?

Its on the six pack...

.. and I can't see why we need yet another pack program. ...

There are utilities in the files section to read and write CMS TAPE files,

and DISK DUMP files both of which are native VM archive formats, on

windows/linux

Not to start a debate, but I can see why.? :-)

• It's not trivial to mount a AWS tape on any system that you don't control the host
• When you do control the host, it requires accessing not just your VM systems but two Hercules consoles.
• VMARC data fits through card readers, and by extension host utilities that use TCP/IP to exploit the card reader, like vmsubmit.py in . (It's a pity Hercules card punches can't connect to pipes like printers can. I find this an odd omission.)
• Issues that apply in special cases (i.e. the LCM+L 4361, which of course I'm rather fond of):
• It's not trivial to mount a AWS tape on real hardware
• DISK (DUMP/LOAD) is not entirely compatible between VM/370 R6 and VM/SP 5
• IBM likes it.
• It seems it's their preferred format for sharing free VM software over the ASCII friendly Internet.?
  (Pity that most the software itself is for XA and newer!)
• It too has host utilities to read the format
  (Pity the MacOS version, being 32-bit, is broken on Catalina)

This is not to say the other toys should be tossed (except may the Windows specific one which requires shutting down VM and running a host script!), but it is useful.

-ahd-

p.s. I consider VMARC's command line syntax horrible, but I have to yet to decide what it should be (and if so, what wrapper script to write for it.)

-- 

Drew Derbyshire

?

 Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. Anyone remember the chips?