This is a text-only version of the following page on https://raymii.org:
---
Title : Small OpenVMS titbits
Author : Remy van Elst
Date : 22-04-2018
URL : https://raymii.org/s/blog/Small_OpenVMS_titbits.html
Format : Markdown/HTML
---
[![openvms][1]][2]
(You can read all my OpenVMS articles by [clicking the picture (above][2])
Recently I removed all Google Ads from this site due to their invasive tracking, as well as Google Analytics. Please, if you found this content useful, consider a small donation using any of the options below:
I'm developing an open source monitoring app called Leaf Node Monitoring, for windows, linux & android. Go check it out!
Consider sponsoring me on Github. It means the world to me if you show your appreciation and you'll help pay the server costs.
You can also sponsor me by getting a Digital Ocean VPS. With this referral link you'll get $200 credit for 60 days. Spend $25 after your credit expires and I'll get $25!
Here are some small titbits I found out this week on the DECUServe OpenVMS
system. Not enough to write a blogpost on their own, but collected together.
### .bash_history
To show your shell history from the current session:
$ RECALL/ALL
Output:
1 show proc
2 proc
3 htop
4 top
5 notes
6 t
7 hobbyist
8 hobbyi
9 show license
10 show terminal
11 set terminal /backspace=delete
12 show terminal
13 set terminal /backspace=backspace
14 show terminal
15 hello this is a test
$
### Uptime and /etc/redhat_release
To view system uptime and OpenVMS version:
$ SHOW SYSTEM /NOPROC
Output:
OpenVMS V8.4-2L2 on node EISNER 8-APR-2018 14:13:11.07 Uptime 17 03:22:55
### w
Show all the logged in users and their process, like the `w` command on linux:
$ SHOW USERS /FULL
OpenVMS User Processes at 8-APR-2018 14:19:05.07
Total number of users = 6, number of processes = 6
Username Process Name PID Terminal
_VTA4425: 00009B23 VTA4425: (disconnected)
EXAMPLE SSHD 0355A PTD 00008EE4 FTA550: (ssh/$IP:57039)
GOATLEY Goat Busters 00009A55 FTA547:
(ssh/$HOSTNAME.com:17251)
JACKSON JACKSON 00005314 FTA269:
(ssh/host-$IP.static.as$AS.net:59656)
MALMBERG >>>B ewa0: 00009664 FTA543:
(ssh/$IP:59826)
SCHENKENBERG SCHENKENBERG 00007E83 FTA442:
(ssh/ool-$HOSTNAME:47078)
### cd ~
Your home directory on OpenVMS is not known as `~` (as on UNIX) but as
`SYS$LOGIN`. As we learned in an earlier article, OpenVMS uses the `SET/SHOW
DEFAULT` commands to navigate directories. So the equivalent of `cd ~` on linux,
or even shorter, `cd` is `SET DEF SYS$LOGIN`:
$ SET DEFAULT SYS$LOGIN
$ SHOW DEF
DISK_USER:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE]
$ DIR SYS$LOGIN
Directory EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE]
$MAIN.TPU$JOURNAL;1 .VIMINFO;1 A.;1 ICREATEDAFOLDERYAY.DIR;1
LOGIN.COM;2 LOGIN.COM;1 LOGIN_COM.TPU$JOURNAL;1
MAIL$AC8D2981000500B2.MAI;1 MAIL.MAI;1 NOTES$NOTEBOOK.NOTE;1
RAYMII.DIR;1 REMY.DAT;3 REMY.DAT;2 REMY.DAT;1
SSH.DIR;1 SSH2.DIR;1 SSH3.DIR;1 WWW.DIR;1
Total of 18 files.
### cd ..
The equivalent of the `cd ..`, to go up one folder on linux, on OpenVMS is
`[-]`. So if you are in `EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE.WWW]` and want to
go up one level to `EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE]` then enter:
$ SET DEFAULT [-]
### %SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO, access violation,
I also hit my first bug. I was writing a note (in `NOTES`, a kind of forum) and
I pasted a link. It crashed with the following error:
Fatal DECTPU internal error, please submit an SPR including:
1. A description of the actions that revealed the bug
2. The versions of DECTPU and the operating system you are running
3. Machine-readable media containing:
- The source files of your DECTPU section and command files
- Copies of the data files used during the session
- The keystroke journal file if one exists
4. Your terminal characteristics, if applicable
5. A description of the command used to invoke DECTPU
Shareable base: 7BC54884 Ident: DECTPU V3.2 2017-05-22 22:49
Updater base: 7C03E034 Ident: DECTPU V3.2 2017-05-22 22:49
Updater file: TPU$CCTSHR
%SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO, access violation, reason mask=00, virtual address=0000000000000024, PC=00000000000B5A14, PS=0000001B
$
So I retyped the note and pasted the error in, maybe someone knows more.
Edit: they know more on the DECUS system. This happens when you CRTL+C out of
the NOTES application.
### MAIL, folders and mail management
See [this article][4] as well.
#### List email
MAIL> dir
MAIL
# From Date Subject
1 EISNER::CORNELIUS 29-MAR-2018 Hello again
2 (Deleted)
3 EISNER::CORNELIUS 31-MAR-2018 RE: Hello again
4 EISNER::PARRIS 2-APR-2018 RE: Test message
MAIL>
#### List folders
MAIL> DIR /FOLDER
Listing of folders in EISNER$DRA3:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE]MAIL.MAI
Press CTRL/C to cancel listing
MAIL TEST
MAIL>
#### List mail in folder
MAIL> dir TEST
TEST
# From Date Subject
1 IN%"example@example.nl" 31-MAR-2018 RE: Tesrt message
MAIL>
Regular `DIR` will list the `MAIL` folder.
#### Move message into a folder
To store a message in a folder, use the `FILE` command in the `MAIL` program:
MAIL> file test
Folder TEST does not exist.
Do you want to create it (Y/N, default is N)? y
%MAIL-I-NEWFOLDER, folder TEST created
MAIL>
As you can see, if the folder does not exist, it will be created.
#### Delete a message
OpenVMS `MAIL` doesn't delete messages immediately but moves them from your
default folder to a folder called `WASTEBASKET`.
On most OpenVMS systems the `WASTEBASKET` is purged when the you use the
command, `EXIT` to exit `MAIL`. If you use the command, `QUIT`, the old, deleted
mail remains in the `WASTEBASKET`. If you're in a hurry to purge the
`WASTEBASKET`, then you can do it manually with the `PURGE` command.
MAIL> dir TEST
TEST
# From Date Subject
1 IN%"example@example.nl" 31-MAR-2018 RE: Tesrt message
MAIL> del 1
MAIL> dir WASTEBASKET
WASTEBASKET
# From Date Subject
1 IN%"example@example.nl" 31-MAR-2018 RE: Tesrt message
MAIL> purge
%MAIL-I-DELMSGS, 1 message deleted
#### Mail filesystem folder
By default all mail related files are stored in your home directory. This can
become quite a full listing, you can change it to another folder. In the `MAIL`
program, enter the following command:
MAIL> SET MAIL [.MAIL]
%MAIL-I-CREATED, DISK_USER:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE.MAIL] created
Now mail related files will be placed in `[.MAIL]` and your home directory will
stay a bit cleaner.
### ls -la (list files, owner and permissions)
With the `DIR` command, two flags can be given, `/PROTECTION` and `/OWNER`, to
get a more comprehensive list including the file owner and permissions:
$ DIR /OWNER /PROTECTION
Directory DSA3:[DECUSERVE_USER.EXAMPLE]
$MAIN.TPU$JOURNAL;1
[EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
.VIMINFO;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
A.;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
ICREATEDAFOLDERYAY.DIR;1
[EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,)
LOGIN.COM;2 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
LOGIN.COM;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
LOGIN_COM.TPU$JOURNAL;1
[EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
MAIL.DIR;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,)
NOTES$NOTEBOOK.NOTE;1
[DECUSERVE] (RWE,RWE,,)
RAYMII.DIR;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,)
REMY.DAT;3 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
REMY.DAT;2 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
REMY.DAT;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWED,RWED,,)
SSH.DIR;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,)
SSH2.DIR;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,)
SSH3.DIR;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,)
WWW.DIR;1 [EXAMPLE] (RWE,RWE,,RE)
Total of 17 files.
The permission column includes in order:
* SYSTEM (root)
* OWNER (you)
* GROUP (groups you are part of)
* WORLD (everyone)
[1]: https://raymii.org/s/inc/img/ovmsdec.png
[2]: https://raymii.org/s/tags/openvms.html
[3]: https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=7435ae6b8212
[4]: https://raymii.org/s/blog/My_second_OpenVMS_-_MAIL.html
---
License:
All the text on this website is free as in freedom unless stated otherwise.
This means you can use it in any way you want, you can copy it, change it
the way you like and republish it, as long as you release the (modified)
content under the same license to give others the same freedoms you've got
and place my name and a link to this site with the article as source.
This site uses Google Analytics for statistics and Google Adwords for
advertisements. You are tracked and Google knows everything about you.
Use an adblocker like ublock-origin if you don't want it.
All the code on this website is licensed under the GNU GPL v3 license
unless already licensed under a license which does not allows this form
of licensing or if another license is stated on that page / in that software:
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program. If not, see .
Just to be clear, the information on this website is for meant for educational
purposes and you use it at your own risk. I do not take responsibility if you
screw something up. Use common sense, do not 'rm -rf /' as root for example.
If you have any questions then do not hesitate to contact me.
See https://raymii.org/s/static/About.html for details.