DecWindows fails to open fully.

[Jeffrey Norwood]

Hello,
I'm kind of new to the DEC/VMS world. I'm trying to rebuild a DEC 3000 - 300LX AXP running OpenVMS 6.1 that died a couple of weeks ago. I have a good image backup that I'm trying to start on another identical DEC 3000/300LX box. The problem I'm having seems to be that DecWindows opens as part of the startup and when it opens it does not fully fill the screen. I can then breakout of the session and work in character mode. The window somewhat opens at the bottom of the screen, like a thick line along the bottom monitor. I'm using a sync on green monitor connected to the monitor port. Can anyone assist?

Thanks

[Hoff]

Thick line at the bottom? As in "Alpha console" or some such text, displayed in a fat bar at the bottom? That's the console window, and usually selected via CTRL/F2. Depending on the controller, you can see a part screen, an Alpha console" screen, or a wonky semi-reverse-video screen. All are the results of the command console setting. (Details on altering this setting and this behavior are in the OpenVMS FAQ, but for the time being you can probably hit CTRL/F2 to clear it.)

If not, you'll want to elaborate on what you mean by break out and work in character mode? As in, you don't get the DECwindows login box, but you can get the "Glass TTY" to let you log in?

If this is a hobbyist system (and given its vintage, I would tend to hope so) spend the US$30 and get the hobbyist CD distro. Load V7.3-1 or whatever is in the current distro, and replace V6.1 with something rather newer.

There were various problems with some of the graphics drivers in this early V6.* vintage with specific controllers, and it is a very good bet that you either don't have identical systems -- probably the graphics controller differs -- or you have a problem with the hardware. DECwindows, loginout and other areas could tip over, and did get ECOed and/or fixed in later releases.

There are DECwindows troubleshooting tips in the OpenVMS FAQ. I'd definitely look for ECOs here, but I'd get off what was the first mainline release of OpenVMS Alpha and move to something rather more current.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs LLC

--

The following material is potentially related, and is in addition to the DECwindows troubleshooting section also available within the OpenVMS FAQ http://www.hoffmanlabs.com/vmsfaq :

Why does half my DECwindows display blank?

This is likely a result of receiving an OPCOM or other
console message on a system that shares the system
console with the DECwindows graphics workstation
display.

You can toggle off the console display window using
and you can enable a serial console per
Section 14.3.6 or Section 14.3.3.3.

Also see the console message window application
available with recent DECwindows versions-DECwindows
versions V1.2-3 and later will enable this window
by default. For details on this console message
window, see the DECW$CONSOLE_SELECTION option in
SYS$STARTUP:DECW$PRIVATE_APPS_SETUP.TEMPLATE.

On older releases, you can disable output using the
following:

$ SET TERMINAL/PERMANENT/NOBROADCAST OPA0:
$ DEFINE/USER SYS$COMMAND OPA0:
$ REPLY/DISABLE

Also see Section 14.3.3.2, Section 14.17, and Also see
Section 8.4,

[Jeffrey Norwood]

Thanks for your help. The problem was the firmware version. I had to rollback the version to v5.2 from v6.8. Once that was done it opened up correctly.