[Info-vax] prevent user login during and after startup

[bdhobbs18 at acm.org]

OP responding to some of the replies.

Abrsvc mentioned modifying sylogin.com and using "set log/int=0".  I'm kind of leaning toward this, but that's going to involve more code, testing, reboots ... sigh.  Hmm, there doesn't appear to be a lexical for login limit.  I guess I'll have to parse the "set log" output.

Bob Gezelter and David Froble mentioned the TCPIP command procedures.  "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."  The UCX command procedures appear to be very different from the later TCPIP command procedures and not as clear.  Heck, I had to edit one of them because it had the wrong count for a list of services.  The start of the telnet service is buried in with the other services, not an independent startup command procedure.

VAXman mentioned the system should boot without me having "to perform any manual system schtuff".  That's what I'm trying to get to, but those pesky users want to use the system NOW!  My predecessors made some significant (and, I think, peculiar) changes to the system.  For instance, there is no sys$batch queue, though there is a system$batch queue.  The CLI tables file has been butchered, that took me a while to figure out why some of my DCL was not working as expected.  It's a mess.

VAXman and Stephen Hoffman mentioned an alternate sysuaf.dat.  Occasionally I escape work and I have to explain to the poor sap taking my place what to do.  I think a modified sylogin.com and explaining "set log/int=0" would be easier than explaining an alternate sysuaf.dat and extra reboots.

Paul Sture mentioned terminal servers.  I remember those days.  The operators would just leave them powered off if they didn't want the users logging in.  When the terminal servers were moved out of the computer room closer to the users, the operators would leave the network repeaters (?) off.  Worked for them.  Unfortunately my system is just one of several systems and I'm pretty sure shutting down the network would be frowned upon ... though the BOFH in me has at least three very good reasons the network should be shut down, one involves solar flares.

Jim Carpenter mentioned that the CHARON-VAX emulator can use the host's clock.  I believe our version (3.1, 2005 Aug 22) does not have that option, but I'll check that again.

Martin Vorländer mentioned "UCX> set configuration enable NOservice telnet".  My UCX documentation doesn't show this command and I'd be afraid that the "NOservice" might delete the telnet service if it did work.

VAXman mentioned sysman startup.  I'm not familiar with sysman, but I poked around a bit, lots of shows.  I didn't find UCX or telnet, I suspect I may be doing it wrong.

I'm going to try re-doing the telnet service to see if I can get it disabled at startup.  If that doesn't work, then I'll try the modified sylogin.com and "set log/int=0" command.  Unless someone posts something better ...

Thank you all for your advice, either I'll post later or you'll read about it in paper.  :-)