VAX file format conversion

[Tony Nicholson]

[Apologies in advance for this reply not appearing in the thread for this
 subject - I read the digest form of cctalk]

> Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:08:39 -0400
> From: Douglas Taylor <dj.taylor4 at comcast.net>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>         <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: VAX file format conversion
> Message-ID: <d54db4aa-efc8-d332-971f-57250d5fd0f5 at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> I have a MicroVax 4000 that I am trying to update the license PAKs on,
> the last time I had valid PAKs on this machine was in 2002 (Hobbyist
> Licenses).
>
> I registered and have received the new Hobbyist License PAKs.
>
> I connected a laptop and transferred the text file using C-Kermit on the
> VAX and hyperterminal on the laptop.
>
> When I go to execute the file, I get an error:
>
> $@hobbyist-use-only-va.txt
>
> %RMS-W-RTB 512 bye record to large for user buffer
>
> It appears that when the file was transferred it showed up on the vax
> with fixed length records of 512 bytes, not variable length.
>
> Can I convert the file on the VAX?
>
> Is there a setting for C-Kermit that I need to change?
>
> Is Hyperterminal screwing things up?
>
> Doug

When this happens to me, I make use of one of the quirks of the TECO text
editor on VMS which writes out text files (variable-length, carriage
return carriage
control).

VAX $ directory /full hobbyist*.txt

Directory D_0:[SYSTEM]

HOBBYIST-USE-ONLY-VA.TXT;1                File ID:  (4986,7,0)
Size:          156/156        Owner:    [SYSTEM]
Created:  16-AUG-2016 09:48:01.12
Revised:  16-AUG-2016 09:48:01.24 (1)
Expires:   <None specified>
Backup:    <No backup recorded>
File organization:  Sequential
File attributes:    Allocation: 156, Extend: 0, Global buffer count: 0
                    No version limit
Record format:      Fixed length 512 byte records
Record attributes:  None
RMS attributes:     None
Journaling enabled: None
File protection:    System:RWED, Owner:RWED, Group:RE, World:RE
Access Cntrl List:  None

Total of 1 file, 156/156 blocks.

VAX $ edit/teco hobbyist-use-only-va.txt
*n[End of File]$l512kex$$

[ TECO prompts with an asterisk, the license file has a line with the
text "[End of File]"
at the end - so non-stop search "n" for it - $ is the <ESC> key or
<CTRL-[>, advance
to the next line (lowercase L "l"), then kill any remaining lines and
<NUL> characters
that pad the last block, and exit]

VAX $ directory /full hobbyist*.txt;

Directory D_0:[SYSTEM]

HOBBYIST-USE-ONLY-VA.TXT;2                File ID:  (5006,105,0)
Size:          158/159        Owner:    [SYSTEM]
Created:  16-AUG-2016 09:52:43.98
Revised:  16-AUG-2016 09:52:57.44 (1)
Expires:   <None specified>
Backup:    <No backup recorded>
File organization:  Sequential
File attributes:    Allocation: 159, Extend: 0, Global buffer count: 0
                    No version limit
Record format:      Variable length, maximum 92 bytes
Record attributes:  Carriage return carriage control
RMS attributes:     None
Journaling enabled: None
File protection:    System:RWED, Owner:RWED, Group:RE, World:RE
Access Cntrl List:  None

Total of 1 file, 158/159 blocks.

-- 
Tony Nicholson <tony.nicholson at computer.org>