The VAXVMS Environment

1
The VAX/VMS Environment

• VAX (Virtual Address eXtension)/ VMS (Virtual
  Memory System)
• first conceived in 1976 by Digital Equipment
  Corporation
• 32-bit, multitasking, multiprocessing operating
  system
• Runs on Digitals VAX and Alpha computer systems

2
VAX/VMS Characteristics

• CLI (command line interface)
• Applications are text based
• exceptions are those that run under DEC Windows,
  a variant of X-Windows
• All interaction is via typing text through a
  keyboard
• not case-sensitive

3
Logging Into VAX/VMS

• Multi-user computing system
• Purpose
• identify user to the system
• determine rights and privileges of the user
• log how the user uses the system
• Requires . . .
• Username (i.e., account name)
• Password (secret ... changeable)

4
Logging Out of VAX/VMS

• Type the LOGOUT (or LO) command at the prompt.
• If you are accidentally disconnected from your
  session without properly logging out, you can log
  back.

5
Entering VAX/VMS Commands

• Prompt ... a character or string that tells you
  when the system is ready for input
• the in VMS
• Type in a command and press Return (or Enter).
• the first four letters of any command
• Pressing CtrlB retrieves previously entered
  commands

6
Using the VAX/VMS CLI

• Interrupt (Ctrl Y)
• to kill screen output
• to abort the sessions current activity
• enter CONTINUE at the prompt to resume the
  running process
• Files/directories accessed via name, not via icon

7
VAX/VMS File Specifications

• Five main parts . . .
• device name
• directory path
• file name
• extension
• version

8
VAX/VMS File Names

• A filename can be up to 39 characters long (no
  space is allowed)
• file types
• EXE an executable program
• BAS a program written in the BASIC
• LIS, TXT a plain text file
• DIR a subdirectory

9
Listing a VAX/VMS Directory

• The DIRECTORY or DIR command
• lists current volume and directory path
• provides a list of files or information about a
  file or group of files
• finds files using wildcards ( or )
  

10
Running a VAX/VMS Program

• System command
• COMMAND (e.g., DIR, COPY)
• Command script
• _at_SCRIPT.COM (e.g., LOGIN.COM)
• Program written in a programming language
• RUN PROGRAM.EXE

11
Examining the VAX/VMS Environment

• SHOW
• DEFAULT displays the default directory
• QUOTA displays the current disk quota that is
  authorized for a specific user on a specific disk
• PROTECTION displays the current default process
  protection

12
On-Line VAX/VMS Help

• type HELP at the prompt
• The first screen tells you how to use help
• The second screen shows you the list of available
  help topics
• then a prompt that asks you which topic you want
  to learn more about
• enter name of the command you want to know more
  about

13
Creating VAX/VMS Directories

• CREATE/DIR .dname or
• MKDIR dname
• create a file with .DIR extension which is
  actually a directory

14
Displaying a Text Files Contents (VAX/VMS)

• the TYPE command
• TYPE filename
• TYPE/PAGE filename
• show the file one page at a time

15
Copying Files (VAX/VMS)

• the COPY command
• COPY source destination
• makes a copy of the file source in the new file
  destination
• If you dont include the source files version
  number, it copies the most recent version of that
  file
• e.g., COPY test.dat newtest.dat

16
Renaming Files (VAX/VMS)

• RENAME oldname newname
• changes all or part of a file specification of an
  existing disk file or disk directory
  
• if the file of the newname already exist, it will
  create a new version of the file of the same name

17
Moving Files (VAX/VMS)

• Moving the file to the new directory
• RENAME source destination
• e.g., rename text.doc .temptext.doc
• renames the file text.doc with the new directory
  .temp as part of its name
• effectively moves it to a new place in the disk
  hierarchy

18
File Protections (VAX/VMS)

• Used to keep others, or yourself, from accessing
  a file in a way you do not wish
• 4 categories
• system, owner, group, world
• 4 types of protection
• R read, W write, E execute, D delete

19
Setting Confirming Protections (VAX/VMS)

• SET PROTECTION Command
• SET PROTECTION(SYSTEMprot, OWNERprot,
  GROUPprot, WORLDprot) file
• prot RWED or some set of these
• e.g., SET PROTECTION (SYSTEMR,OWNERRWED,GROUP
  RW) payroll.lis
• DIR/PROTECTION
• list the protections of each file

20
Working with E-Mail

• Choose 6 from the RITMENU or type mail at the
  system prompt.
• two mail systems in RITVAX
• VMS Mail old mail system, less features
• you see MAILgt prompt
• PMDF Mail new mail system, more features
• you see EMAILgt prompt

21
Listing E-Mail Messages

• DIRECTORY
• displays the list of mail messages in the current
  folder
• If you have new mail messages, it will display
  only the new messages.
• If you dont have new mail, it will display the
  list of all the messages.

22
Reading Mail Messages

• If you are going to read the messages in
  sequence, just press Enter.
• If you want to read a particular message, type
  the message number at the EMAIL prompt.

23
Moving Mail Messages

• FILE (or MOVE) foldername
• Move one or more mail messages to another folder.
• If its the first time to use the foldername, it
  create a folder for you and move the message to
  the folder.
• If the folder already exists, the message is
  moved to the folder.

24
Displaying Folders and Messages

• DIRECTORY/FOLDERS
• list the folders present in the current mail file
• default folders mail, newmail, and wastebasket
• READ foldername
• display a mail message in the folder

25
Replying to Messages

• REPLY or ANSWER
• send a reply to a mail message to the sender
• REPLY/ALL
• send a reply to all the recipients of the
  original message
• REPLY/INSERT filespec
• send a reply with a file attached

26
Sending Messages

• SEND
• send a mail message
• SEND/CC
• send a mail message with copies also sent to
  other addresses
• SEND filespec
• send an existing file

27
Creating Aliases

• ALIAS
• manipulate entries in your personal alias
  detabase
• ALIAS ADD aliasname Email-address
• create a new alias for an e-mail address
• ALIAS ADD/LIST listname
• create a distribution list
• a file is created in your account named alias.DIS

28
Working With Aliases

• ALIAS MODIFY alias new_address
• make changes to an existing alias
• ALIAS MODIFY/LIST alias
• modify distribution lists
• ALIAS DELETE alias
• remove an alias from the alias database
• ALIAS SHOW
• display the aliases youve created

29
Saving/Copying/Forwarding Messages

• EXTRACT filespec
• extract a mail message to an external file
• COPY folder-name
• place a copy of a mail message into another
  folder
• FORWARD
• forward a mail message

30
Deleting Messages

• DELETE
• delete one or more of the currently selected
  message(s)
• if the message numbers are not specified, delete
  the last message read
• delete multiple messages when specified their
  message numbers

31
Other E-Mail Commands

• HELP command or topic
• obtain help on a specific command or a topic
• SEARCH search-string
• search for messages containing a specific phrase
• EXIT
• exit from the mail session

32
Text Editing

• EVE (Extensible VAX Editor)
• RIT defined synonym for EDIT/TPU
  
• full screen editor
• modeless
• editing commands are different from text
• no switching between command and text modes

33
Text Editing

• Starting EVE at the prompt
• EVE filename
• to edit an existing file
• EVE
• to create a new file ... file name requested when
  done editing