[Info-vax] Some questions on software for VMS 7.3 VAX

[David Froble]

lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
> On Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:52:10 +0100
> hb via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 12/31/2015 11:26 AM, lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
>>> I have looked around and there was supposed to have been Emacs 
>>> 21.something ported to VMS in the past but I can't find any
>>> executable. Does anybody know where I can get a copy of a full (non
>>> Micro) Emacs implementation?
>> Sources for emacs 21.2-3 can be found on the V8.0 freeware CD. The
>> sources should compile on Alpha (never tried) and I64 (worked for me).
>> Whether they compile on VAX, I don't know. As you probably know 21 is
>> rather old (2002), but 7.3 isn't young either :-) VMS support was
>> removed in version 23. The current version of emacs is 24.5.
> 
> Even Emacs 21 is plenty good enough and much more capable than MicroEmacs.
> I have no idea how to build it though. AFAIK there's a lot of Lisp in there
> which would imply they have to supply some kind of bootstrap Lisp compiler
> or you need to have a previous install. Do you remember what you had to do
> to build it on Itanic?
> 
>>> Lastly (maybe) is there a recent Lisp compiler for VAX/VMS? I have
>>> found doc but no code for that.
>> I don't know. Although the "VAX LISP[TM] V3.1, © Digital Equipment
>> Corporation. 1989, 1990." should work on 7.3. Its last kit was on the
>> VMS Consolidated Software Distribution, May-1993.
> 
> What is the VMS Consolidated Software Distribution, and are there archives?
> 1989/1990 was right about the time Common LISP was being standardized.
> Whatever they have should be very interesting and possibly very useful too!
> 
> Thanks.
> 

ConDist was a periodic distribution of a number of CDs with just about all the 
DEC layered products.  You still needed the license for a specific product.  The 
hobbyist licenses might supply this.

If I (senile old man) can remember, I can look at some of the ConDist 
distributions I have to see if LISP is available.  If so, and it's not too 
large, (got miserable internet connection), I could send you the product.  I'm 
thinking that some others already have the ConDist available online, but I'm not 
sure they would want me to mention names in this venue.