[Info-vax] Command Procedure Pipe output to a variable

[Simon Clubley]

On 2021-09-08, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
> On 9/7/2021 1:58 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2021-09-07, VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG <VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG> wrote:
>>>
>>> My buddy Simon has completely ignored my comments on record oriented access
>>> over DECnet.  I believe he speaks and types only to hear and read himself.
>>>
>>
>> As you should well know Brian, using an insecure protocol in an insecure
>> environment just because of a certain feature is utterly irresponsible
>> from a security point of view.
>
> Ayep!  It's boilerplate ...
>

No. It's saying the things that need to be said.

>> This isn't even appropriate any more for protocols that offer major
>> unique functionality such as VMS clusters. Why do you think VSI,
>> with everything else they need to do, are investing time and effort
>> into adding a secure layer to the clustering protocol ?
>
> Appropriate depends on usage, right?
>

No. It also depends on environment.

>> No, you should look for alternatives or find a different way to do
>> things.
>
> Why?  If the usage doesn't have downsides, then why not use it?
>

Downsides increase over time, if something remains static while everything
else changes around it.

>> That's why telnet is banned (for example) and ssh is enforced
>> on many networks today.
>
> Where outside security is required, sure.  Otherwise, Telnet works just 
> fine.
>

Telnet is banned on many internal networks these days when the target
is an internal server. If you don't understand why, then you don't
understand the problem.

>> You could
>> try the VMS versions of NFS which supports the storing of VMS attributes.
>> However, do any of the VMS NFS implementations support the NFS 4 protocol
>> with secure links ?
>>
>> As for file sharing in general, other people do it by using clustering
>> protocols, remotely mounting filesystems or just copying the files.
>> Examples include NFS, Samba, and GFS2.
>
> Don't like them.
>

Would you prefer to go back to the days of UUCP links ? :-)

>> Linux has also recently acquired the ability to mount filesystems over
>> SSH, but you are unlikely to ever see that in VMS due to VMS's utter
>> inability to support userspace filesystems.
>
> Don't like Linux.
>

Very short sighted. There are things which have been added to Linux
to address current security issues that VMS could well do with.

>> Times have changed and VMS needs to keep up with those times if it
>> is to remain usable in many of today's environments.
>
> Nothing is usable everywhere.
>

If VMS is to remain viable, it needs to be usable in today's world.

>> Telling everyone
>> else to stand still so that VMS can still play is not a viable approach.
>
> Who is telling anyone to stand still?
>

Everytime someone says a 30-year-old network security model in VMS
is still viable for use on networks today.

Simon.

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