Bash 4.2.39 is the current release and patch level of the GNU bash project and is now available for OpenVMS.
This version does not support Job Control as that can not be easily implemented on VMS at this time.
Coprocess and network socket support were not implemented in this release to save time in debugging and testing.
This release has been tested with configure scripts for the curl, gawk and bash project itself as well as most of the bash internal tests.
Several testers including HP and Eric Roberson of IQware helped to make this release a reality.
The building procedure uses search lists, support routines, and TPU editing scripts, which makes it easier to keep the VMS releases current with the GNU releases.
It is recommended that you read the release notes before installation or immediately after installation to make sure that the new version is used by GNV.
You should install this kit on the same disk that GNV was installed on.
If you have installed GNV which sets up a POSIX root, if you are not running the GNV startup procedure, the [vms$common.gnv.bin] directory will not be set up, and this will cause problems with installing other kits. Hopefully that issue will be fixed in a future GNV kit.
If you installed the Bash 1.14.8 kit separate from GNV, it will have to be uninstalled before this kit can be installed because the producer is now GNV.
Kits are planned to be in at the GNV project at sourceforge.net download section in the future.
For those that want to build it from source, you can check out the VMS specific changes in the http://gnv.cvs.sourceforge.net/gnv/ cvs tree from the gnu_vms/bash tree with the cvs tag gnv-bash-V0402-39e0.
These changes are done in conjunction with the actual GNU bash sources, a copy of these are in cvs for GNV project in the gnu/bash tree with the cvs tag gnv-bash-V0402-39e0.
While it should be possible to modify the build procedure to build on VAX/VMS, this has not been attempted yet.
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!
