HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: richard@npri6.npri.com (Richard Head)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Digital News and Review's irresponsible attitude
Date: 14 Sep 92 15:53:44 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: NPRI, Alexandria VA

GREG@POMONA.CLAREMONT.EDU (Tigger) writes:


#So what?  You can quote SPECmarks all day long, and it still won't mean
#anything to me if you're trying to compare a DOS machine to a VAX 6000.
                                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is a joke, right?

#And it won't have any relevance to the kind of work I do with either machine?
#I have a little C program that calculates pi to ten thousand decimal places

I just don't understand.  America has the best minds in the world trying
to solve this mathematical problem, and there you are the whole time,
way out ahead of everyone!  And I really put a lot of faith in that "PI"
test suite too. Darn.

#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.
#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.
#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.
#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.
#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.
#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.
#Benchmarks are *USELESS*.

#--
#Greg Orman                                    greg@pomona.claremont.edu
#Systems Manager                               greg@pomona.bitnet
#Seaver Academic Computing Services
#Pomona College                                Standard disclaimer-type stuff
-- 
richard@npri6.npri.com  <Richard Head>
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: aswx266@chpc.utexas.edu (Michael Lemke)
Subject: Re: Is it possible for set prompt to do this?
Organization: The University of Texas System - CHPC
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 19:37:35 GMT

In article <920907081948.29011421@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU> PARMALEE001@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU (Rich Parmalee) writes:
>I want to be able to have something like the following come up for my prompt:
>
>dev:[top_level.cur_sub_directory]
>prompt>
>
>I have been able to get the directory to come up but have been unable to have
>it automatically update the prompt. I have a feeling that this can't be done but 
>I was noticing that I was able to have this type of prompt on the unix system.
>
>I have tried just having the directory name be my prompt through the various
>cd.com files that are floating around but I like a short prompt so my commands
>don't go 3 lines long. 
>

The automatic update can't be easily achieved.  There was a program 
posted a while ago which does this.  It runs a detached (?) process 
which would check your directory every so many minutes and modify your 
prompt.  Obviously it needs privileges (a different process modifies 
your prompt) and has a lot of overhead.

So below is something I use.  Define, say, SD :== @set_def.  You have
restrict yourself to change directories with this procedure only - a
SET DEFAULT leaves your prompt at what it was.  Another SD without 
argument will update it though.  This procedure works best with ANSI 
type terminals and puts the directory on top of the screen.  If you 
don't like it modify the escape sequemces to your taste.

This version screws up DCL's line editing a little as DCL thinks your 
line is longer than it actually is.  This gets me to a DCL bug/feature 
that has always been there:  It your terminal is set to insert mode
(SET TERM/INSERT) and your command line continues over two lines, there 
is no way to edit the first of the two lines without erasing the second 
line first.  I consider this a bug which I've seen since VMS 4.7 (the 
first VMS I worked with) but it doesn't seem to get fixed (or nobody 
cares?).  I don't know how it works with overstrike mode.


Ok, here is the silly procedure:

$ esc[0,8]=27
$ if p1 .eqs. "" then p1 := []
$ set default 'p1'
$ dir = f$directory()
$ N = F$TRNLNM( "SYS$NODE" ) - "::" + "> "
$ write sys$output f$trnlnm( "sys$disk" ), dir
$ if f$getdvi( "TT", "TT_ANSICRT" )
$ then
$    dl = 32 - f$leng(N) - 11
$    ds = f$leng(dir) - dl
$    if ds .lt. 0 then ds = 0
$    dir = f$extract( ds, dl, dir )
$    dir := "''esc'7''esc'[H''esc'[7m''dir'''esc'8''N'"
$ else
$    dir = n
$ endif
$ set prompt=&dir

-- 
Michael Lemke
Astronomy, UT Austin, Texas
(michael@io.as.utexas.edu or UTSPAN::UTADNX::IO::MICHAEL [SPAN])
From: piper@k9.dec.com (Derrell Piper)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: RE: PIO page protection
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:34:20 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

The page protection on all of the RMS PIO data structures was changed from  
UREW to EW in VMS V5.4.  This change was made in support of RMS access mode
protected files.  Access mode protected files allows one to open a file in an
inner mode and be assured that none of the data buffers can be accessed from
an outer mode.  This functionality was needed to remove world read access from
the rights database in VAX/VMS V6.0 (now in field test).

As has been pointed out, the $SETDDIR system service is the supported method 
of accessing PIO$GT_DDSTRING.  In past times, this system service hid in the
RMS manual, I think.  You'll now find it in the "System Service Reference
Manual" where it belongs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derrell D. Piper		                      piper@bilbo.enet.dec.com
VMS Development
Digital Equipment Corporation
110 Spit Brook Road
Nashua, NH 03062                        <this message posted from AlphaVMS FT3>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: has3@manfrd (Harry Schroeder)
Subject: Re: page file name not available
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 15:39:58 GMT

Usually this means that the user does not have access to the file in
question. It can either be the directory or the file.

has3
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Time Subtraction in DCL
From: don@zl2tnm.gen.nz (Don Stokes)
Date: 13 Sep 92 04:26:36 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Wolery

348588060@WILD.VILL.EDU (Dave Lennon) writes:
> 	And if we haven't had enough of finding the last day of a month in 
> DCL...I seem to recall a while back someone had posted a DCL trivia question 
> on how to do date subtraction in DCL. I seem to remember it was using f$fao
> to peek at some memory locations...
> 	The application I need this for is a backup procedure written entirely 
> in DCL (so why change now) where I would like to automatically figure out the 
> cycle letter based on how many weeks have past since the starting date...

My, my, we are getting tacky now.

The location you are (probably) thinking of is EXE$GQ_SYSTIME, which is
at location %x80004450 under VMS v5.3 and v5.4 and probably others.  I
wouldn't consider grabbing the binary time from here as the location is
likely to move.

But, if you _really_ must.... 

Since there's no way (that I know of) to get a binary time from an ASCII
time in DCL, the easiest way of implementing this is to save the "base" 
time retrieved from EXE$GQ_SYSTIME for comparisons.  The following will 
extract the number of days between two binary times:

    $ days = (f$cvui(32, 32, now) - f$cvui(32, 32, before)) * 1000 / 201166

Note that just using the high order longword of binary dates is accurate 
to within about 7 minutes, and the calculation defines "days" as "periods
of 24 hours", not "from 00:00:00.00 to 23:59:59.99".  You may have some 
boundary conditions requiring adding or subtracting a value to the result of 
the subtraction to force it onto one side or the other of the "n*24hrs" 
boundary.

Note also that because of the size of the 32 bit signed integers in use, 
the calculation is only good for dates within 29 years or so.

As for digging out the current time from EXE$GQ_SYSTIME, use:

    $ EXE$GQ_SYSTIME = %x80004450           ! Check SYS.MAP for this value
    $ now = f$fao("!AD", 8, EXE$GQ_SYSTIME)

Of course, if any of this breaks, I don't know ya!  8-)

--
Don Stokes, ZL2TNM (DS555)                        don@zl2tnm.gen.nz (home)
Network Manager, Computing Services Centre            don@vuw.ac.nz (work)
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand              +64-4-495-5052
From: DEREK@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Known Image confusion
Date: 10 Sep 92 14:49:00 GMT
Organization: The Internet

adrian@lexcel.com asks:

>Here's a puzzler.  Anybody ever seen F$FILE_ATTRIBUTE and INSTALL this
>confused?
> 
>$ SET PROCESS/PRIVILEGE=ALL
>$ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT F$FILE_ATTRIBUTE("DISK:[DIR]MYFILE.EXE","KNOWN")
>%SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHFILE, no such file
>\DISK:[DIR]MYFILE.EXE\
>$ DIRECTORY DISK:[DIR]MYFILE.EXE
> 
>Directory DISK:[DIR]
> 
>MYFILE.EXE;1
> 
> 
>Total of 1 file.
>$ INSTALL LIST/FULL DISK:[DIR]MYFILE.EXE
> 
> 
>DISK:<DIR>.EXE
>   MYFILE
>%INSTALL-E-NOVER, no file version obtained for    MYFILE
>%SYSTEM-W-NOSUCHFILE, no such file
> 
>        Entry access count         = 1
> 
>$ INSTALL ADD DISK:[DIR]MYFILE.EXE/OPEN/HEADER/SHARE
>%INSTALL-E-FAIL, failed to CREATE entry for DISK:<DIR>MYFILE.EXE
>-INSTALL-E-EXISTS, Known File Entry for a version of this file already exists

I have a suggestion/thought.  I can reproduce this situation by using
the SET FILE/ENTER command.  Take a file named A.EXE, use the SET FILE/ENTER
command to make B.EXE point to the same file, INSTALL B.EXE and DELETE A.EXE;.
This will produce the same results you are showing.  As another poster
pointed out, you have a dangling pointer in your directory.  A DIR/FUL on
B.EXE says "no such file", but DIR/FILE lists the old FID.

A simpler way to produce this is as follows.

Let's take A.EXE again.  INSTALL A.EXE.  DELETE A.EXE;  Recreate A.EXE.
The same results show, HOWEVER a DIR/FUL on A.EXE shows the new A.EXE, not
"no such file".  One further note.  I did this by *just* INSTALLing the
image.  I didn't install them /SHARE/HEADER.  (They were OPEN by default.)
*IF* I INSTALL the image /OPEN/SHARE/HEADER, delete the .EXE, and recreate
it, F$FILE reports "TRUE".  Curious...  I wouldn't have expected THAT.

-Derek S. Haining
 University Computing Services
 University of Washington
 Seattle, Washington  98195 
 (206) 543-5579

 DEREK@MAX.BITNET
 DEREK@MAX.U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: DAVISM@kcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Michael T. Davis)
Subject: Re: Long lines and DCL line editing
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 20:34:40 GMT


In article <1992Sep10.072425.28177@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, I wrote:

>
>	I believe the original message mentioned that before an OS upgrade, the
>ability existed, but was lost after the upgrade.  I remember having the ability
>to move about freely within multi-line commands under 4.6, without the need to
>delete lines at the end of the command.  (I can't speak to 4.7, since we went
>from 4.6 to 5.x.)  I'm not sure if the reasoning behind the modified behavior
>was ever explained.  (BTW, multi-line command line editing is available under
>the tcsh shell [any others?]; is the implementation really that awkward for
>the terminal driver under 5.x?)
>

	Upon reflection, what might be different in our case is the use of the
older-style Xyplex terminal servers (which utilize a proprietary coaxial net-
work).  Perhaps back with VMS 4.6 and the particular version of the Xyplex
terminal symbiont, the symbiont handled line editing.  At any rate, it would be
nice if VMS supported such a feature directly.  It's really annoying typing out
one of those long BACKUP commands, only to discover back on the first line
of the three-line command, you entered DUA0 instead of DUA1.

							Mike
--
 Internet: davism@KCGL1.eng.ohio-state.edu |
            -or- DAVISM+@osu.edu           |   These Thoughts, They Be Mine
   BITNET: DAVISM+@OHSTMAIL.BITNET         |
From: adrian@mti.mti.com (Adrian McCarthy)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Known Image confusion SUMMARY
Date: 10 Sep 92 15:31:07 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Micro Technology, Inc., Anaheim, CA

I asked about a puzzling situation where F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES and INSTALL seemed
to give different answers about an installed image.  Several people immediately
(and correctly) pointed out that the file originally installed had been
deleted and a new one had been created.  Thus INSTALL knew about the old
image and F$FILE_ATTRIBUTES correctly reported that the new image was not
known.

Thanks to everyone, including:  John Briggs, Harry Flowers, Jerry Leichter,
Bob Marshall, and Brian Tillman.

Aid.  (adrian@lexcel.com)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: uugblum@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (VMScluster Administrator)
Subject: Re: System disk shadowing
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 13 Sep 1992 21:25 EST  

>>In article <01GOJI7Z9NHC0004IQ@BENTLEY.BITNET>, TDIMARTI@BENTLEY.BITNET writes...
>>All,
>> 
>>I'm about to shadow my system disk, an RA90.  We have a VAX 6520 running
>>VMS V5.4-2.  All other disks are already shadowed.  Does anyone know of any
>>"gotchas" that I should be aware of?  My volume shadowing manual mentions
>>that "standalone backup is incompatible with shadow sets"  What is the
>>preferred method of performing standalone backups once the system disk is
>>shadowed?  The volume shadowing manual is unclear on this.  My guess would
>>be that I would boot from a "stand-alone" boot file which I must create.
>>Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>> 
>>        Tom DiMartino                   TDIMARTI@BENTLEY.BITNET

>Brian Johnson, o/4810, B195A, 408-756-3269
> 
>For purposes of doing a standalone backup of your shadowed system disk
>we've found the simplist method is to NOT boot standalone. Just break the
>shadow set & perform the backup on the member that you've removed from the set.

I also recommend using online backup.  Brian suggests breaking the shadow set.
Some people might interpret this to mean using the dismount command to remove
one of the shadow members.  You can do this, but files which are open on the
device may become corrupt because they were not closed properly by the
application program.  If there are only log files open on the disk, who cares?
You have to make the choice.

To obtain an clean backup of your system disk, you must shutdown the entire
cluster, disable access to one of the system disk shadow members, and reboot
the system.  Use online backup to make a copy of the member you kept offline.
After the backup has completed, you add this member back into the shadow set
with a merge copy operation.

CSCPAT_0269 V1.7 and CSCPAT_0198 V1.9 are the latest patches available for
host based and controller based shadowing.

The only problem we have experienced with shadowing is on a cluster which has
two VAX 6610s with a dual member DSSI RZ73, host base shadowed system disk.
When a system crashes, the crash dump file is not readable.  After 4 months,
DEC has been unable to reproduce the problem and provide a solution.  I would
appreciate hearing from any site which has experienced a similar problem.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opinions expressed are my own, and not that of my employer.

Greg Blumers				Sverdrup Technology, Inc.
VAXcluster Administrator		c/o NASA Lewis Research Center
(216)433-6777				Mail Stop 142-2
					21000 Brookpark Road
uugblum@scivax.lerc.nasa.gov		Cleveland, OH 44135
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: fisk@cvdv73.mayo.edu (Tom Fisk)
Subject: Re: LSE font on SONY Trinitron, how change?
Reply-To: fisk@mayo.edu
Organization: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 13:39:29 GMT

Ooops...just looked at my previous post... the symbol should be set to 75 not
100 (i.e. $ decw$server_density == 75).  Sorry!  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas B. Fisk          +----------------------------+  Internet: fisk@mayo.edu
Mayo Clinic             |   If you don't know where  |  Voice: (507) 255-4341
200 First Street SW     |  you're going you'll never |  FAX: (507) 255-5484
Mail Stop 2D-337 STM    |         get there.         |
Rochester, MN  55905    +----------------------------+
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: ORAKEL@rzmain.rz.uni-ulm.de (Framstag)
Subject: anyone patched SWiM for VMS 5.5?
Organization: University of Ulm, Germany
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 22:11:00 GMT
X-Copyright1: Fuer Veroeffentlichungen AUSSERHALB des Newssystemes gelten MEINE Geschaeftsbedingungen.
X-Copyright2: Nichtbeachtung wird in der Regel zivil- und strafrechtliche Folgen nach sich ziehen.
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24

In the past I always used Steve Jennen multisession/multiwindow manager
SWiM for vt100.

But with VMS 5.5 we installed MOTIF and the old TWA-driver has gone.
SWiM was programmed to used the TWA devices.

I begged my system manager to reinstall the old TWA-drivers; he called DEC
to ask whether this is ok and they said that they will drop the support if we
install both: TWA and FTA-devices :-(

My knowledge of C and system-programming is very limited and I'm not able to
patch SWiM to run with the new PTYs. sigh.

So, does anyone have done this job ? :-)


\  Ulli 'Framstag' Horlacher    \    psi%0262450502601::rzmain::orakel  \
 \  Student consultant VAX/VMS and networks   \  orakel@dulruu51.bitnet  \
  \  Rechenzentrum  Universitaet Ulm  Germany  \    orakel@rz.uni-ulm.de  \
   \  "With mainframes you just can do nonsense, with PCs not even that."  \
From: havemann_l@spcvxb.spc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: What DOES VMS mean?
Date: 11 Sep 92 23:03:50 GMT
Organization: Lee Havemann, HSH Associates

In article <41800247204010D3@TOA.TOWSON.EDU>, D7AP002@TOA.TOWSON.EDU 
   ("Tom Ohlendorf - TSU Admin. DP,  830-3642", 410) writes:
>> I got this over our site's QUESTION account at am baffled.  (I
>> answered the second line, but the first has me stumped.)
>> 
>> > I have a very simple question.  What do the initials VMS stand for?
>> > Is VMS- Mail different from normal E-Mail?  Thanks! Dave Scupham
> 
> VMS = Virtual Memory System; VAX = Virtual Address eXtensions. This comes from
> VAX-11 Assembly Language Programming by Sara Baase, Prentice-Hall, 1983, Page
> 6. I know its an old book, but its a golden oldie. 
> 
> As far as I'm concered, VMS-Mail is E-Mail.
> 
> -----
> Tom Ohlendorf, Programmer/Analyst Towson State University           
> HRS Advisory Committee Secretary  Administration Building, Room 128 
> INTERNET: D7AP002@TOA.TOWSON.EDU  Towson, MD 21204                  
> VOICE: (410) 830-3642 FAX: (410) 830-3476 CSN: TSUPER01             

Gee - I always thought it stood for "Verbose Messaging System" :-)

-- 

 Lee Havemann, Sys_op    HSH Associates          (201) 838-3330 
 Havemann_l@spcvxa.spc.edu      -      Havemann_l@spcvxa.bitnet
 "Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of anyone else, 
  including myself."                     
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: desroche@ssvax.gte.com (Dave Desrochers)
Subject: Re: Text or .DVI to BookReader?
Organization: GTE/SCSD
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:42:00 GMT

Ed Wilts (ewilts@galaxy.gov.bc.ca) wrote:
: Is there any way of converting normal text files or .dvi files to BookReader
: format?  We don't have Vax Document here but would still like to be able to
: produce nice on-line documentation.

Ditto.  We use Scribe (markup language similar to VAX Document)
and would like to produce BookReader format documents if at all possible.

Dav
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
From: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick)
Subject: RE: RECALL/OUTPUT=filename (supplement)
Reply-To: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 18:56:54 GMT

In article <3109151410091992.A31579.MUVAXE.1169538E1F00*@MR.RFERL.ORG>, /R=ADMINA/R=A1/U=BRANDT/L=BrandT@rferl.org/TN=49-89-2102-3723/FFN=Thomas R. Brand/@MR.RFERL.ORG writes:
>Brian writes:
> 
>>    Try $ DEFINE/EXECUTIVE SYS$OUTPUT filename
>>        $ RECALL/ALL
>>        $ DEASSIGN SYS$OUTPUT
>> 
>>That works for me. $ SHOW LOGICAL/PROCESS SYS$OUTPUT
>>shows that SYS$OUTPUT is defined for both supervisory and executive modes.
> 
> Suggest you :
> 
>$DEASSIGN/EXECUTIVE SYS$OUTPUT
> 
>or easier yet
> 
>$DEFINE/EXECUTIVE/USER SYS$OUTPUT filename
>$RECALL/ALL
> 
>Define/USER defines a logical only for the next image activated, it saves the 
                                            --------------------
>step of deassinging it agian.

But is useless if you don't activate an image.  The definition of the verb
RECALL is:
	define syntax RECALL_ALL_COMMANDS
	   cliroutine RECALL
	   noparameters
	define verb RECALL
	   cliroutine RECALL
	   prefix CLI$K_RCAL_
	   parameter P1
	      value (type=$rest_of_line)
	   qualifier ALL , syntax=RECALL_ALL_COMMANDS
	   qualifier ERASE , syntax=RECALL_ALL_COMMANDS
Please note that RECALL is a cliroutine.  It's internal to DCL.  No image is
activated.  A user-mode definition of SYS$OUTPUT doesn't affect where RECALL
outputs to.  Worse, after invoking RECALL, the user-mode definition of
SYS$OUTPUT is still in effect.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

Disclaimer:  Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS.  That's what I get paid for.  My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below).  So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it.  If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.
From: chris@CSVAX1.UCC.IE ("J.C. Higgins, Sys Mgr CsVax1, UCC , Eire")
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: RE: Swim problems...
Date: 9 Sep 92 00:01:41 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet


>
> Dudes,
>      I just got swim and when i attemp to run it i get this...(yes this is
> nasty but this is exactly what photo returns from the smg's)
>
>
> %PHOTO-I-STARTED, PHOTO V1.0-003, recording started  7-SEP-1992 02:25:41
> -[5mSTUBRBEE[m->run swim
> >)0[4l[1;24r[;H[2J)0[4l=[1;1Hlqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq[7m
>    SWiM Term #1[mqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
>

>%SYSTEM-W-DEVALLOC, device already allocated to another user
>%SYSTEM-F-IVCHAN, invalid I/O channel

Install SWIM with priv SHARE.



                                                  Chris.

+ J.C. Higgins, Sys Admin  +  If you love something, set it free. If it doesn't
+ CHRIS@csvax1.ucc.ie      +  come back to you, hunt it down and KILL it. If
+ SCCS6002@iruccvax.ucc.ie +  that doesn't work, then GIVE UP peacefully.
From: leichter@lrw.com (Jerry Leichter)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Long lines and DCL line editing
Date: 11 Sep 92 02:29:27 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet


	I believe the original message mentioned that before an OS upgrade,
	the ability existed, but was lost after the upgrade.  I remember
	having the ability to move about freely within multi-line commands
	under 4.6, without the need to delete lines at the end of the command.
	(I can't speak to 4.7, since we went from 4.6 to 5.x.)

Your memory is incorrect.  Multi-line line editing was never implemented in
the VMS terminal driver.

							        I'm not sure
	if the reasoning behind the modified behavior was ever explained.

It didn't have to be explained, because it wasn't changed!

	(BTW, multi-line command line editing is available under the tcsh
	shell [any others?]; is the implementation really that awkward for the
	terminal driver under 5.x?)

Read my previous posting on this subject.  VMS implements line editing in the
terminal driver.  tcsh implements it as part of the shell.  Doing things in
the shell, you have full process context, full virtual memory, and so on,
available to you, so it's easy to do complex things.  You lose that by doing
it in the driver.  On the other hand, by doing it in the driver, you get a
uniform interface - you can do the same line editing whether you are talking
to DCL or to any program.  I use the Korn shell on Unix systems, and I find
its line editing features very handy - and I'm always annoyed when I can't use
them when providing data to a program.
							-- Jerry