[comp.os.vms] VMS V5.0 and VAXTPU

jayz@cullsj.UUCP (Jay Zorzy) (08/09/88)

If you've got any application programs linked with the VAXTPU callable
interface (i.e. TPUSHR shareable image) under VAX/VMS V4.x, they are *not*
upward-compatible with VAX/VMS V5.0.  They must be relinked.  There is nothing
in the VAX/VMS V5.0 Release Notes to warn you of this.

I filed an SPR with DEC on this.  FYI following is the text submitted with 
that SPR:

****************

  The VAXTPU shareable image TPUSHR distributed with VAX/VMS V5.0 is 
  incompatible with software applications linked under VAX/VMS V4.x.  Any
  attempt to run an application linked with the VAX/VMS V4.x TPUSHR 
  produces the following error messages:

    %DCL-W-ACTIMAGE, error activating image TPUSHR
    -CLI-I-IMGNAME, image file disk:[SYS0.SYSLIB]TPUSHR.EXE;n
    -SYSTTEM-F-SHRIDMISMAT, ident mismatch with shareable image

  Image analysis of TPUSHR yields the following information:

                ---  GSMATCH  ---
    VAX/VMS    Major ID    Minor ID
    -------    --------    --------
     V4.7         5          3E9
     V5.0         2           0

  Because of the change in the major ID gsmatch parameter, applications
  using TPUSHR under VAX/VMS V4.x are not upward-compatible to VAX/VMS
  V5.0; they must be relinked.

  This situation has considerable impact on VAX/VMS third-party software 
  products that use the VAXTPU callable interface, as these products must
  be relinked and redistributed to run under VAX/VMS V5.0.

  There is no mention of this in the VAX/VMS V5.0 Release Notes, so nowhere
  is the user warned of this incompatibility.

  RECOMMENDATIONS:

    1.  Use greater care when updating GSMATCH parameters in shareable
        image run-time libraries, to maintain upward-compatibility.

    2.  Inform the user (in the Release Notes) of such incompatibilities,
        as they occur.

****************

-Jay Zorzy
Cullinet Software
San Jose, CA