Mainframe virtualization: VM/370 virtual machines, IPL MVS 3.8 TK4 - M66

We IPL VM/370 sixpack on top of Hercules. Then, we create a new virtual machine with the intent of starting MVS 3.8 TK4 Update 8 in it.

Since the editor in VM/370 is barely usable by today's standards, we use the editor on the PC and then upload any edits thru the VM/370 card reader.

Then we IPL MVS 3.8 TK4- Update 8 and log in to TSO. It all works fine and it's quite fast.

Find the MOSHIX DIRECT file here:

To chat with moshix on the Discord moshix channel click here:

[lavaq]

Hello Moshix, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all you do for the community of mainframers & former "mainframers". René Ferland, Juergen Winkelmann, Jay Moseley and all the others who must have put in an enormous amount of work making the software available and compatible. It's so interesting {and funny!} when it seems it's mostly those little things that (temporarily) interfere with work or learning: i.e. making a new dasd while not realizing an incorrect compression param was used! LOL! I would greatly appreciate your re-doing this video which shows how to integrate VM/370 with TK4- MVS. Thanks Again! Be Well! No more "schlooks" of coffee! :P

[Stosszahlansatz]

Thanks for the video! I bow to your perseverance!

All the mistakes you made, I made myself seven years ago. I did struggle with the console like you. But you came up with something new to me: ipl 148 stop and the dial. I used a dedicated 3270 at the time. A few comments (and I don't mean to prance):

a) The "( noh" option is for "no header", not for "no hold".
The hold/nohold is done with the SPOOL command.

b) One can avoid multiple directory files:

readcard moshix direct ( replace

which will replace the old version with the one you are just reading.

c) Looking at your VM/370 logo and VM directory, you seem to run
a version of Andy Norrie's 4-Pack system, not the 5-Pack, nor
the 6-Pack. One has to keep that in mind because the directories are
not exactly the same. If one just take your directory file and use it
as such on the 6-pack, it might lead to some problems. :-(

d) Instead of using a 3270 for a MVS console, I logon to MVS with a
3215 terminal and I use the logon console as my MVS console.
This is the VM equivalent of having an integrated console on Hercules
when MVS is run native. In your VM entry, you replace

SPECIAL 009 3270

with

CONSOLE 009 3215

This way, the 3215 console of the virtual machine on 009 is the
same as the 3215 console of MVS on 009. In the 4-pack, there is a
3215 terminal defined on 008. You connect to it with a telnet client.

But then one needs to change the line end character because it conflicts
with the CMD1 subsystem. This can be done with the USER statement:

USER MVS MVS 8M 16M BFG 50 /

That way, on the 3215 console, one can talk to different parts like this:

MVS : d a, l
JES2 : $du
CMD1 : #j
CP : /cp query files

Also, at the initial MVS IPL request, I reply:

r 00, cmd=02

(instead of cmd=03) and it starts the "minimal" system which, in fact, is
everything working under VM/370. That is what Jurgen actually suggest.

[flyingzeppo]

The only time in my life when I think I might need glasses is when I watch a moshix video.

[evansoenke]

I like the crt terminal emulator at the end of the intro video— I think I have that as an iOS app!

[dietermontanez]

moshix, the beta 1.3 of VM/370 (you tested it) has the ee editor .. a vast improvement as you know as one can edit the directors without punching them in and out. I tried to run TK4- but only managed to get a TSO logon and after trying to login it got stuck. Perhaps you give it a try? That would make VM/370 a usable platform!

[ccwalker]

WOW the memories here are mind boggling. As a retired IBM'er I use to be a VM Systems Programmer in Endicott, NY, Glendale Lab, and in Boca Raton, Florida. I came on board when it was VM/SP and went from there! I can still remember the system names in Boca - BCRVM6, and BCRVM7 which were the systems that were specifically assigned to me. Building LPARS and DASD MGMT! Remember the old school applications that ran on those systems, CICS, VTAM, TCP/IP CVIEW, RACF, ProcessMaster Suite of products just to name a few. Damn the memories! I use to love the raised floor where most System programmers resided. The chilled water underneath! Gotta love it! Thanks for the memories!!

[michaelyapkf]

I still find a bit lonely when I log into the cloud version of TK4- because there is no communication because I cannot access the syslog and unable to send message and chat with other users. It is just like a stand alone and IMON option is limited. It will be good if we can communicate with each other if only we have more access. I need to discover who else is log on like issuing a d a, l on the console etc.

[stonent]

I have to know what keyboard you're using. It doesn't sound as pingy as a Model M, but it has a good sound.

[jerryfraley]

For me, in 6-pack v. 1.3 (beta) I cannot get punch output from the user login all the way to the punch file. Tried all manner of Hercules commands, and working with draining/starting/attaching the punch with no luck. Perhaps the problem is the class "P" on the punch? Anybody have any ideas or encountered the same problem with recent 6-packs? If so, share! [Edit: I ipl'ed VM using the old 4-pack and the punch worked like a charm. So what's up with the punch config in 1.3 beta of the 6-pack?][ It works fine from CMSUSER in v1.3, perhaps it's the MAINT user config.]

[umasubhash]

Hi I uploaded the moshix.dir to my VM370. But I get the following error when I give the DIRECT MOSHIX DIRECT command (MAINT user) File transfer terminal -> host complete (with records segmented)
Ready; T=0.09/0.15 12:34:57
DIRECT MOSHIX DIRECT
ERROR IN RDBUF
EOJ DIRECTORY NOT UPDATED
Ready(00111); T=0.01/0.01 12:35:06 . Please help me to resolve the issue.