The OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Contents (summary)
Preface	Preface
Chapter 1	Introduction
Chapter 2	General Information
Chapter 3	Documentation
Chapter 4	Time and Timekeeping
Chapter 5	System Management Information
Chapter 6	Information on Mail
Chapter 7	Information on Utilities
Chapter 8	DCL Details
Chapter 9	Files
Chapter 10	OpenVMS Programming Information
Chapter 11	DECwindows
Chapter 12	Miscellaneous Information
Chapter 13	Finding and using Software
Chapter 14	Hardware Information
Chapter 15	Information on Networks and Clusters
	Index
	Tables

Contents

Preface

Preface Preface

Chapter 1

1 Introduction

     1.1     What core OpenVMS URLs do you need to know?

     1.2     What are the OpenVMS Usenet Newsgroups?

         1.2.1         What is the scope of the comp.os.vms newsgroup?

         1.2.2         What newsgroups carry VMS-related information?

         1.2.3         What newsgroup archives are available?

         1.2.4         What is the INFO-VAX mailing list?

             1.2.4.1             How do I subscribe to or unsubscribe from INFO-VAX?

     1.3     What is [n]etiquette?

     1.4     What OpenVMS user group(s) are available?

     1.5     OpenVMS Support, Questions and Comments?

         1.5.1         Corporate contacts for OpenVMS Business Issues?

         1.5.2         OpenVMS Ambassadors?

         1.5.3         Contact for OpenVMS Marketing Issues and Questions?

         1.5.4         Contact URLs for OpenVMS Technical Issues?

Chapter 2

2 General Information

     2.1     What is OpenVMS? What is its history?

     2.2     What is the difference between VMS and OpenVMS?

     2.3     What's in a Name? Terminology and Products?

         2.3.1         How do I port from VMS to OpenVMS?

     2.4     Which is better, OpenVMS or UNIX?

     2.5     Is HP continuing funding and support for OpenVMS?

     2.6     What OpenVMS distribution kits are available?

         2.6.1         Where can I download OpenVMS and Layered Product Kits?

     2.7     In what language is OpenVMS written?

     2.8     Obtaining and Transfering OpenVMS licenses?

         2.8.1         Questions asked by Hobbyist OpenVMS licensees?

         2.8.2         OpenVMS Educational and CSLG licenses?

         2.8.3         What developer and partner licensing programs are available?

         2.8.4         How do I obtain or transfer an OpenVMS license?

     2.9     Does OpenVMS support the Euro currency symbol?

     2.10     OpenVMS Ports? Itanium? Ports to IA-32, EM64T or AMD64 systems?

     2.11     Are there any network-accessible OpenVMS systems?

     2.12     What version of OpenVMS do I need?

     2.13     How can I submit OpenVMS Freeware?

     2.14     Porting applications to OpenVMS?

     2.15     What resources are available to OpenVMS software developers?

     2.16     memory management, resource management, process scheduling, etc?

     2.17     Basic Units of Measurement?

         2.17.1         How many bytes are in a disk block?

         2.17.2         How many bytes are in a memory page?

         2.17.3         How do I convert? Disk Blocks? KB, MB, GB, TB?

Chapter 3

3 Documentation

     3.1     Where can I find online copies of OpenVMS manuals?

     3.2     What online information and websites are available?

     3.3     OpenVMS Product Information Telephone Numbers?

     3.4     How do I extract the contents of a HELP topic to a text file?

     3.5     Does OpenVMS Marketing have an e-mail address?

     3.6     Where can I learn about OpenVMS executive internals?

     3.7     Where can new users find tutorial information about OpenVMS?

         3.7.1         Tutorial Websites?

         3.7.2         Books and Tutorials?

     3.8     What OpenVMS mailing lists are available?

     3.9     What is this Ask The Wizard website I've heard about?

     3.10     Access to the OpenVMS Netscape Navigator documentation?

     3.11     Where can I find the latest C run-time library manuals?

Chapter 4

4 Time and Timekeeping

     4.1     A brief history of OpenVMS Timekeeping, please?

         4.1.1         Details of the OpenVMS system time-keeping?

             4.1.1.1             VAX hardware time-keeping details...

                 4.1.1.1.1                 TOY clock

                 4.1.1.1.2                 EXE$GQ_SYSTIME

                 4.1.1.1.3                 EXE$GQ_TODCBASE

                 4.1.1.1.4                 EXE$GL_TODR

             4.1.1.2             Alpha hardware time-keeping details...

                 4.1.1.2.1                 Battery-Backed Watch (BB_WATCH) Chip

                 4.1.1.2.2                 EXE$GQ_SYSTIME

                 4.1.1.2.3                 EXE$GQ_SAVED_HWCLOCK

             4.1.1.3             Why does VAX need a SET TIME at least once a year?

         4.1.2         How does OpenVMS VAX maintain system time?

     4.2     Keeping the OpenVMS system time synchronized?

         4.2.1         Why do my cluster batch jobs start early?

         4.2.2         Why does my OpenVMS system time drift?

         4.2.3         Resetting the system time into the past?

         4.2.4         How can I drift the OpenVMS system time?

         4.2.5         How can I configure TCP/IP Services NTP as a time provider?

     4.3     Managing Timezones, Timekeeping, UTC, and Daylight Savings?

         4.3.1         How to troubleshoot TDF problems on OpenVMS?

         4.3.2         Customizing your TDF (Timezone) Setting?

     4.4     Why does the SET TIME command fail? Help managing DTSS?

     4.5     Setting time on AlphaServer ES47, ES80, GS1280 console?

     4.6     UTC vs GMT vs vs UT1/UT1/UT2 TDF? What are these acronyms?

Chapter 5

5 System Management Information

     5.1     What is an installed image?

     5.2     Are there any known viruses for OpenVMS?

     5.3     Sources of OpenVMS security information?

     5.4     How do I mount an ISO-9660 CD on OpenVMS?

     5.5     How do I extract the contents of a PCSI kit?

     5.6     Emergency (Conversational) System Startup?

         5.6.1         I've forgotten the SYSTEM password - what can I do?

         5.6.2         My product licenses have expired - what can I do?

     5.7     How do I change the node name of an OpenVMS System?

     5.8     Why doesn't OpenVMS see the new memory I just added?

     5.9     How do I change the text in a user's UIC identifier?

     5.10     What are the OpenVMS version upgrade paths?

         5.10.1         OpenVMS Alpha Upgrade (or Update) Paths

         5.10.2         OpenVMS I64 Upgrade Paths

         5.10.3         OpenVMS VAX Release Upgrade Paths

         5.10.4         OpenVMS Cluster Rolling Upgrade Paths

         5.10.5         OpenVMS Product Version and Support Information

         5.10.6         OpenVMS Alpha and I64 Upgrade Terminology

     5.11     Why do I have a negative number in the pagefile reservable pages?

     5.12     Do I have to update layered products when updating OpenVMS?

     5.13     How do I change the volume label of a disk?

     5.14     How can I set up a shared directory?

     5.15     Why do I get extra blank pages on my HP Printer?

     5.16     Drivers and Configuration of New Graphics Controllers?

         5.16.1         The ELSA GLoria Synergy

         5.16.2         PowerStorm 300, PowerStorm 350

         5.16.3         PowerStorm 3D30, PowerStorm 4D20

         5.16.4         Radeon 7500

     5.17     How can I acquire OpenVMS patches, fixes, and ECOs?

     5.18     How do I move the queue manager database?

     5.19     How do I delete an undeletable/unstoppable (RWAST) process?

     5.20     How do I reset the error count(s)?

     5.21     How do I find out if the tape drive supports compression?

     5.22     Can I copy SYSUAF to another version? To VAX? To Alpha?

     5.23     How do I delete (timeout) idle processes?

     5.24     Do I need a PAK for the DECevent (HP Analyze) tool?

     5.25     INITIALIZE ACCVIO and ANSI tape label support?

     5.26     How do I recover from INSVIRMEM errors?

     5.27     How can I prevent a serial terminal line from initiating a login?

     5.28     How does PCSI use the image BUILD_IDENT field?

     5.29     How can I tell what software (and version) is installed?

     5.30     What file checksum tools are available for OpenVMS?

     5.31     What (and where) is the OpenVMS Management Station?

     5.32     How to determine current disk fragmentation level?

     5.33     SYSBOOT-I-FILENOTLOC, Unable to locate SYS$CPU_ROUTINES?

     5.34     How can I customize the DCPS device control for a new printer?

     5.35     Why do $GETDEV MOUNTCNT and SHOW DEVICE mount counts differ?

     5.36     What software is needed for Postscript printers?

     5.37     How do I remove a PCSI-installed patch (ECO) kit?

     5.38     SYSINIT-E, error mounting system device, status=0072832C

     5.39     Resolving License PAK Problems?

     5.40     Changing the OpenVMS Version Number?

     5.41     How to prevent users from choosing obvious passwords?

     5.42     Please help me with the OpenVMS BACKUP utility?

         5.42.1         Why isn't BACKUP/SINCE=BACKUP working?

             5.42.1.1             Why has OpenVMS gone through the agony of this change?

             5.42.1.2             Can you get the old BACKUP behaviour back?

         5.42.2         What can I do to improve BACKUP performance?

         5.42.3         Why is BACKUP not working as expected?

         5.42.4         How do I fix a corrupt BACKUP saveset?

         5.42.5         How do I write a BACKUP saveset to a remote tape?

         5.42.6         How to perform a DoD security disk erasure?

         5.42.7         How to enable telnet virtual terminals?

             5.42.7.1             Volume Shadowing MiniCopy vs MiniMerge?

                 5.42.7.1.1                 Mini-Copy?

                 5.42.7.1.2                 Mini-Merge?

     5.43     Please explain DELETE/ERASE and File Locks?