omniORB2 on OpenVMS platforms

This file contains information on building omniORB2 on OpenVMS (Alpha and and VAX) platforms.

Downloading the distribution

Refer to http://www.uk.research.att.com/omniORB/VMSDownload.html for downloading and unpacking the distribution.

Building the distribution

This distribution requires the use of MMS. It has been tested on OpenVMS Alpha version 6.2 and OpenVMS VAX version 6.1 using DEC C++ version 5.5 and 5.6.

The MMS files assume the use of the MMS /Skip qualifier. You should define a "make" symbol as follows:

$ make=="mms/skip"

Before starting the build, you should configure your system to the platform you are using by editing the file [.config]config.mms.

Next, set your default working directory to [.src] and type:

$ make/macro=(initialize_mms=1)

You should now be ready to build. Just type 'make export'. If you use the "veryclean" rule you will need to repeat the above initialization step.

To build debug versions of the library and/or executables, type:

$ make/macro=(debug=1)

This will create libraries and executables with a "d" suffix. For example, omniORB2d.olb.

Setting up your environment

If your operating system is 6.2 or above, you should add the directory: mydisk:[myroot.bin.platform] to the logical name DCL$PATH (where platform is openvms_{alpha|vax}_6_{1|2} and mydisk:[myroot] is the directory containing the file you are reading). DCL$PATH should be defined as a search list logical.

If your operating system is 6.1 or below, you should define each of the executables in that directory as foreign commands. E.g.:

$ omniidl2=="mydisk:[myroot.bin.openvms_vax_6_1]omniidl2.exe"

You will also need to define the logical OMNICFG to point to an existing directory for name service configuration information. The omniNames server will use this directory.

You will need to create a file called "omnicfg:omniorb.cfg" to contain the nameservice IOR as described in the omniORB2 documentation. The file contains the single record:

NAMESERVICE <stringified IOR>

Once you have created this file, you should startup the omniNames server as a detached process. This should be added to your system startup procedure.

Building omniORB2 applications

To compile and link against the omniORB2 libraries, you should define the following logical names:

(Note that the resulting logical names and translations will be in all upper case.) With the above definitions in place, you should add /include=([],omni:)/exceptions to your CXX compiles. The logical names, omniORB2, omniVms, and omnithread are needed because DEC C+for OpenVMS does not handle sub-directories of a directory in the include path properly.

The logical name omnilib is used as a convenience for the cxxlink command line. You will link against omnilib:omniORB2.olb/library, one of the floating point libraries provided (see the section "Floating point support" below), and the POSIX threads shareable image for your platform (you should use omnilib:share.opt/options for this).

You may wish to use or adapt the development environment provided in the DCL and MMS files contained in [.etc]openvms.zip to accomplish the above.

Floating point support

The CORBA standard mandates that an implementation should use the IEEE standard for floating point types (CORBA::Float and CORBA::Double). Since native IEEE floating point is not available on the VAX platform and to provide additional flexibility for the Alpha platform, these types are proxy types. Therefore, additional libraries are provided in addition to omnilib:omniORB2.olb. These are omnilib:omniORB2DFloat.olb, omnilib:omniORB2GFloat.olb, and omnilib:omniORB2IEEEFloat.olb. These libraries must be added to the cxxlink command consistent with the option specified on the CXX command line (even if the default for the particular platform is taken). Within an address space (i.e. executable image) you must set the /Float CXX qualifier consistently.

The omniORB2 for VMS development environment provides for different floating point formats by allowing one of:

• make /macro=(D_FLOAT=1)
• make /macro=(G_FLOAT=1)
• make /macro=(IEEE_FLOAT=1)

to explicitly build for D, G, or IEEE floating point support. The default is G_Float and D_FLOAT on Alpha and VAX, respectively (consistent with the CXX default). You do not need to supply these qualifiers when building the distribution.

Notes

If you are running OpenVMS version 6.1, please ensure that you have installed the latest ECOs for the DEC C RTL and C++ Class Library.

This release of omniORB2 is incompatable with the backport library supplied with DEC C++ version 5.6. Therefore, if your operating system is below 7.0 and you use DEC C++ version 5.6, be sure that the logical name DECC$CRTLMAP is not defined.

Building the examples

You are strongly encouraged to try out the examples provided in [.src.examples]. Go into [.src.examples] and type 'make all' (where make is defined as above).

Study the documentations in [.doc] (in the omniORB 2.5.0 distribution) before you run any of the example programs.

Documentation

You must read the omniORB2 and the OMNI naming service user guides. Follow the instructions in the guides to complete the configuration process.

For comments, feedback, etc, please see the 'Keeping in touch' page.