[Info-vax] Logging systartup_vms.com progress to operator.log VMS 7.3-2

[geze...@rlgsc.com]

On Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 3:31:25 PM UTC-4, Robert A. Brooks wrote:
> On 10/14/2020 2:53 PM, geze... at rlgsc.com wrote: 
> 
> > There is admittedly a divergence of opinion on my next point. I am an 
> > advocate of fairly aggressive use of the STARTUP database, which is 
> > in SYS$SPECIFIC and SYS$COMMON as opposed to inserting additional 
> > code in SYSTARTUP_VMS.
> I have no opinion on this subject, but what is the benefit of using the SYSMAN database vs. 
> making changes to SYSTARTUP_VMS? 
> 
> -- 
> 
> -- Rob
Rob,

There are several advantages to the STARTUP database/

- enable/disable works quite well for STARTUP database entries;
- database entries in the same phase are effectively executed in parallel

The dependency problem can be managed. Enabling/disabling things in STARTUP_VMS.COM is often the source of problems when people make editing errors.

Some of the granularity problems with the supplied phase structure can be ameliorated by modifying the supplied phase list to include additional phases. The base system comes with eight phases (INITIAL, DEVICES, PRECONFIG, CONFIG, BASEENVIRON, LPBEGIN, LPMAIN, and LPBETA. For ease, I often just add the rest of the Greek alphabet (DELTA, GAMMA, etc.).

SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM is executed indirectly by SYS$STARTUP:VMS$LPBEGIN-050_STARTUP.COM.s

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com