Technical data

Customizing the Operating System
5.6 Customizing the Help Message Database
How to Perform This Task
1. Create a .MSGHLP file with your message descriptions in it. (Section 5.6.4
includes an example of the .MSGHLP file format.)
2. Specify your .MSGHLP file as input to update the Compaq supplied
.MSGHLP$DATA file. Assuming that MSGHLP$LIBRARY.MSGHLP$DATA
is the default, all you must enter is:
HELP/MESSAGE/INSERT=filename.MSGHLP
Example
$ HELP/MESSAGE/INSERT=MYMESSAGES.MSGHLP
5.7 Customizing Mail
OpenVMS contains two logical names to enable you to customize the operation
of certain Mail functions on your system. This includes checking the network
address format to use and sending mail directly to a user on an OpenVMS
Cluster (rather than through the network) if the sender and recipient are both on
the same node.
MAIL$SYSTEM_FLAGS
You customize Mail by defining the logical name MAIL$SYSTEM_FLAGS as a
system and executive mode logical name. For example:
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE_MODE MAIL$SYSTEM_FLAGS 1
The value of the logical name MAIL$SYSTEM_FLAGS is interpreted in the
following ways:
Value Meaning
1 Indicates that this node is part of a homogeneous OpenVMS Cluster system. In
other words, all disks are accessible to the cluster, and a common SYSUAF file and
a common mail file exist for the cluster.
When this bit is set, the system checks the node to which you are sending mail
to see if it is currently in the cluster. If the node is in the cluster, the system
bypasses DECnet, and the message is written directly to the recipient’s mail file.
(Note that the node must be up to determine whether it is part of the cluster.)
2 Directs Mail to set the OpenVMS Cluster system breakthrough flag when issuing
the $BRKTHRU service to notify the recipient of new mail. This flag is used
only in OpenVMS Cluster systems and, typically, only in homogeneous OpenVMS
Cluster systems (in other words, flag 1 is also set).
4 Directs Mail to include the time the message was delivered in the notification
message displayed on the recipient’s terminal.
† 8 Directs Mail to use DECnet VAX address syntax when the system is running
DECnet-Plus.
†16 Directs Mail to use DECnet-Plus address syntax.
†VAX specific
For example, if MAIL$SYSTEM_FLAGS translates to 7, the system selects the
first three flags. If the logical name does not translate, the default is 0, which
indicates that no flags are set.
Customizing the Operating System 5–33