MCP Express Is Here!

[dan.y...@gmail.com]

We are pleased to announce the availability of MCP Express!

The newest deliverable under the ClearPath Software Series umbrella, MCP Express offers a totally new way for students, teachers, hobbyists, and ClearPath enthusiasts to interact with the MCP operating environment.

Designed primarily for educational and leisure purposes - though it's also ideal for existing ClearPath clients to use in self-study, learning, or training activities - MCP Express is a free download that allows individuals studying or interested in operating systems and software development to immerse themselves in the MCP development environment. They can use it to learn new techniques, follow along as an instructor demonstrates an important concept, or explore the environment during leisure time.

Available as a free download, the MCP Express package includes the ClearPath MCP operating system, a comprehensive set of MCP development tools and compilers, and selected MCP runtime software to facilitate testing.

Please note that each version of MCP Express is licensed to one user for non-production and non-commercial purposes only, and is built to run on Windows PCs or laptops that meet specific technical parameters.

http://www.unisys.com/offerings/high-end-servers/clearpath-forward-systems/clearpath-mcp-software/clearpath-mcp-express

[dkal...@gmail.com]

When do we get OS2200 Express! ?

[setala]

maanantai 14. joulukuuta 2015 18.27.33 UTC+2 dkal...@gmail.com kirjoitti:
> When do we get OS2200 Express! ?

Yes, waiting for what too!

--Saku

[sro...@gmail.com]

yep, me too.

[Hans Vlems]

I have it running and am very pleased with the virtual MCP!
There were two installation issues. Both were solved by the MCP Express support team within 15 minutes. The support quality is excellent.
So after nearly 35 years a Burroughs Large System at home :-).
Thank you Unisys.
Hans

[dan.y...@gmail.com]

OS2200 Express... coming soon!

[Beer O'Clock]

I'm encouraged to hear that. I have had several attempts at
installation and all have failed: the first failed because - well, I
don't know, the window closed too quickly. Then I needed a 64-bit
version of Windows; then I needed Powershell 4. On the last attempt it
was complaining of an invalid path, but gave me no further clue. I'm
not that impressed with the installer so far.

[Paul Kimpel]

I also have been successful in installing MCP Express, and have a couple
of suggestions:

1. Read the Getting Started Guide and follow it exactly. The
requirements for 64-bit Windows and PowerShell 4 were clearly stated. I
tried breezing through the instructions in the Guide (because, hey, I
Know What I'm Doing), and ran afoul in a couple of areas. So I started
over and literally did it by the book, and it worked just fine.

2. Post the explicit error(s) you're getting on this newsgroup so that
some of us who have been through this can try and help you. Just saying
you're getting an invalid path doesn't give us anything to go on. You
might also check the Windows Event Viewer to see if there are any
entries there that might be enlightening.

3. If all else fails, do what Hans did and contact the MCP Express
support team at their email address. He had very good luck with that.

One issue that comes immediately to mind is that the downloaded file may
need to be "unblocked" in Windows. That was one of the problems that bit
Hans. Right-click on the zip file you downloaded and select Properties.
Click the Unblock button on the dialog. Then extract the files from the
zip archive again and start over.

Another is that you must run the install under a Windows administrator
account.

The only problems I've had in getting MCP Express going were:

(a) I had to modify the permissions on the
C:\ProgramData\Unisys\MCP Firmware\Configuration folder so that I could
save changes to the ODT and MARC terminal emulator configurations.

(b) I had some initial difficulty getting the MCP to use an
external LAN. There were two issues: first, the default for a "shared"
LAN adapter (i.e., one that both Windows and the MCP can use
simultaneously) is NP 210 Line 2, not Line 1. I tried using Line 1, and
that didn't work. Second, I'm on Windows 7, and the Unisys network
configuration tool is not supported below Windows 8.1. What you need to
do on Win7 is manually start the "Unisys Network Services #1 Cnp
Service" on the Windows Services applet (I eventually set it to start
automatically), and in the Windows adapter properties for your LAN
adapter (which you get to through the Network And Sharing Center), tick
the "Unisys Network Services Protocol Driver #1" entry to enable that
protocol for the adapter.

If you are not interested in talking to the MCP from an external LAN and
plan just to access it locally from the workstation on which it's
installed, you don't need to worry about network setup. Local (EVLAN)
networking between the MCP and Windows environments works out of the box.

Good luck with getting this installed. Let us know how you make out.

--
Paul

[Hans Vlems]

Read the installation guide. I didn't and got stuck pretty soon. The host platform requirements are clear: windows 7 or 8.1, 64 bit only and at least 30 GB free disk space.
The zip file may be locked, unlock it by right-clicking the file, select properties and follow the instructions.
The installation ran flawlessly. Make sure it runs under a suitably privileged account.
Then the configuration part starts and that wouldn't work. One of the configuration files didn't handle the non-English locale properly.
The Unisys Express support team provided a working version in under 15 minutes. I am very impressed with the support Unisys delivers on what is basically a hobbyist system. I logged two calls and both were handled very fast and very good.
After that I followed all remaining steps in the guide and the MCP booted without a hitch. Skipping a step, even a trivial one and you're up the creek...
Hans

[Beer O'Clock]

After Paul Kimpel's reply to my earlier post I had another go. I
suspectede my initial download was corrupt, so I pulled another copy,
removed any metadat that might upset Windows, copied the installer
locally (it doesn't like long network paths) and tried again.

This time I saw the EULA, something that hadn't happened before. I was
then able to complete the installation. It's not a quick process but
painless. I rebooted, followed the instructions and soon had the ODT
and Marc up.

What surprisese me is that there are over 100 active entries on a
system doing no work. It's been pointed out to me that Windows is the
same, but even so. I remember my Medium Systems days when WY got a
response of WY NOT until you initiated LDCNTL to start reading card
decks.

[Paul Kimpel]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: MCP Express Is Here!
From: Beer O'Clock <k...@birchanger.com>
To:

Date: 12/20/2015 3:45 AM

> What surprisese me is that there are over 100 active entries on a
> system doing no work. It's been pointed out to me that Windows is the
> same, but even so. I remember my Medium Systems days when WY got a
> response of WY NOT until you initiated LDCNTL to start reading card
> decks.

If a modern ClearPath MCP system were restricted the the functionality
of a batch-mode Medium System of the '70s, it wouldn't need all of those
active entries, either. I can remember when it was relatively easy to
get a B6700 to a state of NULL MIX, but those days are long gone.

The first thing to realize is that while MCP Express is offered as a
personal edition, it's running exactly the same full-bore MCP you would
find on one of the high-end servers, with exactly the same default
system software configuration you would find if you had just done a
clean install on one of those servers. That default software
configuration tries to provide a reasonable running environment that
will be suitable for a wide range of sites, but is probably optimal for
none of them.

Is it running way more stuff than is appropriate for a single-user
system? Sure, but if it the default configuration took a minimalist
route, then the out-of-the-box experience would be more even more
daunting than it already is. Achieving an environment that is tailored
just to your needs (assuming you even know what they are at this point)
is going to take some system administration, just as with any server.

Second, somewhere between a third and half of those 100+ active entries
are not running programs, they are libraries. Libraries are tasks that
are frozen in the mix (i.e., they do not consume processor resources)
and export subroutines to which running tasks can dynamically link. As
the system has grown in functionality, a lot of the additions have been
implemented in separate libraries rather than the MCP itself. Why to
these show up in active entries? That's a long story, involving how
addressing works in the architecture and the structure of the library
mechanism.

On the ODT, the "A" command displays "non-suppressed" active entries.
That suppression is controlled by the SUPPRESS and SYSOPS SUPPRESSACTIVE
commands. By default, the library entries are not displayed, but they
are included in the active entry count. The "AA" command displays
everything.

Third, most of the rest of the active entries are there due to modern
network services. If the system is going to be responsive to network
requests, then there need to be tasks running and listening on the
appropriate ports. Some services can be initiated dynamically when the
first request arrives, but that comes at a cost. There is certainly more
running than is necessary for a typical MCP Express environment, but
most of that can be tuned, if desired.

So the system isn't doing no work -- it's quite busy waiting on many
fronts for something to happen. If you look at system utilization ("U"
command), however, you'll see that processor (CPM) usage is minimal.

The only real cost of having all that stuff active and waiting for
something to happen is memory utilization. We generally have memory to
burn these days, though, so investing that memory in responsiveness and
convenience is the current choice. My recommendation is not to worry
about it. I don't.

--
Paul

[TKosfeld]

My install under windows 10 failed.
The prereqs state that it´s either windows 7 or 8.
I wish i hadn´t upgraded all my systems to windows 10.
Is there any way to install under windows 10 or any plans to make it
available ?

Thanks a lot...

---
Este email foi escaneado pelo Avast antivírus.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[Hans Vlems]

Op zondag 20 december 2015 23:37:27 UTC+1 schreef TKosfeld:

It's even more restrictive: WIndows 7 or Windows 8.1; the upgrade from
8 to 8.1 was free though. Windows 10 has some new features that make it
non-trivial to warrant software on the platform without serious testing.
Send the question to the MCP EXpress support team at Unisys, they are very
helpful. However I'd expect to hear the answer "not anytime soon, please
downgrade to Windows 8.1".
Hans

[Scott Lurndal]

Beer O'Clock <k...@birchanger.com> writes:

>What surprisese me is that there are over 100 active entries on a
>system doing no work. It's been pointed out to me that Windows is the
>same, but even so. I remember my Medium Systems days when WY got a
>response of WY NOT until you initiated LDCNTL to start reading card
>decks.

If you want to play with a medium systems emulator, check here:

http://vseries.lurndal.org/doku.php?id=simulator:installation:tarball

Contact the email at http://vseries.lurndal.org/ if you're interested
in the tarball.

It still says 'WY NOT' for a null mix :-), at least until CANDE is
started.

[dan.y...@gmail.com]

> My install under windows 10 failed.
> The prereqs state that it´s either windows 7 or 8.

MCP Express WILL run in a virtualized environment. You can stand up Windows 7 or 8.1 under VMware or Virtual box and install MCP Express there.

[Louis Krupp]

I've installed it on Windows 7. The NDAgent service keeps crashing
with exception code c0000005. I've filled out the Unisys contact
form.

In the meantime, if anyone has seen this before and has any ideas, I'm
open to suggestions.

Louis

[Hans Vlems]

For what it's worth, I used the mail address that is given for the ClearPath Express support team in the Express Installation Guide when I encountered problems. In both cases the answer returned within 15 minutes. Both solved the problem, were well documented and the second one came with a changed configuration file to handle a non US English locale.
Very, very good support for a free product!
Hans

[thierry...@gmail.com]

Hello Hans.

Is there something special to modify when it's installed onto a non-English operating system ?

I've installed MCP Express on a W8.1 Pro but it does not want to work.

When I start the MCP Console, I've always the same error : User is not authorized to access system <computername>.

I've checked everything about the minimum requirements and everything is ok (User account, Powershell, .Net4.5, ...). The only thing that I see is that Windows is installed in French.

Thanks by advance.
Regards.

Thierry.

[Paul Kimpel]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: MCP Express Is Here!

My first thought was that you might not be starting the services
properly through the icon tray (by first selecting Run as Administrator
and then selecting Start Services), but I can't reproduce your error on
a Win7 system using U.S. conventions.

My guess is that your error is occurring when the MCP Console attempts
to connect to the various services that make up the MCP environment. I
believe that connection is made over a TCP/IP socket.

Is it possible you have a firewall or anti-malware package that is
interfering with the MCP Console connection? Can you disable your
firewall/malware tools temporarily to see if that is the problem?

Are there any entries in the Windows System, Security, or Application
logs that might give a clue as to what is causing this error?

Failing all of that, I think you should contact Unisys support.

--
Paul

[Louis Krupp]

I tried that, too, asking for the best way to send them the NGAgent
service dump file and a bunch of logs. I haven't heard anything, but
I'm not expecting a quick turnaround this time of year.

Meanwhile, I actually looked at more of those logs, and this was in
CnslMCP.NGD:

12/28/15 15:18:22.424 ???(0) [E] <11348,005> CnslMCP.Logger
PartitionController.ConnectionEventReceived() : Connection error:
NGConnectionError: EC: 37388, IEC: 1002, Reason: Connection
establishment from client Intel-I7 to server INTEL-I7 failed. No
connection could be made because the target machine actively refused
it 127.0.0.1:53200, ErrObj:

I looked up firewall logging and enabled it, but I'm not seeing any
attempts involving port 53200.

My guess is that I'm doing something simple and stupid, and the
service isn't handling the error gracefully. Instead, it crashes.

Louis

[Paul Kimpel]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: MCP Express Is Here!

Louis, how are you initiating the MCP environment, through the MCP
Firmware Services icon on the icon tray?

Usually an actively-refused connection means either that there is no
service listening on the requested port, or that some firewall has
blocked it.

Have you tried to temporarily disable all of your firewall and
anti-malware products and see if that makes any difference?

If you haven't already, try uninstalling the entire MCP Express package,
rebooting Windows, and then reinstalling MCP Express, making sure you
are running under a Windows user account that has administrative privileges.

--
Paul

[Louis Krupp]

On Mon, 28 Dec 2015 15:30:36 -0800, Paul Kimpel <paul....@digm.com>
wrote:

I'm using the icon tray to start services and the MCP console.

I uninstalled the package, rebooted, and reinstalled. I had to
manually delete the Unisys Whoami registry key left over from my
previous attempt.

I had the same problem.

I added a firewall rule to allow any connection to port 53200. I got
the same result.

At this point, I'm guessing that the connection is being refused
because the NGAgent service isn't running. (It crashes seconds after
I start services; the other services keep running.)

A bit more information from the Windows event viewer:

===
NGAgentService.exe
42.0.160.0
555cca6f
unknown
0.0.0.0
00000000
c0000005
000007fe914aa9e0
e74
01d141e5e6505556
C:\Program Files\Unisys\MCP Firmware\NGAgentService.exe
unknown
24cbf7ee-add9-11e5-8c93-6c626d242b37
===
Unhandled exception NullReferenceException occurred in process
NGAgentService. Message: Object reference not set to an instance of an
object. Call Stack: at
Unisys.SystemManagement.NGMcnGenerator.NGMcnGen.GetSparInformation(Boolean*
pIsSpar, String& Vers, String& PartId, String& HostId) at
Unisys.SystemManagement.NGMcnGenerator.NGMcnGen.sParPlatform() at
Unisys.SystemManagement.NGMcnGenerator.NGMcnGen.SetPID(Boolean
comInit) at Unisys.SystemManagement.NGMcnGenerator.NGMcnGen.GetPID()
at Unisys.SystemManagement.NGMcnGenerator.NGMcnGen.ValidPlatform() at
Unisys.SystemManagement.NGAgentComponent.NGAgent.Initialize(NGClientInfo
clientInfoParam, INGError& ingError) at
Unisys.SystemManagement.NGAgentService.NGAgentService.NGAgentServiceWorker()
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext
executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean
preserveSyncCtx) at
System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext
executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean
preserveSyncCtx) at
System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext
executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state) at
System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
===

Louis

[Hans Vlems]

Thierry, just mail the Express support folks. They gave me a corrected configuration file in under 15 minutes.
The supplied configuration file cannot handle non-US English locales.

[Hans Vlems]

Louis, what language does your copy of Windows use?

You (and Thierry) can send me a mail at hvlems atsign freenet period de and I can return the mail I got from support.
It has both the corrected conf file and instructions.

It solves the "cannot connect <node>\<user> to \\<node>" issue
Hans

[Louis Krupp]

Hans,

Englisch wird hier gesprochen. (Google Translate helped me say that.)

I've sent you email.

Meanwhile, can you post the email from Support (removing email
addresses and other personal information as necessary first)? My
guess is that a lot of people might find it useful.

(Was one of the MCP firmware services crashing for you, too, or were
you just not connecting?)

Danke schön!

Louis

[thierry...@gmail.com]

Hans,

Thank you very much for your help.

The new configuration file was the solution to my problem.

Now the VMCP works.

Regards.

Thierry.
Belgium.

[Hans Vlems]

Très bien Thierry, glad it worked for you.
That certainly improves Louis chances :)

[Hans Vlems]

Louis, I just focused on the connect error. Pretty weird to be logged on a system and getting an error that this same account cannot connect to the system. Well, domain actually though for a standalone computer there's not much difference between the two.

[Hans Vlems]

PS
Google translated the words ok but the word order is pretty weird.
Hier wird Englisch gesprochen is probably better German. I know my email address ends with .de but I'm Dutch.
Hier wordt Nederlands gesproken :-)

Hans

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (TKosfeld) wrote in
<n57aj2$dql$2...@speranza.aioe.org>::

>Em 11/12/2015 12:24, dan.y...@gmail.com escreveu:
>> We are pleased to announce the availability of MCP Express!
>>
>> The newest deliverable under the ClearPath Software Series umbrella, MCP Express offers a totally
>
>new way for students, teachers, hobbyists, and ClearPath enthusiasts to
>interact with the MCP operating environment.
>>
>> Designed primarily for educational and leisure purposes - though it's also ideal for existing ClearPath
>
>clients to use in self-study, learning, or training activities - MCP
>Express is a free download that allows
>
> individuals studying or interested in operating systems and software
>development to immerse themselves in the
>
> MCP development environment. They can use it to learn new techniques,
>follow along as an instructor demonstrates
>
>an important concept, or explore the environment during leisure time.
>>
>> Available as a free download, the MCP Express package includes the ClearPath MCP operating system,
>
> a comprehensive set of MCP development tools and compilers, and
>selected MCP runtime software to facilitate testing.
>>
>> Please note that each version of MCP Express is licensed to one user for non-production and non-commercial
>
> purposes only, and is built to run on Windows PCs or laptops that meet
>specific technical parameters.
>>
>> http://www.unisys.com/offerings/high-end-servers/clearpath-forward-systems/clearpath-mcp-software/clearpath-mcp-express
>>
>>
>My install under windows 10 failed.

>The prereqs state that it愀 either windows 7 or 8.
>I wish i hadn愒 upgraded all my systems to windows 10.

>Is there any way to install under windows 10 or any plans to make it
>available ?
>
>Thanks a lot...

You could always run Win7 in a VM...
--
Marc Wilson

Cleopatra Consultants Limited - IT Consultants
Fernrhoyd, Chester Road, Alpraham, Tarporley, Cheshire CW6 9JE
Tel: (44/0) 1829 262696 Tel: (44/0) 161 408 6449
Fax: (44/0) 844 779 0968 Mobile: (44/0) 7973 359850
Skype: cleo-marc Mail: enqu...@cleopatra.co.uk
Web: http://www.cleopatra.co.uk
Registered in England and Wales no: 2588943 VAT Reg: 561 1182 69
Registered office: St George's House, 215-219 Chester Road
Manchester M15 4JE

https://plus.google.com/100816173414569062406

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (dan.y...@gmail.com) wrote in
<4fa2929e-6daf-4cac...@googlegroups.com>::

>OS2200 Express... coming soon!

Wishful thinking, or inside knowledge?

[Hans Vlems]

Inside knowledge I guess. OTOH the MCP is probably commercially more important than OS2200. So Unisys probably will look at the popularity of this product and decide whether it's worth the effort to release OS2200.

[Louis Krupp]

On Tue, 29 Dec 2015 03:38:25 -0800 (PST), Hans Vlems
<hvl...@freenet.de> wrote:

>Trčs bien Thierry, glad it worked for you.

>That certainly improves Louis chances :)

===

Actually, when I try it, the NGAgent service doesn't seem to get as
far as reading the config file. I renamed the config file to
something else, and it crashes the same way:

Source: MCP Firmware
Event ID: 37000
Task category: NGAgent Service
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Intel-I7

===

Hopefully, the folks at Unisys will be back at it next week, and I'll
hear from them.

Louis

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (Hans Vlems) wrote in
<39c3a06b-f729-4310...@googlegroups.com>::

>Inside knowledge I guess. OTOH the MCP is probably commercially more important than OS2200.

I don't do MCP, so I've no idea of the size of the market. But there
are some still really quite substantial Os2200 sites out there,
including the world's largest Building Society, the second largest
police service and a couple of substantial banks, and that's just in the
UK.

>So Unisys probably will look at the popularity of this product and decide whether it's worth the effort to release OS2200.

They've already done the work, mind you. I worked at one of the bank
sites a few years back, and it was around then.

[Hans Vlems]

Yes both the MCP And OS2200 emulators are several years old by now, decades may be.
My (admittedly uninformed) guess was that OS2200 applications were easier to port than those running on the A series.

[dkal...@gmail.com]

On a related note, I'm still quite happy to provide a home for any obsolete 1100/2200 release tapes anyone might need to divest themselves from.

[Andy Wardle]

Actually that's not strictly true. MCP emulation under Windows (aka MCPvm using the MCP Delta architecture) has indeed been around for many years for low-to-mid-range Libra systems, and has been used very successfully for mission critical systems. In around 2012 the first Libras were released with the new MCP Firmware designed to support the high end Libra customer requirements, which culminated last year with the entire Libra product range being Windows and Intel-based running the new MCP Eta architecture - and that's what has been implemented in MCP Express. So there is now a single MCP architecture that runs from MCP Express right through to the high end Libra 8390 systems.

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (Hans Vlems) wrote in

<42a29750-69e7-4d77...@googlegroups.com>::

>Yes both the MCP And OS2200 emulators are several years old by now, decades may be.
>My (admittedly uninformed) guess was that OS2200 applications were easier to port than those running on the A series.
>

The 2200-on-a-laptop I've seen ran under Linux. It's running in some
sort of VM, so it shouldn't be rocket science to port it to Windows, but
it could take a little time.

[Bofh]

On Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 2:00:29 AM UTC+1, Marc Wilson wrote:
> In comp.sys.unisys, (Hans Vlems) wrote in
> <42a29750-69e7-4d77...@googlegroups.com>::
>
> >Yes both the MCP And OS2200 emulators are several years old by now, decades may be.
> >My (admittedly uninformed) guess was that OS2200 applications were easier to port than those running on the A series.
> >
>
> The 2200-on-a-laptop I've seen ran under Linux. It's running in some
> sort of VM, so it shouldn't be rocket science to port it to Windows, but
> it could take a little time.
> --
> Marc Wilson
>

Why bother? If it runs under Linux that should be enough for anyone. If someone wants to run it on a Windows PC then they should set up a dual-boot system - Windows + Linux - the target audience should be capable of handling that.

[Louis Krupp]

On Wed, 30 Dec 2015 23:18:21 -0700, Louis Krupp
<lkr...@nospam.pssw.com.invalid> wrote:

>On Tue, 29 Dec 2015 03:38:25 -0800 (PST), Hans Vlems
><hvl...@freenet.de> wrote:
>
>>Trčs bien Thierry, glad it worked for you.
>>That certainly improves Louis chances :)
>
>===
>
>Actually, when I try it, the NGAgent service doesn't seem to get as
>far as reading the config file. I renamed the config file to
>something else, and it crashes the same way:

<snip>

>Hopefully, the folks at Unisys will be back at it next week, and I'll
>hear from them.

The MCP Express Coordinator replied to my email, and I've ftp'ed the
contents of the Diagnostics folder (including NDAgentService's .dmp
file) along with Windows event info to a server in Bluebell.

There is hope.

Louis

[Hans Vlems]

Louis, what flavor of Windows do you run (version, locale)?

[Louis Krupp]

On Wed, 6 Jan 2016 01:41:54 -0800 (PST), Hans Vlems
<hvl...@freenet.de> wrote:

>Louis, what flavor of Windows do you run (version, locale)?

Windows 7 SP1. I haven't thought about the locale, which is a sign
that it's probably American English.

Louis

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (Bofh) wrote in
<3c3e033f-c847-4390...@googlegroups.com>::

>On Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 2:00:29 AM UTC+1, Marc Wilson wrote:
>> In comp.sys.unisys, (Hans Vlems) wrote in
>> <42a29750-69e7-4d77...@googlegroups.com>::
>>
>> >Yes both the MCP And OS2200 emulators are several years old by now, decades may be.
>> >My (admittedly uninformed) guess was that OS2200 applications were easier to port than those running on the A series.
>> >
>>
>> The 2200-on-a-laptop I've seen ran under Linux. It's running in some
>> sort of VM, so it shouldn't be rocket science to port it to Windows, but
>> it could take a little time.
>

>Why bother? If it runs under Linux that should be enough for anyone. If someone wants to run it on a Windows PC then they should set up a dual-boot system - Windows + Linux - the target audience should be capable of handling that.

Because if they intend this to be useful to their corporate clients,
it's much more likely that people will have laptops running Windows. For
the moment, anyway.

[dan.y...@gmail.com]

On Monday, January 4, 2016 at 6:11:46 PM UTC-5, Andy Wardle wrote:
> Actually that's not strictly true. MCP emulation under Windows (aka MCPvm using the MCP Delta architecture) has indeed been around for many years for low-to-mid-range Libra systems, and has been used very successfully for mission critical systems. In around 2012 the first Libras were released with the new MCP Firmware designed to support the high end Libra customer requirements, which culminated last year with the entire Libra product range being Windows and Intel-based running the new MCP Eta architecture - and that's what has been implemented in MCP Express. So there is now a single MCP architecture that runs from MCP Express right through to the high end Libra 8390 systems.

There is a slight difference in how the systems run. The low-end systems do not do Dynamic Binary Translation that the larger Libras do. They don't need it to achieve the lower performance characteristics, and in general can't afford to allocate a large chunk of memory to hold the translated code.

[Hans Vlems]

The only thing I can think of is SP1, was that a version listed as supported?

No answer yet from the Unisys team?

[dias...@gmail.com]

Despite the prerequisites, installed on a 2012 server R2 succesfully !!! I Just delete the OS test on the installation script.

Aldo

[Hans Vlems]

That might make it work on W10 as well. Can you post the name of that script file?

[you...@whenman.co.uk]

Just checking in with another successful MCP Express installation. :) I had a few issues along the way - in particular my Win7 machine was missing huge chucks of WMI for some reason. The support guys were very helpful and set me down the right track. I also had some issues with setting up the shared network adaptor on first attempt, but now resolved.

This is a great thing to do - I hope it gets some of the attention it deserves from schools and colleges...

Baz.

[dias...@gmail.com]

Cannot install under W10.

To install under 2012 Server R2 just comment the following lines :

#if($req.validOS -notcontains $sysInfo.OSInfo.Version){
# WriteToListBox "Supported $($requirements.osArch) Operating System(s): $reqOSName"
# foreach ($osName in $reqOSNames) {
# WriteToListBox " $osName"
# }
# WriteToListBox "Running Operating System: $($sysInfo.OSInfo.Names[$sysInfo.OSInfo.Version])"
# WriteToListBox " "
# return $true
# }

on function Checkos in mim.ps1 file.


Aldo

[Hans Vlems]

Aldo, what went wrong on W10?

[Aldo Dias]

A bizarre error trying to start MCP Console:


An error ocurred initializing a connection to <my computer name>:
Authorization Failed. User <my computer name>\<my user> is not authorized
to access system <<y computer name>.

[Hans Vlems]

Sounds like the same message I got initially. My Windows 8.1 system uses a Dutch locale and an installation script only assumed US English . That may be fixed with the alternate config script Burroughs sent me.

[Louis Krupp]

It seems that NDAgentService crashed because it was incompatible with
my BIOS. I asked the folks at Unisys what the BIOS requirements for
MCP Express were, and today they replied:

"Unfortunately at this point we do not have specific BIOS requirements
we can provide you. However, you may refer to However, you may refer
to [the MCP Express Hardware Compatibility List in]
https://public.support.unisys.com/search2/DocumentationSearch.aspx?id=885&pla=ps&nav=ps
for Hypervisors and systems we have tested that will work with MCP
Express."

Louis

[Hans Vlems]

That answer implies that Aldo's problem may be caused by an incompatible BIOS too.
Aldo: send me a mail at hvlems atsign zonnet period nl and I'll mail you the fix that worked for me.

[vtoc...@o2.pl]

Seems that most crucial information that isn't put in configuration files when using non-English locale is your user id and path where the disk images reside - both appropriately marked up in XML. Thus I easily claimed my authorization to MCP console by providing appropriate markup. No idea how to do it with directory information though.

[ron.h...@gmail.com]

Hi

Got MCP Express installed OK on Windows 7. Anyone got datacom going so that a terminal can be connected to it over TCP/IP?

Thanks

Ron

[Paul Kimpel]

Yes. The network configuration tool included with MCP Express (XE) does
not support Windows 7, so you have to enable MCP networking manually.

I assume you've followed the instructions in Section 3 of the Getting
Started Guide and have the CNS and TCPIP init files in place with an
appropriate IP address and default route for your local network.

Next, open System Editor on the active PCD (with the MCP partition shut
down) and examine the configuration for NP 210, the network processor.
It should show three lines, 0-2. Line 0 is always used for the EVLAN, a
private network between the MCP and Windows environments. If you only
want to run a terminal emulator on the same workstation as XE, that is
all you need, and the default configuration should work. The checkbox
for Line 0 should be ticked.

Line 1 appears to be configured for use with a network adapter that will
be for the exclusive use of the MCP. If you have only one physical
adapter on your workstation, that is probably not what you want. I've
not yet tried to use this one. The checkbox for Line 1 should NOT be ticked.

Line 2 is configured as a "shared adapter", which will be used by both
Windows and the MCP. The checkbox for Line 2 should be ticked. Note that
the LINEID attribute for this line should be 2, which should match the
LINEID for the Connection Group in the CNS init file and the TCPIP ID
configuration in the TCPIP init file.

If you've made any changes, save the PCD. In any case, exit System Editor.

Next, go to the Win7 Network and Sharing Center and click the "Change
adapter settings" link in the upper-left corner.

The "Local Area Connection" is the physical network adapter on my
system, and probably on yours as well. The problem I had when first
setting this up was that "Unisys Network Services Protocol Driver #1"
was not ticked -- I had to select this protocol explicitly. If you look
at the properties of that protocol, you will see it is assigned to CNS
LINEID 2, which in turn matches the System Editor and MCP init file
configuration. On my system, this adapter also has "Internet Protocol
Version 4", "Client for Microsoft Networks," "QOS Packet Scheduler," and
"File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" selected, as you would
expect of a normal Windows network adapter. I am not running IPv6, so
have un-ticked that protocol.

"Local Area Connection 2" is the EVLAN virtual adapter on the MCP side.
If you look at its properties, it has only the Unisys protocol driver
checked, and its properties indicate it is assigned to CNS LINEID 0, as
it should be.

"Local Area Connection 3" is also an EVLAN virtual adapter, and has
properties similar to Connection 2, but this one appears to be for the
Windows side of the EVLAN. If I do an "ipconfig" command, it has address
192.168.16.6, which is the address for the Windows side of the EVLAN.

Note that the WebEnabler application that is used for the ODTs and MARC
window is a standard T27 terminal emulator, and can be installed on
other systems. It requires Java. You can install it from the MCP
INSTALLS share, or get and install file from
*SYSTEM/INSTALLS/NXWEBSTATION/NXWEBSTATION_INSTALLERS/=.

You can also use the telnet client that is included in Windows. It's not
as nice as a proper T27 emulator (the MCP emulates T27 control sequences
on top of ANSI X3.64), but it works.

If you want the MCP to resolve domain addresses on an external network,
you'll need to set up the Resolver configuration file,
*SYSTEM/RESOLVER/CONFIG, which must have a FILEKIND of SEQDATA. Here's a
basic example:

CACHE = 64
MODE = FORWARDING
SERVER + 192.168.2.20
SERVER + 10.101.1.24


I hope this allows you to fix the problem and get your system on the
network. If not, please post back and describe what's happening and I'll
try to help.

--
Paul

[cypresss...@gmail.com]

On Friday, December 11, 2015 at 9:24:09 AM UTC-5, dan.y...@gmail.com wrote:
> We are pleased to announce the availability of MCP Express!
>
> The newest deliverable under the ClearPath Software Series umbrella, MCP Express offers a totally new way for students, teachers, hobbyists, and ClearPath enthusiasts to interact with the MCP operating environment.
>
> Designed primarily for educational and leisure purposes - though it's also ideal for existing ClearPath clients to use in self-study, learning, or training activities - MCP Express is a free download that allows individuals studying or interested in operating systems and software development to immerse themselves in the MCP development environment. They can use it to learn new techniques, follow along as an instructor demonstrates an important concept, or explore the environment during leisure time.
>
> Available as a free download, the MCP Express package includes the ClearPath MCP operating system, a comprehensive set of MCP development tools and compilers, and selected MCP runtime software to facilitate testing.
>
> Please note that each version of MCP Express is licensed to one user for non-production and non-commercial purposes only, and is built to run on Windows PCs or laptops that meet specific technical parameters.
>
> http://www.unisys.com/offerings/high-end-servers/clearpath-forward-systems/clearpath-mcp-software/clearpath-mcp-express

I downloaded the MCP express install to my windows 7 PC. I needed a later version of powershell so i installed that. When I run the install, I give authorization to update, then a cmd window flashes with red writing on it. It doesn't stay long enough to read it. The Event log doesn't help.
Help.

[Nigel Williams]

On Friday, 1 April 2016 06:03:32 UTC+11, cypresss...@gmail.com wrote:
> ...then a cmd window flashes with red writing on it. It doesn't stay long enough to read it.

You need to "unblock" key files in the download. This is a Windows protection feature for foreign (Internet downloaded) files.

You can either use a PowerShell command unblock-file or use the SysInternals "streams" command to do the same thing. In theory you only need to target the Powershell files but I did all of them.

[Aldo Dias]

Tested XE1000-MCP17-2.0.0.531...


If you want to continue to use the old DISK (created under XE1000-MCP17-1.0.0.207.zip), just ignore the new diskxxx.asd released by XE1000-MCP17-2.0.0.531 and replace it by the old disk saved.

The new license key expires on Mon, Jul 31, 2017 21:00.

[Paul Kimpel]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: MCP Express Is Here!

How did you acquire the new version?

--
Paul

[Hans Vlems]

How did you get hold of a new license?
Hans Vlems

[Hans Vlems]

I just visited the Unisys site and I guess it's available, the new kit that is.
Hans

[Hans Vlems]

Poor form to follow up your own post...
The good news is that the new kit is available on the Unisys site, and has been there since June 30....

Marketing isn't their forte, is it?
Hans

[Louis Krupp]

Shades of Burroughs... Rumor was that the products were expected to
sell themselves.

Louis

[amancas...@gmail.com]

I might be late to the game, but I also had some headaches installing MCP express on a windows machine. I originally tried on laptop running Windows 10 with PowerShell 5.0, but the install failed because of the AMD processor. I guess AMD processors are not supported by Unisys since they are running Intel processors on their mainframes. Also, I'm not sure if MCP Express will run on Windows 10.

So then I built a Windows 7 virtual machine with PowerShell 4.0 on my main PC that runs Windows 10 with an i7 processor. I couldn't get past the software agreement screen; I kept getting a script run error. I changed all of my IE11 script settings to allow and set the security settings to low. Still couldn't get past the agreement screen. After an hour of troubleshooting, I renamed the COA.html file to COA1.html and the install process ran smooth! MCP 17.0 express runs on the virtual machine. Just wanted to share the painful install knowledge and the workaround.

Anyone doing anything interesting with their MCP Express environment?

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (Louis Krupp) wrote in
<cjkvpbdjm7cp3aka3...@4ax.com>::

People I knew back in the day referred to the marketing people as the
"Sales Prevention Force".

[Hans Vlems]

Op dinsdag 2 augustus 2016 01:58:03 UTC+2 schreef IceMan_F1:

> I might be late to the game, but I also had some headaches installing MCP express on a windows machine. I originally tried on laptop running Windows 10 with PowerShell 5.0, but the install failed because of the AMD processor. I guess AMD processors are not supported by Unisys since they are running Intel processors on their mainframes. Also, I'm not sure if MCP Express will run on Windows 10.
>
> So then I built a Windows 7 virtual machine with PowerShell 4.0 on my main PC that runs Windows 10 with an i7 processor. I couldn't get past the software agreement screen; I kept getting a script run error. I changed all of my IE11 script settings to allow and set the security settings to low. Still couldn't get past the agreement screen. After an hour of troubleshooting, I renamed the COA.html file to COA1.html and the install process ran smooth! MCP 17.0 express runs on the virtual machine. Just wanted to share the painful install knowledge and the workaround.
>
> Anyone doing anything interesting with their MCP Express environment?

Yes. I've been running the emulator since last year and am very pleased with it.
There is no PL/I anymore other than that the system very much resembles the environment that I left in 1983.
Over the past years my programming was done on openVMS and Windows systems in Pascal, Cobol and C mainly. Returning to Algol (and WFL) was pure bliss (and I do not mena the programming language of the same name.).
Hans

[timothyd...@gmail.com]

This can happen when you aren't connected to the Active Directory domain which manages your computer.

For example, if its a 'company box', make sure you're on the company lan when you try to start MCP Console. Once the console is running, you can kickstart the MCP, then you're away laughing (you don't have to be remain connected to AD to be able to make subsequent connections to the MCP host).

[Luiz Antonio Oliveira]

Hello Aldo! Good to see you here.
Luiz

[thierry...@gmail.com]

MCP Express 18 and Windows 10 ... my experience :

1> Disable UEFI Secure Boot into your BIOS Setup.
2> Execute the following command into a command prompt : bcdedit /set testsigning on
Becarefull because at this point, all the unsigned drivers are authorized !
Without doing these two commands, the Software will works but without the EVLAN.
3> PowerShell : Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted
4> install MCP Express ... it works

[Hans Vlems]

Ah, that is why MARC won't start!
Hans

[Marc Wilson]

In comp.sys.unisys, (Hans Vlems) wrote in
<72902b37-4f2c-4548...@googlegroups.com>::

>Ah, that is why MARC won't start!
>Hans

I thought it was just old age. :)

[Hans Vlems]

Ah, same applies for me. And they didn't even name an MCS after me :-)