VAX SIG Spring 1988 Tapes Initial Documentation ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** Due to publicity about Trojan horse programs, computer viruses, and similar hazards, there may be increased risk that such code may have been submitted for the symposium tapes. Neither your librarian, DECUS, nor DEC has detailed knowledge of the programs herein. The risk of using code here is YOURS and you should consider yourself WARNED that you should test programs yourself to determine what risks they may pose. The cataloging process consists of assembling documentation and files into usable formats, but does NOT involve testing the programs. Your librarian makes use of many programs from symposium tapes, however, and none of this code contains any known problems. We ask that if you notice something suspicious about any DECUS program you attempt to help by reporting the problem to the DECUS office immediately and by diagnosing it as well as you can. In using this code, please be aware that privileged code may contain operating system version dependencies whose effects should be assessed before running it. The system crashes you avoid may be your own. The DECUS library may be contacted at 617-480-3418. Please ask that Marilyn Rosenberg, Betty Cadieux, and Glenn Everhart (your librarian) be informed of the problems. (If possible, leave a phone number.) You can reach your librarian (Glenn Everhart) on ARPAnet at the network address Everhart%Arisia.decnet@GE-CRD.arpa if you wish faster contact or have questions. Thank you. Our greatest security against this kind of nonsense is watching out for each other. ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** NOTICE ** This directory contains general documentation for this and previous tapes and an index. It is intended to replace previous distributions of [VAX000...] but there may be some older files you want to keep. The top level description summary to the Spring '88 VAX SIG tapes is contained in ABSTRACT.TXT and VAX88A.BRIEF_SUMMARY in this directory. For a longer description see AAAREADME.88A1, AAAREADME.88A2, AAAREADME.88A3, and AAAREADME.88A4, the concatenated AAAREADME.TXT files from the respective submissions. AAAREADME.TXT's back through the Fall 1981 tape are in a sub-directory [.OLD_AAAREADME]. The tapes are in VMS Backup format in five save-sets - one each for [VAX000...], [VAX88A1...], [VAX88A2...], and [VAX88A3...], plus one extra saveset comprising a fourth PC/RSX/VAX tape. As usual VAX000 and VAX88A1 will fit on one 2400 foot tape at 1600 bpi. Because of the high volume of submissions, and problems people were having with compressed files, the Spring 1988 collection has 4 tapes at 1600 BPI this time. These are divided into a 3 reel set, which will fit onto a single TK50 or 3 reels of tape at 1600 BPI, and a one (1) reel tape "set" which consists of items from the PC, RSX, and VAX SIGs which did not fit onto the 3 reel set. All 4 reels will fit onto a single reel at 6250 and will be distributed via NLC and tree in that form also. The DECUS Library version will be two separate items. This was necessary to accomodate those who have TK50 media. Data compression is used in only a couple very small areas on this tape, and will be avoided where possible to facilitate access to the software. We do not want to let the tape grow too large for a single TK50 if it can be avoided, though. Should submissions continue to grow, we may have to revisit this decision. An informal survey at the Fall 1987 symposium showed around 80% of sites can handle 6250, so we hope this will cause few problems. Wherever you find a file of type .*_LZW (usually THIS_DIR.BCK_LZW) it is compressed with LZCMP. Decompress it with LZDCM by a command like $ lzdcm:==${some directory and device}LZDCM $ LZDCM this_dir.BCK_LZW this_dir.BCK The result will be a decompressed file, generally a VMS Backup saveset. Use Backup to pull this apart to original files. Some compression was necessary to make the 3 tape set fit on a TK50. LZDCM.EXE may be found in [VAX000.TOOLS]. You will run accross .ARC files on some directories. For those of you not familiar with ARC it is an excellent file compression and archiving program that is widely used in the microcomputer world for distributing programs via floppy and bulletin boards. You can use [VAX000.TOOLS]VMSSWEEP (or ARC in the same directory) to read these files on a VAX. All areas have ONE AAAREADME.TXT (and possibly many something.DOC or something.1ST or something .MEM or something_else.TXT or *READ*.something). This is so the AAAREADME.TXT's will be short enough to help you find a program without being cluttered up with how to install or how to use the software. If you are making up a submission for the next tape you can make it easier for us to put the tape together if you will follow this convention. Be sure and look through the tapes for all backup sets present. Because the index preparation was somewhat delayed this time, the tapes do not have an index at this point. A version of the index will be released later. As partial compensation, AAAREADME files from fall 1981 on have been included this time. Using the SEARCH utility on them is frequently effective in locating software needed. This tape was put together from submissions at the Spring 1988 DECUS Symposium, Cincinnati, Ohio, by Glenn C. Everhart RCA/GE Aerospace Technology & Lab Operations Bldg. 206-1 Rt. 38 Cherry Hill, NJ 08358 (609) 486-6328 Everhart%Arisia.decnet@crd.ge.com After 6/24/88: Glenn Everhart 25 Sleigh Ride Rd Glen Mills, PA 19342 215 358 3866) with the able assistance of various volunteers. Special mention is due: Alan Zirkle, who does a LOT of the initial screening and recording of who submitted what, and maintains numerous command files needed in the process of making the master, and Tom Gerhard, who maintains and supplies the index every time.