HP says that the secure web browser "based on mozilla" is no longer supported and we should move to the secure web browser "based on seamonkey" (CSWB 1.1-12.) OK, I don't mind doing that, but I have to say their update instructions are pretty poor.
It appears that the new PCSI will install into the same directory, SYS$COMMON:[CSWB], that was used by the old product. This strikes me as a rather bad idea, yet they don't tell you to remove the old version before installing the new.
Anyone have specific thoughts or experience to report on this? As I understand it, SeaMonkey is in fact still Mozilla under a new name, since the Mozilla folks stopped enhancing it in favor of Firefox and Thunderbird, but another group took over the source tree and continued development. That should mean that upgrading one right over the other should be OK, but undoing it could be a mess if it fails.
The explanation is at the Mozilla.org and related sites and is close to what you have.
The old version installed in [VMS$COMMON.MOZILLA] and the new version installs into [VMS$COMMON.CSWB], so you can run them both.
I have not been using either recently because I had to relocate my VMS system to a different room than I am usually at, and the Vista system does not have the up time needed for stable X11 displays, and the X11VNC port is not working well enough either.
Both browser products seem to use the same profile, and I seem to recall having some problems with using the CSWB one.
It also apparently is not smart enough to check to see if a VMS binary is available, and is nagging for an upgrade to versions that have not been built for VMS.
That would make sense, but seems not to be so. The old Mozilla-based browser was installed in SYS$COMMON:[CSWB] already. I did find a tiny reference in the release notes for the Seamonkey version saying that the new version number is lower than the old version number, so PCSI will complain about overlaying a newer program with an older one, but you should just let it go ahead.
Indeed that's what happens. The new version installs right into the same directory, replacing the old.
The Seamonkey browser requires significantly more resources. It runs slower. The killing blow, though, is the fact that no matter what I do, I can't get it to load the Java plugin. I've increased quotas as instructed, run AUTOGEN to raise WSMAX, etc. And yes, I am running the JAVA$150_SETUP script before starting the browser. It worked with Mozilla, but fails with Seamonkey.
I finally got disgusted and reinstalled the old Mozilla version, which nicely overlaid the "new but unimproved" version of Seamonkey. And, I'm happy to report, Java works again without changing anything else.
This is on a PWS433au so it's normal for it to run slower than the newer Alphas, but the memory slots are maxed out so it isn't really short of RAM. There's plenty of disk space (36Gb SCSI drive, 90% empty.)
The error message Seamonkey puts out is "Failed to load LIBJAVAPLUGIN_OJI.SO - VMS status code is decimal 540." Supposedly that means you ran out of global sections but the expected matching error about that condition does not appear.
malmberg August 04 2022 No more VAX hobbyist licenses. Community licenses for Alpha/IA64/X86_64 VMS Software Inc. Commercial VMS software licenses for VAX available from HPE.
ozboomer July 20 2022 Just re-visiting.. No more hobbyist licenses? Is that from vmssoftware.com, no 'community' licenses?
valdirfranco July 01 2022 No more hobbyist license...sad
mister_wavey February 12 2022 I recall that the disks failed on the public access VMS systems that included Fafner
parwezw January 03 2022 Anyone know what happened to FAFNER.DYNDS.ORG? I had a hobbyist account here but can longer access the site.
gtackett October 27 2021 Make that DECdfs _2.1A_ for Vax
gtackett October 27 2021 I'm looking for DECdfs V2.4A kit for VAX. Asking here just in case anyone is still listening.
MarkRLV September 17 2021 At one time, didn't this web site have a job board? I would love to use my legacy skills one last time in my career.
malmberg January 18 2021 New Hobbyist PAKs for VAX/VMS are no longer available according to reports. Only commercial licenses are reported to be for sale from HPE
dfilip January 16 2021 Can someone please point me to hobbyist license pak? I'm looking for VAX/VMS 7.1, DECnet Phase IV, and UCX/TCPIP ... have the 7.1 media, need the license paks ... thanks!
