[Info-vax] VMS on remote desktops

[Richard B. Gilbert]

On 11/2/2010 9:53 AM, FredK wrote:
> "Richard B. Gilbert"<rgilbert88 at comcast.net>  wrote in message
> news:PrqdnbLBH5AWiE3RnZ2dnUVZ_g2dnZ2d at giganews.com...
>> On 11/2/2010 5:19 AM, H Vlems wrote:
>>> 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
>>
>> Have you mentioned this problem to the vendor?  I believe the vendor was
>> Attachmate.  Attachmate may have been acquired. . . .
>
> The vendor is still Attachmate, and they bought WRQ.  Reflection for UNIX
> and VMS is the product I am familiar with and use to interact with my VMS
> systems from my PC.  That isn't an endorsement of the product - but it works
> well for me.  If there are areas that can be improved, and the vendor is
> interested - I'd certainly be willing to help.
>
>
>

I still have, and occasionally use, Reflection IV.  When I was still 
working, having the full VT340 emulation saved me a few twenty mile 
round trips to straighten out problems on the night shift.