associated README files at: ftp://ftp.service.digital.com/public but you must know what you are looking for. See VMS7 for info on ordering a CD-ROM with patch kits. ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC8. Where can I find info about undocumented OpenVMS features? After all this discussion about undocumented VMS features I started a collection of some documentation :-)) about them on http://axp616.gsi.de:8080/www/vms/qaa/undoc.htmlx [zinser@axp603.gsi.de] DOC9. Where is documentation on the DECnet Phase IV protocols? ------------------------------------------------------------ Specifications for DECnet Phase IV can be found at: http://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/DEC/DECnet/PhaseIV/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC10. Where can I learn about how the VMS executive works internally? The OpenVMS Internals and Data Structure book explains how the OpenVMS executive works. The book covers the operating system kernel: process management; memory management; the I/O subsystem; and the mechanisms that transfer control to, from, and among these. It gives an overview of a particular area of the system, followed by descriptions of the data structures related to that area and details of the code that implements the area. The first edition of the OpenVMS Alpha internals book describes Version 1.5. Although there have been several releases of OpenVMS Alpha since Version 1.5 (V6.1, V6.2, V7.0, and V7.1) and many details in the book are no longer accurate, it continues to provide a strong conceptual description of OpenVMS internals. This book has been split into five pieces, each to be updated separately. The first such volume, published in early 1997, was "OpenVMS Alpha Internals and Data Structures: Scheduling and Process Control," which covers the Version 7.0 implementation of true multithreading and the changed scheduling model it implies. The internals books are available through Digital Press, an imprint of Butterworth-Heinemann. You can order by phone (from US and Canada, 1-800-366-2655, or from elsewhere, 781-904-2500). You can also fax an order to 1-800-446-6520 or 781-933-6333. The order form and additional information are available on their web site www.bh.com . ISBN Title 1 55558 156 0 OpenVMS Alpha Internals: Scheduling and Process Control 1 55558 120 X OpenVMS AXP Internals and Data Structures: Version 1.5 1 55558 059 9 VAX/VMS Internals and Data Structures: Version 5.2 [Ruth Goldenberg] ------------------------------------------------------------ DOC11. Where can new users find tutorial information about OpenVMS? First, see if your local site has information on this topic. Each site can have site-specific features and configuration. Some sites will have site-specific new user's documentation, covering various site-specific things that are difficult or impossible for the general OpenVMS documentation to cover. Various introductory manuals are available in the OpenVMS documentation set, including the OpenVMS User's Guide. Some of the OpenVMS manuals, including the user's guide, are available at: http://www.openvms.digital.com:81/ Some of the OpenVMS books available from the Butterworth-Heinemann Digital Press imprint (http://www.bh.com) include: Introduction to OpenVMS, 5th Edition, Lesley Ogilvie Rice ISBN 1 55558 194 3 The OpenVMS User's Guide, Second Edition Patrick Holmay ISBN 1 55558 203 6 Introduction to OpenVMS David W Bynon ISBN 1 878956 61 2 OpenVMS System Management Guide Richard Berry ISBN 1 55558 143 9 Using DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS Margie Sherlock ISBN 1 55558 114 5 For various featured OpenVMS books, please see: http://www.openvms.digital.com/openvms/books.html Various user-maintained websites are also available, including a beginner's FAQ, various user-written FAQs, a bibliography of books on OpenVMS, and information on various other hardware and software topics: http://www.levitte.org/~ava/vms_faq.htmlx http://www.levitte.org/~ava/vms_book.htmlx http://seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu/www/vms_sheet.html http://seqaxp.bio.caltech.edu/www/vms_beginners_faq.html http://multivac.jb.man.ac.uk:8000/helbig/BOOKMARKS/VMS.HTML ------------------------------------------------------------ Y2K1. Does OpenVMS have a problem with the year 2000? There are Year 2000 (Y2K) ECO kits available for the following releases: OpenVMS VAX V5.5-2, V5.5-2H4, V6.2, and V7.1 OpenVMS Alpha V6.2, V6.2-1H*, V7.1, and V7.1-1H* No other Y2K ECO kits for other releases are currently planned. OpenVMS releases after these specified releases will have integrated Y2K support. (These kits are currently available to customers with a support contract.) For the official, most complete, and most current information on the status of Y2K compliance of DIGITAL hardware and software products, including OpenVMS and various OpenVMS layered products, please see: http://www.digital.com/year2000/ Information on the customer testing procedures that are recommended by OpenVMS Engineering are also accessable via the above URL. ------------------------------------------------------------ Y2K2. What happens with the C tm_year field in the year 2000? The localtime() function and various other functions maintain the number of years since 1900 in the "struct tm" structure member tm_year. This field will contain a value of 100 in the year 2000, and the yearly incrementation is expected to continue. The VAX C "two digit" documentation for this area is in error, the VAX C Run-Time Library (RTL) returns a three-digit year. The VAX C RTL and the other integrated RTLs are covered under the OpenVMS operating system Y2K evaluation. For curent information on the Y2K status of OpenVMS language compilers and layered products, see section Y2K1. ------------------------------------------------------------ Y2K3. What happens with the year 2038 with C? The C epoch typically uses a longword (known as time_t) to contain the number of seconds since midnight on 1-Jan-1970. At the current rate of consumption of seconds, this longword is expected to overflow (when interpreted as a signed longword) circa 03:14:07 on 19-Jan-2038 (GMT), as this time is circa 0x7FFFFFFF seconds since the C base date. One could see this longword time value used in any C program that manipulates time using the standard C library routines, regardless of the particular operating system platform. There is currently no standard mechanism for dealing with this overflow (short of promoting all longword integers to quadwords), as the format of the time_t value is implementation-specific. Some implementations and applications will treat time_t as an unsigned longword value, while others treat it as a signed longword value -- the format of time_t is specifically left up to the C compiler implementation by the C standards. Applications written in C will likely have to revisit something similar to the current "Year 2000" evaluation process sometime prior to 2038. The OpenVMS Y2K evaluation does not extend into 19-Jan-2038, or later. For information on OpenVMS and 2038, please see the OpenVMS Y2K website. [Steve Hoffman] ------------------------------------------------------------ Y2K4. Is the year 2000 a leap year? The year 2000 is a leap year. (That is, the year 2000 is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, the calendar that is currently used in most parts of the world.) The leap year algorithm that was created by Aloysius Giglio, Father Christopher Clavius, and the Coucil of Trent for the Gregorian Calendar dates back to the 16th Century. The algorithm is simple, but effective: the years that are evenly divisible by 4 are leap years, while the years that are divisible by 100 are not, while the years that are divisible by 400 are. Thus, 1800, 1900, and 2100 are not leap years, while 2000 is. And whenever working with dates, please determine what the local calendar, timezone, and daylight savings time rules are: the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1698 in some areas of the world, in 1752 in others, and in 1918 in yet others. The specific rules vary both by geography and by date. For further details on this, please see the DECwindows Calendar Help, or please see the answer to DIGITAL SPR number 11-60903, dated 13-Oct-1983. ------------------------------------------------------------ Y2K5. What is covered by the OpenVMS Y2K Evaluation? All supported components of OpenVMS are covered by the OpenVMS Y2K evaluation, including the language run-time libraries and the OpenVMS system-integrated products such as shadowing and RMS journaling. For information on other DIGITAL products, or for additional details on the OpenVMS Y2K evaluation, please see http://www.digital.com/year2000/. ------------------------------------------------------------ Y2K6. Do I need to consider Y2K? Do I even need the Y2K ECO? To answer this, you will need to trade off the risks of Y2K failures with the time and money that will be spent performing a local Y2K evaluation. The performance of a Y2K evaluation is much like the purchasing of insurance. It is quite possible to create an entirely a Y2K safe environment from tools and products that are not Y2K ready, just as it is also possible to have serious Y2K problems in an environment based entirely on Y2K ready products. In other words -- short of knowing that the product has catestrophic Y2K failures, and short of learning where specific known Y2K problems lurk in the products -- you cannot really determine with any certainty that your site is Y2K ready. The only way to tell for certain that your site is Y2K safe is to test your systems and your applications. For some suggested testing procedures, please see the OpenVMS Y2K website. The OpenVMS operating system is in good shape in regard to Y2K, but there are a few small areas of OpenVMS that do require an update for Y2K readiness -- if you are certain that no local software is using any these areas OpenVMS, then you will likely not require the update. If you are not certain, then you have will likely need to test for Y2K problems at your site, and you will also likely want to acquire and install the update. For details on the update process and on what was found in OpenVMS, please see the information in the Y2K kits. And you will obviously need to consider software products other than OpenVMS when making your Y2K readiness determination, as well. [End of Part 1/3]