Minimum boot will not execute your system's SYSTARTUP_VMS (or *_V5 because you're living in the past).
ironic statement. In my case I just wanted to keep the license as-is being all historical and all that I am. I have a VMS 7.2 or .3 on CD if I really wanted to upgrade.
That is, typically, where one would add MOUNT commands to mount other device volumes available to the system. When you DO startup the system minimally, there are many other aspects of *normal* VMS startup that are also bypassed. You can also modify the system startup in SYSGEN when you boot conversationally (>>> BOOT/[R5:]1) and define the startup to the OPA0: (SYSBOOT> SET/STARTUP OPA0:). WHen your system boots, it will leave you at the DCL prompt ($). No need to even know the SYSTEM password or login to the SYSTEM account. However, when you do this, there is no error handling! A error, even a typo precipitating an unknown command syntax error, will kick you out with no resolve other than to reboot. The trick here is to issue a "$ SPAWN" command first. This way, you'll have a subprocess that, if it terminates, will dump you back into the STARTUP pro- cess. NOTE: If you change the startup, you will want to change it back. Conversationally boot. SYSBOOT> SET/STARTUP SYS$SYSTEM:STARTUP.COM and SYSBOOT> CONTINUE.
I ran this SYSBOOT> SET STARTUP_P1 = " " SYSBOOT> CONTINUE problem is now the computer always tries to boot into the network. I need to re-establish a boot into DKB500. I thought this would work: SYSBOOT> SET STARTUP_P1 = "DKB500" but I am starting to think with V5 you need to do it this way: SYSBOOT> SET STARTUP_P1 = "DKB500:" (with the colon) On my systems, I MOUNT volumes in a procedure (I call SYSTARTUP_MOUNT.COM)
that I run as a detached process. If it hangs up on a MOUNT I can still, eventually after STARTUP.COM and its scion complete, login.
That makes sense. I still have a ways to go to make a safe system exposed to the outside WWW as well. One thing about VMS, it let's you make catastrophic mistakes without protest. Very flexible OS though. Bill