FYI: MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt files are out of date

[Sebastian Bazley]

Just a heads-up:

There are two versions of the MASTER ECO lists on the FTP drop-site; the .txt files and the .ZIPEXE files.

One might expect them to be the same; however that is not the case.

It seems the .TXT files are not being updated for some while after the ZIPEXE versions:

Mar 2 03:35 ALPHA_V83A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE
Feb 17 01:40 ALPHA_V83A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

Mar 6 03:14 ALPHA_V732_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE
Feb 15 10:25 ALPHA_V732_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

Mar 6 03:17 ALPHA_V82A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE
Feb 15 10:25 ALPHA_V82A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

[Ian Miller.]

have you compared the contents? The dates have been known to change but the contents not.

[Sebastian Bazley]

Yes.

They are different, and not only in formatting or comments.

For example:

5 File Name: ALPHA_V83A_MASTER_ECO_LIST
6 Release Date: 1-MAR-2007
8 CURRENT UPDATE KIT RELEASE DATE
9 ------------------ -----------
10 VMS83A_UPDATE-V0200 1-MAR-2007
12 PROJECTED UPDATE KIT RELEASE SCHEDULE
13 -------------------------------------
14 June 4, 2007
******
5 File Name: ALPHA_V83A_MASTER_ECO_LIST
6 Release Date: 15-FEB-2007
8 CURRENT UPDATE KIT RELEASE DATE
9 ------------------ -----------
10 VMS83A_UPDATE-V0100 5-DEC-2006
12 PROJECTED UPDATE KIT RELEASE SCHEDULE
13 -------------------------------------
14 March 4, 2007
15 June 4, 2007

There are significant differences in all 3 versions currently.

[atul sardana]

Sebastian Bazley,

As above .TXT and ZIPEXE files written by you having major differences

1,All above three is for different Open VMS version of Alpha Supported Files.
2, .TXT is release note for instructions and Zipexe is patches for upgradation.

1)Mar 2 03:35 ALPHA_V83A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE
Feb 17 01:40 ALPHA_V83A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

*This Master_ECO_LIST for ALPHA_Open VMS Version 8.3A

2)Mar 6 03:14 ALPHA_V732_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE
Feb 15 10:25 ALPHA_V732_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

**This Master_ECO_LIST for ALPHA_Open VMS Version 7.3-2

3)Mar 6 03:17 ALPHA_V82A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE
Feb 15 10:25 ALPHA_V82A_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

***This Master_ECO_LIST for ALPHA_Open VMS Version 8.2A

Thanks,
Atul Sardana

[Sebastian Bazley]

Yes, there are 3 VMS versions there, but there are 6 files; 2 for each VMS version.

In each case the .ZIPEXE file is a self-extracting executable which produces a .TXT file.

For example, running:

ALPHA_V732_MASTER_ECO_LIST.ZIPEXE

will generate a file called

ALPHA_V732_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

This should be the same as the existing file of the same name (except perhaps for minor formatting differences).

Try it and see.

[Sebastian Bazley]

The V83A and V82A files are now back in synch.

However, the V732 .TXT file has been replaced with a different file, so the date is more recent than the ZIPEXE - but the contents are for an even older release, Release Date: 21-DEC-2006!

Something is rather wrong here...