VMS732_Update v5.0: error parsing 'BLOCK_SIZE'

[Jeffery D. Urmann]

Hello Gurus...

I upgraded from OpenVMS v7.3-1 to v7.3-2 on an AlphaServer DS20 500 MHz, 3072Mb (firmware v6.6-11), then applied several patches. During the installation of DEC AXPVMS VMS732_UPDATE V5.0, I received an error parsing 'BLOCK_SIZE' as follows:

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The following product will be installed to destination:
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_UPDATE V5.0 DISK$HFA$SYSTEM1:[VMS$COMMON.]

Portion done: 0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%
%CLI-F-SYNTAX, error parsing 'BLOCK_SIZE'
-CLI-E-ENTNF, specified entity not found in command tables
...100%SKPDAT, image data (records not beginning with "$") ignored

The following product has been installed:
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_UPDATE V5.0 Patch (maintenance update)

DEC AXPVMS VMS732_UPDATE V5.0: OpenVMS V7.3-2 UPDATE V5.0
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Anybody else have this problem? Is this a benign error, or should I uninstall/fix problem/reinstall?

Please advise.

The following patches were also applied/removed:

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DEC AXPVMS VMS732_ACRTL V2.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_DCL V4.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_DDTM V1.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_LAT V1.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_MANAGE V5.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_PTHREAD V4.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_RTPAD V1.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_UAF V1.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_XFC V2.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:39:41
* vvv
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_UPDATE V5.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:19:31
* ^^^
DEC AXPVMS VMS732_PCSI V1.0 Patch Install 14-FEB-2006 17:07:50
CPQ AXPVMS CDSA V2.0-109 Full LP Install 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS DECNET_PHASE_IV V7.3-2 Full LP Install 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS DWMOTIF V1.3-1 Full LP Install 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS OPENVMS V7.3-2 Platform Install 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.3-2 Oper System Install 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
HP AXPVMS KERBEROS V2.0-6 Full LP Install 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
CPQ AXPVMS CDSA V1.0-2 Full LP Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS DECNET_PHASE_IV V7.3-1 Full LP Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS DWMOTIF V1.2-6 Full LP Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS OPENVMS V7.3-1 Platform Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS VMS V7.3-1 Oper System Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
DEC AXPVMS VMS731_RMS V2.0 Patch Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
HP AXPVMS KERBEROS V1.0 Transition Remove 14-FEB-2006 15:35:16
HP AXPVMS KERBEROS V1.0 Transition Reg Product 14-FEB-2006 14:53:50
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Enjoy,

--Jeff

[Jeffery D. Urmann]

oops...

I see this has already been answered...

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=882457

Sorry for the interuption. My initial search failed because of _my_ typo; which of course I didn`t realize until after I hit submit.

Sorry again. Now back to your regularly scheduled DCL programming...

Enjoy,

--Jeff

[Jess Goodman · Accepted solution]

The error is because this update patch replaces COPY.EXE and updates the COPY verb in DCLTABLES with a new version of COPY.CLD.
These were changed because COPY now supports a /BLOCK_SIZE qualifier (see VMS732_COPY-V0100.RELEASE_NOTES).

Apparently the new COPY.EXE and DCLTABLES.EXE are installed but the new DCLTABLES is not activated for the current process with a SET COMMAND. So when the update later attempts a COPY command it fails due to the COPY.EXE checking for this new qualifer that is not defined for the current process's COPY verb.

The question is: what file was it trying to COPY? I don't know for sure but I didn't have any problems after getting this same error when I installed VMS732_UPDATE V4.0.

[Volker Halle]

Jeff,

I have seen this problem recently as well after an upgrade to V7.3-2 and installation of all current patches. Re-installing VMS732_UPDATE-V0500 worked without error and I'm now sure, that all updated files have been correctly copied to the system disk.

Volker.