Setting up a VMS system

[John H. Reinhardt]

On 9/22/2021 7:21 AM, Philip Pemberton via cctalk wrote:
> Hopefully a few of the DEC/VMS fans here might be able to help!
>
> I'm on a bit of a quest. I've been given some old VAX/VMS software -- a cross compiler and some source code -- that I'd like to get running. My goal is to get the source code building and experiment with the compiler a bit.
>
> Problem is that I've never used VMS before, and don't have a clue how to install or use it.
>
> Can any point me to an idiot's guide to VMS, how to set it up and make it possible to send files to it from my Linux box?
>
> I'm thinking of using SIMH, unless there's a better emulator available.

That is pretty much it for VAX emulation.  Going with the V4 release stream gives you a number of options, but they are all basically the same.

>
> I'm still waiting on a reply from HP with a hobbyist licence PAK (I've filled out the form), but I figure I can get started on the learning while I wait.
>

That will be a long wait.  HPE stopped responding to OpenVMS Hobbyist requests around May 2020.  If you email me I can send you a copy of the last set of VAX OpenVMS PAKs that were sent out.  They are generic, as opposed to what they used to send out which had authorization # tailored to each requestor.  These are good only for a few more months s they expire on 1-Jan-2022.  As they were generic and the last Hobbyist PAKS that HPE was going to send out we got unofficial (from Hari, the HPE employee in India that ran the Hobbyist program) permission to give them to anyone that asked.


You don't say how old the software is that you want to run.  If it's VAX/VMS V4 vintage then you gan get away without the PAKS as that is pre-LMF and PAK usage. But then again, V4.7 era is somewhat harder to install and set up than a V7.3 (the last VAX version)

>
> Cheers
> Phil.


-- 
John H. Reinhardt