Migration of files in VAX accounts to UNIX

These notes describe how to move the entire content of your VAX account directory to the Sun Sparcstations (unix). Please follow the steps exactly as described. In the example below the username is smith.

If after looking at these notes you do not understand or if you get confused then you may request that someone from the Computing Facilities Group does it on your behalf. This service will be offered just once per user and after files have been transferred your VAX account will be removed.

To request this service send mail to helpdesk@ing.iac.es or contact Virginia Borraz.

1. If you have not already aquired a unix account then request one by sending mail to the computing Facilities Group's helpdesk
• VAX mail smtp%"helpdesk@ing.iac.es"
• unix helpdesk@ing.iac.es
2. Begin by tidying up the VMS directory. Log into your VAX account and then ...
• purge unwanted previous versions of files.
• If you have not set a mail directory in VMS mail then your login directory will contain a lot of long-named files beginning with MAIL. To tidy things up do the following

$ mail
MAIL> set maildir [.maildir]
MAIL> quit

All the files associated with mail messages will now be in a VMS sub-directory [.maildir] - but of course you can still read them in VMS mail just as before. It is just more tidy.

3. log into your unix account. Create a directory called vax. The files you will be bringing from the VAX will all be created in this directory.

Example:

% cd ~
% mkdir vax

4. create a directory on a scratch disk to have some space to work.

Example:

% cd /scratch/lpss1a
% mkdir smith
% cd smith

5. The files on the VAX are visible to the sparcs. We begin by confirming the VAX files are visible.

Example:

% cd /vax/user1/smith
% ls

You should obtain a directory listing and recognise your files. If there is an error message then seek assistance from the Computing Facilities Group (PVDV or GFM) - it may be a problem on the VAX. Of course if your account is on disk$user3 the command is subtly different:

Example:

% cd /vax/user3/smith
% ls

6. We now make a copy of all these VAX files in one compact archive file. The archive file may be quite big so it is made in the scratch area you prepared earlier.

Example

% pwd
/vax/user1/smith
% tar cvf /scratch/lpss1a/smith/junk.tar .

7. Now examine the archive file

Example

% cd /scratch/lpss1a/smith
% tar tf junk.tar

You should see a listing which has your VAX files.

8. Restore these files from the archive to the directory vax you prepared earlier.

Example

% cd ~
% cd vax
% tar xvf /scratch/lpss1a/smith/junk.tar

It is possible that at this stage you will run out of quota on your unix account. If this happens error messages will appear. If you have any error messages then contact the Computing Facilities Group (eg send mail to helpdesk@ing.iac.es).

9. If the files are all restored then you can eliminate from the unix directory all .exe and .obj files - they will not work on the sparcs.

Example 1 - use them remove command "rm"

% cd ~/vax
% pwd
/home/lpss1/smith/vax
% rm *.obj*
% rm *.exe*

You will need to repeat for each subdirectory of vax

Example 2 

- more fancy alternative, use find to remove .obj and .exe in current working directory and all subdirectories. 

Note:

If using this fancy method be sure to type slash "/" and backslash "\" exactly as shown.

% cd ~/vax
% pwd
/home/lpss1/smith/vax
% find . -name \*.obj\* -print -exec /bin/rm {} \;
% find . -name \*.exe\* -print -exec /bin/rm {} \;

Alternatively use any means you like - such as selecting icons in file_manager and dragging them to the wastebasket icon. To use file_manager you need to log onto a sparc directly and not through a telnet session from a PC or whatever.

This text is available as a Web Page in migrate.html