Type the name of one of the categories listed below to obtain a list of related commands and topics. To obtain detailed information on a topic, press the RETURN key until you reach the "Topic?" prompt and then type the name of the topic. Topics that appear in all uppercase are DCL commands.
1 – Batch and print jobs
Submitting batch and print job and controlling batch and print queues.
ASSIGN/MERGE Moves job entries from one queue to another.
ASSIGN/QUEUE Assigns, or redirects, a logical queue to a single
printer or terminal execution queue.
DEASSIGN/QUEUE Deassign a logical queue from a printer or terminal
queue and stops the logical queue.
DELETE/ENTRY Deletes one or more entries from the queue.
DELETE/QUEUE Deletes a queue and all its job entries.
DISABLE AUTOSTART
/QUEUES Disables the autostart feature for queues on a node.
ENABLE AUTOSTART
/QUEUES Enables the autostart feature for queues on a node.
INITIALIZE/QUEUE Creates and initializes a queue.
PRINT Places a job entry in a print queue.
SET ENTRY Changes the current status or attributes of a
job entry in a queue.
SET PRINTER Sets device characteristics for a printer.
SET QUEUE Changes the current status or attributes of a queue.
SHOW ENTRY Displays the job entries belonging to a specified user.
SHOW PRINTER Displays device characteristics defined for a printer.
SHOW QUEUE Displays information about a queue and its job entries,
including the protection currently set for the queue.
START/QUEUE Starts or restarts a queue. For autostart queues,
activates the queue for autostart.
START/QUEUE/MANAGER Starts or restarts a queue manager.
STOP/QUEUE Pauses a queue to control it or the current entry in it.
STOP/QUEUE/MANAGER
/CLUSTER Stops a queue manager (supersedes the
STOP/QUEUE/MANAGER command.)
STOP/QUEUE/NEXT Stops a queue after all executing job entries have
completed. For an autostart queue, also deactivates the
queue for autostart.
STOP/QUEUE/REQUEUE Stops the current job entry and requeues it for later
processing.
STOP/QUEUE/RESET Abruptly stops a queue and aborts all executing job
entries. For an autostart queue, also deactivates the
queue for autostart.
STOP/QUEUES/ON_NODE Stops all queues on a node without stopping the
queue manager. Also prevents autostart queues
from failing over to the node.
SUBMIT Places a job entry in a batch queue.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type BATCH_AND_PRINT_JOBS to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
2 – Command procedures
Performing operations specific to command procedures.
@ Describes how to invoke command procedures.
Lexical Describes functions that can be used in expressions.
Specify Describes valid values and expressions.
Symbol_Assign Describes symbol assigments statements.
CALL Transfers control to a labeled subroutine in a
command prodecure and creates a new procedure level.
DECK Marks the beginning of a special input stream.
DELETE/SYMBOL Deletes one or more names from a symbol table.
ENDSUBROUTINE Ends a CALL subroutine and returns control to the
command following the CALL command.
EOD Marks the end of a special input stream.
EXIT Terminates a command procedure.
GOSUB Transfers control to a labeled subroutine in a
command procedure.
GOTO Transfers control to a label in a command procedure.
IF Executes a command only if an expression is true.
INQUIRE Requests input and assigns the result to a symbol.
ON Specifies an action to perform when a condition occurs.
RETURN Terminates a GOSUB subroutine procedure and returns
control to the command following the calling GOSUB
command.
SET CONTROL Controls the use of the CTRL/T and CTRL/Y keys.
SET ON Sets error checking on or off.
SET RESTART_VALUE Sets the value of a batch job restart symbol.
SET VERIFY Displays command input as it is read.
SHOW SYMBOL Displays the value of a symbol.
SUBROUTINE Begins a CALL subroutine.
WAIT Suspends processing for a specified period of time.
OPEN Makes a file available for reading or writing.
CLOSE Terminates processing of a file.
READ Reads and optionally deletes a record from an open file.
WRITE Writes a record to an open file.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type COMMAND_PROCEDURES to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
3 – Contacting people
Communicating with other people using the system.
MAIL Sends/reads messages to/from other users.
PHONE Permits users to communicate by typing messages to
one another's terminal screens.
REPLY Displays a message on one or more terminal screens.
REQUEST Displays a message on the operator's console.
SHOW USERS Lists the interactive users on the system.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type CONTACTING_PEOPLE to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
4 – Creating processes
Create and switch control between user processes.
(Also see Batch_and_print_jobs)
Login Initiates an interactive terminal session.
LOGOUT Terminates an interactive terminal session.
SET PASSWORD Changes your password.
ANALYZE/PROCESS Analyzes a process dump.
ATTACH Switches your terminal between SPAWNed processes.
CONNECT Connects a physical terminal to a virtual terminal.
DISCONNECT Disconnects a physical terminal from a virtual terminal.
PRINT Creates a print job.
RUN/PROCESS Creates a detached process or subprocess.
SET HOST Connects your terminal to another system via DECnet.
SHOW NETWORK Displays the nodes you can reach from your system.
SPAWN Creates a subprocess with a similar environment.
SUBMIT Creates a batch job.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type CREATING_PROCESSES to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
5 – Developing programs
Creating and debugging images.
(Also see Executing_programs and Files_and_directories)
ANALYZE/IMAGE Analyzes an image file.
ANALYZE/OBJECT Analyzes an object module.
DEBUG Invokes the symbolic debugger after a CTRL/Y.
DEPOSIT Changes the contents of memory.
DIFFERENCES Displays differences in content between two files.
DUMP Displays the uninterpreted contents of a file.
EDIT Invokes TPU and runs the Extensible Versatile Editor.
EXAMINE Displays the contents of memory.
LIBRARY Creates or modifies various kinds of libraries.
LINK Creates images from object modules.
MACRO Creates object modules from macro source programs.
MACRO/MIGRATION Compiles VAX MACRO source code into code that runs on
Alpha systems.
MESSAGE Creates object modules from message source programs.
PATCH Patches an image.
RUN Runs an executable image.
SET COMMAND Updates the commands available to the process.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type DEVELOPING_PROGRAMS to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
6 – Executing programs
Running executable images.
(Also see Developing_programs and Files_and_directories)
CANCEL Cancels a scheduled wakeup request.
CONTINUE Resumes execution of an interrupted command.
DEBUG Invokes the VMS Debugger after a CTRL/Y.
DEPOSIT Changes the contents of memory.
EXAMINE Displays the contents of memory.
EXIT Terminates execution of an image or command procedure.
RUN Runs an image.
SET COMMAND Updates the commands available to the process.
STOP Abruptly terminates execution of an image, process, or
command procedure.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type EXECUTING_PROGRAMS to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
7 – Files and directories
Saving and cataloging information on storage devices.
(Also see Developing_programs and Executing_programs)
APPEND Appends one file to another.
ANALYZE/RMS_FILE Analyzes the internal structure of a file.
CONVERT Changes the attributes of a file.
COPY Creates a copy of an existing file or files.
CONVERT/RECLAIM Reclaims unused space in an indexed file.
CREATE Creates a new file.
CREATE/DIRECTORY Creates a new directory or subdirectory.
CREATE/FDL Creates a new file with tailored attributes.
DELETE Deletes a file or files.
DIFFERENCES Displays differences in content between two files.
DIRECTORY Displays the names of the files in a directory.
DUMP Displays the uninterpreted contents of a file.
EDIT Invokes TPU and runs the Extensible Versatile Editor.
EDIT/FDL Creates a file definition file.
EDIT/SUM Updates a file with multiple files of edit commands.
EXCHANGE Reformats files formatted by other operating systems.
LIBRARY Creates or modifies various kinds of libraries.
MERGE Merges sorted files.
PRINT Prints the contents of a file.
PURGE Deletes old versions of a file or files.
RENAME Recataloges an existing file.
SEARCH Locates a character string within a file or files.
SORT Sorts the data in a file.
TYPE Displays the contents of a file.
RUNOFF Formats one or more documents (text files).
SET DEFAULT Changes the default device and directory.
SET DIRECTORY Changes the characteristics of a directory.
SET FILE Changes the characteristics of a file.
SET PROTECT/DEF Changes the default protection given to files.
SET RMS_DEFAULT Changes the default block and buffer count values.
SET SECURITY Modifies the access control list (ACL), protection code,
and owner of a file. protected object.
SHOW DEFAULT Displays the default device and directory.
SHOW PROTECTION Displays the default protection.
SHOW QUOTA Displays your quota of space on a disk volume.
SHOW RMS_DEFAULT Displays the default block and buffer count values.
SHOW SECURITY Displays the name, class, and profile of a file or
directory. The profile lists the object's access control
list (ACL), protection code, and owner.
UNLOCK Closes a file accidentally left open.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type FILES_AND_DIRECTORIES to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
8 – Logical names
Using higher-level names in place of device and file names.
(Also see Physical_devices)
ASSIGN Equates a logical name to an equivalence string.
CREATE/NAME_TABLE Creates a logical name table.
DEASSIGN Deletes a logical name.
DEFINE Equates a logical name to an equivalence string.
SHOW LOGICAL Displays logical names and their equivalencies.
SHOW TRANSLATION Displays a logical name and its first equivalence.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type LOGICAL_NAMES to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
9 – Operators in expressions
Operands in an expression are connected by operators. If there is more
than one operator in an expression, the operator having the highest
precedence is evaluated first. If an expression contains operators that
have the same order of precedence, the operations are performed from
left to right. Use parentheses to override the normal order of
precedence.
Operator Precedence Description
+ 7 Indicates a positive number
- 7 Indicates a negative number
* 6 Multiplies two numbers
/ 6 Divides two numbers
+ 5 Adds two numbers or concatenates two character
strings
- 5 Subtracts two numbers or reduces a string
.EQS. 4 Tests if two character strings are equal
.GES. 4 Tests if first string is greater than or equal
to second
.GTS. 4 Tests if first string is greater than second
.LES. 4 Tests if first string is less than or equal to
second
.LTS. 4 Tests if first string is less than second
.NES. 4 Tests if two strings are not equal
.EQ. 4 Tests if two numbers are equal
.GE. 4 Tests if first number is greater than or equal
to second
.GT. 4 Tests if first number is greater than second
.LE. 4 Tests if first number is less than or equal
to second
.LT. 4 Tests if first number is less than second
.NE. 4 Tests if two numbers are not equal
.NOT. 3 Logically negates a number
.AND. 2 Combines two numbers with a logical AND
.OR. 1 Combines two numbers with a logical OR
10 – Physical devices
Using physical devices.
(Also see Logical_names, and Terminal_environment)
ALLOCATE Allocates a device for your exclusive use.
DEALLOCATE Releases an allocated device for general use.
DISMOUNT Makes a storage device unavailable for processing.
INITIALIZE Formats a storage device.
MOUNT Makes a storage device available for processing.
ANALYZE/DISK Checks the readability and validity of disks.
ANALYZE/ERROR_LOG Displays the contents of the system error log.
ANALYZE/MEDIA Analyzes the format of a storage device.
BACKUP Saves or restores files from storage devices.
SET CARD_READER Sets the translation mode for a card reader.
SET DEVICE Sets device characteristics.
SET MAGTAPE Sets magnetic tape device characteristics.
SET PRINTER Sets line printer characteristics.
SET SECURITY
/CLASS=DEVICE Modifies the access control list (ACL),
protection code, and owner of a device.
SET VOLUME Sets mounted volume characteristics.
SHOW DEVICES Displays the status of devices.
SHOW ERROR Displays device error counts.
SHOW MAGTAPE Displays magnetic tape characteristics.
SHOW PRINTER Displays line printer characteristics.
SHOW SECURITY Displays the name, class, and profile of a device.
The profile lists the queue's access control list
(ACL), protection code, and owner.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type PHYSICAL_DEVICES to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
11 – Security
11.1 – Object Protection
Modifying and displaying the security characteristics of
protected objects.
SET SECURITY Modifies the access control list (ACL),
protection code, and owner of a protected
object.
SHOW SECURITY Displays the name, class, and profile of a
protected object. The profile lists the object's
access control list (ACL), protection code, and
owner.
11.2 – Protection Codes
A protection code controls the type of access allowed (or denied)
to a particular user or group of users. It has the following
format:
[category:list of access allowed(,category:list of access allowed,...)]
o Category
User categories include system (S), owner (O), group (G),
and world (W). Each category can be abbreviated to its first
character. Categories have the following definition:
System Any user process or application whose UIC is
in the range 1 through 10 (octal), has SYSPRV
privilege, or is in the same group as the owner
and holds GRPPRV.
Owner Any user process or application whose UIC is
identical to the UIC of the object.
Group Any user process or application whose Group UIC is
identical to the group UIC of the object.
World Any user process or application on the system.
When specifying more than one user category, separate the
categories with commas, and enclose the entire code in
parentheses. You can specify user categories and access types
in any order.
A null access specification means no access, so when you omit
an access type for a user category, that category of user
is denied that type of access. To deny all access to a user
category, specify the user category without any access types.
Omit the colon after the user category when you are denying
access to a category of users.
o access-list
For files, the access types include read (R), write (W),
execute (E), or delete (D). The access type is assigned
to each ownership category and is separated from its
access types with a colon (:); for example, SET SECURITY
/PROTECTION=(S:RWE,O:RWE,G:RE,W). File access types have the
following meanings:
Read Gives you the right to read, print, or copy a disk
file. With directory files, the right to read or list
a file and use a file name with wildcard characters
to look up files. Read access implies execute access.
Write Gives you the right to write to or change the
contents of a file, but not delete it. Write access
allows modification of the file characteristics that
describe the contents of the file. With directory
files, the right to make or delete an entry in the
catalog of files.
Execute Gives you the right to execute a file that contains
an executable program image or DCL command procedure.
With a directory file, the right to look up files
whose names you know.
Delete Gives you the right to delete the file. To delete
a file, you must have delete access to the file and
write access to the directory that contains the file.
Control Gives you the right to file characteristics,
including the protection code and ACL. Special
restrictions apply to changing the owner of a file.
11.3 – Assigning File Profiles
The new file obtains its owner, protection code, and ACL from a
number of sources. The ownership assignment of a new file is done
independently of protection and ACL.
11.3.1 – Ownership
If any of the following conditions are true, then you can assign
an identifier as the owner of a file:
o The identifier matches your process UIC.
o You hold the identifier with the Resource attribute.
o You hold GRPPRV privilege and the identifier's group number
matches your UIC group.
o You hold SYSPRV privilege.
A file receives its owner identifier from the first applicable
source that you are allowed to assign:
o The explicit assignment of an owner at creation with the
/OWNER_UIC qualifier to the CREATE or COPY command
o The previous version
o The parent directory
o The process UIC
11.3.2 – Protection Code and ACL
The sources of a new file's protection code and ACL are similar
to those of ownership and are considered in the same order. The
system assigns a file's protection code and ACL from one of the
following sources:
1. The explicit assignment of elements at creation
2. The profile of the previous version of the file, if one exists
3. A Default Protection ACE and Default ACL on the parent
directory
4. The UIC and protection defaults of the process issuing the
command
5. One of the above with provision for the user creating the file
See the OpenVMS Guide to System Security for further information.
11.4 – Security Auditing
The SET AUDIT command and the SHOW AUDIT command provide the
management interface to the security auditing system, and the
ANALYZE/AUDIT command processes the audit log file.
ANALYZE/AUDIT Processes event messages in security audit
log files to produce reports of security-
related events on the system.
SET AUDIT/ENABLE Select categories of events to audit.
/AUDIT
SET AUDIT/SERVER Change the operational characteristics of
the audit server
SET AUDIT/JOURNAL Establish the location of the audit log
/DESTINATION file.
SET AUDIT/RESOURCE Control the monitoring of the log file's
disk space.
SHOW AUDIT Displays the security auditing
characteristics in effect on the system.
12 – System management
Monitoring, maintaining, tuning, and trouble-shooting the system.
(Also see Batch_and_print_jobs, Logical_names, and Physical_devices)
ACCOUNTING Runs the Accounting utility, which produces reports of
resource use.
ANALYZE/AUDIT Extracts selective information from the system security
audit journal.
ANALYZE/CRASH Invokes the System Dump Analyzer (SDA) to examine the
specified dump file
ANALYZE/DISK Invoke the Analyze/Disk_Structure Utility to examine disk
volumes.
ANALYZE/ERROR_LOG Invokes the Errorlog Report Formatter to selectively
report the contents of an error log file.
ANALYZE/IMAGE Describes the contents of an image file or shareable
image file.
ANALYZE/MEDIA Invokes the Bad Utility to find disk blocks that cannot
be used to store data
ANALYZE/OBJECT Describes the contents of an object file.
ANALYZE/PROCESS Invokes the OpenVMS Debugger for analysis of a process
dump file.
ANALYZE/RMS_FILE Analyzes the internal structure of an RMS file.
ANALYZE/SYSTEM Invokes the SDA to examine the running system.
ASSIGN Creates a logical name and assigns an equivalence string,
or a list of strings, to the specified logical name.
AUTHORIZE Allows system managers to control access to the system
and to allocate resources to users.
BACKUP Saves or restores files from storage devices.
EDIT/ACL Creates or modifies an access control list for a
specified object.
LMCP Creates and manages the transaction logs used by DECdtm
services.
MONITOR Displays performance information on the running system.
REPLY Displays a message on one or more terminal screens.
REQUEST Displays a message at a system operator's terminal.
SET ACCOUNTING Controls the current accounting file.
SET AUDIT Provides the management interface to the security
auditing system.
SET COMMAND Adds commands to your process name table or to a
specified command table file.
SET DAY Changes the day type.
SET LOGINS Sets a limit on the number of interactive users.
SET SECURITY Modifies the access control list (ACL), protection code,
and owner of a protected object.
SET TIME Resets the system clock.
SHOW ACCOUNTING Shows what resources the current accounting file is
tracking.
SHOW AUDIT Displays the security auditing characteristics in effect
on the system.
SHOW CLUSTER Monitors and displays OpenVMS Cluster activity and
characteristics.
SHOW ERROR Displays processor, memory, and device error counts.
SHOW MEMORY Displays the availability and usage of those system
resources that are related to memory.
SHOW SECURITY Displays the name, class, and profile of a protected
object. The profile lists the object's access control
list (ACL), protection code, and owner.
SHOW SYSTEM Displays status information about current processes.
SHOW USER Displays the user name and node name (in an OpenVMS
Cluster environment) of interactive, subprocess, and
batch users on the system.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type SYSTEM_MANAGEMENT to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
13 – Terminal environment
Manipulating your terminal-specific interactive environment
(Also see Physical_devices)
Line_editing Describes how to recall and edit commands.
CONNECT Connects a physical terminal to a virtual terminal.
DEFINE/KEY Equates terminal function keys to command lines.
DELETE/KEY Deletes a terminal function key definition.
DISCONNECT Disconnects a physical terminal from a virtual terminal.
RECALL Recalls previously entered interactive commands.
SET CONTROL Controls the use of the CTRL/T and CTRL/Y keys.
SET HOST Connects your terminal to another system via DECnet.
SET PROMPT Sets the interactive command prompt.
SET TERMINAL Sets terminal characteristics.
SHOW KEY Displays one or more function key definitions.
SHOW TERMINAL Displays terminal characteristics.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type TERMINAL_ENVIRONMENT to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.
14 – User environment
Examining and controling the user environment.
(Also see Logical_names, Physical_devices, and Terminal_environment)
SET COMMAND Updates the commands available to the process.
SET CONTROL Controls the use of the CTRL/T and CTRL/Y keys.
SET DEFAULT Changes the default device and directory.
SET HOST Connects your terminal to another system via DECnet.
SET MESSAGE Overrides or supplements system messages.
SET PASSWORD Changes your password.
SET PROCESS Changes your process characteristics.
SET PROMPT Sets the interactive command prompt.
SET PROTECT/DEF Changes the default protection given to files.
SET RMS_DEFAULT Changes the default block and buffer count values.
SET SECURITY Changes the protection code, ACL, and owner of a
protected object.
SET WORKING_SET Changes your working set limit or quota.
SHOW DEFAULT Displays the default device and directory.
SHOW KEY Displays one or more function key definitions.
SHOW LOGICAL Displays logical names and their equivalencies.
SHOW PROCESS Displays your process characteristics.
SHOW PROTECTION Displays the default protection.
SHOW QUOTA Displays your quota of space on a disk volume.
SHOW RMS_DEFAULT Displays the default block and buffer count values.
SHOW SECURITY Displays the name, class, and profile of a protected
object. The profile lists the object's access control
list (ACL), protection code, and owner.
SHOW STATUS Displays brief process characteristics.
SHOW SYMBOL Displays the value of a symbol.
SHOW TERMINAL Displays terminal characteristics.
SHOW TIME Displays the current date and time.
SHOW TRANSLATION Displays a logical name and its first equivalence.
SHOW WORKING_SET Displays your working set limit and quota.
Type ? to display the list of HINTS.
Type USER_ENVIRONMENT to redisplay this particular hint.
Press the RETURN key before typing a command or topic name.