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Compiled by John Burke
Is there any way to replace a file, for example a file of UDCs, while it is being accessed?
The Posix shell "mv" command will allow you to do just that -- "mv" stands for move. One of the undocumented features of this command is that it enables you to replace files currently in use. New accessors get the new version. Existing users continue with the old. Once the last user of the "old" version closes the file, it goes away.
The command "mv" is described in gory, if incomplete, detail in the man
page. The
basics in this case are:
From the shell, type
mv newfile oldfile
From the MPE prompt, type
mv.hpbin.sys "newfile oldfile"
Note that both "newfile" and "oldfile" must be in HFS syntax where case counts. If "oldfile" exists, the prompt will ask whether you want to replace it. For example, suppose you have a file containing all of your UDC definitions: UDCS.PUB.SYS.
Now, suppose you've created a new file, UDCSNEW.PUB.SYS which is an updated version of UDCS. To replace UDCS with UDCSNEW without having to use SETCATALOG and kick everyone off the system, then from MANAGER.SYS do:
MV.HPBIN.SYS "/SYS/PUB/UDCSNEW /SYS/PUB/UDCS"
The system responds:
/SYS/PUB/UDCS?
Reply with: YES, and you are done. UDCSNEW has become UDCS.
I use SPOOLF ##;SPSAVE quite often to save small spoolfiles for reprinting. How would I print these saved files?
Richard Fisher replies:
spoolf o###.OUT.HPSPOOL;PRINT
Doug Werth adds:
This will create a new spoolfile with a new SPFID replicating all of
the options of
the original (copies, priority, device, name). You can also override those
defaults by
specifying the correct parameter on the SPOOLF command. The original
SPSAVED file
will remain in the queue until you specifically delete it.
I restored a group of report spoolfiles from a backup tape because they had been deleted erroneously. When I restored them I put them into my home group and account. I used PRINT to get them out to the spooler, but when I actually printed them, they were missing some formatting, specifically page breaks. Is there a way to do this successfully?
Calvin Dimsha replies:
Tom Freer adds:
Is there is a port of uuencode/uudecode for MPE?
Paul Gobes and Jeff Vance separately reply:
When printing to a network printer on MPE/iX 5.5, are entries made into
the system
logfile for each spoolfile printed? If so, what is the layout of the log
record? Presently, I
produce monthly performance charts for print activity and would like to
continue doing
so for network-connected printers.
Doug Werth replies:
On either MPE/iX 5.0/5.5,
Jeff Woods replies:
I use programs from the CSL Boeing TECHXL account. I just upgraded to
MPE/iX 5.5 and
now none of the programs will work. What can I do?
Kevin Sheely replies:
For example:
This would update the program DIRK.PUB.TECHXL to allow it to run on MPE/iX
5.5. Be aware that the whole purpose for the OS version check is to warn
you that this
program has not been verified to run correctly on the new OS. You should do
this only
at a time when you can test the program and make sure that it does not
crash the system.
I've noticed that if I type in just a ":" and depress RETURN, I do not
get the same error I
used to get. Is this a bug or a feature?
Scott McClellan replies:
Deleting the prompt required many extra keystrokes and was cumbersome
(to say
the least). So the MPE/iX CI folks said "Hey that's kind of dumb! Why not
just ignore the
prompt and parse the command?" So they did. Since they also added configurable
prompts (by setting HPPROMPT to whatever you want), they had to make the CI
"smart
enough" to ignore whatever the prompt is. Thus the prompt will be "eaten"
before
parsing the command and the command will execute without an error (assuming
it is a
valid command).
What is the difference between "hot plugable" (HASS) and "hot swapable"
(HA disk
array)?
Fred Metcalf, Steve Dirickson and Terry Simpkins reply:
"Hot swappable" is the next step, where the system software (or
firmware, such as
on an array controller) is able to recognize and properly handle the
appearance and
disappearance of the hot pluggable device.
The HASS devices require Mirrored Disk/iX to become "hot swappable." You
cannot mirror the System Volume Set. The HA disk arrays are "ready to go"
without
additional software. And the Systems Volume Set can be on HA disk arrays.
I created a command file called COPY2TST, but when I try to execute it I
get:
Michael Berkowitz replies:
In this case there is no UDC, so a valid MPE command is looked for. As
far back
as I can remember (MPE 3 on our Series II), MPE will assume that when a
nonalphabetic
character is entered, that the preceding alphabetic characters are the
command, and
everything else are the parameters. So, in the above example of COPYnxxx,
MPE thinks
the command is COPY with a parameter of nxxx, which of course is illegal
unless using
HFS syntax. To get this to work use the XEQ command. :XEQ COPYnxxx works
just fine,
or use HFS syntax, :/ACCOUNT/GROUP/COPYnxxx also works fine.
For those of us still on MPE/iX 5.0, will there be a patch available
giving us the 32-bit
ODBCLink/SE driver?
Gary L. Biggs and Brian Duncombe reply:
My PC printer driver allows me to print 1,2,4,6,9, or 16 pages per
sheet, shrinking the
text or graphics appropriately to fit. I can also specify a border, or not.
I'm looking for a
way to accomplish the same thing from MPE to a LaserJet 5si without having
to purchase
third-party software. Can I place the appropriate PCL escape sequences into
a TTUTIL
environment file? If so, where might I find out what those sequences are?
Bruce Toback replies:
The Posix sort command allows sorting based on fields. I am trying to
figure out if I can
specify Sort keys by physical position in the Posix Sort utility. The man
page only
mentions the -k option (by field,position). Surely it must be possible to
specify keys by
actual byte position and length?
Neil Harvey replies to his own question:
The following command sorts the output of a showjob command by user name,
regardless of the fact that some lines have QUIET as an extra "field".
Try :SPOOLF
Use this command sequence to restore spool files:
file t;dev=tape Do not use "OLDDATE" or any other restore options. MPE will
assign a new OFID
to the file that you restored. [Editor's note: I've used this technique
successfully many times. It demonstrates the
power of the NM spooler on MPE/iX.]
restore *t; O0123.out.hpspool
uuencode and uudecode are part of the Posix environment introduced in
MPE/iX
5.0. The programs can be run from the shell or in MPE. The programs are in the
HPBIN.SYS group.
Network printing under MPE/iX 5.5 creates system logfile entries
(logging event
120) that look just like the entries for serial printers.:BUILD ./abcdefghijklmnop works
just fine. But if I add a 17'th
letter, :BUILD ./abcdefghijklmnopq, I get
NS3000 IS NOT PRESENT ON THE SYSTEM (FSERR 423) Build of file
"./abcdefghijklmnopq" failed. (CIERR 279) What's going on here?
Quoting from HP's "MPE/iX Shell and Utilities Reference Manual Volume
2":
"Names of hierarchical directories and files located directly under the
root directory, an
account, or a group cannot exceed 16 characters in length." I suspect the
error number
should have been 426 instead of 423: HFS NAME COMPONENT IS TOO LONG (FSERR
426)
If you run a Boeing TECHXL account program and you receive the message
that
the program has not been checked out for this operating system, you can
change the
version level that the program checks for by running REFEREE.PUB.TECHXL. [Referee]: CHANGE DIRK.PUB.TECHXL;VUF=C.55
This is a feature (and a useful one at that) of the CI. For some
historical
perspective, consider that in the old days there was no redo stack (or
command history)
stack. Go back far enough and there was no "REDO" command either. Users got
very
familiar with the way their terminals worked and could use the arrow keys,
memory lock,
local and remote mode to create a "redo" capability. They could page back
in their
terminal memory to find a command they wanted to execute again, then move
the cursor
to that command, go into local mode, delete the prompt, then go back into
remote
mode and hit ENTER (transmitting the command for re-execution).
"Hot pluggable" is essentially a hardware issue: the device is
constructed so that it
can safely be disconnected from or connected to the system without powering
down
either the system or device.
:copy2tst What's
going on here?
^
First character in file name not alphabetic. (CIERR 530)
The same scenario works with a file called LISTFnxx or RUNnxx, etc.
What you
have to remember is the order that MPE resolves something typed at the
command line.
First the UDCs are checked to see if it is a valid UDC. If not, then a
check is made to see if
it is a valid MPE command. If it's not then the validity of the file along
the current value
of HPPATH is checked. Finally, if it is not one of the above three, then
you get
"Unknown command name" (CIERR 975).
A version for 5.0 will be made available as soon as a release vehicle
is available. In
addition to the ODBCLink/SE software, you will also have to update your
Image/SQL (to
G1.11 or later) or Allbase/SQL (to G1.15 or later).
Unfortunately, there are no such escape sequences. The printer driver
does this
trick by scaling the text and graphics as they're being created, and
placing them
appropriately on the page. The printer isn't actually doing the work.
Some time ago, I was lamenting the fact that Sort in Posix (and in
HP-UX as kindly
pointed out by Mark Bixby) does not provide for fixed position sort keys. I
have worked
around this vexing problem by fooling Sort into thinking that the entire
line is one field
by specifying the -t option with an improbable character as a field
delimiter. >callci showjob job=@S | grep '#S' | sort -t ! -k 1.46 This done at the Posix shell results in an alphabetic list of logged
on users ‹ handy if
you're looking for one in a few hundred.
Copyright 1997, The 3000 NewsWire. All rights reserved.