Re: Portable z/VM help?
Thanks for all the feedback here.. good ideas and pointers.. What I've decided on is: - Keeping all the VM doc in PDF files on my laptop - Using Google Desktop (the Linux version of course) to find what I'm looking for. It would still be cool to do a 'help cpquery nss' or something similar from the Linux command line. And maybe I'll still look at cobbling together a CGI and using a localhost webserver to present the material... Again - thanks to all who responded here! Scott Rohling On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 10:08 AM, David Boyes [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: But, searching a PDF for a keyword is far less good than the search method in bookmanager read, both in performance and in the presentation of the search result. (Even though FoxitReader searches faster than Acrobat reader, both need to scan the whole PDF file what takes time). Only if the PDF is not indexed. If you use the full Acrobat package to generate the PDFs, there is a pdfindex tool that can be used to generate a index of a collection of PDFs. If you use that regularly, the search performance is comparable between the two.
Re: Portable z/VM help?
Maybe IBM could create a Windows compiled Help file for those using a Windows desktop and INFO or MAN files for those using a Linux desktop. There is a pdf2docbook utility from Cambridge Systems. It produces ugly, ugly output (like most Docbook related things), but it's one way to handle PDFs. Pdfindex handles pretty much everything else I need it to do.
Re: Portable z/VM help?
Lionel (and Marcy, and all) -- It's a CGI script, written in REXX, that runs on Webshare. It can theoretically be re-fitted to run on any of the other three web servers for VM. (Or you could just snag Webshare from Dave Jone's V/Soft site.) Looks like Kris and others have made some important mods. I recommend that you have a look at those so your experience will be more complete. The CMS HELP could easily be downloaded in HTML form by pointing any mirror tool at this script. (I'm thinking something like a 'wget -r'. Either Linux, or get CYGWIN and it's easy.) -- R; On Mon, 4 Aug 2008, Lionel B. Dyck wrote: Where might one find that tool (CMSHELP CGIREXX) ? thx Lionel B. Dyck, Consultant/Specialist Enterprise Platform Services, Mainframe Engineering KP-IT Enterprise Engineering 925-926-5332 (8-473-5332) | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: lbdyck | Yahoo IM: lbdyck Kaiser Service Credo: Our cause is health. Our passion is service. We're here to make lives better. I never guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are prohibited from sharing, copying, or otherwise using or disclosing its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. Thank you. From: Marcy Cortes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Date: 08/04/2008 12:14 PM Subject: Re: Portable z/VM help? Sent by: The IBM z/VM Operating System IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Do you have a web server on your VM system? (ESAWEB?) Rick Troth's CMSHELP CGIREXX does exactly that. Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Scott Rohling Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:31 AM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling
Re: Portable z/VM help?
On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 6:22 PM, Ivica Brodaric [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Have a look at IBM Softcopy Librarian and IBM Softcopy Reader (both free): While the books in BookManager format are about 15% of the size of a PDF for the book, the Java client of 60 MB (!) spoiled some of the fun. And I did get used to the improved layout of the PDF books. -Rob
Re: Portable z/VM help?
But, searching a PDF for a keyword is far less good than the search method in bookmanager read, both in performance and in the presentation of the search result. (Even though FoxitReader searches faster than Acrobat reader, both need to scan the whole PDF file what takes time). 2008/8/6 Rob van der Heij [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 6:22 PM, Ivica Brodaric [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Have a look at IBM Softcopy Librarian and IBM Softcopy Reader (both free): While the books in BookManager format are about 15% of the size of a PDF for the book, the Java client of 60 MB (!) spoiled some of the fun. And I did get used to the improved layout of the PDF books. -Rob -- Kris Buelens, IBM Belgium, VM customer support
Re: Portable z/VM help?
And I did get used to the improved layout of the PDF books. -Rob I use PDF format for longer reading, BookManager format for quick search. If you download whole bookshelves, they come with bookshelf indexes which let you search even multiple bookshelves pretty quickly. Mind you, I just went to open a PDF file from within Softcopy Reader and it resorts to command window both on Win XP and Vista. Obviously, something is broken there (it used to work, scout's honor!). Maybe no support for Acrobat 9? Ivica
Re: Portable z/VM help?
But, searching a PDF for a keyword is far less good than the search method in bookmanager read, both in performance and in the presentation of the search result. (Even though FoxitReader searches faster than Acrobat reader, both need to scan the whole PDF file what takes time). Only if the PDF is not indexed. If you use the full Acrobat package to generate the PDFs, there is a pdfindex tool that can be used to generate a index of a collection of PDFs. If you use that regularly, the search performance is comparable between the two.
Re: Portable z/VM help?
Have a look at IBM Softcopy Librarian and IBM Softcopy Reader (both free): http://www-306.ibm.com/software/applications/office/bkmgr/librarian.html http://www-306.ibm.com/software/applications/office/bkmgr/softcopyread.html You need Windows with Java for both. The Librarian lets you download (or import from CDs) and maintain the manuals in repository on your PC (and copy or sync that repository to a network location), while Reader lets you search and, well, read them. Both support manuals in BookManager and PDF format. I keep everything I might ever want for multiple releases of operating systems and accompanying products on my laptop and it's indeed well worth the space. BTW and OT, both these products being in Java and Softcopy Reader having a Linux version as well, one might hope there would be a Mac version at some time in the not too distant future. But then again, one may always be hopelessly naive and optimistic... Ivica
Re: Portable z/VM help?
Scott - if you want brower access why not this: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zvm/v5r3/index.jsp Lionel B. Dyck, Consultant/Specialist Enterprise Platform Services, Mainframe Engineering KP-IT Enterprise Engineering 925-926-5332 (8-473-5332) | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: lbdyck | Yahoo IM: lbdyck Kaiser Service Credo: Our cause is health. Our passion is service. We're here to make lives better. I never guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are prohibited from sharing, copying, or otherwise using or disclosing its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. Thank you. From: Scott Rohling [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Date: 08/04/2008 11:31 AM Subject: Portable z/VM help? Sent by: The IBM z/VM Operating System IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling
Re: Portable z/VM help?
Do you have a web server on your VM system? (ESAWEB?) Rick Troth's CMSHELP CGIREXX does exactly that. Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Scott Rohling Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:31 AM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling
Re: Portable z/VM help?
Where might one find that tool (CMSHELP CGIREXX) ? thx Lionel B. Dyck, Consultant/Specialist Enterprise Platform Services, Mainframe Engineering KP-IT Enterprise Engineering 925-926-5332 (8-473-5332) | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: lbdyck | Yahoo IM: lbdyck Kaiser Service Credo: Our cause is health. Our passion is service. We're here to make lives better. I never guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are prohibited from sharing, copying, or otherwise using or disclosing its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. Thank you. From: Marcy Cortes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Date: 08/04/2008 12:14 PM Subject: Re: Portable z/VM help? Sent by: The IBM z/VM Operating System IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Do you have a web server on your VM system? (ESAWEB?) Rick Troth's CMSHELP CGIREXX does exactly that. Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Scott Rohling Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:31 AM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling
Re: Portable z/VM help?
The one I have seems to have listed in the comments that its part of his Gopher Server for VM 1994. I've modified the version I have to include our own style sheets. Rick, you out there? Can this be shared? Or does it exist somewhere where others can download it? Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lionel B. Dyck Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 12:24 PM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: Re: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? Where might one find that tool (CMSHELP CGIREXX) ? thx Lionel B. Dyck, Consultant/Specialist Enterprise Platform Services, Mainframe Engineering KP-IT Enterprise Engineering 925-926-5332 (8-473-5332) | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: lbdyck | Yahoo IM: lbdyck Kaiser Service Credo: Our cause is health. Our passion is service. We're here to make lives better. I never guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are prohibited from sharing, copying, or otherwise using or disclosing its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. Thank you. From: Marcy Cortes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Date: 08/04/2008 12:14 PM Subject:Re: Portable z/VM help? Sent by:The IBM z/VM Operating System IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Do you have a web server on your VM system? (ESAWEB?) Rick Troth's CMSHELP CGIREXX does exactly that. Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU mailto:IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU ] On Behalf Of Scott Rohling Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:31 AM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling
Re: Portable z/VM help?
We made considerable changes too, what I saw now after a quick compare - assure 19D is accessed (and some other disks, like DFSMS, or my goodies) - support colors - recognize the RELATED section - support the HELP sections (FORMAT/DESC/PARMS/ERRORS/...) - fix the standard text asking to press F1 or enter-key - Problem1: we didn't document all changes Problem2: I don't know if I can share our changes. 2008/8/4 Marcy Cortes [EMAIL PROTECTED] The one I have seems to have listed in the comments that its part of his Gopher Server for VM 1994. I've modified the version I have to include our own style sheets. Rick, you out there? Can this be shared? Or does it exist somewhere where others can download it? Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lionel B. Dyck Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 12:24 PM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: Re: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? Where might one find that tool (CMSHELP CGIREXX) ? thx Lionel B. Dyck, Consultant/Specialist Enterprise Platform Services, Mainframe Engineering KP-IT Enterprise Engineering 925-926-5332 (8-473-5332) | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: lbdyck | Yahoo IM: lbdyck Kaiser Service Credo: Our cause is health. Our passion is service. We're here to make lives better. I never guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are prohibited from sharing, copying, or otherwise using or disclosing its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. Thank you. From: Marcy Cortes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Date: 08/04/2008 12:14 PM Subject:Re: Portable z/VM help? Sent by:The IBM z/VM Operating System IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Do you have a web server on your VM system? (ESAWEB?) Rick Troth's CMSHELP CGIREXX does exactly that. Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU mailto:IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU ] On Behalf Of Scott Rohling Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:31 AM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling -- Kris Buelens, IBM Belgium, VM customer support
Re: Portable z/VM help?
We use webshare to host a small website on our VM, includig the cmshelp scripts. The sources can be found at http://www.vsoft-software.com/downloads.html Regards, berry. Marcy Cortes schreef: The one I have seems to have listed in the comments that its part of his Gopher Server for VM 1994. I've modified the version I have to include our own style sheets. Rick, you out there? Can this be shared? Or does it exist somewhere where others can download it? Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lionel B. Dyck Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 12:24 PM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: Re: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? Where might one find that tool (CMSHELP CGIREXX) ? thx Lionel B. Dyck, Consultant/Specialist Enterprise Platform Services, Mainframe Engineering KP-IT Enterprise Engineering 925-926-5332 (8-473-5332) | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: lbdyck | Yahoo IM: lbdyck Kaiser Service Credo: Our cause is health. Our passion is service. We're here to make lives better. I never guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are prohibited from sharing, copying, or otherwise using or disclosing its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments without reading, forwarding or saving them. Thank you. From: Marcy Cortes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Date: 08/04/2008 12:14 PM Subject: Re: Portable z/VM help? Sent by: The IBM z/VM Operating System IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Do you have a web server on your VM system? (ESAWEB?) Rick Troth's CMSHELP CGIREXX does exactly that. Marcy This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee, you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message or any information herein. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you for your cooperation. From: The IBM z/VM Operating System [mailto:IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU mailto:IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU ] On Behalf Of Scott Rohling Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:31 AM To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU Subject: [IBMVM] Portable z/VM help? I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: - Download MAINT 19D files to workstation (this can be done with ftp manually) - Provides a front end (browser?) to view those files, follow links, etc If there's no 'viewer' out there - would it be useful to anyone besides me? I don't know if I just dreamed it but I could swear there was such a thing out there at one time. Scott Rohling
Re: Portable z/VM help?
On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 8:31 PM, Scott Rohling [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I often want to see a z/VM help file when I don't have access to z/VM or am not online, to figure out the syntax of a command, etc. I know there are PDF manuals, etc -- but was wondering if anyone knew of something that: Your not online requirement seems to be missed... I think the help files resembles the various reference manuals pretty well, except with less fancy layout. With just half a dozen PDFs you'd have what you need .I personally keep the full set of books on my ThinkPad, well worth the space. But if you really want to do your own, look at TEXT2PDF or run it through DocBook (or B2H and make it a big HTML page). As suggested, if you can serve the pages through a web server, you might also use PC tools to copy the web site to local HTML files (if the navigation tree is complete so that walking the links gives you all of it). -Rob
