topic Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots? in Operating System - OpenVMS

Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Tschroeder — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:13:34 GMT

I have an Alpha Server running OPenVMS 7.3-2. When it boots, I get the regular operator console, but then at the end of the boot it asks for the system account and password and it goes into Xwindows and from there I can launch a terminal emulator and issue vms commands. Is there a way to have the machine boot but NOT go into Xwindows?

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Steven Schweda — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:57:49 GMT

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Bob Blunt — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:00:16 GMT

Yes, there are ways. You need to know what your system/user base needs first, though. Do you want the system to be a "server only" without any support for X-Windows at all?

You could either 1) take out the graphics card, disconnect the mouse and keyboard or 2) you could set the system parameter WINDOW_SYSTEM to 0. It all depends on what you need that system to do. OpenVMS itself will, most likely, work just fine either way.

bob

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Tschroeder — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:08:20 GMT

I set Window_system to 0 and rebooted. Xwindows still comes up. I checked the window_system parameter after boot and it is still set to '0'. Any other ideas?

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Steven Schweda — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:09:41 GMT

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Steven Schweda — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:34:08 GMT

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Hoff — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:27:19 GMT

See Disabling DECwindows Startup for a newer description.

>(Boy, that "reading" thing is a miracle. In this context, "not particularly reliable" seems to be a synonym for "doomed".)

That text was intended as a generic comment to folks that were then-attempting to use the then-older approach on the then-newer releases. At the time, setting WINDOW_SYSTEM did work on older releases (and was the
"preferred" approach, but it wasn't be reliable on the then-newer releases. That particular text was written shortly after that, well, silly "yes I really mean to disable DECwindows" switch-over was implemented.

Off-hand, I don't recall which version of OpenVMS and DECwindows implemented the WINDOW_SYSTEM reset.

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Willem Grooters — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:52:28 GMT

DE you want Xwindows to be started jus on your console but be able to use it in a later state: You can change systartup_vms.com to bypass Xwindows to start. There are lines that state:

$! The following command should be used only if you do not wish the DECwindows
$! startup file to be run.  The DECwindows startup file should be run on all
$! types of machines, even if they are not using a DECwindows display.  If
$! you wish to run the DECwindows startup file at a later time during system
$! startup remove the comment delimiter ($!) from the line below.
$!
$! Until a solution if found for the problems using DecWindows, ignore it.
$!
$! DEFINE DECW$IGNORE_DECWINDOWS TRUE
$!

Just uncomment the last line
It will disable DecWindows to start at teh console but allows you to use it at a later moment (eg from a xwindows emulator)

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Steven Schweda — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:48:11 GMT

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Rick Retterer — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:05:52 GMT

The method of using window_system, was changed back in 6.2 of OpenVMS. This was a sysgen resource setting that allowed a system manager to toggle between, EWS, Decwindows, and No Windows.

window_system = 0 - Disabled Windows

window_system = 1 - Decwindows XUI/Motif

window_system = 2 - EWS - Elan Windowing System.

The use of window_system sysgen parameters are no longer used by OpenVMS for enabling or disable the window system. The setting should be set to 1 on all systems.

To disable Decwindows from starting, you can use the logicals

$ DEFINE DECW$IGNORE_DECWINDOWS TRUE

$! Disables the Startup of Decwindows completely, including the loading of any Decw$* images into memory.

$ DEFINE DECW$IGNORE_WORKSTATION TRUE

$! Disables the startup of the Decw$server_0 process (which is the X display Server) but enables and

$! defines the logicals needed to run Decwindows and X based applications remotely to remote X Servers

$! running on PC's using eXcursion, ReflectionX, or Hummingbird eXceed, or any Open Source X Server, Unix

$! system, Linux Systems, or other OpenVMS systems that has the Decw$server_0 process running.

You can find details about these logicals and other Decwindows Logicals in the OpenVMS Decwindows System Management Guide.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/83final/decwindows/dwindows_mgmt.pdf

Page 2-6 Section: 2.3.1 Definining DECwindows System Logicals

Cheers,

Rick Retterer

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Hoff — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:05:09 GMT

WINDOW_SYSTEM = 2 was used to select VWS, the VAX Workstation Software, and not EWS.

VWS was a fast, light-weight, non-networked windowing system that was used with the early VAXstation systems.

EWS is an embedded and downloadable X terminal package that can be used on some of the older VAXstation systems, and it's based on DEC's VAXELN kernel.

Copies of EWS are available via the OpenVMS Freeware.

Re: Bypass Xwindows after VMS boots?

Rick Retterer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:32:01 GMT

Hoff,

You are absolutely correct. VWS was the windowing system that could be alternately selected via the window_system sysgen parameter. My bad, and I apologize.

VWS was a really early implimentation of X11, on VAX workstation systems.

Thanks for the clearification.

Rick