8    Features and Interfaces Scheduled for Retirement

This chapter lists features of Tru64 UNIX scheduled to be removed from, or changed in, future functional releases. Users and developers should plan to migrate away from or accomodate changes in these features in the near future.

8.1    DECwindows Applications

The following DECwindows utilities and tools will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. These dx* tools and utilities, commonly known as DECwindows, have been replaced by the dt* tools in Common Desktop Environment (CDE) that were introduced in Version 4.0 of the operating system. The replacement applications are listed in Table 8-1. Not all of the dx* applications that will be retired have a replacement due to the limited use or capability of that specific tool/utility.

Table 8-1: Retired DECwindows Applications

Retired Tools/Utilities Replacement Option(s)
dxprint dtlp
dxcalendar dtcm
dxcalc dtcalc,xcalc
dxclock Front Panel,xclock
dxpaint dticon/dtstyle,bitmap
dxnotepad dtpad
dxbook dthelpview,Netscape
dxcardfiler N/A
dxsession xdm,dtsession
CDA N/A

You should migrate to the dt* tools/utilities or other options as soon as possible.

8.2    Adobe Display PostScript, Client Libraries, and X Server Extension

Adobe has retired their Display PostScript (DPS) product, which includes the client libraries, X Server extension, and various applications and examples. Therefore, Compaq has also retired the Adobe DPS product from Tru64 UNIX. No replacements are available. Customers who have used the Adobe DPS libraries to develop their own applications do not have a migration path.

The following Adobe applications have been retired and are no longer included with the Tru64 UNIX operating system.

The following applications, which use Adobe DPS, have been retired and are no longer included with the Tru64 UNIX operating system:

During an installupdate from Version 4.0D or Version 4.0E to Version 4.0F, the DPS commands, libraries, and documentation will be marked by the installupdate procedure as obsolete inventory. The files will remain on the system until they are removed during a subsequent updadmin step.

Because these obsolete components have been retired from the operating system, they are no longer distributed in new versions, beginning with this version, and they might not be compatible with a future release. They are not supported as part of the Tru64 UNIX product beginning with this release.

If you have applications or procedures that depend on the DPS software that is now obsolete, you might want to keep the obsolete DPS software on your system, yet remove the other obsolete software at this time.

Before you perform the updadmin procedure, you can edit the file /var/adm/smlogs/upd_obsolete_files so that the DPS software components are not listed.

If you remove the DPS components from your system by using the updadmin utility, you will have the opportunity to archive all of the obsolete components. If you prepare an archive copy, and later discover a dependency on the obsolete DPS components, you can restore them to the system from the archive copy.

If you remove the obsolete DPS components without making an archival copy, there is no way to restore them from the product distribution media for the current release.

See Section 4.1.9.6 for information on possible user dependencies on the showps utility as a PostScript document viewer for the Netscape browser. The freeware application gv might be a suitable replacement for showps. It has a different user interface than showps but has no dependency on the obsolete DPS software libraries.

Some of the freeware applications delivered with Version 4.0D had dependencies on the DPS client libraries. Those applications have been rebuilt using the GhostScript libraries available on the freeware distribution media.

8.3    Nonconforming Curses Library

Version 4.0 of the operating system included a new X/Open compliant Internationalized Curses library. This library was not binary compatible with previous versions of the Tru64 UNIX Curses library, so compatible binaries (named libcurses.a and libcurses.so) were shipped in separate directories for Version 4.0. In that same release, the intent to put the compatible binaries into an obsolete subset and subsequently remove them in future releases was announced.

These compatible binaries were moved into the OSFOBSOLETE subset for Version 4.0D and will be removed in a future release of Tru64 UNIX.

8.4    The -oldc C Compiler

The official C compiler for Tru64 UNIX is DEC C. The previous compiler, implemented with -oldc, is no longer distributed in the default subset and will not be installed during a default system installation.

The -oldc compiler is still available in this version by installing the CMPDEVENH subset. Any problems reported with -oldc will be addressed in DEC C for Tru64 UNIX rather than in the -oldc compiler.

8.5    The dbx Debugger

The dbx symbolic debugger will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. The dbx debugger will be replaced by the ladebug debugger, which is a superset of the dbx functionality. The ladebug debugger is command line compatible with dbx and also supports a graphical user interface.

Compaq recommends that you begin using the ladebug debugger now and report any problems. This will provide a higher quality replacement when dbx is finally retired.

8.6    DEC C Compiler Default Change from -std0 to -std

The default language mode for the Tru64 UNIX C compiler will change from -std0 to -std. This will occur in a future release.

When the change occurs, it will be possible to revert back to -std0 by specifying -std0 on the compilation command line, by adding -std0 to the /usr/ccs/lib/cmplrs/cc/comp.config file, or by using an environment variable.

8.7    Change in struct utmp, struct utmpx, and struct lastlog

To provide compliance with several UNIX and Internet standards, the struct utmp, struct utmpx, and struct lastlog structures will be changed in the next major release (Version 5.0) of Tru64 UNIX. These changes will affect the /usr/include/utmp.h, /usr/include/utmpx.h, and /usr/include/lastlog.h files:

These changes will also affect the format of the /var/adm/utmp, /var/adm/wtmp, and /var/adm/lastlog files. The following conversion programs will be supplied:

The programs will enable you to convert your existing /var/adm/wtmp and /var/adm/lastlog files to the new format or convert new format files to the old format for use by existing programs. See the corresponding reference pages for more information.

8.8    C Language long double Type Changing to 128 Bits

In a future release of Tru64 UNIX, the default size of the C language long double type will change from 64 bits to 128 bits. This will allow application writers to perform mathematical calculations on numbers much larger in magnitude with more precision than possible with the current long double type, which is treated identically to the double type. A compiler option will be provided to allow existing source code that expects a 64-bit long double type to continue to be compiled and executed.

The one binary incompatibility that an existing application (if linked using the -call_shared switch) could experience with the new default is related to the input and output of long double types. Currently, the printf and scanf functions, and other associated functions, interpret the format code %Lf (capital-L followed by f) as referring to a 64-bit long double type. In a future release, the interpretation of this format code will be changed to expect the new 128-bit data type. Programs that use this format code will either need to be changed, or will need to be run with the new compatibility library that will be provided. An extra step will be necessary to cause the application to use this library, and will be documented in the release in which the change actually takes affect.

8.9    C Library Functions and POSIX P1003.1C

As of Version 4.0 of the operating system, the following C library functions exist in two versions due to conflicts between previous versions of Tru64 UNIX and the recent IEEE POSIX P1003.1C standard (these new interfaces are in effect by default). The old interfaces are currently accessible by defining the C preprocessor symbol _POSIX_C_SOURCE to 199309L. 

asctime_r     getgrnam_r    getpwuid_r    localtime_r   readdir_r
ctime_r       getlogin_r    gmtime_r      rand_r        ttyname_r
getgrgid_r    getpwnam_r

Binary compatibility is maintained in Version 4.0F; however, these routines will be retired in a future release of the operating system. The obsolete versions should not be used in new designs. These routines formerly resided in libc_r.a and libc_r.so, but were merged into the standard C runtime library.

8.10    POSIX 1003.4a (draft 4) pthread Routines in DECthreads

The POSIX 1003.4a, Draft 4 interface of DECthreads will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. Applications that were written using the POSIX 1003.4a, Draft 4 API should be migrated to the IEEE Std 1003.1c-1995, POSIX System Application Program Interface provided by DECthreads. The POSIX 1003.1c standard interface is the most portable, efficient, and powerful programming interface offered by DECthreads. A compatibility mode for the Draft 4 POSIX 1003.4a API has been provided to help ease migration. This compatibility mode will be removed in a future release.

8.11    DECthreads CMA Interface

The CMA interface of DECthreads is obsolete beginning with this release of Tru64 UNIX. Obsolescence means that while the CMA API will continue to exist in Tru64 UNIX and will be supported, CMA routines will no longer be documented or enhanced. Compaq recommends that you port your CMA based application to the IEEE Std 1003-1c-1995, POSIX System Application Program Interface provided by DECthreads.

8.12    Asynchronous I/O Binary Compatibility

Data structures for asynchronous I/O, like aio_read() and aio_write(), changed between DIGITAL UNIX Version 3.2 and Version 4.0. The kernel currently handles these differences so that applications built under Version 3.2 continue to run when executed on Version 4.0x systems.

In the next major release of the operating system, support for applications built under Version 3.2x using asynchronous I/O will be discontinued. These applications will need to be recompiled and relinked in order to run properly under Tru64 UNIX.

8.13    Nemacs

Nemacs Version 3.3.2, a public domain Japanese implementation of emacs, will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. Mule, a public domain multilingual implementation of emacs, will be carried forward as the replacement functionality for Nemacs. The Nemacs subsets IOSJPNEMACS440 and IOSJPNEMACSSRC440 will be removed from the system. For more information on Mule, refer to the mule(1) reference page.

8.14    Berkeley Software Distribution TTY-NAME

The intent to retire the BSD TTY-NAME namespace was announced in DEC OSF/1 Version 3.0. This functionality will be retired in a future release.

8.15    SCSI Device Names

Support for rz SCSI device names will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. Any code that derives knowledge about a device from the ASCII name or minor number may be impacted.

All code that uses the current namespace will be compatible when the change occurs because a mechanism that ensures binary compatibility will be provided. Existing interfaces such as names and minor numbers will be fully supported.

8.16    The -x and -p Options in addvol and mkfdmn

The -x and -p options of the addvol and mkfdmn commands allow you to set the per-volume bitfile metadata table (BMT) when you create a new volume or file domain. Users typically set the BMT to prevent an extent exhaustion problem.

In Version 4.0D and later, the limitations in the operating system that caused the extent exhaustion problem were removed, hence the -x and -p options are no longer needed and will be retired in a future major release.

8.17    LSM Block Change Logging (BCL)

In the next major release of Tru64 UNIX, the Logical Storage Manager Block Change Logging (BCL) feature will be retired and replaced by a new logging method. This new logging method, called Dirty Region Logging (DRL), will log regions instead of blocks for writes to LSM mirrored volumes. For most environments, DRL will provide the same ability to quickly resynchronize mirrors after a failure as BCL, but with considerably less logging overhead.

The logging format and configuration for DRL will not be compatible with BCL; for example, DRL will require a log size of at least two blocks. The next major release of Tru64 UNIX will automatically reconfigure volumes for DRL when a BCL mirrored volume has a log of two or more blocks. Mirrored volume configurations with a BCL of one block will require manual reconfiguration to continue to take advantage of logging for faster mirror recovery.

Due to these changes, you can configure a BCL size of two or more blocks to simplify BCL to DRL migration in the future. For optimum DRL configurations, use the following guidelines when configuring volumes with BCL: use a BCL subdisk block size of one block plus an additional block for every 1 GB of volume storage, then round up the BCL size to the next even number. Table 8-2 shows some examples.

Table 8-2: BCL Configuration Examples

Volume Size (GB) BCL Subdisk Size (Blocks)
<1 2
1 2
2 4
3 4
4 6
5 6
6 8
7 8
8 10
9 10
10 12

8.18    LSM volassist Command Syntax

In the next major release of Tru64 UNIX, the syntax of the volassist command will change. It will no longer support the following constructs:

8.19    LSM volprint Command Format

In the next major release of Tru64 UNIX, the default output format of the volprint command will be changing.

Invoking volprint with no options currently displays all objects in rootdg, starting with the rootdg disk group record, followed by all of the disk-media records, subdisk records, plex records, and finally volume records. In a future release, invoking volprint with no options will display all records for all disk groups, with all objects arranged in a hierarchical fashion.

Invoking volprint with an object-type option (v, p, or s) currently displays all objects of that type in the specific disk group. In a future release, invoking volprint with any of these options will display all objects of that type, as well as all objects of all subsidiary types, in all disk groups.

By default, invoking volprint currently displays the record type, name, association, kernel state, length, and comment field. In a future release, it will display the record type, name, association, kernel state, length, plex offset, state, and the tuti10 and puti10 fields.

Users who use volprint in scripts should use the -F option to define the exact output format that they require.

8.20    LVM-to-LSM Migration Tool

The LVM-to-LSM Migration Tool was provided with Version 4.0 of the operating system to enable migration from the LVM interfaces that were retired in that release to Tru64 UNIX Logical Storage Manager volumes. This tool will become obsolete in later releases of Tru64 UNIX because most customers will have migrated to LSM volumes by that time; therefore, the LVM-to-LSM Migration Tool will be retired in a future release of the operating system.

There are no plans to retire UFS or the AdvFS Migration Tools at this time.

8.21    OSF/Motif Version 1.1.3

The Motif Version 1.1.3 libraries have been provided as run-time services for compatibility with applications that have not yet converted to Motif 1.2. Development support was retired in DEC OSF/1 Version 2.0.

In Version 4.0 of the operating system, the Motif 1.1.3 libraries were moved to an optional subset. Applications requiring the libraries will see an error from the loader and you must install the optional subset. This optional subset will be removed from the product in a future release.

8.22    XIE Version 3.0 X Client Extension

Tru64 UNIX Version 4.0F supports XIE Version 5.0. Support for XIE Version 3.0 server extensions was removed in Version 4.0, but client support will not be removed until a later release of Tru64 UNIX.

8.23    Microsoft Sound Board Driver

In Version 4.0 of the operating system, the device driver for the base audio on the DIGITAL AlphaStations and DIGITAL AlphaServers was removed from the base operating system. This device driver supported the Microsoft Sound Board (MSB), the AlphaStation Sound Card, and the built-in audio hardware shipped with certain AlphaStation systems.

The driver binaries are now available as part of the Multimedia Services for Tru64 UNIX kit on the Tru64 UNIX 4.0F Associated Products, Volume 1 CD-ROM in the MMEDRVMSB subset.

The following files will be removed from the base operating system:

You can also get support for this device from the Multimedia Services for Tru64 UNIX kit that is located on the Software Products Library CD-ROM. Support is also factory-installed on all AlphaStation Tru64 UNIX packaged systems. The license for this product is bundled with AlphaStations so that you can use it at no additional cost.

8.24    Graph Utility

The /usr/bin/graph utility will be removed in the next major release of Tru64 UNIX.

8.25    The atmsetup Script

The atmsetup script is a new utility with Version 4.0D that allows you to set up or change the current configuration of ATM on your system.

This script was designed to be an interim solution to simplify the setup process for ATM. In future releases, it will be supplemented and finally replaced by an application in the SysMan suite, with a full graphical user interface.

For more information about how to use atmsetup, see the atmsetup(8) reference page and the Asynchronous Transfer Mode guide.

8.26    Remote Prestoserve Support

In the next major release of Tru64 UNIX, PrestoServe support for remote operations will be retired. This means that the use of the -h option of the presto command, the dxpresto hostname variable, and the -n option of the prestoctl_svc command will no longer be supported.

Users who require the ability to perform presto operations remotely can still do so by using telnet, rlogin, or rsh to gain access to a shell on the remote system and then to perform the operation locally.

8.27    Disk Size Requirement for Installation

The minimum disk size requirement for installing the Tru64 UNIX operating system is changing in the next major release due to additional features and services that are being added. The minimum disk size required to support a single-disk operating system installation will be 1GB (such as an RZ26) for both default and custom installation types.

8.28    Installupdate -i Option

The -i option to the /sbin/installupdate command will be retired in a future release of the operating system.

The -i option currently allows you to interactively select kernel components once the new software subsets have been installed. Starting with the next major release, this flag will be unnecessary because you will be able to interactively select optional kernel components at the beginning of the update installation process, prior to software installation. These kernel components will be built into the kernel automatically during the kernel build phase at the end of the update installation; therefore, you need not be present at that time.

8.29    Different awk Versions

Tru64 UNIX contains three different versions of the awk command:

The oawk and gawk versions of the awk command will be removed in a future version of the operating system. Also, the link between awk and nawk will be removed, leaving awk and removing nawk. Users should ensure that their scripts use /usr/bin/awk instead of any other version of the awk command currently existing on the system.

8.30    The secsetup Script

The /usr/sbin/secsetup script, used to configure Enhanced Security authentication support, will retire in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. It will be replaced by sec_config , an application in the SysMan suite that provides a full graphical user interface.

8.31    Open3D TURBOchannel and PVpci Device Support

Support for the following Open3D TURBOchannel devices has been retired from this release of Tru64 UNIX (code is shipped as unsupported):

These devices are also known as:

Open3D V4.4 is the last version that supports these graphic adapters. The DDX and device drivers will ship in future releases of Tru64 UNIX, but support will be retired and Open3D will no longer respond to problem reports. Tru64 UNIX 2D support will continue for future Tru64 UNIX V4.0n releases and the initial release of Tru64 UNIX Version 5.0 for the TX, HX, and HX+ graphic adapters.

The replacement functionality is PCI based systems and graphics devices supported in those systems.

In addition, the Open3D PVpci (ZLXp-L1 and ZLXp-L2) graphic adapter support ended in December 1998. The last version of Open3D to support these cards was Open3D Version 4.9. The last version of Tru64 UNIX to support these adapters is Tru64 UNIX Version 4.0F. The replacement functionality is the PowerStorm 4Dxx (Intergraph Cateyes) graphic devices.

8.32    System Management Utilities

The following setup scripts will be retired in a future release:

These scripts have been replaced by tasks that you can perform by running the SysMan menu and navigating to the desired item or directly from the command line by using the appropriate menu accelerator. The following table maps the replacement functionality and accelerator.

Retired Script SysMan Menu Item SysMan Accelerator
bindsetup Configure system as a DNS client dns_client
  Configure system as a DNS server dns_server
mailsetup Configure the host's mail system mailsetup
netsetup Network Configuration Step-by-Step net_step
nfssetup Configure System as an NFS client nfs_client
  Configure System as an NFS server nfs_server
ntpsetup Configure system as an NTP client ntp_config

For more information, see the reference pages or the Network Administration manual.

8.33    Changed Protected Password Database Format

The enhanced security user authentication profiles, originally stored in the protected password files /tcb/files/auth/<a..z>/<username>, are now stored by default in a database format. The convauth program, run for an update installation, will convert existing files into the new format. Support for the original format will be removed in a future release of Tru64 UNIX.

8.34    Audit_setup Script

The /usr/sbin/audit_setup script, used to configure auditing support, will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. It will be replaced by audit_config, an application in the SysMan suite that provides a full graphical user interface.

8.35    VM Subsystem ubc_nfsloopback Variable Is Obsolete

The /etc/sysconfigtab ubc_nfsloopback Virtual Memory (VM) subsystem kernel configuration variable is unnecessary, and has been removed.

This configuration variable was needed in some TruCluster configurations with previous versions of Tru64 UNIX to avoid a recursion deadlock with NFS loopback-mounted file systems. In those configurations, setting the ubc_nfsloopback VM subsystem variable to 1 prevented the deadlock.

The file system code in Tru64 UNIX Version 4.0F has been modified to prevent the deadlock which removes the need for the ubc-nfsloopback variable.

If the variable is not removed from /etc/sysconfigtab, it will not cause a problem. However, after the kernel is loaded by the firmware, the console generates the following message to indicate that the variable is still present in /etc/sysconfigtab: 

sysconfigtab:  attribute ubc_nfsloopback not in subsystem VM

8.36    libsecurity.a

libsecurity.a is the static archive form of the enhanced security library. This form of libsecurity is no longer delivered in Tru64 UNIX. Customers wishing to link against libsecurity should instead use the shareable form, libsecurity.so.

8.37    XPG3 ctab Locales

The XPG3 ctab locales in the obsolete OSFCTABLOC subset will be retired in a future release. These locales were superseded by the XPG4 locales distributed in OSFEURLOC and various subsets in the Worldwide Language Support software on the Associated Products CD (APCD).

8.38    Security Interfaces

Several interfaces in libsecurity will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. These interfaces are not capable of supporting new functionality offered in Tru64 UNIX Version 4.0F.

Binary compatibility will be preserved until the interfaces are retired, which will be no sooner than 12 months after the current release is shipped. Table 8-3 provides the complete list of documented interfaces. Some undocumented interfaces might be retired at the same time.

Table 8-3: libsecurity Interfaces Scheduled for Retirement

getprtcent() getprtcnam() putprtcnam()
getprdfent() getprdfnam() putprdfnam()
getprfient() getprfinam() putprfinam()
getprlpent() getprlpnam() putprlpnam()
getdvagent() getdvagnam() putdvagnam()
getprpwent() getprpwnam() getprpwuid()
putprpwnam()    
time_lock() get_seed() auth_for_terminal()
locked_out() copydvent()  
read_pw_fields() store_pw_fields()  
read_tc_fields() store_tc_fields()  

Table 8-4 provides the list of associated data structures that will be retired at the same time as the interfaces.

Table 8-4: libsecurity Data Structure Interfaces Scheduled for Retirement

struct pr_field struct pr_flag
struct t_field struct t_flag
struct l_field struct l_flag
struct dev_field struct dev_flag
struct pr_passwd struct pr_term
struct pr_file struct pr_lp
struct pr_default struct dev_asg
struct system_default_fields struct system_default_flags

8.39    The ogated Routing Daemon

The ogated (the old version of the gated routing daemon) will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX. If you use the ogated routing daemon, you should migrate to the gated routing daemon, which supports a superset of functionality in ogated.

8.40    PEX Extensions

Starting with Open3D Version 4.8, support for the PEX extension to the X Server has been retired. The extension libraries still ship on the Open3D product, but no support is available for them.

8.41    NL* and NL* libc Interfaces

A Worldwide Portability Interface (WPI) for internationalization based on the XPG4 standard was introduced in DIGITAL UNIX Version 2.0. Because the WPI interfaces supercede the libc OSF/1 proprietary interfaces, all libc interfaces that begin with the letters NL or NC will be removed in a future release of the operating system.

8.42    DEC Ada RTL

DEC Ada (UPI - 0HM) and DEC Ada PDO (UPI - 0VS) will be retired in a future release of Tru64 UNIX.

8.43    System V Environment

The System V Environment product (QL-0J6A*-**) will be reengineered and its functionality will be merged into the Tru64 UNIX base operating system in a future major release of the operating system. Today, Tru64 UNIX already delivers 80 percent of the System V Interface Definition (SVID) standard, as verified by the SVVS 3 and SVVS 4 test suites. As a result, Tru64 UNIX contains a substantial number of System V Release 4 (SVR4) features and delivers the highest composite SVR4 conformance of any implementation. SVR4 functionality will be further expanded in the base operating system when the System V Environment reengineering is complete, eliminating the need for the layered product. A migration plan for upgrading to the appropriate version of the Tru64 UNIX base operating system has been developed to assist our customers who currently use the System V Environment layered product.