Conference hydra::axp-developer

Two methods I can think of:

1)  ucx$uuencode
2)  I wrote a command procedure (EXEC-TO-COM.COM) that converts binaries to
	.com files.  They would need one extra step if they want to send a
	backup save set, but I can help with that.
3)  OpenVMS engineering appears to have a method of converting
	save sets to compressed self extracting binaries.  That could be
	used in conjuction with either 1) or 2).

								-- Chuck Newman

Greetings!

  To create self-extracting files that are transferred then simply "RUN" at
the other end - see note 416.4 in the LASSIE::UCX conference.  You can create
them on any system with FTSV (a.k.a. SPOOL) installed, the resulting "images"
can be run on a target system (VAX or Alpha) without FTSV present.  Works great,
(I use it all the time), cheers...



						Tony Swierkowski
						Digital Equipment Corporation
						Software Partner Engineering
						Palo Alto, California
						(415) 617-3601
						"[email protected]"

    Thankyou Chuck and Tony, quick help, I have sent a reply to the
    partner. 
    
From:	HYDRA::LNARAYAN     "R Lakshminarayan, Software Partner Engg" 12-MAR-1997 12:00:13.65
To:	US4RMC::"[email protected]"
CC:	LNARAYAN
Subj:	utlity to compress and distribute software...

Hello

Thanks for contacting Alpha developer support, there is a OVMS
utlity avaliable to convert save set to compressed self extracting
binaries. ( see the attached for more info ) and then using the
UCX/UUENCODE, this archieve can be encoded and distributed.

There is also another utlity/program which could be used to convert 
binaries to .com files, which was developed in our group.
Please let me know if you need further help.

Thanks
Nari
-Alpha developer support

=======================================================================

FTSV

A way to get around the OpenVMS Backup Saveset RMS file attributes is to
change the attributes to something that can go through FTP in image/binary
mode.  To do this, simply take advantage of the new FTSV V3.0 SPOOL COMPRESS
command.  Not only can you get a compressed file, but you can hide the RMS
attributes for the saveset within something that does know what to do with
them at the other end.  The following is the help text that gives some more
information:

COMPRESS

  /METHOD

        /METHOD=method

     Requests that compression should be done using the method given.
     By default, the method DCX is used. DCX is the standard compression
     algorithm available on all VMS or OpenVMS systems.

     With FTSV V3.0 you have always a minumum of three choices of method:

     - /METHOD=DCX (default)
       which produces a compressed file in VMS format using the DCX
       algorithm. An output file produced with the DCX method can only
       be decompressed on a VMS system that has FTSV V3.0 or later
       installed, by using the $SPOOL DECOMPRESS command, or the
       $SPOOL COPY/DECOMPRESS command.

     - /METHOD=DCX_VAXEXE
       which produces a VAX self-expanding compressed file using the DCX
       algorithm. The file can be expanded on the destination OpenVMS
       VAX system by simply typing $ RUN <compressed-file>.

     - /METHOD=DCX_AXPEXE
       which produces an AXP self-expanding compressed file using the DCX
       algorithm. The file can be expanded on the destination OpenVMS
       AXP system by simply typing $ RUN <compressed-file>.

As you can see from the last two /METHODs, the end result is a self-expanding
compressed file similar in nature to a self-expanding ZIP file.  You do not
have to worry about any FDL information since that was taken care of by FTSV.

P.S. using this method a whole OpenVMS VAX kit could be distributed.