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

[Andrew Back]

On Sunday, 13 January 2019 19:58:53 UTC, johnwa... at yahoo.co.uk  wrote:
> 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,

Sure, so that's me.

Appears I was equally interested in these things circa 1996:

  http://www.people.vcu.edu/~agnew/MVAX/MVAX_FAQ_TEXT.HTML

> 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.

Had no problems with this. Just couldn't remember how to get VMS onto
a disk from a satellite cluster node...

> 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.

Managed this fine now and by installing the bare minimum from save set
B only, I have about 5MB left on the RD53!

Need to see if I can shrink page/swap and remove anything else...

Also have a working RD54 somewhere, which might be a better idea. Or
maybe I'll give the ROM patching and SCSI disks a go.

> 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.

Yeah, so I know it's kind of stupid, but as I say, I have a fondness
for the 2000. Also with Sun kit, the similarly diminutive and
constrained SPARCstation IPX...

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

Thanks! Having fun relearning a bunch of stuff I've long forgotten.
Seems like eternity since I was explaining to users that the VAX7000
was still crashing and writing out its dump, never mind starting to
boot again.

Andrew