Installing OpenVMS on VirtualBox

Installing VSI OpenVMS x86-64 V9.2 on Oracle VM VirtualBox 7

Creating a Virtual Machine

To create a virtual machine in VirtualBox, follow these steps:

1. Run Oracle VM VirtualBox and select Machine > New from the main menu. The Create Virtual Machine wizard opens.
2. On the Virtual machine Name and Operating System page of the wizard, do the following:
   

   a. Set the Name and Folder for your VM.

   b. In the ISO Image field, specify the path to your OpenVMS ISO file.

   c. In the Type dropdown, select Other.

   d. In the Version dropdown, select Other/Unknown (64-bit).

3. On the Hardware page of the wizard, set Base Memory to at least 8GB. Click Next.
4. On the Hard disk, set the size of your virtual hard disk and click Next.
5. Click Finish.
   

Configuring Your Virtual Machine

Before you can install VSI OpenVMS x86-64 on your virtual machine, you must configure it. Follow these steps:

1. Once you have created your VM, right-click it and select Settings from the menu.
2. In the Settings window, do the following:

   a. Go to System > Motherboard > Extended Features.

   i. From the Chipset dropdown, select ICH9.

   ii. Make sure the Enable I/O APIC and Enable EFI options are checked.

   b. Go to Storage > Storage Devices.

   i. Select the default IDE controller, then click Remove Controller ()

   ii. Click Add Controller () and pick PIIX4 (Default IDE), then change type to AHCI.

   iii. Once you have created the controller, click Adds Hard Disk () and add the 40GB hard disk (6 GB being the minimum size) that you have created in Step 4 of the Creating a Virtual Machine topic.

   iv. Click Adds Optical Drive () and select your OpenVMS ISO file.

   c. Go to Network.

   i. Click the Attached to dropdown and select Host-only Adapter.

   ii. From the Adapter type dropdown, select Intel PRO/1000 MT Server.

   d. Go to Serial Ports.

   i. Check Enable Serial Port.

   ii. Set Port Mode to TCP.

   iii. Uncheck Connect to existing pipe/socket.

   iv. In the Path/Address field, type the port number that you want to use. In this procedure, we will use port 2023.

   e. Click OK to apply the changes and close the Settings window.
   

When you need the console, use Putty with:

i. Your port name

ii. Host name: 127.0.0.1

iii. Connection type: Raw.

Don't forget to change Local echo and Local line editing to Force off in Terminal settings. You can also enter OPA0 at the BOOTMGR> prompt for a built-in terminal (starting with V9.2-3).

Installing VSI OpenVMS x86-64

1. Select your virtual machine and click . If you have set everything up correctly, you will see the VSI Boot Manager screen:

   

2. Optional: At the BOOTMGR> prompt, type DEVICES to display the list of available disks. The list should include the DKA100 disk.
3. Enter BOOT DKA100. After the progress meter reaches 100%, you should see the following screen:

   

4. Run your terminal emulator software (in this example, we will be using Putty).
5. Set the connection type to Telnet.
6. Set the Local Echo and Local Line Editing options to Force Off.

   Note: In Putty, you will find these options under the Terminal category.

7. Connect to localhost. You should see the following output:

   

8. Enter 1.
9. Answer INITIALIZE to the Do you want to INITIALIZE or to PRESERVE? question.
10. At the Enter device name for target disk: prompt, enter DKA0:
11. At the Enter volume label for target system disk: [X86SYS] prompt, type the name for your system disk. In this example, we will name it systemDisk.
12. At the Do you want to enable hard links? prompt, specify whether you want to enable hard links. It is up to you, but in this example we will answer yes.
13. You will see a prompt asking you to confirm your choice. For the sake of brevity, such prompts will not be mentioned in this document.
14. Set and confirm the password for your SYSTEM account.

    Note: If you get an error at this stage, press Backspace several times before you enter the password. This is a terminal emulator issue.

15. At the Enter SCSNODE: prompt, specify the name for your OpenVMS node. In this example, we will type in x86.
16. Answer YES to the Do you plan to use DECnet? question and agree to the suggested address.
17. The next 3 prompts will ask you to specify the time zone related information.
18. Answer NO to the Do you want to register any Product Authorization Keys? question.
19. Agree to install DECWindows Motif and DECnet-Plus for OpenVMS x86-64.
20. Answer NO to the Do you always want detailed descriptions? question.
21. Answer YES to the Do you want the defaults for all options? question.
22. Answer YES to the Can the system be REBOOTED after the installation completes? question.
23. Answer NO to the Do you want to review the options? question.
24. Wait for the Portion done: meter to reach 100%. After that, you will be asked to press Enter to continue several times.
25. At the Enter CHOICE or ? for help: (1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/?) prompt, enter 9. The system will shut down.
26. When you see the **** Hit any key to reboot system **** output, press Enter. The system will reboot.
27. At the BOOTMGR> prompt, enter BOOT DKA0:. The system will boot and shut down.

28. 

When you see the BOOTMGR> prompt again, enter BOOT DKA0: and wait for the system to boot. Press Enter when you see an output similar to the one below:

1. At the Username: prompt, set the name for your system account. In this example, we will type in system.
2. Enter the password that you have set in Step 14.
   

You have successfully installed OpenVMS. Now, before you can use the system, you must perform several post-installation configuration steps. Do not close your Putty window.

Post-installation configuration

Configuring VSI TCP/IP Services and DHCP

Important: The procedure below assumes you already have a network with a running DHCP server. To configure VSI TCP/IP Services and DHCP, follow these steps:

1. In your Putty window, at the $ prompt, enter @sys$startup:tcpip$startup
2. Answer YES to the Autoconfigure TCP/IP Services using DHCP client question.

You will get several system output messages. The last one will contain the IP address that has been assigned to your OpenVMS node.

1. At the $ prompt, enter @tcpip$config
2. Select 1 - Core environment.
3. Select 2 – Interfaces.
4. Select 2 – <IP address>, where <IP address> is the address that was assigned to IE0.
5. Select 2 - Set “<IP address>” as the default hostname
6. Enter a hostname for your address. It can be any string of symbols.
7. Answer YES to the Set the hostname to <your_host_name> question.
8. Answer YES to the Update system hostname on live system question.
9. In the VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Interface & Address Configuration Menu, select option 2 – <your_IP_address> <your_host_name>.
10. Select 3 - Add to configuration database.
11. Select option 2 – <your_IP_address> <your_host_name> again.
12. Select 4 - Add to IPCI database.
13. Exit the configuration menu.
14. Optional: To make sure everything works correctly so far, ping the IP address that you specified earlier. Do not close your Putty window.
    

Configuring SSH

To configure OpenSSH on your OpenVMS system, follow these steps:

1. In your Putty window, at the $ prompt, enter reboot to reboot your virtual machine.
2. Enter BOOT DKA0 and re-login to the system.
3. At the $ prompt, enter @tcpip$config
4. Select 6 - Startup VSI TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS.
5. Exit the configuration menu.
6. At the $ prompt, enter:

   $ @sys$common:[openssh.bin]ssh$create_account.com

7. Give the default answer to the Enter default UIC group number for OpenSSH account prompt.
8. Enter the following commands in this order:

   $ @sys$common:[openssh.bin]ssh$create_startup_file.com

   $ @sys$common:[openssh.bin]ssh$generate_keys.com

   @sys$common:[openssh.bin]ssh$install_info.com

   Note: After entering the second command, make sure that SSH keys were generated.

9. Close the current Putty session.
10. Establish a Telnet connection to the system via the IP address that was assigned to your system by DHCP (Step 2 of the Configuring VSI TCP/IP Services and DHCP topic).
11. Login to the system.
12. Enter the following commands:

    $ set terminal/inquiry

    $ set terminal/insert

13. Type in EDIT SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM
14. In the file, find and uncomment the following line:

    @SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$STARTUP.COM

15. Scroll to the end of the file and insert the following lines before $ EXIT:

    $ @sys$common:[openssh.bin]SSH$STARTUP.COM

    $ @sys$sysdevice:[vms$common.openssh.bin]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS

16. Press Ctrl+Z to save the changes and close the file.
17. Enter EDIT SYLOGICALS.COM
18. In the file, find and uncomment this block of lines:

:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE SYSUAF                    SYS$SYSTEM:SYSUAF.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE SYSUAFALT                 SYS$SYSTEM:SYSUAFALT.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE SYSALF                    SYS$SYSTEM:SYSALF.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE RIGHTSLIST                SYS$SYSTEM:RIGHTSLIST.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE NETPROXY                  SYS$SYSTEM:NETPROXY.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE NET$PROXY                 SYS$SYSTEM:NET$PROXY.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE NETOBJECT                 SYS$SYSTEM:NETOBJECT.DAT
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE NETNODE_REMOTE            SYS$SYSTEM:NETNODE_REMOT`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE LMF$LICENSE               SYS$SYSTEM:LMF$LICENSE.L`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMSMAIL_PROFILE           SYS$SYSTEM:VMSMAIL_PROFI`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMS$OBJECTS               SYS$SYSTEM:VMS$OBJECTS.D`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMS$AUDIT_SERVER          SYS$MANAGER:VMS$AUDIT_SE`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMS$PASSWORD_HISTORY      SYS$SYSTEM:VMS$PASSWORD_`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMS$PASSWORD_DICTIONARY   SYS$LIBRARY:VMS$PASSWORD`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE NETNODE_UPDATE            SYS$MANAGER:NETNODE_UPDA`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMS$PASSWORD_POLICY       SYS$LIBRARY:VMS$PASSWORD`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE LAN$NODE_DATABASE         SYS$SYSTEM:LAN$NODE_DATA`
:$! DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE VMS$CLASS_SCHEDULE        SYS$SYSTEM:VMS$CLASS_SCH`

1. Save and close the file.
2. Reboot the system.
3. To verify that everything has been set up correctly, try and establish an SSH connection to your virtual machine.