GNV 1.9 for Alpha VMS 7.3-2 - problems with mnt and PSX$UP_STARTUP.COM

[Frank_Gribbin]

I've installed GNV 1.9 on an ODS-5 disk recently installed on our system for this purpose.

I've followed instructions about installation on a non system disk

http://vouters.dyndns.org/tima/OpenVMS-GNV-GNV_kit_installation_on_an_alternate_ODS-5_device.html

although these were really for a later version/platform

I found that the  PSX$UP_STARTUP.COM won't run

$ @DISK$ODS5DISK:[VMS$COMMON.SYS$STARTUP]PSX$UP_STARTUP.COM
Posix envinonment not supported on this OpenVMS Version

A simple attempt to get help on the mnt command fails

bash$ mnt -h
DECC$POSIX_COMPLIANT_PATHNAMES: no such file or directory
Usage:
   mnt
        list existing mount points
   mnt file_system mount_point
        mount the file_system on the mount_point
   mnt switches:
        -f      fake mode (check args, do not mount)
        -v      verbose mode
        -vv     very verbose mode (for debugging)
        -?      show this help info
        -h      show this help info
        -help   show this help info

Does anyone have the GNV manual for version 1.9?

I can't upgrade VMS because of a third party board not supported at later revisions.

bash and basic commands such as ls work.

What should the syntax be to mount a disk. Under /mnt would be fine

We have $ sho dev d

Device                  Device           Error    Volume         Free  Trans Mnt
 Name                   Status           Count     Label        Blocks Count Cnt
DSA0:                   Mounted              0  VMS732        19007904   430   1
$1$DKA100:     (LPAS3)  Mounted              0  ODS5DISK      34817808     2   1
$1$DKA200:     (LPAS3)  ShadowSetMember      0  (member of DSA0:)
$1$DKA300:     (LPAS3)  ShadowSetMember      0  (member of DSA0:)
$1$DKA400:     (LPAS3)  Online wrtlck        0
$1$DKA600:     (LPAS3)  Mounted              0  LOGS          13313528     1   1
$1$DVA0:       (LPAS3)  Online               0
DNFS0:         (LPAS3)  Online               0
DNFS2:         (LPAS3)  Mounted              0  WHT          161515885     1   1

Any help appreciated.

Installation output is shown below.

SYS>product install /dest=$1$DKA100: /source=DISK$ODS5DISK:[FJG.GNV] GNV
 
The following product has been selected:
    DEC AXPVMS GNV V1.9-0                  Layered Product
 
Do you want to continue? [YES] YES
 
Information has been saved to allow you to uninstall the following patches:
 
RECOVERY DATA SET 001 created 14-SEP-2011 11:35:07.48
   -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
   PATCH                                  APPLIED TO                            
   -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
   DEC AXPVMS VMS732_FIBRE_SCSI V16.0     DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.3-2                 
   -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
 
* The operation you are performing will invalidate all saved recovery data sets.
* Recovery data sets represent restore points that have a limited lifespan.  Any
* operation that modifies the product database, except for installation of other
* patches where recovery data is also saved, makes existing data sets outdated.

* If you continue, recovery data for the patches listed above will be deleted.
* The deletion of recovery data does not affect the installation status of
* patches applied to products that are not participating in this operation.
* However, continuing with this operation will prevent you from uninstalling
* these patches at a future time by use of the PRODUCT UNDO PATCH command.
 
Do you want to continue? [NO] YES
 
Configuration phase starting ...
 
You will be asked to choose options, if any, for each selected product and for
any products that may be installed to satisfy software dependency requirements.
 
Configuring DEC AXPVMS GNV V1.9-0
 
    Hewlett-Packard Company
 
Do you want the defaults for all options? [YES] NO
 
    Configuring DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.3-2 [Installed]

 
    * Configuration options for this referenced product cannot
    * be changed now because the product is already installed.
    * (You can use PRODUCT RECONFIGURE later to change options.)
 
    Do you want to install GNV source code? [YES]    
 
Do you want to review the options? [NO] YES
 
DEC AXPVMS GNV V1.9-0
    DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.3-2 [Installed]
    Do you want to install GNV source code?: YES
 
Are you satisfied with these options? [YES]
 
Execution phase starting ...

The following product will be installed to destination:
    DEC AXPVMS GNV V1.9-0                  DISK$ODS5DISK:[VMS$COMMON.]
 
Portion done: 0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%

GNV$ - GNV directory located at: DISK$ODS5DISK:[VMS$COMMON.GNV]
%GNV-I-LINK, Creating links in DISK$ODS5DISK:[VMS$COMMON.GNV.BIN]
Unpacking VIM into DISK$ODS5DISK:[VMS$COMMON.GNV.USR.SHARE.VIM.]

%GNV-I-POST1, To use GNV you must add the following line to your
%GNV-I-POST2, system login script:
%GNV-I-POST3,    $ @DISK$ODS5DISK:[VMS$COMMON.GNV.LIB]GNV_SETUP.COM
%GNV-I-POST4, And the following to your system startup file
%GNV-I-POST5, (SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM):
%GNV-I-POST6,    $ @SYS$STARTUP:GNV$STARTUP.COM

...100%

The following product has been installed:
    DEC AXPVMS GNV V1.9-0                  Layered Product

[John Gillings]

Frank,

   I'm very surprised you managed to get the GNV kit installed at all on V7.3-2. I wouldn't expect you'll ever be able to run it. My recollection is there were some significant and fundamental changes needed to support GNV, which needed a major OS release to implement. There was a weird branch release called "OpenVMS DII COE 7.2-6C1" to deal with the issue, which I think was around the same time frame as V7.3-2, and needed because they couldn't get the GNV stuff into the mainstream release.

   If you dig through the startup command procedure, it should tell you what version(s) it's expecting. If you really can't upgrade (a claim I always have trouble believing, given the fanatical effort OpenVMS engineering put into maintaining upwards compatibility), then you need to question what you need GNV for, and look at alternatives, like running it on another node with a more recent version.

[H.Becker]

The "GNV - Read First Before Installing" notes from the GNV 1.9 kit (pulled from the HP site) say: 

   Revision/Update Information:  This is a new document.

   Operating System:             OpenVMS Alpha 8.2EFT

                                                  and Version 7.3-2

                                                  OpenVMS I64 8.2EFT and

                                                  Version 8.1

     Software Version:             OpenVMS Alpha GNV

                                                  1.6EFT, OpenVMS I64

                                                  GNV X1.6EFT

Whatever GNV 1.6EFT is and how it relates to dec-axpvms-gnv-v0109-000-1.pcsi$compressed, it is supposed to work with 7.3-2.

Yes, there was the so called COE version, based on 7.2, which not only included VMS Integrated Posix (VIP), but also contained all the CRTL (and system) enhancements to make GNV more useful. All the enhancements were merged into the main stream of VMS and should be available in 7.3-2. Although it may work, VIP on 7.3-2 is not supported and therefore not recommended.

Have a look at  PSX$UP_STARTUP.COM and you will see what check is used for the right "envinonment" ahem, right "vernon". (And no, it is not a [complete] Posix environment. VIP was certified for V7.2-6C2, GNV was/is not.) In the command procedure, there is a test with the (poorly documented) POSIX Pathnames. It is a test for a specific RMS feature aka version of RMS. But you shouldn't need that feature for GNV. Also, symbolic links may not work as expected, not from DCL/RMS and maybe not even from the bash.

If you have time and can do some tests on that system (no I wouldn't expect a hang or crash, but who knows) I would just remove the test for the POSIX Pathname.

Regarding the "mnt -h", I have no idea how you could manage to get such a nice ENOENT message :-) But, for running GNV's bash you should NOT have any of these DECC$ feature logicals defined (and you should NOT run the GNV utilities from DCL).

The other recommendations are still valid: get to a more recent version of VMS and GNV. Or, try an older version of GNV, like 1.6.

[Bill Pedersen]

EFT = External Field Test...

[Bill Pedersen]

If you are just trying to get GNV working then I might suggest using an Alpha Emulator and running it on some appropriate PC for your needs.  Then you can bypass issue of an orphaned device on your hardware.  You can get all the licenses from the Hobbyist program - see www.OpenVMS.org for getting that information - assuming you can qualify...

Then you can get newer versions of GNV - yes, newer bugs but there is significant effort going on now to identify and get them fixed.

Best of luck with your endeavors.

Bill.

[Frank_Gribbin]

Thanks for all the advice. 

I never did get the mounting to work. However I did find it was possible to access files e.g. 

ls "/sys$\sysdevice/fjg/gnv" 

I did comment out the Call DoMountPoints in PSX$STARTUP.COM 

Also updated GNV$STARTUP.COM 

6 $! Changes:
7 $! 20-Jun-2012 FJG Updated for GNV on non system disk. We need an ODS-5
8 $! disk that support lowercase. The system disk is ODS-2
9 $! and does not support lowercase
10 $! http://vouters.dyndns.org/tima/OpenVMS-GNV-GNV_kit_installation_on_an_alternate_ODS-5_device.html

Am now looking at upgrade to VMS 8.4, so can have latest version of GNV. I will ask a separate question

about termios.h include file.