[Info-vax] Reimplementing VMS, was: Re: HP adds OpenVMS Mature Product Support beyond the end of Standard Support

David Froble davef at tsoft-inc.com
Mon Feb 3 20:58:57 EST 2014


John Reagan wrote:

> I've been resisting jumping back in.  I only have so many blood pressure pills left, but since John mentioned my name...

Hmmm .... not sure why you need the blood pressure pills.  Perhaps learn 
to relax and remember the two big rules ....

1) It doesn't matter ....
2) It REALLY doesn't matter ....

However, I'm drawn to ask some question, because as far as I know, and I 
don't know anything, like the German Sargent on Hogan's Heros, at least 
I seem to remember that being the name, "I know nothing!"

I do have this feeling that you just might be the key individual that 
could make a port of VMS to x86 possible.  I say that because I feel 
that the compilers would be the key thing.  As you have possibly been 
very involved in the VMS compilers, Macro-32 and Pascal I'm pretty sure, 
and possibly others, your knowledge could be the key.

I'm figuring the front ends of the compilers would need little to no 
change, since we're not talking about changing the languages.  It's the 
back end, GEM, that would have to take whatever the front ends produced 
and produce something that would run on x86.

I have no idea of just what such would entail.

If it would not raise your blood pressure too much, is there any chance 
that you could present some general ideas about feasibility, effort, and 
such?



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