[Info-vax] DCL Syntax

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 08/31/2018 02:04 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 8/31/2018 11:29 AM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> On 08/31/2018 10:37 AM, Dave Froble wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Now, what about the old VMS management station software?  Actually, is
>>> requiring a weendoze or other desktop for GUI management of VMS
>>> systems all that bad of an idea?
>>
>> I am sure there are many here who would say yes, especially if it
>> required Windows.  :-)
>>
>>>                           Not a major cost for the desktop.  I think
>>> the problem would be insuring that the interface to the desktop, the
>>> desktop part of the system, would always be the same as the command
>>> line based management.  Might be a whole bunch cheaper and easier than
>>> graphics on a VMS system.
>>>
>>
>> And who is going to write and maintain this non-VMS software needed
>> to administer VMS systems?  How do you decide which other OSes that
>> offer desktops your going to support?  Or are you happy alienating
>> some of the customer base?
>>
>> bill
>>
> 
> I'd guess the same people doing the rest of VMS development.  Now let's 
> see, who might that be?  Possibly VSI?

I wasn't aware that VSI was hiring Windows and Unix graphics savvy
programmers.

> 
> As for some of the customer base, would you rather have them all upset 
> without a GUI management capability?  Or just Philip and perhaps Brian?

No, I think the future requires it.  Even though lots of us (even some
of us Unix weenies) prefer the command line the future, like it or not,
is screaming for GUI.  The question really is where that GUI is going
to sit.  I am still in favor of it residing on VMS.  That does not
necessarily mean graphics support on the VMS box itself, although I am
also in favor of that, but the applications need to run on VMS and only
have the ability to display elsewhere as well as on the VMS host if it
ends out supporting graphics hardware.

> 
> Wasn't there a small computer in one of the early VAXs to act as the 
> console, or some such?

Yes, a PDP-11 but it didn't do graphics.  :-)

bill