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This chapter describes changes, corrections, restrictions, and known
problems that pertain to managing a DECwindows Motif system.
3.1 Installation and Upgrade Information
This section contains release notes related to the DECwindows Motif
installation and upgrade procedures.
3.1.1 DECwindows Motif Version Support and Compatibility
V1.3
The following table lists which versions of DECwindows Motif are supported on various OpenVMS versions. Support is defined to mean all features and functionality are available, except for Display PostScript, which has been withdrawn from all servers since OpenVMS Version 7.3.
| DECwindows Motif | OpenVMS Alpha version |
|---|---|
| Version 1.3 | OpenVMS 7.3-1 |
| Version 1.2--6 | OpenVMS 7.3-1, 7.3, 7.2-2, 7.2, 6.2 |
| Version 1.2--5 | OpenVMS 7.3, 7.2-2, 7.2, 6.2 |
Note that since the HP DECwindows Motif for HP OpenVMS Alpha Version 1.3 release is based specifically on HP
OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3--1 server and device driver images, the
HP DECwindows Motif for HP OpenVMS Alpha Version 1.3 will only install on systems running OpenVMS Alpha
Version 7.3--1.
3.1.2 Using Shareable Linkages to Install Images
V1.2--4
On OpenVMS Alpha systems, using shareable linkages to install images on DECwindows Motif software offers the following advantages:
V1.3
By default, the following images are installed using shareable linkages on Alpha systems:
These images are installed using the /SHARE=ADDRESS_DATA option. Note that if you accept the default, these images cannot be replaced during a restart of DECwindows Motif software. As a result, when you restart DECwindows, the images are not replaced and the following message is displayed:
Shared linkage sections are in use on this system and no images will be reinstalled. If you are restarting DECwindows to reinstall images then you must reboot the system. |
To replace new images installed with this option, reboot the system.
Note that you can disable shared-linkage sections by defining the
logical name DECW$IGNORE_SHARE_ADDRESS in the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM command
procedure.
3.1.3 DECW$COMPARE_VERSIONS Command File Limitation
1.2--4
The DECW$COMPARE_VERSIONS command file compares version identifications
using two-digit years. Therefore, it will not compare version
identifiers correctly for images generated in the year 2000 and later
with version identifiers for images generated before the year 2000.
3.2 System Tuning and Performance
This section describes important issues and considerations related to
the tuning of DECwindows Motif.
3.2.1 System Hangs With Some Graphics Cards
V1.2--5
On systems with Powerstorm 4d20 or ZLXp-E2 graphics cards, the operating system may hang or become extremely sluggish if you have a large number of open application windows or if certain CDA documents are opened. To verify that a system hang is caused by this problem, use the Watch Errors utility in the Desktop Tools drawer of the Application Manager. If the system hang is due to this problem, you will see the following:
-> RCV'D (pid nnnnnnnn): RCV'D (pid nnnnnnnn %SYSTEM-F-EXBUFOBJLM, exceeded systemwide buffer object page limit (MAXBOBMEM) |
At the present time, there is no workaround for this problem other than
using fewer windows (increasing the MAXBOBMEM value doesn't fix the
problem). If you experience this problem, you may want to keep a
DECterm window free so that you can perform a graceful system reboot.
Otherwise, you will need to perform a hard reboot.
3.2.2 Error Messages Displayed During Startup
V1.2--4
At startup, error messages similar to those shown in Example 3-1 are displayed when:
These error messages are generated because there is not enough memory in the granularity hints region to install images resident. The images are installed nonresident, without shared address linkage, so DECwindows startup can complete. However, the performance and memory advantages of using shared address linkage are lost.
The amount of memory in the granularity hints region is determined by the system parameter GH_RSRVPGCNT. In DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS Version 1.2--3 and earlier versions, this parameter was set to 512, which allowed DECwindows to start at any time with shared address linkage. However, this also consumed a large amount of physical memory.
To prevent memory from being wasted, OpenVMS temporarily increases the size of the granularity hints region during system startup and releases the unused memory once startup has completed. Starting with DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS Version 1.2--4 DECwindows Motif takes advantage of this by allowing GH_RSRVPGCNT to remain at its default value of zero. DECwindows images can be installed resident and with shared address linkage as long as DECwindows is started during system startup, as it is by default.
| Example 3-1 Error Messages Displayed Due to Low Memory in Granularity Hints Region |
|---|
%INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint region %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %RUN-S-PROC_ID, identification of created process is 00000092 %RUN-S-PROC_ID, identification of created process is 00000093 %INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -SYSTEM-F-PAGOWNVIO, page owner violation -SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, normal successful completion -DEBUG-W-NOIOCHAN, no I/O channel available %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -SYSTEM-F-VA_IN_USE, virtual address already in use -SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, normal successful completion -DEBUG-W-NOIOCHAN, no I/O channel available %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -SYSTEM-F-VA_IN_USE, virtual address already in use -SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, normal successful completion -DEBUG-W-NOIOCHAN, no I/O channel available %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -SYSTEM-F-VA_IN_USE, virtual address already in use -SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, normal successful completion -DEBUG-W-NOIOCHAN, no I/O channel available %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re %INSTALL-I-FAIL, failed to create shared linkage entry for DISK$ALPHASYS:<SYS0. -SYSTEM-F-VA_IN_USE, virtual address already in use -SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, normal successful completion -DEBUG-W-NOIOCHAN, no I/O channel available %INSTALL-I-NONRES, installed image non-resident with other specified options -INSTALL-E-NOGHREG, insufficient memory in the code or data granularity hint re |
V1.1
Extensive SYLOGIN.COM or LOGIN.COM command procedures slow down application startup. Many of the operations performed in a SYLOGIN.COM or LOGIN.COM are meaningless for DECwindows application startup. Therefore, the SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM files should be conditionalized for DECwindows application startup performance. When starting a DECwindows application, a minimum of SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM commands should be executed.
Typically, the commands that should be executed are the redefinition of DECW$USER_DEFAULTS (if present), and other logical name definitions if the user will be referencing them from within the context of a DECwindows application. The following code segment can be inserted into SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM immediately following the commands necessary for DECwindows:
$ mode = f$mode()
$ tt_devname = f$trnlnm("TT")
$ session_mgr_login = (mode .eqs. "INTERACTIVE") .and. -
(f$locate("WSA",tt_devname) .ne. f$len(tt_devname))
$ session_detached_process = (mode .eqs. "INTERACTIVE") .and. -
(f$locate("MBA",tt_devname) .ne. f$len(tt_devname))
$ if session_mgr_login .or. session_detached_process then exit
|
Applications continue to run even if these lines are not added to the
SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM files.
3.2.4 System Tuning for Non-VGA Devices
V1.2
The DECwindows server requires specific tuning for graphics-intensive and 3D applications because of greater demand for system resources. You need to make adjustments for server quotas on 3D accelerated systems. These are minimum values suggested for a system with as little as 64 MB of physical memory and for running complex clients.
Use the AUTHORIZE utility to set the following SYSTEM account quotas to the minimum values shown in Table 3-2.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| FILLM | 400 |
| ENQLM | 1024 |
| WSDEF | 10240 |
| WSQUO | 16384 |
| WSEXTENT 1 | 20480 |
| PGFLQUO 2 3 | 270000 |
The server has its own quotas that are set in SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM. If this file does not exist, copy the file SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.TEMPLATE to SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM and edit the file to include the following values:
| Quota | Value |
|---|---|
| DECW$SERVER_FILE_LIMIT | 400 |
| DECW$SERVER_ENQUEUE_LIMIT | 1024 |
| DECW$SERVER_WSDEF | 10240 |
| DECW$SERVER_WSQUOTA | 16384 |
| DECW$SERVER_WSEXTENT | 20480 |
| DECW$SERVER_PAGE_FILE 1 | 270000 |
If you use larger values, you must also modify the corresponding SYSTEM account quotas that you set with the AUTHORIZE utility.
Tuning for Animation Applications
If your application involves lengthy animation sequences of large models or assemblies, performance may be improved by setting the following working set quotas and values:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| WSDEF | 10240 |
| WSQUO | 20480 |
| WSEXTENT | 32768 |
You need to set the corresponding server quotas as follows:
| Quota | Value |
|---|---|
| DECW$SERVER_WSDEF | 10240 |
| DECW$SERVER_WSQUOTA | 20480 |
| DECW$SERVER_WSEXTENT | 32768 |
The parameters should not be tuned upward unless you have at least 128 MB of physical memory. |
To determine whether you need to set larger parameters, monitor the server process during the heaviest display usage. If the working set use approaches the maximum WSEXTENT, then you need to adjust the values. However, do not set large values unless it is necessary. If you set these values too high, performance may be degraded. Optimal DECwindows server performance depends on application demands.
MIN_WSMAX must be at least as large as the largest WSEXTENT value set from among your accounts. Please refer to the OpenVMS System Manager's Manual for more information. Do not exceed what AUTOGEN gives for WSMAX. See the warning in the AUTOGEN report.
The next time you run AUTOGEN and reboot, the new values will take effect. In addition, you need to increase the size of the page file to accommodate the pagefile quotas of both the server and your clients. Note that pagefile quota for the server is derived from system page files.
If, after initial tuning and considerable use, the server is failing or is unnecessarily unresponsive, the server may have run out of memory or memory may have become fragmented. A particularly demanding application may require that you give the server even larger PGFLQUO value.
If the server error log SYS$MANAGER:DECW$SERVER_0_ERROR.LOG contains the statement xxx: Out of memory, increase the pagefile quota for the server. Set this by modifying both system quota PGFLQUO and DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM.
Note that, in multiheaded configurations (for example, ZLX--E1 and
ZLX--E2), the PGFLQUO and the DECW$SERVER_PAGE_FILE parameters should
be increased to meet your system requirements.
3.3 Security and Authorization
This section describes important issues and considerations related to
system security.
3.3.1 Security Options Referencing Incorrect X Authority File
V1.3
It is possible for changes to be made to the wrong X authority file when using the Session Manager (Traditional DECwindows Desktop) or Style Manager (New Desktop) to set security options, which could prevent subsequent client applications from accessing the X server.
This happens after the following sequence of events:
Under these circumstances, subsequent changes to security options result in changes to the original X authority file (Step 1) instead of the newly specified file (Step 3).
If you are using the Traditional DECwindows Desktop, you can access the Session Manager and reset client access control to use the Authorized Users list. However, if you are using the New Desktop, you may not be able to access the Style Manager and be forced to exit the current session.
In either case, exiting the current session restores the server to its
default state.
3.3.2 Unknown Code Error Displayed When Enabling Kerberos
V1.3
If the Kerberos logical (KRB$ROOT) has not been set properly, the following error is displayed when you attempt to enable Kerberos from either the DECwindows Motif desktop or the DCL command line using KINIT:
"Unknown code 6 while initializing krb5" |
To correct this problem, reconfigure the Kerberos for OpenVMS Security
Client software as described in the Kerberos for OpenVMS
Installation Guide and Release Notes available from the OpenVMS
web site (http://www.openvms.compaq.com).
3.3.3 Bad Atom Error Displayed When Running Applications Over an Untrusted Connection
V1.3
Many DECwindows Motif applications will not start, or will exit after starting, when trying to run over an untrusted connection without a security policy defined. An untrusted connection is created by granting access to the X server using a cookie generated by the SET DISPLAY/GENERATE command or XAUTH GENERATE command.
In most cases where this problem occurs, the following error message is displayed:
X Error of failed request BadAtom (invalid Atom parameter) |
To reduce the likelihood of application errors over untrusted connections, start the server with the default security policy file by setting the symbol DECW$SECURITY_POLICY to DECW$EXAMPLES:DECW$SECURITY_POLICY.TXT.
Note however, that the following applications do not run cleanly over an untrusted connection, even with a security policy file in place:
V1.3
Applications connected to the X server using an untrusted, generated cookie may not work when the SEC_XAG and XINERAMA server extensions are both loaded. The problem is caused by the order in which these two extensions are initialized when the server is started.
To avoid the problem, always define DECW$SERVER_EXTENSIONS in DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM so that if both XINERAMA and SEC_XAG are loaded, XINERAMA is listed before SEC_XAG.
For example, define:
$ decw$server_extensions == "XINERAMA,SEC_XAG" |
instead of:
$ decw$server_extensions == "SEC_XAG,XINERAMA" |
V1.3
Client programs that connect using a generated authentication key with the untrusted property may execute operations that change the server's access control. These operations are XAddHost(s), XRemoveHost(s), XSetAccessControl, XEnableAccessControl, and XDisableAccessControl.
This happens only if the user, node and transport of the client would
have been entitled to make these changes if connected without using the
authentication key. Normally, the only applications granted this
permission are those executing on the local node via the local or
DECnet transport by the specific user who has logged into DECwindows Motif.
3.3.6 Kerberos and TCP/IP Cannot Parse a Node Name of 0
V1.3
When using Kerberos with TCP/IP, providing a node name of 0 (to indicate the local host) does not work correctly. The problem occurs only if Kerberos is initialized from the server authority file. For example:
$ SET DISPLAY/TRANSPORT=TCPIP/NODE=0 $ RUN DECW$EXAMPLES:ICO Xlib: krb5_sname_to_principal failed: Hostname cannot be canonicalized Cannot open display : non-translatable vms error code: 0x182B2 %rms-e-rnf, record not found |
Instead, provide the TCP/IP address of the local host explicitly:
$ SET DISPLAY/TRANSPORT=TCPIP/NODE=11.22.33.44 |
V1.3
When initializing the Kerberos setup using the server X authority file, the DECwindows Motif login cannot be used. The reason for this is that DECwindows login is a privileged image and the Kerberos runtime image is not an installed image. Moreover, the clients run by login manipulate the Kerberos setup. Therefore, session management is not supported in this configuration.
To prevent the DECwindows login box from coming up, define DECW$MAINAPP in SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_APPS_SETUP.COM as follows:
$ DECW$MAINAPP == " " |
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