| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | TOC |
Archive-name: dec-faq/vms/part1
Posting-Frequency: bi-monthly
Last-modified: 22 December, 1997
Changes since last edition
==========================
Added info on OpenVMS Alpha binary CD-ROMs to VMS7.
New info on writing CD-R in FILE7.
New info on sending/reading mail attachments in MAIL9.
New info about EXPECTED_VOTES in MGMT10.
Added information on "vi" clones to SOFT2.
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
INTRO1. What is the scope of comp.os.vms?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
Everything posted since 1990 is archived and available at:
ftp://crvax.sri.com/info-vax/
The last few months posts can be searched and retrieved via the UGA
LISTSERV.
Send a mail with the content:
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES
//RULES DD *
SEARCH sometopic IN INFO-VAX
PRINT
/*
to the address LISTSERV@UGA.BITNET (the syntax is due to UGA being
an IBM mainframe!)
[ARNE@KO.HHS.DK]
------------------------------------------------------------
VMS1. What is OpenVMS? What is its history?
Table of Contents
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.
[winalski@gemgrp.enet.dec.com]
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
------------------------------------------------------------
VMS2. What is the difference between VMS and OpenVMS?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
You already did. Wasn't that easy? (See question VMS2.)
------------------------------------------------------------
VMS4. Which is better - OpenVMS or UNIX?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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. Does OpenVMS have a problem with the year 2000?
Table of Contents
For complete and current information on the status of Year 2000 issues with
OpenVMS and layered products, see:
http://www.openvms.digital.com/openvms/products/year-2000/index.html
------------------------------------------------------------
VMS7. What OpenVMS CD-ROM products are available?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
ALPHA1. What do the letters AXP stand for?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
No. Not just an "unsupported" - it won't boot.
------------------------------------------------------------
ALPHA9. What is the least expensive system that will run OpenVMS?
Table of Contents
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
Table of Contents
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 (<break>) is enabled,
and auto-boot is disabled.
dot-not-in-circle: halt (<break>) 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, and the pinout of this connector predates the PC 9-pin
pinout -- the console pinout is consistent with the EIA232 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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
Gunnar Helliesen maintains a NetBSD VAX FAQ at:
http://www.bitcon.no/~gunnar/vaxbsd/FAQ.html
------------------------------------------------------------
DOC1. Where can I find online copies of OpenVMS manuals?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
http://www.openvms.digital.com/ (Sponsored by OpenVMS Marketing)
http://www.montagar.com/ (Sponsored by DECUS - DFWLUG)
http://www.hhs.dk/vms/ (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?
Table of Contents
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?
Table of Contents
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.html
[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
[End of Part 1/3]
| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | TOC |
Comments to: Martin P.J. Zinser