[Info-vax] Where to locate software

[David Froble]

Paul Richards wrote:
> I'm running OpenVMS 8.4 on FreeAXP and am a comparative newbie. So, a
> noob question: I am planning to install some of the HP Open-source
> software and Freeware.
> 
> For those applications which don't automatically install where should I
> locate them such that I can run them from any directory?

Well, it depends what you mean by "from any directory".

To run an executable, you must have access to it.

1) in a directory you own

or

2) file protection set so that you have access

If you mean some "PATH" that is searched whenever you issue the command to run 
the executable, well, I think VMS has something like that, but I never use it.

The practice around here is to have one or more logicals pointing to some 
location where the files are located.  For example, if you have some utilities, 
you might have a directory Dev:[<something>.Utility] (or a top level directory) 
Dev:[Utility] where the files are stored.  Then a logical

$ define UT dev:[Utility]

so that you can issue the command

$ run UT:<someprogram>

If it's just a few programs, and you use them often, you might define the symbol

$ <someprogram> :== $UT:<someprogram>

or

$ <someprogram> :== run UT:<someprogram>

Note, I didn't test the above ....

As for file protection ...

Directory DKA100:[DFEUL]

AR9901.EXE;6                    48/48       [DFEUL]     (RWED,RWED,RE,)
CUST91.EXE;5                    55/56       [DFEUL]     (RWED,RWED,RE,)

Note the protection masks, which are for System, Owner, Group, and World.  in 
this example, System and Owner have Read, Write, Execute, and Delete access. 
Group has Read and Execute access.  To allow access to everyone, you'd need 
World Execute access.  For example:

AR9901.EXE;6                    48/48       [DFEUL]     (RWED,RWED,RE,RE)

Not sure what you're asking, and perhaps I've gone into too much detail.

As for suggested locations, perhaps [Freeware], with subdirectories for each 
product.