==================== SSCC News, May, 1996 ==================== This is the SSCC News. This monthly electronic newsletter will keep you informed about recent changes on the SSCC computer networks. We hope this information will help improve communication between the SSCC computing staff and all of you computer users out there. Inside this issue... New Beta Version of SPSS Available on EAGLE SSCC Summer Training Schedule Summer Plans for VMS Porting Ultrix System Files to SunOS and Digital UNIX Announcing Majordomo - an alternative to Maintaining Distribution Lists Reading Compressed SAS Transport Files on UNIX - New Methods Down with Serial Line Printers! Use the Laser Printers Instead! DoIT Now Offering Dedicated Modem Service ------------------------------------------- New Beta Version of SPSS Available on EAGLE ------------------------------------------- A working SPSS is now installed on EAGLE. Although this version is still in beta test, SPSS Inc. has stated that only the graphical interface (which SSCC users do not use) is still in test; the rest of the product is at release level. SSCC staff and other SSCC users performed limited testing and found that the product works as expected. SPSS Inc. has had major difficulty releasing SPSS for OpenVMS AXP machines like EAGLE. Recall, we received the first beta version for EAGLE in December of 1994. This version was very buggy and SPSS Inc. replaced it with another BETA release in August of 1995. Although much improved, this second beta release still was quite buggy. We are very pleased to finally have a working version of SPSS on EAGLE. This should alleviate some of the bottle- necks we have been experiencing on ROBIN and SSCB queues. So, it's time to give ROBIN and SSCB queues a breather and try out SPSS on EAGLE. You should have much faster turn-around-time by running SPSS on EAGLE. If you find this not to be the case, please let the Consultant know. Invoke SPSS just like you do on other VMS nodes -- $SPSS/NOMANAGER. NOTE: Because SPSS system files are stored in binary, and VAX/VMS and OpenVMS for AXP machines do not have the same binary representation, you must first convert your SPSS system file to portable format before it can be read by SPSS on EAGLE. The reverse is also true. Portable files are documented in SSCC Publication 3-12, "Using SPSS on VMS". ----------------------------- SSCC Summer Training Schedule ----------------------------- Date Time Room Topic ---- ---- ---- ----- 6/4 11-12 3432 Moving to Windows 95: Are Two Toes Better Than One? 6/5 2-3 4308 SSCC Facilities and Services: So many ways to go! 6/6 2-3 2470 Using SSCC's Consulting Database:Search&Monitor Problems 6/11 10-11:30 2470 UNIX Basics I: Commands and Command Syntax 6/13 10-11:30 2470 Introduction to PINE: A Menu Driven Mailer 6/18 10-11:30 2470 UNIX Basics II: Files and Directories 6/19,26 2-4 3432 Introduction to SAS/GRAPH 6/20 10-11 2470 Text Editing with EMACS 6/25 10-11:30 2470 UNIX Basics III: Running Jobs 6/27 2-3 3432 Introduction to the EUDORA Mailer for PC Users 7/2 11-12 3432 Windows 95 Network Fundamentals (Connecting to the LAN) 7/9 9:30-11 3432 WWW and its browsers (Netscape,Lynx,etc.) 7/10 2-3 4411 Scanning Text and Graphics with SSCC's New HP Scanner 7/11 9:30-11 3432 Finding it on the Web 7/16,18 10-11 2470 Introduction to STATA 7/17 10-11:30 3432 Introduction to Citation: Bibliographic Database for PCs 7/31 10-11 3432 Sharing (not moving) Data between UNIX, VMS, & the PC LAN 8/1 11-12 4452 Transferring Data between Stat Software Seamlessly 8/14 2-3 3432 Accessing the SSCC Network from a PC at Home w/ Windows95 8/20 2-3 2470 Using SSCC's Consulting Database:Search&Monitor Problems 8/28 2-3 3432 Using WiscWorld to Log On from Home (inc. FTP, Netscape) Note: SSCC training sessions require preregistration. If less than five people preregister for a course one week prior to its start date, the class may be canceled. To preregister for a class, send mail to SSCCLASS indicating which class(es) you plan to attend. You will be reminded about your pre- registration through e-mail a day or two before the class begins. -------------------- Summer Plans for VMS -------------------- Sometime in the next several months, probably this summer, we will be upgrading the VMS operating system to version 7.0. We also intend to continue to reduce the size of the VMS cluster by retiring older, relatively low-capacity machines. Together these policies will have the following effects that users of VMS-hosted resources should note: 1) Pathworks will be phased out. VMS-hosted disks will be made available to PCs via the NFS protocol. We can provide NFS client software to all Windows for Workgroups and Windows 95 clients that need it. However, we STRONGLY URGE all PC users who want direct connectivity to VMS-hosted disks to upgrade their PC operating system to Windows 95. The cost is minimal -- about $24 for a license -- and the benefits in greater networking reliability are substantial. If the license fee is a hardship the SSCC may be willing to pay. 2) Ingres will finally disappear. Ingres has been living on borrowed time (quite literally, considering how long it has been since we have paid for it) for years while users converted their databases. Decency requires that we discontinue making Ingres available when we upgrade to VMS 7.0. It is quite likely that it will not run under the new version of VMS anyway. ----------------------------------------------------- Porting Ultrix System Files to SunOS and Digital UNIX ----------------------------------------------------- In last month's SSCNEWS, we announced that all Ultrix computers (EUNICE, CDE2, HARMON, and IRP01D) will be phased out by the end of August, 1996 and that software that runs on Ultrix machines will be available on Digital Unix and SunOS machines for the most part. This is a reminder for those of you who have SAS or SPSS system files which were created on an Ultrix computer that these files have to be converted to transport files before they can be read by SunOS or Digital UNIX computers. This conversion must take place on Ultrix so it is crucial that you take care of this before Ultrix's demise. We have two SSCC documents which describe this process in detail: How to Transport SAS Data Sets between Digital Unix, SunOS, and Ultrix (#1) How to Transport SPSS System Files between Digital Unix, SunOS, & Ultrix (#12) These documents are available in printed form from consulting or in the Public Terminal Room (Soc. Sci. 2470). On-line versions can be found in SSCGOPHER. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcing Majordomo - an alternative to Maintaining Distribution Lists ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Majordomo list server has been installed at SSCC. A list server is a program that distributes electronic mail to everyone on a list. The mailing list is owned and managed by one person, but people may subscribe and unsubscribe themselves to lists without the intervention of the owner or computer administrators. Majordomo distributes e-mail, handles routine subscription requests, and provides basic information about the list on request. When you receive mail from Majordomo, the "From" portion of the mail header contains only the name of the mailing list, not the name of each user subscribed to the list. The Sociology office helped us test Majordomo over the last few months. They converted several of their VMS mail distribution lists to Majordomo; therefore, you may already be subscribed to one or more lists. If you would like to learn more about how to use Majordomo, pick up a copy of SSCC Publication #1-8, "Using Majordomo for Mailing Lists" available in printed form from consulting or in the Public Terminal Room (Soc. Sci. 2470). An on-line version can be found in SSCGOPHER. Contact CONSULTANT if you would like to set up a mailing list. ------------------------------------------------------------ Reading Compressed SAS Transport Files on UNIX - New Methods ------------------------------------------------------------ The way in which we have become accustomed to reading compressed SAS transport files has become problematic on UNIX. When these jobs fail, the processes created by the zcat command are left running, tying up system resources. SAS's technical support is recommending a new way of reading compressed transport files which we would like all of you to start using right away. SSC How-to #28 has been updated with the new procedure - please pick up a copy from consulting or in the Public Terminal Room (Soc. Sci. 2470). An On-line version can be found in SSCGOPHER. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Down with Serial Line Printers! Use the Laser Printers Instead! ---------------------------------------------------------------- For all you "old-timers" out there who have had it drilled into your heads that you should always use the serial line printer whenever possible, things have changed! It's actually cheaper now to print from laser printers than line printers. So, unless you prefer the way each page is attached to the next page with paper from the serial printer, start using the laser printer. Please follow the guidelines below for printing from laser printers: Use one of the double-sided queues whenever possible Print multiple pages per sheet of paper whenever possible (UNIX and VMS Introductory Handbooks contain instructions on this) Never print more than one copy of a file to a printer. ----------------------------------------- DoIT Now Offering Dedicated Modem Service ----------------------------------------- DoIT now rents dedicated modem lines to members of the UW community. The dedicated modem pool provides modem ports that individuals, groups, or departments can rent for their exclusive use. Although the SSCC will not rent lines, individual members of SSCC, or groups of users may rent lines for themselves. DoIT recommends a user-to-port ratio of 8:1. A dedicated modem port costs $67 a month and includes support from the Help Desk and DoIT technical support, monitoring service, equipment, and telephone line charges. There are no additional charges for time. If you rent 10 or more ports, DoIT discounts the cost to $60 per port. A minimum three-month subscription is required. For more information about DoIT's dedicated modem pool, visit the DoIT Showroom at 1210 W. Dayton St. To purchase a dedicated line, contact Product Sales at 262-SALE.