If your login is successful, the system displays a dollar sign ($) in the left margin of your screen. The dollar sign is the default DCL prompt; it indicates that the system is ready to use.

Username:  CASEY   
Password:                  
        Welcome to OpenVMS on node MARS
    Last interactive login on Friday, 11-DEC-2002 08:41
    Last non-interactive login on Thursday, 10-DEC-2002 11:05
$

Typically, when you learn that an account has been created for you on the system, you are told whether a user password is required. If user passwords are in effect, your system manager will usually assign a specific password for your first login. This password has been placed in the system user authorization file (UAF) with other information about how your account can be used.

It is inadvisable to have passwords that others could easily guess. Ask the person creating the account for you to specify a password that is difficult to guess. If you have no control over the password you are given, you might be given a password that is the same as your first name. If so, change it immediately after you log in. The use of first or last names as passwords is a practice so well known that it is undesirable from a security standpoint.

At the time your account is created, you should also be told a minimum length for your password and whether you can choose your new password or whether the system generates the password for you.

Log in to your account soon after it is created to change your password. If there is a time lapse from the moment your account is created until your first login, other users might log in to your account successfully, gaining a chance to damage the system. Similarly, if you neglect to change the password or are unable to do so, the system remains vulnerable. Possible damage depends largely on what other security measures are in effect. See Section 1.7 for more information on changing passwords.

The system rejects any passwords that it finds in a system dictionary, that you have used before, and that are shorter than the minimum password length specified in your UAF.

Your security administrator will tell you if you must specify a system password to log in to one or more of the terminals designated for your use. Ask your security administrator for the current system password, how often it changes, and how to obtain the new system password when it does change.

MAPLE - A member of the Forest Cluster
     Unauthorized Access is Prohibited     
 
Username:

Your security administrator decides whether to require the use of secondary passwords for your account at the time your account is created. When your account requires primary and secondary passwords, you need two passwords to log in. Minimum password length, which the security administrator specifies in your UAF, applies to both passwords.

As with a single password login, the system allots a limited amount of time for the entire login. If you do not enter a secondary password in time, the login period expires.

     WILLOW - A member of the Forest Cluster
         Welcome to OpenVMS on node WILLOW
 
Username: RWOODS
Password:           Enter
Password:           Enter

    Last interactive login on Friday, 11-DEC-2002 10:22
$

A security administrator can suppress the announcement and welcome messages, which include node names and operating system identification. Because login procedures differ according to operating system, it is more difficult to log in without this information.

The last login success and failure messages are optional. Your security administrator can enable or disable them as a group. Sites with medium-level or high-level security needs display these messages because they can indicate break-in attempts. In addition, by showing that the system is monitoring logins, these messages can be a deterrent to potential illegal users.

Each time you log in, the system resets the values for the last successful login and the number of login failures. If you access your account interactively and do not specify an incorrect password in your login attempts, you may not see the last successful noninteractive login and login failure messages.

You cannot log in if the terminal you attempt to use requires a system password and you are unaware of the requirement. All attempts at logging in fail until you enter the system password.

If you know the system password, perform the steps described in Section 1.3.5. If your attempts fail, it is possible that the system password has been changed. If you do not know the system password and you suspect that this is the problem, try to log in at another terminal or request the new system password.

If you attempt a class of login that is prohibited in your UAF record, your login will fail. For example, your security administrator can restrict you from logging in over the network. If you attempt a network login, you receive a message telling you that you are not authorized to log in from this source.

Your security administrator can restrict your logins to include or exclude any of the following classes: local, remote, dialup, batch, or network.

Another cause of login difficulty is failure to observe your shift restrictions. A system manager or security administrator can control access to the system based on the time of day or the day of the week. These restrictions are imposed on classes of logins. The security administrator can apply the same work-time restrictions to all classes of logins or choose to place different restrictions on different login classes.

If you attempt a login during a time prohibited for that login class, your login fails. The system notifies you that you are not authorized to log in at this time.

When shift restrictions apply to batch jobs, jobs you submit that are scheduled to run outside your permitted work times are not run. The system does not automatically resubmit such jobs during your next available permitted work time. Similarly, if you have initiated any kind of job and attempt to run it beyond your permitted time periods, the job controller aborts the uncompleted job when the end of your allocated work shift is reached. This job termination behavior applies to all jobs.

Your security administrator can control the number of opportunities you are given to enter a correct password during a dialup login before the connection is automatically broken.

If your login fails and you have attempts remaining, press the Enter key and try again. You can do this until you succeed or reach the limit. If the connection is lost, you can redial the access line and start again.

The typical reason for limiting the number of dialup login failures is to discourage unauthorized users attempting to learn passwords by trial and error. They already have the advantage of anonymity because of the dialup line. Of course, limiting the number of tries for each dialup does not necessarily stop this kind of break-in attempt. It only requires the perpetrator to redial and start another login.

If anyone has made a number of failed attempts to log in at the same terminal with your user name, the system can respond as though a break-in attempt is in progress. That is, the system concludes that someone is attempting to gain illegal access to the system by using your user name.

At the discretion of your security administrator, break-in evasion measures can be in effect for all users of the system. The security administrator controls how many password attempts are allowed over what period of time. Once break-in evasion tactics are triggered, you cannot log in to the terminal—even with your correct password—during a defined interval. Your security administrator can tell you how long you must wait before reattempting the login, or you can move to another terminal to attempt a login.

If you suspect that break-in evasion is preventing your login and you have not personally experienced any login failures, contact your security administrator immediately. Together, you should attempt another login and check the message that reveals the number of login failures since the last login to confirm or deny your suspicion of break-in attempts. If your system does not normally display the login message, your security administrator can use the Authorize utility (AUTHORIZE) to examine the data in your UAF record. With prompt action, your security administrator can locate someone attempting logins at another terminal.

$ SET PASSWORD
New password:       
Verification:       

If you fail to enter the same new password twice, the password is not changed. If you succeed in these two steps, there is no notification. The command changes your password and Enters you to the DCL prompt.

Even though your security administrator might not require the password generator, you are strongly encouraged to use it to promote the security of your system.

To change a secondary password, use the DCL command SET PASSWORD/SECONDARY. You are prompted to specify the old secondary password and the new secondary password, just as in the procedure for changing the primary password. To remove a secondary password, press the Enter key when you are prompted for a new password and verification.

You can change primary and secondary passwords independently, but both are subject to the same change frequency because they share the same password lifetime.

Even if your current password has not yet expired, you can change your password when you log in to the system by including the /NEW_PASSWORD qualifier with your user name. When you enter the /NEW_PASSWORD qualifier after your user name, the system prompts you to set a new password immediately after login.

WILLOW - A member of the Forest Cluster
 
Username: RWOODS/NEW_PASSWORD
Password:
         Welcome to OpenVMS on node WILLOW
            Last interactive login on Tuesday, 7-NOV-2002 10:20
            Last non-interactive login on Monday, 6-NOV-2002 14:20
 
Your password has expired; you must set a new password to log in
New password:
Verification:

WARNING – Your password expires on Thursday 11-DEC-2002 15:00

Your password has expired; you must set a new password to log in
New password:

The system prompts you for a new password or, if automatic password generation is enabled, asks you to select a new password from those listed. You can abort the login by pressing Ctrl/Y. At your next login attempt, the system again prompts you to change your password.

If secondary passwords are in effect for your account (see Section 1.3.4), the secondary password expires at the same time as the primary one. You are prompted to change both passwords. If you change the primary password and press Ctrl/Y before changing the secondary password, the login fails. The system does not record a password change.

WARNING -- Your password has expired; update immediately with
SET PASSWORD!

At this point, if you do not change the password or if the system fails before you have the opportunity to do so, you will be unable to log in again. To regain access, see your system manager.

If you need your account for a specific purpose for a limited time only, the person who creates your account may specify a period of time after which the account lapses. For example, student accounts at universities are typically authorized for a single semester at a time.

Expired accounts deny logins automatically. You receive no advance warning message before the account expiration date, so it is important to know in advance your account duration. The account expiration resides in the UAF record, which can be accessed and displayed only through the use of the OpenVMS Authorize utility (AUTHORIZE) by users with the SYSPRV privilege or equivalent—normally, your system manager or security administrator.

When your account expires, you receive an authorization failure message at your next attempted login. If you need an extension, follow the procedures defined at your site.

A default is the value supplied by the operating system when you do not specify one yourself. For example, if you do not specify the number of copies as a qualifier for the PRINT command, the system uses the default value 1. The operating system supplies default values in several areas, including command qualifiers and parameters. The defaults that the operating system uses with specific commands are described in each command's entry in the VSI OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.

$ PRINT MYFILE.LIS 
     Job MYFILE (queue SCALE_PRINT, entry 210) started on SYS$PRINT

Not all commands display informational messages. Successful completion of a command is usually indicated when the DCL prompt Enters. Unsuccessful completion is always indicated by one or more error messages.

$ CAPY )
%DCL-W-IVVERB, unrecognized command verb - check validity and spelling
 \CAPY\
$

DCL-W-IVVERB

$ PRINT NOFILE.DAT 
%PRINT-E-OPENIN, error opening CLASS1:[MAYMON]NOFILE.DAT; as input
-RMS-E-FNF, file not found
$

The first message is from the PRINT command. It tells you it cannot open the specified file. The second message indicates the reason for the first; that is, the file cannot be found. RMS refers to the OpenVMS file-handling software, Record Management Services; error messages related to file handling are generally OpenVMS RMS messages.

If you suspect that your process is not doing what you think it should be doing, press Ctrl/T. Ctrl/T displays a single line of statistical information about the current process. The statistical information includes node and user name, current time, current process, central processing unit (CPU) usage, number of page faults, level of I/O activity, and memory usage, which is listed in number of CPU-specific pages.

GREEN::MCCARTHY 13:45:02 EVE CPU=00:00:03.33 PF=778 IO=295 MEM=315

To refresh the screen, press Ctrl/W.

Ctrl/T is disabled by default. If you know your system is running and Ctrl/T does not display statistical information, you can enable Ctrl/T with the DCL command SET CONTROL=T. Enter the command at DCL level (at the dollar sign ($) prompt), then press Ctrl/T again. Ctrl/T will remain in effect for the duration of your process, unless it is disabled from a program or command such as SET NOCONTROL=T. Note that your terminal must be set to BROADCAST mode for Ctrl/T to display on your screen. BROADCAST mode controls whether reception of broadcast messages (such as those issued by MAIL and REPLY) is enabled. To set your terminal to BROADCAST mode, enter the DCL command SET TERMINAL/BROADCAST at the DCL prompt.

$ HELP SHOW USERS 

If you need help but do not know what command or system topic to specify, enter the command HELP with the word HINTS as a parameter. Each task name listed in the HINTS text is associated with a list of related command names and system information topics.

The VSI OpenVMS DCL Dictionary contains more information about the HELP command.

$ HELP/MESSAGE

$ HELP/MESSAGE BADACP

$ HELP/MESSAGE/STATUS=%X00038090

$ SHOW SYMBOL $STATUS
  $STATUS == "%X00038090"

The Help Message utility allows you to update the messages database with your own messages or to add comments to existing message descriptions. You can also extract a subset of messages from the messages database to create and print your own customized messages documentation. For details on how to use the Help Message utility, see OpenVMS System Messages: Companion Guide for Help Message Users.

When you end a remote session, the system displays the message “%REM-S-END, control Entered to node NODENAME::” and Enters you to the process on the system from which you made the remote node connection.

If a TCP/IP network connection to a remote system is lost, TCP/IP uses the best-effort delivery protocol, which is a characteristic of network technologies that attempts to deliver data but does not try to recover if there is an error such as a line failure.

If a DECnet network connection to a remote system is lost, DECnet will retransmit your data in an attempt to reestablish communications. If DECnet is unable to reestablish communications within a predetermined timeout period, your connection to the remote system is terminated, and the system displays the message “Path lost to partner.”

When you are logged in to a network node, you can communicate with other nodes in the network. The node at which you are logged in is called the local node; other nodes on the network are called remote nodes. If you have access to an account on a remote node, you can log in to that account from your local node and perform tasks on that node while remaining connected to your local node.

Section 1.5.2 describes how to log in to a remote node. Additional tasks you can perform on remote nodes are described in the appropriate chapters of this manual.

Because of support provided by TCP/IP and DECnet software, programs can execute across the network as if they were executing locally. Because the network software is integrated within the operating system, it is easy to write programs that access remote files. To access a remote file in an application program, you need only include the name of the remote node and any required access control information in the file specification.

Just as a spoken language depends on the order of words to create meaning, DCL requires that you put the correct elements of the command line in a specific word order or format.

command/qualifier=value=keyword

command parameter/qualifier

When you enter a DCL command, some parameters are required; they must be entered on the command line. If you do not enter them, the system prompts you to supply the missing information. A line beginning with an underscore (_) means that the system is waiting for your response.

When you are prompted for an optional parameter, press Enter to omit it. At any prompt, after you enter the required parameter, you can enter one or more of the remaining parameters and any additional qualifiers.

Note that you must enclose in quotation marks ("") any parameter containing a slash (/) or at sign (@).

$ TYPE
_File:   WATER.TXT

If you press Ctrl/Z after a command prompt, DCL ignores the command and redisplays the DCL prompt.

Some items, called defaults, need not be specified on the command line. When DCL performs an operation by default, it assigns a command certain values or performs certain functions associated with that command even though you may not have explicitly specified those values or functions when you entered the command. In general, the values and functions are those considered typical or expected by users.

DCL supplies default values in several areas, including command parameters and qualifiers. For parameter defaults, see the sections in this manual that describe the specific DCL command. Qualifier defaults are described in Section 2.5.

$ PRINT/COPIES=4 MYFILE.TXT

$ COPY/LOG FORMAT.TXT,FIGURE.TXT,ARTWORK.TXT -
_$ SAVE.TXT

For more detailed information, see Section 14.20 and the description of the PIPE command in the VSI OpenVMS DCL Dictionary: N-Z.

A command qualifier modifies a command and can appear anywhere in the command line. However, it is a good practice to place the qualifier after the command name. If you are specifying multiple qualifiers, you should place a command qualifier with other command qualifiers that follow the command name.

$ PRINT/QUEUE=LN03_PRINT SATURN.TXT,EARTH.TXT

A positional qualifier can modify commands or parameters and has different meanings depending on where you place it in the command string. If you place a positional qualifier after the command but before the first parameter, it affects the entire command string. If you place a positional qualifier after a parameter, it affects only that parameter.

$ PRINT/COPIES=2 SPRING.SUM,FALL.SUM
$ PRINT SPRING.SUM/COPIES=2,FALL.SUM

A parameter qualifier can be used only with certain types of parameters, such as input files and output files. For example, the BACKUP command accepts several parameter qualifiers that apply only to input and output file specifications.

$ BACKUP *.TXT/CREATED/BEFORE=11-DEC-2002 NEWFILE.TXT

If you use two or more contradictory qualifiers on a command line, the right-most qualifier overrides the others.

Some commands contain conflicting qualifiers that cannot be specified in the same command line. If you use incompatible qualifiers, the command interpreter displays an error message.

$ PRINT MYFILE/COPIES=3/BURST/COPIES=2/NOBURST EARTH.TXT

Qualifiers can accept keywords, file specifications, character strings, and numeric values. When you enter a value for a qualifier, separate the qualifier and the value with either an equal sign (=) or a colon (:).

Some qualifier keywords require additional information. In these cases, separate the keyword from its value with a colon or an equal sign.

To specify multiple keywords that require values, enclose the list in parentheses and separate the keyword and value with either an equal sign (=) or a colon (:).

Examples

$ PRINT/COPIES=3 MYFILE.DAT

$ PRINT/COPIES:3 MYFILE.DAT

$ SET SECURITY/PROTECTION:GROUP:RW MYFILE.DAT

$ SET SECURITY/PROTECTION=GROUP=RW MYFILE.DAT

$ SET SECURITY/PROTECTION=(OWNER=RWD,GROUP=RW) myfile.dat

$ SET SECURITY/PROTECTION=(OWNER:RWD,GROUP:RW) myfile.dat

"+[dddd-][hh:mm:ss.cc]"

If a qualifier is described as a value that can be expressed as an absolute time, a delta time, or a combination of the two, you must specify a delta time as if it were part of a combination time. For example, to specify a delta time value of five minutes from the current time, use “+:5” (not “0-0:5”).

    "[absolute time][+delta time]"

     [absolute time][-delta time]

The variable fields and default fields for absolute and delta time values are the same as those described in the preceding sections.

Pressing Ctrl/B once recalls the previous command line. Pressing Ctrl/B again recalls the line before the previous line and so on to the last saved command line.

Using the up arrow and down arrow keys recalls the previous and successive command, respectively. Press the arrow keys repeatedly to move through the commands.

To examine previously typed command lines, type RECALL/ALL. After reviewing the available commands, you can recall a particular command line by typing RECALL and the number of the desired command.

You can also follow RECALL with the first characters of the command line you want to display. RECALL scans the previous command lines (beginning with the most recent one) and Enters the first command line that begins with the characters you typed.

Examples

$ RECALL/ALL

 1 SET DEFAULT DISK2:[MARSHALL]
 2 EDIT ACCOUNTS.COM
 3 PURGE ACCOUNTS.COM
 4 DIRECTORY/FULL ACCOUNTS.COM
 5 COPY ACCOUNTS.COM [.ACCOUNTS]*
 6 SET DEFAULT [.ACCOUNTS]

$ RECALL 4

After you press Enter, the system displays the fourth command in the list at the DCL prompt. The RECALL command itself is not placed in the buffer.

$ RECALL E

$ EDIT ACCOUNTS.COM

$ RECALL/ERASE

For security reasons, it is good practice to erase the contents of the recall buffer after you have entered commands that include passwords.

You can use the SET TERMINAL command to alter the way in which your terminal edits a DCL command line. By default, changes made with the SET TERMINAL command apply only to the current session. To set the terminal each time you log in, you can include SET TERMINAL commands in your LOGIN.COM file.

$ SET TERMINAL/LINE_EDIT

Insert and Overstrike Modes

You can edit a command line in either insert or overstrike mode. In insert mode, the character you type is inserted to the left of the cursor. In overstrike mode, the character you type overwrites the character indicated by the cursor.

To change editing modes for a single command line, press Ctrl/A (Ctrl/A acts as a toggle). To change edit modes for your session, enter either the SET TERMINAL/INSERT or SET TERMINAL/OVERSTRIKE command.

Text Wrapping

If you use the SET TERMINAL/WRAP command, when you enter more characters than will fit on one line of the screen, the text wraps to the next line. If you use the SET TERMINAL/NOWRAP command, when you enter more characters than will fit on one line of the terminal screen, the last character on the line is typed over.

You can edit only the line where your cursor appears. When text wraps, you cannot use the up arrow key to move the cursor up to edit the previous line. To move the cursor up to the previous line, use the Delete key and delete all the characters in the current line.

Pressing the Backspace key moves the cursor backwards and erases the character in that space. If line editing is enabled, you can use Ctrl/U to delete characters from the beginning of the line to the current cursor position. If line editing is not enabled, you can use Ctrl/U to cancel an entire line. The system ignores the line and redisplays the DCL prompt.

You do not have to include all the elements of a complete file specification. However, you must specify enough of the file specification so that, when combined with default components, the system can locate and identify the correct file?.

node::device:[root.][directory]file-name.file-type;version

In addition to a file name and file type, every file has a version number. Version numbers are decimal integer numbers from 1 to 32,767 that differentiate versions of a file. When you create a file, the system assigns it the version number 1.

You can have several versions of the same file. Unless you specify a version number, the system uses the highest existing version number of that file. If you specify the version number 0, the system uses the highest existing version. When you modify a file with a command, application, or text editor (such as EVE) that creates a new version of the file, the file name remains the same but the version number is incremented by one.

Precede version numbers with a semicolon or a period. When the system displays file specifications, it displays a semicolon in front of the file version number.

You can refer to versions of a file in a relative manner by specifying a zero or a negative version number. Specifying zero locates the latest (highest numbered) version of the file. Specifying −1 locates the next-most-recent version, −2 the version before that, and so on. To locate the earliest (lowest numbered) version of a file, specify −0 as the version number. Note that you cannot create files with a version number higher than 32767. If you attempt to create a new file with a version number higher than 32767, you will receive an error message.

The /VERSION_LIMIT[=n] qualifier for the CREATE/DIRECTORY, SET DIRECTORY, and SET FILE commands lets you set the maximum number of versions that a specified file or all files in a directory can have. When creating a file, if the total number of versions of that file name exceeds the specified version limit, then the file with the lowest version number is deleted from the directory without notification to the user. For example, if the version limit is 5 and you create the sixth version of a file (ACCOUNTS.DAT;6), the system deletes the first version of the file (ACCOUNTS.DAT;1). To view the version limit on a file, use the DIRECTORY/FULL command on a file name and look at the File Attributes field of the output or use the F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES(filename,"VERLIMIT") lexical function. For detailed information, refer to the VSI OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.

An OpenVMS node is an individual machine (hardware or virtual) with the OpenVMS operating system installed on it. In a network, the node that you log in on is known as your local node; other nodes in the network are remote nodes. You have to use the node name when you want to specify a file on a remote node.

node["access-control-string"]::

On OpenVMS systems, you can specify node full names. However, you must have DECnet–Plus software installed for full node names to be recognized.

If a full node name is enclosed in quotation marks (“ ”), it can contain any characters except unmatched quotation marks. Note that if there are quotation marks within the node name, the quotation marks must be doubled and the entire string, including the quotation marks, must also be enclosed in quotation marks.

Although the OpenVMS software enforces few rules on the syntax of node names, the actual set of valid node names is constrained by the DECnet software running on your system. For further information on full names, refer to the DECnet–Plus documentation. The syntax rules, including valid character codes, are described in detail in the VSI DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS DECdns Management Guide.

"MARY:.UNIVERSITY.""SCIENCE LAB"""

With TCP/IP, unless otherwise stated, whenever you specify a host on a command line, you can use its host name, a fully qualified domain name, or its IP address. The relative name of a host is a simple name that does not include the fully qualified domain name; that is, it does not include one or more periods (.). Refer to the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS User's Guide for the TCP/IP syntax rules.

If you include an access control string, the system uses it to log you in to the remote node. The remainder of the file specification is passed to the remote node and is interpreted there.

VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS provides the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to access and transfer files to and from another host over a network. To use FTP, you need a user account on the OpenVMS system with access to VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS and a user account on the remote FTP host. In some instances, TCP/IP allows you to connect to a remote host without specifying an account and password. If that feature is not enabled, you must supply user authentication information for a remote host. For information on using FTP commands, refer to the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS User's Guide.

In each format, the node specification can include an access control string. For more information, see the DECnet User's Manual for your product and the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS User's Guide.

node::device:[directory]filename.type;version

node::"foreign-file-spec-string"

$ COPY BOSTON::"TEST?.DAT" *

node::“task-spec-string”

BOSTON::"TASK=TEST2"

node"access-control-string"::

Enclose the access control string in quotation marks (“ ”) and follow it with a double colon (::).

On OpenVMS systems, the access control string consists of a user name, followed by one or more spaces or tabs and a password. For additional information on access control strings, see Chapter 10.

$ DIR BOSTON"HIGGINS ETUHCARAP"::WEASEL2:[BORIS]ACCOUNTS.DAT

Examples

$ PRINT [FROGMAN]*.*;*

$ TYPE *.DAT;*

$ DIRECTORY [FROGMAN.*]*.DAT

$ TYPE [*.*.*]AVERAGE.*;*

This file specification selects all versions of all files named AVERAGE with any file type that exists in any second-level subdirectory on the current default disk. For example, this file specification selects [A.B.C]AVERAGE.DAT but not [X.Y]AVERAGE.DAT.

Use the percent sign (%) wildcard character as a substitute for any single character in a file specification. You can use the percent sign in the directory, file name, and file type fields. You cannot, however, use the percent sign in the version number field or in ANSI magnetic tape file specifications. The percent sign replaces one character position in a field, but there must be a character to replace.

You can specify the percent sign as many times as necessary and in combination with other wildcard characters.

$ TYPE [JONES.TAXES.PROPERTY]DISTRICT%.DAT

This display would include the files DISTRICT1.DAT, DISTRICT2.DAT, and DISTRICT3.DAT. The file DISTRICT4_5.DAT would not be displayed because it has more than one character after DISTRICT, nor would the file DISTRICT.DAT be displayed.

$ [MA*]INS%%%A*.J*;*

When a file specification component, such as the file name or the file type, is missing, it is often replaced by a default value during the (built-in) parsing operation of the DCL command or utility. For example, the FORTRAN command uses a default file type or .FOR. The following command would cause the FORTRAN compiler to attempt to compile the file FILE.FOR:

$ FORTRAN FILE

$ DIRECTORY FILE

.TMP
TEMP.

$ DIRECTORY TEMP.         !

$ DIRECTORY .TMP

"filename".;version

! " % ' ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? & _

In addition, asterisk (*) character is allowed in ANSI magnetic tape file names.

For details, refer to the VSI OpenVMS Guide to OpenVMS File Applications.

The CREATE command creates a text file. You cannot modify a file with the CREATE command; after you have pressed Enter, you cannot return to a previous line to modify a word. You must use a text editor to modify a file created with the CREATE command. Pressing Ctrl/Z signals the end of the file and returns you to DCL command level.

$ CREATE TEST.TXT
this is a test
12345678
Ctrl/Z

Examples

$ COPY FEES.DAT RECORDS.DAT

$ COPY *.TXT;* [SAVETEXT]*.*;*

$ COPY/SINCE=11-DEC-1999/MODIFIED [JONES.LICENSES.DOG]*.* *

$ COPY FEES.DAT,FEES1.DAT FEES.DAT

Note that there is no space between the comma after FEES.DAT and the file name FEES1.DAT.

Use the COPY command to copy files from your node to another node. If you receive a protection violation or DECnet error message when you attempt to copy a file across systems, you can either use mail to copy the file or you can use an access control string.

$ COPY *.* CHAOS::DISK2:[STAFF_BACKUP]

TCP/IP uses the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) service to access and transfer files to and from another host over a network. To copy files from a remote host to your local host, use the GET command. To copy files from your local host to a remote host, use the PUT command. To use these commands, you must have an active FTP session with a remote host. You can enter any number of FTP commands during the session. For information on using FTP commands, refer to the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS User's Guide.

$ MAIL/SUBJECT="Fee schedule"  FEES.DAT  CHAOS::JONES

To copy files after you have received a protection violation, you can follow the node name in the file specification with an access control string (see Section 3.1.12).

$ COPY *.* CHAOS"SMITH SPG96PRT"::DISK2:[STAFF_BACKUP]

Use the RENAME command to give the file a new name and optionally to locate it in a different directory. Note that after being renamed, the original file no longer exists. When you use the RENAME command, the input and output locations must be on the same device.

$ RENAME FEES.DAT;4 [SAVETEXT]RECORDS.DAT

To display the contents of a file on your screen, enter the TYPE command and the file name at the DCL prompt. You do not have to specify the version number in the file specification because the system displays the latest version of a file by default.

$ TYPE STAFF_VACATIONS.TXT

If you specify the /PAGE qualifier to the TYPE command, you can view one screen at a time. The system prompts you to press Enter when you want to see the next screen.

By invoking an interactive text editor (for example, EVE or EDT) with the /READ_ONLY qualifier, you can use interactive editing commands to move around in a file and search for specific sequences of characters. The /READ_ONLY qualifier prevents you from creating a modified version of the file when you exit from the interactive editor.

When using DECnet to display the contents of a file on a remote node, include the node name, disk, and directory in the file specification.

$ TYPE CHAOS::DISK2:[PUBLIC]COMPANY_HOLIDAYS.TXT

When using TCP/IP to display the contents of a file on a remote node, use the FTP VIEW command, and specify the file name. If the file is not in your current working directory, include the directory name in the file specification. Refer to the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS User's Guide for information on the FTP VIEW command.

You can use the asterisk (*) wildcard to display all versions of a specific file.

$ TYPE [JONES]LOGIN.COM;*

$ TYPE [JONES]STAFF*.*;*

If you specify more than one file in the TYPE command line, the system displays the files in the order you specify. If you use wildcard characters, the system displays the files in alphabetical order.

The PURGE command deletes all except the latest version of the specified file (or all files) in the default directory or any other specified directory. Purging old versions of files after updating them enables you to retain more free space on your disk.

$ PURGE/KEEP=2

To prevent other users from accessing your files, you can change the protection or modify the access control list (ACL) of your files. To change the protection or modify the ACL of a file, you must own the file, have control access to the file, or have GRPPRV, SYSPRV, BYPASS, or READALL privilege.

There are two types of file protection: default and explicit. When a file is created, it usually has the same protections as its parent directory; this is the default protection. If you create a file using the CREATE/PROTECTION command or if you change the protection on an existing file by issuing the SET SECURITY/PROTECTION command, you are using explicit file protection.

Note that to protect a file completely, you must apply the same or greater protection to the directory in which the file resides.

A print queue can execute only one job at a time. Print jobs are scheduled for printing according to their scheduling priority, and the job with the highest priority is printed first. If more than one job exists with the same priority, the smallest job is usually printed first. Jobs of equal size having the same priority are selected for printing according to their submission time. Priority may also be determined by the system manger or by entering the /PRIORITY qualifier to the PRINT command. For more information on scheduling priorities, refer to the VSI OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

If your printing needs are limited, you do not need to use special forms because VSI supplies a systemwide default form (named DEFAULT) for all queues. System managers can also create print forms. If you need to format output or if certain print jobs require special paper, contact your system manager.

To stop a print job and delete it from the print queue, enter the entry number parameter to the DELETE/ENTRY command.

$ DELETE/ENTRY=202

DECnet or TCP/IP services allow you to print a file on another system.

Refer to the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS User's Guide, which describes how to print files using the LPR/LPD commands.

With DECnet, you can print a file on another system, copy that file to the remote node and specify the /REMOTE qualifier to the PRINT command.

$ COPY COMPANY_HOLIDAYS.TXT CHAOS"JONES PANDEMONIUM"::DISK2:[JONES]*
$ PRINT/REMOTE CHAOS::DISK2:[JONES]COMPANY_HOLIDAYS.TXT

Print jobs can be controlled in various ways by using qualifiers to the PRINT command. For example, you can specify the number of copies printed or you can request that the system notify you when your print job is complete.

In addition to the qualifiers described in this manual, if you are running DECprint Supervisor software on your system, you can use the /PARAMETER qualifier to print landscape, two-sided, or many other ways. Contact your system manager for a list of print options that are available on your system.

Supported Languages

When processing a character, WWPPS checks to see if the character is printable in the current locale. The locale setting is provided by the VSI C for OpenVMS Run-Time Library (RTL) during the OpenVMS installation. Except for files in 16-bit Unicode or ISO 10646 (USC-4) format, you must set the appropriate locale before printing files that contain characters in languages other than English. If the locale setting for the process is not appropriate for the input file, the locale can be set specifically for the print job by using the /LOCALE qualifier.

Supported Codesets

All of these codesets are supported by WWPPS, but fonts can be associated with only one language at a time for each codeset.

WWPPS also supports Unicode character conversion for all of these codesets except Thai. A Unicode character is converted to a character in one of these codesets; then the font supporting that codeset is used for the character in the PostScript file. If a character cannot be converted, it is printed as a space.

$ WWPPS :== $SYS$SYSTEM:WWPPS.EXE

$ WWPPS

WWPPS> EXIT

WWPPS> HELP PRINT

HELP [topic]

PRINT/QUEUE=queue-name [/qualifiers] file-spec

WWPPS> PRINT/QUEUE=PRT_QUEUE/LOCALE=EN_US_ISO8859-1 REPORT.TXT

To create a directory, enter the CREATE/DIRECTORY command. If you want to create a subdirectory under your current directory, you do not have to specify the current directory name; you can enter the subdirectory name preceded by a period.

$ CREATE/DIRECTORY [JONES.TAXES]

$ CREATE/DIRECTORY [.LICENSES]

To display the names of files in a directory, enter DIRECTORY at the DCL prompt. To list the files in a subdirectory, enter the DIRECTORY command and the subdirectory name preceded by a period.

When you include certain command qualifiers along with the DIRECTORY command, you can retrieve information in addition to the names of the files. For more information on DIRECTORY command qualifiers, refer to the VSI OpenVMS DCL Dictionary or online help.

$ DIRECTORY

Directory DISK1:[JONES]

LICENSES.DIR;1
LOGIN.COM;3
LOGIN.COM;4
STAFF.DIS;3
STAFF_VACATIONS.TXT;2
TAXES.DIR;1

Total of 6 files.

$ DIRECTORY [.LICENSES]

Directory DISK1:[JONES.LICENSES]

DEPT.DAT;3
DOG.DIR;1
MAILING.LIS;6
MARRIAGE.DIR;1
TOTAL.DAT;2

Total of 5 files.

Note that the operating system allows you to set default to a nonexistent disk or directory. If you have set default to a nonexistent directory, when you try to manipulate a file, the system displays a message stating that the directory does not exist. If you find yourself in a nonexistent disk or directory and cannot carry out a desired operation, set default to an existing disk or directory.

$ SHOW DEFAULT
  DISK1:[JONES.TAXES]
$ SET DEFAULT [PUBLIC]
$ SHOW DEFAULT
  DISK1:[PUBLIC]

You can use the SET DEFAULT command to change the default device. The default remains in effect until you enter another SET DEFAULT command or log out. You can also specify the device to which you want to set default without including the directory in the command.

$ SHOW DEFAULT
  DISK1:[JONES]
$ SET DEFAULT DISK2:[GROUP]
$ SHOW DEFAULT
  DISK2:[GROUP]

$ SHOW DEFAULT
  DISK1:[JONES]
$ SET DEFAULT DISK2:
$ SHOW DEFAULT
  DISK2:[JONES]

If you enter a list of files and do not give a complete file specification for each file in the list, the system applies temporary defaults for node names, device names, and directory names. To substitute your current default directory for a temporary default, use empty square brackets. If you include a node name in a file that appears in a list, you can override the temporary default by using a double colon.

$ COPY [STATS]A.LIS,B.LIS  [RESULTS]

Note that the system uses the preceding file specification in the list, [STATS]A.LIS, to determine that the temporary default directory for file B.LIS is [STATS] as well.

$ COPY BASE:[STATS]A.LIS,[TIME]B.LIS,C.LIS  [RESULTS]

All three files (A.LIS, B.LIS, and C.LIS) are copied from the BASE device. The A.LIS file is copied from the [STATS] directory. The other two files are copied from the [TIME] directory.

$ COPY [ALPHA]TEST.DAT,[]FINAL.DAT  [RESULTS]

$ DIRECTORY [...]

If you begin the directory specification with an ellipsis, the search begins from your current directory. However, if you begin the directory specification with a period, only the subdirectory that is one level lower than the current directory is searched.

To search all top-level directories and their subdirectories from wherever you are in the directory structure, use an asterisk (*) followed by an ellipsis (…).

$ TYPE [JONES...]FEES.DAT

$ TYPE [...SALES]FEDERAL.LIS

$ TYPE [...]DEPT.DAT

$ TYPE [.LICENSES]MAILING.LIS

$ TYPE [...LICENSES...]DEPT.DAT

$ DIRECTORY [*...]

Hyphen characters are used as an abbreviated way to specify [sub-]directories above the current process default directory. Each hyphen represents one level. Hyphens can be followed by subdirectory names (with separating periods) to specify other paths down the directory hierarchy.

If you enter so many hyphens that the reference points above the top-level directory, the system displays an error message.

$ TYPE [-]STAFF.DIS

$ TYPE [-.TAXES]BILLING.DAT

$ SET DEFAULT [–]

[—]

[^—]

It is also possible to use the asterisk (*) wildcard to specify a UIC directory. For example, [*,6] indicates all directories with any group number and a member number of 6. The search is limited to directories in UIC format. The directory specification [*,*] locates all directories in UIC format. To locate all named directories as well as all directories in UIC format, use [*].

Note that you can translate a directory name in UIC format to named format. If necessary, add zeros to the left of the group and member numbers to create a 6-character name.

You cannot combine UIC format and named format. If you have a directory with a name in UIC format and you want to specify one of its subdirectories, translate the UIC format to named format.

[122001]

To refer to the subdirectory [122,1]SUB.DIR, use the named directory [122001.SUB].

Traditional (ODS-2) file specifications follow the 39.39 format, supporting only a single period (.) separating the file name and file type.

$ CREATE This.File.Name.Has.A.Lot.Of.Periods.DAT
$ CREATE -
_$ ThisIsAVeryLongFileName^&ItWillKeepGoingForLotsAndLotsOfCharacters.Exceed -
_$ ingThe39^,39presentInPreviousVersionsOfOpenVMS
$ DIRECTORY


Directory TEST$ODS5:[TESTING]

ThisIsAVeryLongFileName^&ItWillKeepGoingForLotsAndLotsOfCharacters.Exceeding
The39^,39presentInPreviousVersionsOfOpenVMS;1
This^.File^.Name^.Has^.A^.Lot^.Of^.Periods.DAT;1

Total of 2 files.

Traditional (ODS-2-compliant) file names can use alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9), the dollar sign ($), underscore (_), and hyphen (-). ODS-5 offers a broader set of characters for naming files.

ISO LATIN-1 and Unicode (UCS-2) Character Sets

ODS-5 supports file names that use the 8-bit ISO Latin-1 character and 16-bit Unicode (UCS-2) character sets. The ISO Latin-1 Multinational character set is a superset of the traditional ASCII character set. In extended file specifications, you can use all characters from the 8-bit ISO Latin-1 Multinational character set except the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?).

Special Characters

Interpretation of Period (.)

The use of the period (.) as a literal character in extended file names requires RMS to determine which periods are file name characters and which are delimiters.

$ CREATE Test.1

Test.1;1

Determination of Version Numbers

$ CREATE Test4.3.2.1

Test4^.3.2;1

where 2 is the file type and 1 is the file version.

A version number explicitly delimited by a semicolon (;) must also be 5 or fewer numeric characters, and can be preceded by a minus sign (-).

In prior versions of OpenVMS, DCL, and RMS converted all file specifications to uppercase.

$ CREATE KitContents.Txt

$ DIRECTORY

Directory  DISK1:[USER1]

KitContents.Txt;1

$ CREATE CaPri
$ CREATE CAPRI
$ CREATE capri
$ DIRECTORY

Directory  DISK1:[USER1]

CaPri.;1        CaPri.;2        CaPri.;3

Single- and multiple-character wildcards function as expected with ODS-5 files. A single-character wildcard represents exactly one character in either the file name or file type, but may not be used in the file version string. A multiple-character wildcard can represent any number of characters (including zero characters) in the file name or file type. A multiple-character wildcard can be used in place of a version string.

Under some circumstances, a full file specification may contain more characters than the 255 bytes allowed by unmodified applications. If a file specification that such an application needs exceeds 255 bytes in length, RMS generates a shorter file specification by abbreviating the directory to a Directory ID (DID), and if necessary, the filename to a File ID (FID).

TEST$ODS5:[5953,9,0]Alghero.TXT;1

Note that this form of the directory name must have three numbers and two commas to avoid ambiguity with UIC format directory names. With the DIRECTORY command you can view the shorter DID version as well as the full version of a file specification.

DIRECTORY/STYLE=(keyword[,keyword])

$ DIRECTORY

Directory TEST$ODS5:[23,1,0]

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghijklmnopqrs
tuvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXY.abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdef
ghijklmnopqrst;2

Total of 1 file.

Directory TEST$ODS5:[TEST.RANDOMTESTING.RANDOM]

AddressFiles.DIR;1  LOGIN.COM;3         test.1;1       test^.1.clue;1
Travel.LIS;1        whee.;5             work.dat;8

Total of 8 files.

Grand total of 2 directories, 9 files.

$ DIRECTORY/STYLE=(CONDENSED,EXPANDED)

Directory TEST$ODS5:[23,1,0]        TEST$ODS5:[TEST.RANDOMTESTING.RANDO
                                    M]

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJ
KLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghijklmnopqrst KLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghijklmnopqrst
uvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcde uvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcde
fghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNO fghijklmnopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJKLMNO
PQRSTUVWXY.abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx PQRSTUVWXY.abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx
yABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghi yABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghi
jklmnopqrst;2                       jklmnopqrst;2
AddressFiles.DIR;1                  AddressFiles.DIR;1
LOGIN.COM;3                         LOGIN.COM;3
test.1;1                            test.1;1
test^.1.clue;1                      test^.1.clue;1
Travel.LIS;1                        Travel.LIS;1
whee.;5                             whee.;5
work.dat;8                          work.dat;8

Total of 8 files.

DIRECTORY can either use one or both keywords with the /STYLE qualifier.

$DELETE/STYLE=(keyword)

In the following examples, the ellipsis (...) represents many characters within the file name. These examples use the CONFIRM qualifier to generate a system message.

$ DELETE/CONFIRM abc*.*.*
DELETE TEST$ODS5:[TEST.RANDOMTESTING.RANDOM]abcAlphabet.stuff;1 ? [N]: Y
DELETE TEST$ODS5:[23,1,0] abcdefg. . .QRSTUVWXY.abcdefg. . .tuvw
xy;1 ? [N]: Y

$ DELETE/CONFIRM/STYLE=EXPANDED abc*.*.*
DELETE TEST$ODS5:[TEST.RANDOMTESTING.RANDOM]abcAlphabet.stuff;1 ? [N]: Y
DELETE TEST$ODS5:[TEST.RANDOMTESTING.RANDOM]abcdefg. . .QRSTUVWX
Y.abcdefg. . .tuvwxy;1 ? [N]: Y

$ PURGE/STYLE=(keyword)

In the following examples, the ellipsis (...) represents many characters within the file name. These examples use the CONFIRM qualifier to generate a system message.

$ PURGE/CONFIRM
DELETE TEST$ODS5:[23,1,0]abcdefg. . .QRSTUVWXY.abcdefg. . .tuvwxy;1
? [N]: Y

$ PURGE/CONFIRM/STYLE=EXPANDED
DELETE TEST$ODS5:[TEST.RANDOMTESTING.RANDOM]abcdefg. . .QRSTUVWXY.ab
cdefg. . .tuvwxy;1 ? [N]: Y

When you allocate a device, you reserve the device for exclusive use by your process. The device remains allocated to your process until you explicitly deallocate it (with the DCL command DEALLOCATE) or until you log out.

ALLOCATE device-name[:][,...] [logical-name[:]]

If you give a volume to another user for initialization (for example, if you lack sufficient privileges to do it yourself), you should provide the volume label, the owner UIC, and the protection code for the volume.

INITIALIZE device-name[:] volume-label

Initializing Disk Volumes

By default, the INITIALIZE command builds a Files–11 structure on your new volume. The default format for disk volumes initialized for or by the OpenVMS operating system is called the Files–11 On-Disk Structure Level 2. The INITIALIZE command can also initialize disk volumes in Files–11 On-Disk Structure Level 1 or 5.

You do not need special privileges to override logical protection on a blank disk volume (that is, a volume that has never been written to) or on a disk volume that is owned by your current UIC or by UIC [0,0]. In all other cases, you must have user privilege VOLPRO to initialize a disk volume.

$ INITIALIZE DKA300: ACCOUNTS

$ INITIALIZE/STRUCTURE=5 DKA300: FILES

After allocating a disk volume, you need to mount it in order to use its files. The DCL command MOUNT makes a volume and the files it contains accessible to your process.

You can mount a single volume or a volume set. The procedures for creating and mounting volume sets (as opposed to single volumes) are described in the VSI OpenVMS System Manager's Manual.

MOUNT device-name[:][,...] [volume-label[,...]] [logical-name[:]]

Operators can perform the physical mounting (and dismounting) of both system and private volumes. If a volume is already placed in the drive you are going to use, you do not need operator assistance.

MOUNT messages are sent to all operators enabled to receive TAPE and DISK messages. For example, if operator assistance is needed for mounting a disk device, a message is sent to disk operators. If no operator is available (operator is not enabled) to receive and respond to a MOUNT request, a message is displayed to inform you of the situation. You can also specify the /NOASSIST qualifier to avoid operator assistance.

$ MOUNT DKA300: DISK VOL1
%MOUNT-I-OPRQST, PLEASE MOUNT DEVICE _MARS$DKA300:

%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, DISK mounted on _DKA300:

$ ALLOCATE DKA300:  TEMP
%DCL-I-ALLOC, _MARS$DKA300: allocated
$ INITIALIZE  TEMP:  BACKUP_FILE
$ MOUNT  TEMP:  BACKUP_FILE
%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, BACKUP_FILE mounted on _DKA300:
$ CREATE/DIRECTORY  TEMP:[ARCHIE]

Before you can place any files on the volume, you must create a directory, as shown by the CREATE/DIRECTORY command.

Mounting a Foreign Disk Volume

$ MOUNT/FOREIGN DISK
%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, BACKUP_FILE      mounted on DISK$DMA2:

The MOUNT/FOREIGN command makes the contents of your volume available to the system but makes no assumptions concerning its file structure. In the preceding example, MOUNT reports a volume label, indicating that the disk has a Files–11 structure, even though it was mounted as a foreign device. If a disk does not have a recognized file structure, MOUNT does not display a label.

Note that you need the user privilege VOLPRO to mount a Files–11 structured disk with the /FOREIGN qualifier, unless its owner UIC matches your own.

When you are done with the files on a disk or tape volume, you can use the DISMOUNT command to dismount the volume. Before a volume is dismounted, the DISMOUNT command checks for conditions that could prevent the dismount from completing. For example, if the volume contains installed swap and page files, installed images, or open user files, DISMOUNT displays an error message indicating that the volume cannot be dismounted.

$ DISMOUNT/NOUNLOAD MTA1:

In this example, the magnetic tape volume is logically dismounted and the tape is rewound but the tape remains physically loaded on drive MTA1.

You should always explicitly dismount a volume with the DISMOUNT command before physically unloading the volume. Wait for the drive to unload before you remove the volume. You can verify that the dismount is complete by entering the DCL command SHOW DEVICES.

A volume is dismounted and unloaded automatically if you log out of the job from which you had mounted the volume. If the system fails, however, the volume is not automatically dismounted. If the device you are dismounting was allocated with an ALLOCATE command, it remains allocated after it is dismounted with the DISMOUNT command. If the device was implicitly allocated by the MOUNT command, the DISMOUNT command deallocates it.

MAIL> EXIT
$

You can also exit from Mail by pressing Ctrl/Z or by using the QUIT command.

New mail on node DOODAH from STONE::FELLINI     (10:02:23)

$ MAIL

You have 1 new message.

MAIL>

If you have more than one new message, press Enter at the MAIL> prompt to read the other messages. When you have read all your new messages, Mail issues the message “%MAIL-E-NOMOREMSG, no more messages” and continues to prompt for commands until you exit Mail.

If you receive a mail message while you are in Mail, enter the READ/NEW command to read the new message.

If you have many messages, you can locate a particular message by using the SEARCH command to find a string in one or more of the messages. To search for a string, specify that string as a parameter to the SEARCH command.

Each time you specify a new string, the SEARCH command starts the search at message number 1. To continue searching the folder for messages that contain the specified string, use the SEARCH command without specifying a parameter. To search for the same string in a different folder, enter the SELECT or SET FOLDER folder-name command and continue using the SEARCH command without specifying a parameter.

MAIL> SEARCH "appointment"

However, you can customize your Mail environment to force the system to choose a specific protocol. This option is helpful in cases where a mail address can be interpreted as valid for either the Internet or DECnet protocol.

To modify your Mail environment in any of these ways, VSI recommends that you define the MAIL$INTERNET_MODE and MAIL$INTERNET_TRANSPORT logical names in your LOGIN.COM file. See Chapter 11 for complete information about using and defining logical names.

$ DEFINE MAIL$INTERNET_MODE SMTP

When you then specify smith@pluto, Mail interprets this address as an Internet address and uses the SMTP protocol (for example, SMTP%"smith@pluto.xyz.dec.com").

nodename::username

Mail displays a message if the network connection to the remote node is not available. Wait a while, and then try again to send the message.

For additional information on specifying node names, refer to Section 3.1.6.

MAIL> SEND
To: CHEETA::HIGGINS

You can use a logical name to represent a user's name and node; then you can use the logical name to send mail. Note that Mail ignores any access control information in the node name or logical name.

$ DEFINE HENRY CHEETA::HIGGINS
$ MAIL
MAIL> SEND
To: HENRY

You can send mail to several users at the same time in one of two ways: using individual user names at the To: prompt or using a distribution list. To send the same message to several users on the same node by using their user names, enter the user names at the To: prompt and separate them with commas or spaces.