IBM CMS dumpfile idiocy

[jwsmobile]

On 12/16/2015 11:43 AM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
> On 12/16/2015 11:11 AM, Dave Wade wrote:
>
>> CMS TAPE files are not intended to be used by other systems and the 
>> format
>> is undocumented (well except a little in the source code) and has 
>> changed
>> several times as disk formats have changed.
>
> I've been on the receiving end of this before--several times. Damned 
> inconsiderate programmers with no thoughts of the future. Undocumented 
> format--how quaint.
>
> Right now, I'm puzzling over a QIC tape that was apparently made early 
> on using Sytos, but the header doesn't match any version of Sytos that 
> I've seen.   Wonderful.
>
I paid for Sytos backup a number of times, but they did run off the 
rails mad with power.

Between them and SCO unix and general experiences concurrent with 
Stallman's as far as proprietary software was what put me off onto Open 
Source long in advance of Linux and GPL.  I don't agree with the social 
engineering aspects of Stallman, but I do not see that having hidden 
source makes any more sense than having a car you can't open the hood 
on.  The engineers and company will loose interest in a product and that 
sort of disposable attitude makes no sense.

Sytos had an excellent product for the time though as far as doing 
backups.  But the back end stuff as Chuck said, not so good.
> --Chuck
>
>