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

[lists at openmailbox.org]

On Thu, 14 Jan 2016 15:13:49 +0100
hb via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:

> On 01/11/2016 10:12 AM, lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
> > Emacs (not MicroEmacs which is available on the web)
> 
> As we learned the other day, you  - ahem I - shouldn't work with VAXes
> any more. So this is for entertainment, only:

I very little idea what you did or how much effort it was. And I purposely
didn't install the C compiler on my hobbyist system so perhaps this won't
be so easy. But:

> Welcome to GNU Emacs
> 
> Get help           C-h  (Hold down CTRL and press h)
> Undo changes       C-x u       Exit Emacs               C-x C-c
> Get a tutorial     C-h t       Use Info to read docs    C-h i
> Ordering manuals   C-h RET
> Activate menubar   F10  or  ESC `  or   M-`
> (`C-' means use the CTRL key.  `M-' means use the Meta (or Alt) key.
> If you have no Meta key, you may instead type ESC followed by the
> character.)
> 
> GNU Emacs 21.2.1 (vax-dec-vms7.3)

Yay!

>  of 2016-01-14 14:23:42 on one of the few remaining VMS machines on Earth

Haha, does it really say that? The FSF people are huge idiots.

> Copyright (C) 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> 
> ...
> 
> Interesting, the source code directory indicates version 21.2.3 but
> emacs itself prints 21.2.1.

Sue the above copyright holders! Why would they copyright anything when
they claim copyrights are the world's greatest evil btw? Don't answer that.

> This is based on the emacs21_2.zip from the 8.0 freeware cd. There are a
> couple of changes to let emacs make a computer slow. It looks like that
> code was never built or tested on VAXes. Also, this VAX is a simh and I
> use the console, OPA0:, set to a reasonable baud rate. I can't get it to
> work when logged in via telnet to port 60123, which is a simh DZ device,
> aka TTA0:. The process hangs in LEF with two busy channels to TTA0:. I
> have/had other problems with that device: "-SYSTEM-W-DATAOVERUN, data
> overrun" when I type very fast, aka do a cut and paste. So, it's not yet
> production quality, but for hobbyists ...

If it overruns it's not ready for hobbyists either. Very little is worse
than an editor that doesn't work or screws up your code.

Is the above via X-server? Emacs is supposed to have at least two ways it
can run, one in a console and one with X. I'm susprised it doesn't work
over telnet. The MicroEmacs I found works over telnet here.

-- 
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