The OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Chapter 6
6	Information on Mail
6.1	MAIL keeps saying I have new messages, but I don't. What do I do?
6.2	How do I send or read attachments in VMS MAIL?
6.3	How can I block SMTP mail relay spam?
Chapter 7
7	Information on Utilities
7.1	How do I play an audio CD on my workstation?
7.2	How do I access a Microsoft Windows floppy disk from OpenVMS?
7.3	How do I play sound files on an AlphaStation? DECsound doesn't work.
7.4	Why is DECmigrate not working with Fortran?
7.5	How do I read IBM EBCDIC tapes on OpenVMS?
7.6	How can I patch an OpenVMS Alpha image?
Chapter 8
8	DCL Details
8.1	How do I run a program with arguments?
8.2	How can I clear the screen in DCL?
8.3	Using REPLY/LOG from DCL? Disabling Console OPCOMs?
8.4	How do I generate a random number in DCL?
8.5	What does the MCR command do?
8.6	How do I change the OpenVMS system prompt?
8.7	Can I do DECnet task-to-task communication with DCL?
8.8	How can I get the width setting of a terminal?
8.9	How can I substitute symbols in a PIPE?
8.10	Use of RUN/DETACH, LOGINOUT, and logical names?
8.11	How to use escape and control characters in DCL?
Chapter 9
9	Files
9.1	How can I undelete a file?
9.2	Why does SHOW QUOTA give a different answer than DIR/SIZE?
9.3	How do I make sure that my data is safely written to disk?
9.4	What are the limits on file specifications and directories?
9.5	What is the largest disk volume size OpenVMS can access?
9.6	What is the maximum file size, and the RMS record size limit?
9.7	How do I write CD-Recordable or DVD media on OpenVMS?
9.7.1	CD and DVD notation, terminology?
9.7.2	Use of RRD42 and other older (embossed-media) CD drives?
9.8	What I/O transfer size limits exist in OpenVMS?
9.9	Can I use ODBC to connect to OpenVMS database files?
9.10	If my disks are shown as VIOC Compatible, am I using XFC?
Chapter 10
10	OpenVMS Programming Information
10.1	Modular Programming, Facility Prefixes and Symbol Naming?
10.2	Can I have a source code example of calling...?
10.3	How do I get the arguments from the command line?
10.4	How do I get a formatted error message in a variable?
10.5	How do I link against SYS$SYSTEM:SYS.STB on an Alpha system?
10.6	How do I do a SET DEFAULT from inside a program?
10.7	How do I turn my Fortran COMMON into a shareable image on Alpha?
10.8	How do I convert between IEEE and VAX floating data?
10.9	How do I get the argument count in a Fortran routine?
10.10	How do I get a unique system ID for licensing purposes?
10.11	What is an executable, shareable, system or UWSS image?
10.12	How do I do a file copy from a program?
10.13	What is a descriptor?
10.14	How do I create a process under another username?
10.15	Why do lib$spawn, lib$set_symbol fail in detached processes?
10.16	Where can I obtain Bliss, and the libraries and supporting files?
10.17	How can I open a file for shared access?
10.18	How can I have common sources for messages, constants?
10.19	How do I activate the OpenVMS Debugger from an application?
10.20	Dealing with Endian-ness?
10.21	How to resolve LINK-I-DATMISCH errors?
10.22	Compaq C and other OpenVMS C Programming Considerations?
10.22.1	Other common C issues
10.22.2	Other common C++ issues
10.23	Status of Programming Tools on OpenVMS VAX?
Chapter 11
11	DECwindows
11.1	How do I let someone else display something on my workstation?
11.2	How do I create a display on another workstation?
11.3	How can I get the information from SHOW DISPLAY into a symbol?
11.4	How do I get a log of a DECterm session?
11.5	Why does the DELETE key delete forward instead of backward?
11.6	Why is DECwindows Motif not starting?
11.7	How do I set the title on a DECterm window?
11.8	How do I customize DECwindows, including the login screen?
11.9	Why doesn't XtAppAddInput() work on OpenVMS?
11.10	Why do the keyboard arrow keys move the DECwindows cursor?
11.11	Why does half my DECwindows display blank?
11.12	%DECW-W-NODEVICE, No graphics device found on this system?
11.13	How can I reset the warning bell volume?
11.14	How can I alter the DECwindows CDE backdrop?
11.15	How can I enable the DECwindows TCP/IP Transport
Chapter 12
12	Miscellaneous Information
12.1	Where can I find information on escape and control sequences?
12.2	Does DECprint (DCPS) work with the LRA0 parallel port?
12.3	How do I check for free space on a (BACKUP) tape?
12.4	So what happened to sys$cmsuper?
12.5	Correctly using license PAKs and LMF?
Chapter 13
13	Finding and using Software
13.1	Where can I find freeware/shareware/software for OpenVMS?
13.2	Where can I find UNIX tools for OpenVMS?
13.2.1	POSIX-compliant versions of POSIX routines and utilities
13.2.2	C system and library routines
13.2.3	X Windows utilities and routines
13.2.4	TCP/IP Tools and Utilities for OpenVMS?
13.2.5	The vi text editor
13.2.6	Various GNU tools
13.2.6.1	GCC compiler
13.3	Where can I get the Mozilla Web Browser?
13.4	Where can I get Java for OpenVMS?
13.5	Obtaining user input in DCL CGI script?
13.6	How can a batch job get its own batch entry number?
13.7	How do I convert to new CMS or DTM libraries?
13.8	Where can I get new certificates for Netscape Navigator?
13.9	Why doesn't DCL symbol substitution work?
13.10	Where can I get Perl for OpenVMS?
13.11	Obtaining the DECmigrate (VEST and TIE) translator?
13.12	Where can I get Zip, Unzip, self-extracting zip, etc?
13.13	Are VAX Hardware Emulators Available?