File specification regularity (Was: Re: VMS vs. UNIX file system)

[Ed Thierbach]

In article <25312 at teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA> mkhaw at teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA (Mike Khaw) writes:
>[...]
>At least Ultrix decnet lets you omit your password on the command line,
>and let you supply it UNECHOED in response to a prompt.  I don't know
>if it's fixed in VMS 5.0, but VMS 4.x decnet was pretty brain-damaged to
>require that you type your password in a nodespec for the whole world to see.

Actually, although V3.x and earlier did indeed have this problem, V4.0
introduced something called "proxy logins".  The system manager of each site
can set up a correlation (sp?) between userids on different systems, so that
the username and password can be left off.  For example, I can specify a proxy
such that VAXA::ED (the remote node) corresponds to VAXB::BIG_CHEESE (local
node) -- so if I'm on VAXA I can type:

	$ COPY VAXB::LOGIN.COM

to copy the LOGIN.COM file from BIG_CHEESE's login directory on VAXB.  It's
pretty nifty, and the old NODE"USER PASSWORD"::etc. still works if you need
it.  What *doesn't* work is NODE"USER PASSWORD1 PASSWORD2":: for those of
us who use two passwords on sensitive accounts.  (Could someone bring this
up at DECUS?  I won't be there this time ... sigh)

V5.0 brings you the ability to set up multiple proxies for a single remote
user, so he/she can specify the account desired.

Take a look at the VAX/VMS Networking manual; it gives a pretty good
description.
---
Ed Thierbach
VAX System Manager
Roy F. Weston, Inc.

thierbac at umbc3.umd.edu (guest account...mail seems better behaved these days)