[HECnet] DECnet for Linux Bug Fixes

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2020-06-30 19:09, John Forecast wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Jun 30, 2020, at 11:21 AM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se 
>> <mailto:bqt at softjar.se>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi.
>>
>> On 2020-06-30 02:45, John Forecast wrote:
>>> Recently I have found, and fixed, a number of bugs in the DECnet for 
>>> Linux kernel module. Some of
>>> these bugs may be relevant for members of this mailing list who are 
>>> using DECnet for Linux,
>>> especially on a Raspberry Pi.
>>
>> Cool.
>>
>>> New programs:
>>> NML2
>>> New implementation of the Network Management Listener. Supports 
>>> SUMMARY, STATUS
>>> and CHARACTERISTICS for NODES, CIRCUITS and AREAS. It does not 
>>> support LINKS
>>> and OBJECTS which were in the old version but are system specific 
>>> operations which
>>> were only visible from DECnet-VMS systems.
>>
>> Um. No. OBJECTS are also there in RSX. And I wonder if you mean LINES 
>> when you wrote LINKS. And LINES are also in RSX. Not sure there are 
>> some other systems that also have those types. But they are definitely 
>> not VMS only... And OBJECTS are actually rather relevant everywhere, 
>> it's just not that all systems make them visible. I would say it's 
>> actually nice and useful if they can be shown. LINES are also 
>> relevant, but it does depend a little on the implementation.
>>
> 
> No, I’m talking about how entities are handled in the NICE protocol. 

I did understand that. :-)

> SET/DEFINE/SHOW/LIST commands on NODES, LINES, LOGGING, CIRCUITS, 
> MODULES and AREAS use a common protocol format so that VMS, for 
> instance, can issue a “SHOW KNOWN NODES” to RSX, Ultrix etc. LINKS and 
> OBJECTS are considered system dependent entities and and for operations 
> on those entities NCP will send a request as:
> 
> <System-Specific-Function (code 22)>
> <Originating system type (VMS == 4)>
> <Binary data>
> 
> Here’s Ultrix issuing commands to a VMS system:
> 
> # ncp tell router sho exec
> 
> Executor Volatile Summary as of Sun Jul  1 08:47:44 EDT 1990
> 
> Executor node =  63.1 (ROUTER)
> 
> State                              = On
> Identification                     = DECnet for OpenVMS VAX V7.3
> 
> # ncp tell router sho known objects
> 
> Known Object Volatile Summary as of Sun Jul  1 08:48:00 EDT 1990
> ncp - listener response: System-specific Management function not supported
> #

I could have sworn that RSX understood VMS regarding objects, but now 
that I tried, it did not.

So I might have been totally confused. RSX also have the command to 
examine objects through NCP, but it would appear to be incompatible with 
the VMS NICE listener then.

In RSX:

.ncp tell jocke sho kno obj

Known objects summary as of 30-JUN-20 20:58:44

Object  Name    Copies  User     Verification

0               Single  Default  Off
15      TCL...  Single  Default  On
16      LSN$$$  5       Default  Off
17      FAL$$$  8       Login    On
18      HLD...  Single  Default  Off
19      NIC$$$  5       Default  Inspect
23      RMHACP  Single  Default  Off
25      MIR$$$  5       Default  Off
26      EVR$$$  5       Default  Off
27      MAI$$$  5       Default  Off
29      PHO$$$  5       Default  Off
30      DDM$$$  5       Login    On
42      RTH     Single  Default  Off
63      DTR...  Single  Default  Off

.

> For LINES, I’m not sure there is much useful information we can display. 
> Here’s Ultrix again:
> 
> #ncp sho kno lin char
> 
> Known Line Volatile Characteristics as of Sun Jul  1 09:00:49 EDT 1990
> 
> Line  =  QNA-0
> 
> Controller                         = Normal
> Protocol                           = Ethernet
> Hardware address                   = aa-00-04-00-df-fc

As far as lines goes, yes, there is not too much information available 
on them.

 From RSX to a VMS node, compared to another RSX node:

.ncp tell frost sho line qna-0 cha

Line characteristics as of 30-JUN-20 20:54:43

Line = QNA-0

    Receive buffers = 10, Controller = Normal
    Protocol = ETHERNET
    Service timer = 4000
    Hardware address = AA-00-04-00-FF-63
    Buffer size = 1498

.ncp tell jocke sho lin una-0 cha

Line characteristics as of 30-JUN-20 20:55:00

Line = UNA-0

    Controller = Normal
    Counter timer = Off
    Protocol = ETHERNET
    Hardware address = AA-00-04-00-15-04
    Controller CSR = 174510, Vector = 120
    Priority = 5

.


Do people care about this information? Maybe not.

   Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol