OPER1@TRINCC.BITNET (07/21/87)
Hi! We've been having a problem that I think a lot of VAX folk have had...
It concerns the PRINT/PAGE command in VMS. In short, it has stopped working
for us. A file full of form feeds, that used to work just fine when we
wanted selected pages, is now printed completely, whether we want the whole
thing or not.
I talked to a system manager at a well known Ivy League Institution that will
remain nameless (but its initials are Y.A.L.E.). He told me that it was
his understanding that there was an update of VMS that rendered the /PAGES
qualifier /impotent/dead/useless etc...
People here, however, are sure that VMS version 4.5 used to work
correctly. They think this because we got an 8350 a few months ago which
was installed with version 4.5. They swear that the /PAGES qualifier worked
when it was first here.
Another manager here tells me that there was a "Security Update" of 4.5
that was installed on all our VAXes. I think this may be the cause of our
problems, but he disagrees. He claims that the update did nothing to change
any of the programs or files involved in printing.
I don't know what the story is, I'd just like a quick solution to our
problem. I would like to avoid the hassle of having to write a program
that extracts the pages I want. Its not a hard program to write, but it
sure will slow down the system when a 500 page file is run through it
because Joe User wants only pages 421 to 430.
So, is there a quick fix? Is another update on the way? Is anyone out
there having the same problems we are? Does anyody care? Does DEC maintain
a network address that I can send long horrible letters of complaint to?
Have I missed some kind of crucial announcement and has anybody actually
read this far into my plea for help?
Any words of advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated, its not
a major problem here but it is a thorn in our side.
Thanks...
Howard "OPER1" Blumstein
Trinity College, Hartford CT"James_A._Gray.OsbuSouth"@XEROX.COM (07/28/87)
The problem with the /PAGES qualifier was introduced at VMS 4.5. Most sites are unaware of the problem due to another problem in the installation of VMS 4.5. A normal upgrade from 4.4 to 4.5 leaves the updated SMBSRVSHR.EXE file (shared print symbiont code) in SYS$SYSTEM instead of SYS$SHARE; this will be noticable by anyone trying to link their own modified print symbiont. Having talked to DEC support in Colorado, they indicated that the problem has not been fixed in 4.6 (last field test update) nor is there a patch available. In summary, DEC is aware of the problem, more than one SPR has been submitted, it probably won't be fixed until 4.7. Jim