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Conference vaxaxp::vmsnotes

Title:VAX and Alpha VMS
Notice:This is a new VMSnotes, please read note 2.1
Moderator:VAXAXP::BERNARDO
Created:Wed Jan 22 1997
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:703
Total number of notes:3722

357.0. "VMS V7 Mail problem" by TLE::MCCLURE () Thu Mar 20 1997 11:59

On a VMS cluster running 7.0 if I have a com file foo.com which is:
        $ mail
        dir newmail
        exit
and do the command file with a simple @foo.com it runs dandy.

If instead I execute it with either
        spawn /output=far.out @foo.com
or
        @foo.com /output=far.out
then far.out will list the first 4 items and then ask for a
return.   If a blank line follows the "dir newmail", it will then
type 4 more items and then want another return typed.

        I tried doing things like set term/page=0 or set term/page=250
or set ter/nopage and nothing seems to change the behavior.

This worked when we were running 6.2 of VMS.

Any suggestions for how to get around this ??
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
357.1ZIMBRA::BERNARDODave Bernardo, VMS EngineeringThu Mar 20 1997 12:574
    
    use MAIL/OLD ....
    
    d.
357.2TLE::REAGANAll of this chaos makes perfect senseThu Mar 20 1997 13:356
    Can you elaborate on this?  I looked in the V7.0 release notes and
    didn't see any mention of a behavior change in Mail or about the
    "/OLD" qualifier.  Is all this related to the /PAGE qualifier now
    in mail?
    
    				-John
357.3Try MAIL/OLD or SPAWN/OUTPUT=far.out/INPUT=NL: @foo.comEVMS::DAVIDB::DMILLERThis bug fix broke what???????Thu Mar 20 1997 14:3512
	Mail was re-written in C for V7.0.  /PAGE behavior was added to be
	consistent with other utilities that use /PAGE.

	Because of the possibility of small behavioral changes that might
	not be seen, the original mail utility remains on the kit and can
	be invoked via MAIL/OLD.

	You might try "SPAWN/OUTPUT=far.out/INPUT=NL: @foo.com".  This may
	get MAIL to realize you're not on a terminal, and not prompt for
	the page breaks.

	-Dave
357.4Thanks for quick answerTLE::MCCLUREThu Mar 20 1997 15:0023
Thank you for the suggestions:

I tried SPAWN/OUTPUT=far.out/INPUT=NL: @foo.com
and the behavior is the same.  In fact if I change
foo.com to be
	set ter/page=0
	mail
	dir
	exit
or
	set ter/page=10
	mail
	dir
	exit
or
	set ter/page=100
	mail
	dir
	exit
it always prompts for input after listing 4 lines.

Mail/old works.   But will this continue to be supported ?
357.5Looks Like Buglet in New MailXDELTA::HOFFMANSteve, OpenVMS EngineeringThu Mar 20 1997 15:113
   This four-line stuff sounds like it might be a bug -- something that
   should be looked at (fixed?) in MAIL.  You might want to QAR it...
357.6TLE::REAGANAll of this chaos makes perfect senseThu Mar 20 1997 15:367
    RE: .3
    
    > Mail was re-written in C for V7.0.
    
    I'm afraid to ask why...
    
    				-John
357.7Simple...XDELTA::HOFFMANSteve, OpenVMS EngineeringThu Mar 20 1997 16:127
    
:    > Mail was re-written in C for V7.0.
:    I'm afraid to ask why...

   Because it was getting very difficult to maintain.  (Or was that
   a snide comment about C? :-)
357.8TLE::REAGANAll of this chaos makes perfect senseThu Mar 20 1997 17:169
    No, there are enough snide comments about C/C++ to go around.  You
    don't need anymore from me.
    
    As a mail user, I've always thought that it was pretty solid.  My
    opinion is that other OpenVMS components could have benefitted from
    a rewrite (or at least a major upgrade) before MAIL.  However, I
    certainly don't know the dirty details behind the scenes...
    
    				-John (a proud owner of a C++ Barf Bag)
357.9AUSS::GARSONDECcharity Program OfficeThu Mar 20 1997 17:4214
    re .0
    
    Did you try SUBMIT?
    
    re .*
    
    Was callable MAIL included in that rewrite or just the front end?
    
    Regarding MAIL solidity, my POP server repeatedly leaks to death and
    occasionally exhibits other errors both of which the POP people attribute
    to callable MAIL so a full rewrite that improves reliability is welcome
    here.
    
    C may be marginally better than Macro (32).
357.10MOVIES::WIDDOWSONRod OpenVMS Engineering. Project RockFri Mar 21 1997 04:414
    Another reason to use mail/old is that in V7 at least it does not
    extract /FOREIGN mail messages correctly.
    
    .rod
357.11QUARK::LIONELFree advice is worth every centFri Mar 21 1997 09:153
Really?  How so?  I haven't had a problem yet.

			Steve
357.12MOVIES::WIDDOWSONRod OpenVMS Engineering. Project RockFri Mar 21 1997 09:553
    I get bit mostly with OFFICE files (.DOC or .XLS).
    
    See EVMS-GRYPHON QAR 1404.  Problem *is* fixed in Gryphon.
357.13QUARK::LIONELFree advice is worth every centFri Mar 21 1997 12:374
Oh, ok.  I'm running Gryphon (7.1).  I had received many .DOC files this
way without problems.

				Steve
357.14Just the front endEVMS::DAVIDB::DMILLERThis bug fix broke what???????Fri Mar 21 1997 16:2010
>    Was callable MAIL included in that rewrite or just the front end?

	Just the front end.  The old front end used callable MAIL in
	some places, and went off on it's own in others.  I think the
	new front end uses callable MAIL wherever possible, if not
	completely.

	Maintainabilitty of the old code was definitely a problem.

	-Dave