[Info-vax] Anyone still around ? :-)

[Grant Taylor]

On 10/8/19 12:56 PM, jrbrady65 at gmail.com wrote:
> Hobbyist here, lurking and watching/learning from everyone's posts.

:-)

> Actively working on programming projects with my DS10 and AS400 
> (on HECnet too!)

I'm marginally surprised to hear that an AS/400 is on HECnet.  But I 
don't know much about HECnet, so I can't be too surprised.  (I'm 
assuming HECnet is DEC centric.)

> Writing lots of BASIC, C and COBOL code for an X-10 controller tool, 
> screen management system and other fun projects with serial port 
> device interfacing (1980s tech rocks LOL).

I'm somewhat surprised to not see RPG in that list, what with the AS/400.

> Keeping an eye out for news about the legacy VAX and Alpha Hobbyist 
> Licensing when HP cuts the cord on OpenVMS support.

Likewise.

> That would be awesome. Taking classes to refresh mainframe skills and 
> having access to a modern z/OS environment would be great.

If you're not familiar with it, check out the Master the Mainframe 
program that IBM puts on.  It's geared towards students, but it is open 
to non-students (read: hobbyists) too.

> Although MVS 3.8J is pretty capable except for the old compilers.

A few things come to mind:

  · S/370 is somewhat resource constrained.  Check out the Hercules 
specific hack that is S/380.
  · I thought that MVS 3.8j didn't have much in the way of networking. 
As such, it's sort of a stand alone system.  —  Though there is 
supposedly a rabbit hole you can go down to add some networking to it.
  · I recently recall reading something about Rexx for MVS 3.8j being 
back ported by hobbyists.



-- 
Grant. . . .
unix || die