%PCSIUI-E-ABORT, in AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM - OVMS 8.2

[Ken McNulty]

Platform is brand new DS25 with factory installed OpenVMS 8.2.

We have installed some layered products and the V1.0 VMS update.

Extract from PRODUCT SHOW HIST below.

ORCL AXPVMS CDD V7.2-0
DEC AXPVMS VMS82A_UPDATE V1.0
CPQ AXPVMS CSWB V1.4
CPQ AXPVMS GTK V1.2-10
CPQ AXPVMS OPL V1.0-0A7
DEC AXPVMS DECNET_OSI V8.2
CPQ AXPVMS CDSA V2.1-331
DEC AXPVMS DWMOTIF V1.5
DEC AXPVMS OPENVMS V8.2
DEC AXPVMS TCPIP V5.5-11
DEC AXPVMS VMS V8.2
HP AXPVMS AVAIL_MAN_BASE V8.2
HP AXPVMS KERBEROS V2.1-72
HP AXPVMS TDC_RT V2.1-69

I'm trying to install AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM an I get %PCSIUI-E-ABORT, operation terminated due to an unrecoverable error condition.

There are no other associated error messages.

I have tried it with SET WATCH FILE/OPTIONS=ALL and it shows:-

, PrvUsd: 00000000
%XQP, Thread #0, File protection (4,4,0): Access requested: 00000004, Status: 00
000001, PrvUsd: 00000000
%XQP, Thread #0, Read only directory access (4,4,0)
%XQP, Thread #0, Directory scan for: VMS$COMMON.DIR;0, Status: 00000001
%XQP, Thread #0, Lookup (15,1,0) Status: 00000001
%PCSIUI-E-ABORT, operation terminated due to an unrecoverable error condition
%XQP, Thread #0, FIB contents:
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000

I have tried it with SET VERIFY and I get

........define pcsi$sysdevice _CENA01$DKA1:
$define pcsi$specific _CENA01$DKA1:[SYSE.]
$define pcsi$destination _CENA01$DKA1:[VMS$COMMON]
$define/job AXPVMS$pcsi_prod_ver_vis "V8.2"
$define/user sys$command sys$input
$set noon
$PRODUCT INSTALL VMS /version=V8.2 -
/PRODUCER=DEC -
/BASE_SYSTEM=AXPVMS -
/DEBUG=(CONTINUE_ERROR) -
/SOURCE=SYS$SYSDEVICE:[VMS$COMMON...] -
/DESTINATION=_CENA01$DKA1:[VMS$COMMON] -
/CONFIGURATION=input=SYS$SCRATCH:VMS$MIN00000450.PCF -
/WORK=_CENA01$DKA1:[000000] -
/NOHELP -
/REMOTE -
/NOLOG
%PCSIUI-E-ABORT, operation terminated due to an unrecoverable error condition
$sav_status = $status
$set on............

In other words, no indication of why. I tried running the DEFINES and PRODUCT INSTALL from the above manually and got the same error; though that was probably due to the non-existence of the SYS$SCRATCH file, which I guess is created further back.

I've tried redoing the VMS$COMMON synonym, but all I got was two VMS$COMMON's and it still didn't work.('Fixed that with SET FILE/REMOVE. Yes, tried again after that and No it didn't work)
Booted the system from an OpenVMS 8.2 installation CD then shelled out to DCL in the Standalone User Environment ($$$) and reran AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM. It worked.

Yes, I've tried another user, though my user has god-like permission. I've installed the V1.0 update from my user.
Yes the disk exists.
Yes it's mounted and allocated to me.

So, I've got SYSE where I want it, but I'd like to know what the error was so I don't have problems installing other software.

All help and suggestions would be appreciated.

TIA

Ken McNulty

[Willem Grooters]

SYS$SCRATCH is a logical that should have been set (typically to SYS$LOGIN or it;s translation, IIRC), and and the VMS$COMMON directory MUST be named as such sinvce THAT conatins all VMS executables, command procedures, configuration fils etcetera, common to all systems that can boot from this disk, and SYS$COMMON refers to that system's sysroot ([SYS0.], [SYS1.] etc) and [VMS$COMMON.] respectively.
There are a few "special" cases, like, IIRC, [SYSE.] that have a special meaning and should not normally be used. Therefore it would work from the CD and not(!) from a regular disk.

I could suggest that, if you have the ability, to craete an copy-image of the CD and boot from theer:

* Boot normally
* Mount CD and new disk (can be a small one)
* BACKUP/IMAGE CD: DISK:

NOw simply boot from this disk - it will work like a CD (and have all facilities as if it was from CD). Works great and (much) faster than from CD ;-)

[Ken McNulty]

Hi Willem,

Some confusion, I think, here. Maybe I supplied too much information and confused things.

When I say "non-existence of the SYS$SCRATCH file", I did not mean that the SYS$SCRATCH logical was missing, I meant that the file in the DCL line
"/CONFIGURATION=input=SYS$SCRATCH:VMS$MIN00000450.PCF"
was missing. It was missing because I hadn't created it. That could be why my command line attempt failed, but not why running the Digital (Compaq,HP) .COM file failed.

The reference to VMS$COMMON was because another thread (226314) on this topic (in which you participated, incidentally) had suggested that "This problem may occur because the VMS$COMMON.DIR synonymed (aliases) directory file does not exist".

I was just trying to say that I had already tried that one, and it was not the case.

[SYSE] is the old Standalone Backup root which used to be created when you "@sys$update:stabackit.com". However when you run STABACKIT now, it says,

"Standalone Backup is no longer part of the OpenVMS Alpha operating system ...... you may wish to use SYS$SYSTEM:AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM......
to install OpenVMS without any optional features on one or more of your "data disks".

This has been the case for a long time.

This also creates a [SYSE] root on a disk (but NOT SYS$SYSDEVICE). When you boot from this root (e.g. >>>b dka1 -fl e,0) you end up with a minimal system (NOT the same as setting STARTUP_P1 to "MIN") which has a $$$ prompt - just like the old STABACKIT, but with more functionality.

I have done this many times on many systems over many years.

To simplify my problem:-

When I try to @SYS$SYSTEM:AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM as advised by the FIS (Factory Installed Software) release notes, it fails with the following error:-

%PCSIUI-E-ABORT, operation terminated due to an unrecoverable error condition.

There are no other associated error messages.

If I try this by booting from the installation CD, It works.

It should not do this and has not failed in the past on 7.2-1 and earlier.

By the way, since the software was Factory Installed, I don't know if the Security Mandatory Update was applied. Does it have to be, or does it only apply if you're going to the outside world? We do not.

Thanks for your input.


Ken McNulty

[Duncan Morris]

Ken, if you meant VMS82A_MUP-V0100 as the security MUP, it is included in the VMS82A_UPDATE-V0100 kit, which I believe you have already applied?

The kit includes other fixes to SET as well as the security issue. The latter can be exploited locally, so you should have it on all servers.

[Duncan Morris]

If you are still keen on finding out what the problem was with the install, why not try a modified .COM with /DEBUG=(FULL) in the install section? A quick analysis of the PCSI$MAIN image suggests that there are quite a number of DEBUG options.

[Ken McNulty]

Hi Duncan,

The Mandatory Security Update that I was talking about was a CD that was included in the 8.2 installation kit - but we didn't use the installation kit because the DS25 came with the Operating System pre-installed. However, I've just had a look at the CD and there's a cover letter there (RTFM hey?) which says, "OpenVMS V8.2 and OpenVMS VAX Version 5.* customers are not subject to this potential security vulnerability." So why include it in the 8.2 kit? There are 5 MUP01 patches covering 6.2 to 7.3-2. Anyway, as you say, I've installed VMS82A_UPDATE-V0100, so I'll settle for that.

As for your DEBUG suggestion, I'll give it a go. We're expecting to get another 9 or so DS25's which will be on 8.2, so I could do with getting it right. Who knows, I may have problems trying to install software other than the MIN.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Ken McNulty

[Volker Halle]

Ken,

the main problem is, that you don't get to see the PCSI error messages when the PRODUCT INSTALL VMS command fails in AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM

I modified the procedure and added an EXIT before the PRODUCT INSTALL command is invoked. At that time, you have all the required files and logicals set up. Then manually issue the PRODUCT INSTALL VMS with all the qualifiers.

NOTE: /DEBUG=(FULL,CONTINUE_ERROR) fails with ACCVIO in PCIS$SHR - so don't use that.

In my case, the destination disk (mounted privately) had the same label as another disk mounted system-wide. When you see the PCSI error message, things are getting easier...

Volker.

[Volker Halle]

Ken,

I could get AXPVMS$PCSI_INSTALL_MIN.COM to work, by just changing the /NOHELP qualifier to /HELP (after I had fixed the label problem).

Volker.

[Jan van den Ende]

Ken,

from your Forum Profile:


I have assigned points to 0 of 23 responses to my questions.


Maybe you can find some time to do some assigning?

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/helptips.do?#33

Mind, I do NOT say you necessarily need to give lots of points. It is fully up to _YOU_ to decide how many. If you consider an answer is not deserving any points, you can also assign 0 ( = zero ) points, and then that answer will no longer be counted as unassigned.
Consider, that every poster took at least the trouble of posting for you!

To easily find your streams with unassigned points, click your own name somewhere.
This will bring up your profile.
Near the bottom of that page, under the caption "My Question(s)" you will find "questions or topics with unassigned points " Clicking that will give all, and only, your questions that still have unassigned postings.

Thanks on behalf of your Forum colleagues.

PS. - nothing personal in this. I try to post it to everyone with this kind of assignment ratio in this forum. If you have received a posting like this before - please do not take offence - none is intended!

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Ken McNulty]

Thanks Volker,

Unfortunately the developers have grabbed the system, so I can't play with it anymore. I like your suggestion of putting a "$ EXIT" in the ....MIN_INSTALL and then running it manually to see what error messages come out. As I say, there's another 9 DS25's to come, so I'll keep all suggestions in mind. While I'm waiting, I may try and scrounge a spare 1000A and try that.

Thanks again,

Ken McNulty

[Ken McNulty]

As mentioned above, I no longer have exclusive access to the system.