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

[lists at openmailbox.org]

On Mon, 25 Jan 2016 16:49:03 +0100
hb via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:

> On 01/25/2016 03:38 PM, lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
> 
> > This got me further and Emacs did start (well, it started to start). But
> > then I got additional messages that various files couldn't be found.
> > They were still using the LOCAL directory. Apparently this is baked-in
> > fairly deeply. I don't know if it's just scripts that could be
> > tracked-down or whether it's also in code.
> 
> LOCAL, as configured during the build, shows a couple of times in the
> GNU_STARTUP.COM. But changing thes instances to use any other directory
> is not enough. Emacs barfs:
> 
> Warning: arch-dependent data dir
> (BLD_ROOT:[LOCAL.LIB.EMACS.21_2.ALPHA-DEC-VMS8_3]) does not exist.
> Warning: arch-independent data dir (BLD_ROOT[LOCAL.LIB.EMACS.21_2.ETC])
> does not exist.
> Warning: Lisp directory `BLD_ROOT:[LOCAL.LIB.EMACS.SITE-LISP]' does not
> exist.
> Warning: Lisp directory `BLD_ROOT:[LOCAL.LIB.EMACS.21_2.LISP]' does not
> exist.

Yeah that's what I'm saying.

> Searching the "local tree" shows, that these strings are hard coded in
> EMACS-21_2.EXE, the image.

Ok, I suspected that but didn't know how to find it in VMS. Thanks for
confirming. Damn gnu crapware... Emacs is about the only gnu crapware I
would hate to live without and even that is too much to ask ;-)

> It seems you have to build emacs yourself or to use the directory tree
> as is. You can place the LOCAL directory anywhere, below your login
> directory or on any disk, you just have to define BLD_ROOT as a
> concealed device to point to the parent directory of LOCAL.

I think it is nested deeply enough that you can't put it any further down.
I think I read somewhere 7 directories is the nesting limit on VMS
(VMS/VAX?) I believe this port of Emacs uses every last one of them. I
tried this earlier, I think, and I ran into the issue.

Anyway, Emacs is crashing badly so I suspect this port is not worth
spending a whole lot more time on unless dired is working for other people
and there is something else going on.

Thanks for your time compiling and mailing and helping me with this. Your
emails are really clear and helpful. I often got confused because the VMS
syntax is so strange to me still but when I tried to blindly type what you
wrote without trying to understand if I was supposed to substitute
something I found your instructions were right on the money.

-- 
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