HiddenValue details commands and programs in MPE that can improve productivity on HP 3000 systems. Get a free NewsWire "HP 3000 Always Online" cap -- submit an MPE tip to Hidden Value. E-mail your tips to rseybold@zilker.net, or fax them to 512.331.3807.
Is there any trick that would cause the HPPrompt to dynamically reflect HPCWD? For instance, is it possible to SETVAR HPPROMPT to a string that dereferences to HPCWD?
:setvar hpprompt "!hpcwd:" will do the trick, but is not dynamic; i.e. the prompt does not change if you do a `chdir'. To make it dynamic, :setvar hpprompt "!!hpcwd:"
Jeff Vance noted:
The CI variable HPCWD contains your Current Working Directory (CWD)
in POSIX syntax, namely "/dir1/dir2/dir3..." or
"/ACCT/GROUP"
etc. To dynamically capture your MPE Group and Account in MPE format, try
:setvar hpprompt "!!hpgroup.!!hpaccount:"
John Burke added:
This concept can be carried to considerable lengths as in
:SETVAR HPPROMPT," "+& "!!HPDATEF !!HPTIMEF "+CHR(13)+CHR(10)+"[!!HPCMDNUM]:"
which, for example, will dereference into something like
<JPB,MGR.CCC,PUB> WED, NOV 20, 1996 9:37 AM </WEB/DOC> [31]:_
Finally, Tony Peters noted:
You can also set this for system-wide use Sysgen, MIsc, CIPROMPT. This
remains dynamic as well.
| System Command | parameter | VALUE |
| USER VERSION | userversion | C.50.00 |
| LOGON PROMPT | logonprompt | FRED V: |
| CI PROMPT | ciprompt | !HPACCOUNT(!HPGROUP): |
| RELEASE | C.50.00 |
Note: in the Sysgen form, only single exclamations "!" are required.
Is there a way to take an IMAGE schema with real capacities, and calculate the disc space required?
Stan Seiler replies:
Add "CONTROL NOROOT" to the start of your schema, and run
it through the DBSCHEMA processor, then look at the line in the output
that says:
TOTAL DISC SECTORS INCLUDING ROOT: #####
For some years, there has been a request in the 3000 user community for HP to provide a way of resolving 'deadly embraces'. The only way I know of resolving a true 'deadly embrace' is to reboot the system. Is there any other way?
Craig Vespe replies:
I believe UNDEDLOK.PRVXL.TELESUP can resolve 'deadly embraces',
and thus the item has been taken off the SIG-IMAGE list.
Ken Sletten (SIGIMAGE Chair) added:
UNDEDLOK was accepted as the solution to the deadly embrace problem.
As far as I know, it works as advertised (we've only had to use it a couple
times at our site; worked fine on that small sample; haven't heard any
bad reports from others).
Of course when you run UNDEDLOK, you get the usual:
"UNDEDLOK/iX is designed for use by Hewlett-Packard support personnel only. HP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM MISUSE OR UNAUTHORIZED USE."
So it's the supported solution but not the "supported" end-user solution.
I would encourage people who are not familiar with UNDEDLOK to enter "?" at the "Database name:" prompt, and to carefully read the HELP menu before jumping in and trying to release locks. The HELP is short, less than one screen page, but well worth reading.
UNDEDLOK will also give you a fully qualified list of ALL open IMAGE databases on your system when you enter "!" at the "Database name:" prompt.
How can I print ASCII files to my slave printer?
Tim Busche replies:
I remember a method (I haven't used it in a few years) that you: FCOPY
FROM=filetoprint;TO=$HARD
(Note from John Burke: the following example of the above hint (which worked the same with WRQ's Reflection 1 for Windows, Minisoft's WS92 for Windows and a HP900/92 terminal) shows FCOPY doing some interesting things:
:FCOPY FROM=JPBTEMP;TO=$HARD HP31900A.05.02 FILE COPIER (C) HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1990 SETMSG OFF ISSUED.<--- hmmm SET AND LEAVE PARITY TOGGLE SWITCH TO NONE.<--- hmmm *200*WARNING: FROMFILE RECSIZE IS 80 BYTES, TOFILE RECSIZE IS 88 BYTES. CONTINUE OPERATION (Y OR N) ?Y EOF FOUND IN FROMFILE AFTER RECORD 8 9 RECORDS PROCESSED *** 0 ERRORS SETMSG ON ISSUED.<--- hmmm END OF SUBSYSTEM
Does anyone know how to get tar (Posix MPE/iX 5.0) to write to tapes or do I need to wait a few versions more?
You need to issue the following command
:mknod "/dev/tape c 0 n"
This is in the MPE/iX 5.0 Installation Manual. (Replace "n" with the LDEV number of the tape drive you want to use tar on).
I have an VPlus application, and I want to get/put an Application Ready Buffer. How can I get/put the ARB into/from program data area ?
Use the intrinsics VGETBUFFER and VPUTBUFFER to transfer data into/from program data area respectively. When making a call to these intrinsics, set bit 15 of buffercontrol word in comarea to 1.
I have an odd situation that is probably hardware related, but here is the scenario. I have a 959 running 5.0, and a 927 running 5.5 at work. I can store and restore tapes between the two machines all day long. I have a 925 at home with 4.0. I can restore tapes made on the 925 to the 959 and 927, but I can't restore any tapes to the 925 made on either the 959 or 927. Is there some option, or dip switch on the DDS drives that's enabling something. Anyone have any ideas?
HP's James Overman replies:
Could it be that TRANSPORT=MPEXL is needed on the STORE command, or
maybe to disable hardware data compression on the source systems via the
DEVCTRL.MPEXL.TELESUP xeq file? Perhaps you're using 120 meter tapes on
DDS-2 that CANNOT be read on DDS-1 drives.
Graeme Rollinson adds:
I've had just this problem, and it took me a few hours of swearing
to solve it. The problem is that the new DDS-2 drives default to compression=yes
which the older DDS-1 drives complain about. You need to use xeq
DEVCTRL.MPEXL.TELESUP
COMPRESSION=NO before doing the store. Also, TRANSPORT=MPEXL
or just TRANSPORT is required as well.