[Info-vax] GNV (was: Re: Some questions on software for VMS 7.3 VAX)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2016-01-21 22:18:45 +0000, John Reagan said:

> I'd love to remove PCSI's /DESTINATION qualifier.  Plus, the GNV 
> install script also gives you the ability to move the POSIX root as 
> well (the default is on the system disk).  Kerry (and others who bumped 
> into this) went out of their way to use /DESTINATION or asked to move 
> the POSIX root.  I also see no benefit.

It's in the GNV documentation.  Start there.  Yank that startup schtick 
from the kit, too.   Yank anything in the kit that allows or supports 
relocating the kit.

Deprecate the PCSI /DESTINATION qualifier for general use.   Maybe make 
PCSI check that the target disk looks like an appropriate system disk 
before allowing /DESTINATION to be used.  (BTW, there used to be a 
simple check for system architecture and likely system boot support in 
the bootblock-related code, but that undocumented check looks to have 
been broken in some patch.  That didn't look at the version, though.)

As for PCSI, that tool is ripe for a replacement.   It was good for its 
time, and the design has served well for over twenty years.   But 
expectations and environments have changed.   Using an actual 
transactional database underneath and not the home-grown RMS database 
and RMS turd-file crap (this alone likely would have made the HP to VSI 
product vendor migration vastly easier — rather than having everybody 
recode their kits or use that rekitting hack) and thus not needing 
per-kit tracking to manage what's installed, having the ability to 
cryptographically verify the integrity of the kits to be installed and 
of the files in the kits that have already been installed, deeper 
rollbacks, remote TLS-protected access to VSI patch servers, integrate 
the installer with the licensing with the new VSI license key servers, 
integration with installation and configuration profiles, integration 
with a local software update server, etc.

Adding support for application packages — avoiding scattering files all 
over the system disk — is probably a step or three past all that, too.

But y'all probably don't have enough staff nor enough schedule time for 
all what you want to do now and all of what you have to do now.  
Certainly not enough folks for overhauling or replacing the related 
installation and patch management, and for hauling the 
closely-associated software licensing environment forward, which 
unfortunately VMS continues to accrue technical debt and to add 
complexity due to compatibility.

So... Don't provide folks with the metatarsal-seeking firearm lurking 
in the GNV documentation.




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