[rescue] upgrading VAXstation memory

[John Floren]

On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 5:30 PM, Jonathan Patschke <jp at celestrion.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010, John Floren wrote:
>
>> I'll be running netbsd, VMS is just not my cup of tea.
>
> That's a shame. B NetBSD on a VAX feels about like NetBSD on anything else.
> VMS on a VAX feels quite unique (not quite the same as VMS on an Alpha or
> IA64).
>

I was running VMS 7.3 on the VAX for quite a while and while I think
it may be pleasant to be an oblivious VMS user, the proliferation of
things like "@sys$system:foo$bar" and the (to my Unix-addled mind)
grotesque file trees and directory specifications made me gag. Plus,
the annoyance of all your licenses expiring every year put me off.

The reason I had dug out the VAX in the first place was because I had
been reading the Unix Hater's Handbook again and wondering what VMS
these guys had been using.

I do regret missing the days when my university's general computing
resources were VMS; they still have the signs for the terminal rooms
up in the library. Up until a few years ago you could still register
through the VAX (most effective way, really) and there were a bunch of
old relics lying around, like the Notes forums. These days the only
thing I use the VMS systems for is to look up library books (decent
text interface).


John