[Info-vax] Writing Device Drivers in C (was: Re: Entitled attitudes, was: Re: vax vms licenses)

[Simon Clubley]

On 2021-02-28, Stephen Hoffman <seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid> wrote:
> On 2021-03-01 01:49:48 +0000, Simon Clubley said:
>
>> In addition to the items you list, does anyone know if the ability to 
>> write device drivers in C ever make it back to VAX/VMS ?
>> 
>> There were a good number of changes to support that on Alpha.
>
> On OpenVMS VAX? No.
>
> The C-as-a-system-programming-language project was 64-bit only, along 
> with the step 2 driver API work, and the kernel C library, and moving 
> away from register-based calling conventions.
>
> It is possible to have C in kernel, but not as easily, not with 
> support, and assists such as the kernel-mode C library are unavailable 
> on OpenVMS VAX.
>
> And C on VAX is limited to VCG and that with known bugs including MD5, 
> and it's 32-bit, etc.
>
> Porting 64-bit C back to OpenVMS VAX gets cluttered, too.
>

Thank you Stephen (and Brian).

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.