[Info-vax] Search for folders

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 1/27/2024 1:48 PM, Single Stage to Orbit wrote:
> In my system account when I log in and run the dir command it shows me
> this:
> 
> $ dir/page
> 
> Directory SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]

> Total of 25 files.
> 
> Directory SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]

> [ snip ]
> 
> Why does it shows me two directories?

Now it starts to become a little bit tricky to explain.

Let us start with the practical version.

In VMS "default directory" does not need to be
a single directory - it can actually be a list of
directories.

When opening an existing file all in the list are searched.

When creating a new file it get created in the first
in the list.

It is rarely used by VMS users.

But it is used by VMS itself.

SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR] is really disk:[SYSn.SYSMGR]
SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR] is really disk:[VMS$COMMON.SYSMGR] *and* 
disk:[SYSn.SYSCOMMON.SYSMGR]

It is a cluster thing.

disk:[SYS0.SYSMGR] contains file specific for node 0
disk:[SYS1.SYSMGR] contains file specific for node 1
disk:[SYS2.SYSMGR] contains file specific for node 2

disk:[VMS$COMMON.SYSMGR] = disk:[SYS0.SYSCOMMON.SYSMGR] = 
disk:[SYS1.SYSCOMMON.SYSMGR] = disk:[SYS2.SYSCOMMON.SYSMGR] contains 
files shared by all 3 nodes

So as a system manager you can have COM files specific for a node
or shared for all nodes.

Powerful.

But also potential confusing.

Arne