[Info-vax] VMSKITBLD.COM fails with CREATE_SYSDIRS cannot locate product description file.

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Sunday, 13 January 2019 14:58:35 UTC, Andrew Back  wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Attempting to get OpenVMS 7.3 installed on a VS2000 via a SimH VAX running on a Linux host. I've created a cluster and added the VS as a satellite node, with page and swap on the SimH node. OpenVMS 7.3 was installed via the Hobbyist kit ISO and opted to install everything in full.
> 
> Everything seems fine up until trying to use VMSKITBLD.COM to build a system disk on the RD53 installed in the VS (KEN). Tried running this from both the simulated VAX and the VS2000, with the same result. Details below and any suggestions much appreciated.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Andrew
> 
> //
> 
> $ show dev d
> 
> Device                  Device           Error    Volume         Free  Trans Mnt
>  Name                   Status           Count     Label        Blocks Count Cnt
> BOB$DUA0:               Mounted              0  OVMSVAXSYS     1714527   159   2
> BOB$DUA1:               Online               0
> BOB$DUA2:               Online               0
> BOB$DUA3:               Online               0
> BOB$DYA0:               Online               0
> BOB$DYA1:               Online               0
> KEN$DUA0:               Online               0
> $ 
> $ @sys$update:vmskitbld                
> * Operation [BUILD,ADD,COPY]? ADD
> * Enter mounted SOURCE disk name (ddcu:): sys$sysdevice:
> * Enter SOURCE top level system directory [default = SYS0]: 
> * Enter TARGET disk name (ddcu:): ken$dua0:
> * Enter TARGET disk top level system directory [default = SYS0]: 
> %DCL-I-ALLOC, _KEN$DUA0: allocated
> %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, OVMSVAXSYS mounted on _KEN$DUA0:
>     Creating system directories ...
> CREATE_SYSDIRS cannot locate product description file
> 
>         ERROR or Control-Y signaled.
> 
>         All files were not copied to the target disk.
> 
> %SYSTEM-F-ABORT, abort
> $

As others have pointed out, VMSKITBLD isn't usually relevant
to the picture you describe, even if what you want to do is
end up with a VAXstation 2000 with its own local independent
copy of VAX/VMS.

I was going to suggest you looked at some of the entirely
useful SIMH/VAX/VMS/VAXcluster articles on the web elsewhere, 
some of which have actual pictures. And some others provide 
step by step (but hopefully reasonably complete and reasonably 
correct) descriptions of procedures specific to SIMH.

I have a feeling you may have seen one or two of them already,
but I'll include them anyway in case they may help e.g.
https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/a-raspberry-pi-vax-cluster
has pictures and links, is credited to Andrew Back in 2012 
and also links to 
https://www.wherry.com/gadgets/retrocomputing/vax-simh.html
which is a handy document too,
And there's
https://raymii.org/s/blog/OpenVMS_7.3_install_log_with_simh_vax_on_Ubuntu_16.04.html
which has lots of detail for installing VAX/VMS V7.3 in a
SIMH/Ubuntu environment ready for forming a VMScluster, 
including the log of the initial VMS installation
procedure and relevant Q+A that may not *quite* match your
current setup but may be at least as helpful as what you're
seeing here at the moment.

If you're confident in your current VMS installation on the
"boot node", you probably want to find some references to
"cluster_config.com" and see what it says about adding a
diskless satellite node to a VMScluster, specifically a
VMScluster which is using the LAN for cluster comms.

Depending on what you want to eventually achieve, it's 
possible (maybe even recommended) to run a clustered 
VAXstation 2000 as a diskless machine, with the OS and
almost every other file of significance being loaded over the
network from shared disk on the cluster boot node/disk server.

IF you *really* want a local full copy of VMS V7.3 on the
VS2000 RD53, such that it can be used standalone, you could do 
something like Hoff and others have suggested, e.g. starting
with restoring the VMS .B saveset onto the VAXstation's
local disk. The process is tried, tested, and proven. Whether 
the end result will meet your requirements... over to you.

Stuff like this has become harder than it used to be - there 
used to be a DEC product called VAX RSM (RSM = Remote Systems 
Manager?) that would take care of a lot of the administrivia 
in this picture, such as building meaningful setups on tiny-disk 
VAX boxes, without needing tape or other removable media,
by loading essential stuff over the LAN, and continuing from
there without needing an actual cluster setup. Probably got 
Palmerised a few decades ago, before most of the IT world
even knew they might need it one day.


Anyway, welcome (back?) to VMS. Have a lot of fun.