[Info-vax] VMS on remote desktops

[H Vlems]

On 1 nov, 20:40, "FredK" <fred.nos... at dec.com> wrote:
> There has been talk (here) about how VMS is used in the wild by the
> "developer" and small user community that c.o.v. represents fairly well.
> And how we don't listen.  I took it to heart.
>
> For years, as needed (and not often) - I run DECwindows applications to a PC
> X11 emulator.  I telnet to VMS from my PC.  But for the most part - I still
> use DECwindows with local graphics for VMS development - after all I am a
> VMS engineer :-).
>
> PC emulators (or at least the one I use) seems to pretty much do what I want
> when I need to.  But something that I don't do - and many of you do - is to
> use other X11 clients - in particular Linux desktops (and others - OS/X,
> UNIX...) to do your work on VMS.
>
> So, I have set myself a modest goal to look at providing a more seamless
> integration of the remote desktop (Linux PC, thin client, etc) for the VMS
> developer and user - with input from the community and without blindly
> making my own assumptions about useage.  From a "cookbook" to changes to the
> DECwindows code, setup, or documentation, or more.  We'll see where it goes.
>
> So.  If you have the desire, time and knowledge - on say what it took to
> setup your Mac, or your Linux PC, or other X11 client.  The more detailed
> the better.  Not just "I used xmodmap to hack the keycodes" - but the
> specifics.  What fonts were missing?  Motif errors?  How did you end up
> solving the problems?  What were the tradeoffs you had to live with?  What
> would have helped?  What changes would help now and in the future?
>
> Note that from my perspective Alpha and Integrity is my target as opposed to
> VAX.  The "new" desktop as opposed to the "old" (but I am interested in
> understanding how many people don't use CDE and why).  "Recent" versions of
> DECwindows.  Types of usage - exporting VMS applications or the VMS desktop.
> Mixing native remote desktop applications (Linux/UNIX/etc) and VMS
> applications.  Keyboard issues.  Font issues.  Locale issues (and non-US
> country issues).  Setup issues.  Security issues.  Even testing issues :-)
>
> I have lots of information and ideas of my own...  but here's your chance.
> All I do ask is that it doesn't become an excuse for bashing and long
> standing rants.  Nor am I suggesting anything leading to some new focus on a
> VMS desktop or graphics... Nor should it be taken the other way - every
> system we ship today has integrated 2D graphics - which are not going away.
> This is specific to integration with remote desktops.

I run Reflection X on a Windows XP system and use XDMCP to select the
desired target host.
Occasionally I telnet to the remote host and use CREATE/TERM/PERM
(having Reflection X running as the X server on the pc).
Annoying things:
- double width /double height lines are displayed as two identical
lines
- keys on the numeric keyboard are improperly mapped
- Connections with VAX DECwindows produce a font not found error (I
know, out of scope)
Hans