[Info-vax] New installment in The OpenVMS Consultant: Shutdowns using STARTUP.COM

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2020-12-30 23:39:35 +0000, Jan-Erik Søderholm said:

> Den 2020-12-30 kl. 20:27, skrev Stephen Hoffman:
> 
>> OpenVMS can't reliably shut down using default tooling...
> 
> Sure it can. It is just a 10 lines a DCL script needed.

You view that ten-line procedure as a solution, and I view that 10-line 
procedure as a workaround, and—for new users—as an unpleasant surprise.

I view this less about technical capabilities—that ten-line procedure, 
SYSMAN, etc—and more about new-user empathy, and about least-surprise 
designs and behaviors.

I'd prefer the provided tooling just work. The sorts of fit and finish 
details and consistency that OpenVMS was once well known for. Without 
needing custom procedures.

I'm usually logged into the iLO console when shutting down, or using 
SYSMAN, or using some local variation of your ten-line procedure.

Remotely-installing and remotely-administering an OpenVMS server 
("hosting") without iLO, DRAC, Minicom, terminal server, or analogous 
remote console access has long been painful, unfortunately.

Now if telnet and ssh did get this mess fixed, that's great. Given I'm 
usually accessing via iLO, I haven't been inclined to test for this bug 
in a number of years.


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