VAX/VMS Release Notes Version 2.0

This document, the VAX/VMS Release Notes Version 2.0 (March 1980), serves as a crucial supplement to the main VAX/VMS documentation. It provides information not found elsewhere, covering software and documentation errors, late changes made during the development cycle, and hints for system installation and operation. It explicitly states that it supersedes previous VAX/VMS Release Notes (Version 1.6 and earlier versions).

The document's primary focus is detailing the differences between VAX/VMS V2.0 and VAX/VMS V1.6. Key areas covered include:

• Installation Procedures: Guides users on installing or upgrading to VAX/VMS V2.0.
• New Hardware Support: Lists newly supported devices like MA780 multiport memory, RX02 floppy drive, TS11 magnetic tape, LP25 line printer, and DR780 interface.
• Changes to Documentation: Outlines revisions and new manuals in the documentation kit.
• Command Language (DCL) and System Messages: Describes redesigns (e.g., DIRECTORY command), ignored qualifiers, removed qualifiers, and changes to system HELP files.
• Program Development Tools: Highlights new features in the VAX-11 Symbolic Debugger.
• System Services and I/O: Explains changes in how shared memory is named, updates to magnetic tape drivers, and automatic user stack expansion.
• Run-Time Library: Discusses compatibility between VAX/VMS versions, re-linking requirements for privileged programs, and FORTRAN default logical unit assignments.
• Record Management Services (RMS): Details changes to utilities (RMSSHARE, RMSANLZ), new magnetic tape labels (HDR3), and sequential file sharing support.
• Compatibility Mode: Addresses changes to IO.ATT directives, AME emulation, MACRO-11 CRF support, and updates to the MCR Command Language Interpreter.
• System Programming: Notes the necessity to reassemble and relink all user-written drivers, changes to buffered I/O count quotas, interrupt dispatch table modifications, new UNIBUS Datapath macros, and PATCH utility updates.
• System Management and Operation: Describes enhanced security features (SET PASSWORD, Terminal Allocation), a new User Authorization File (UAF) format, new console floppy device name, network command terminal capabilities, and improvements to error handling (ERRFMT) and system crash procedures (CRASH).
• Unsupported Software: Introduces DIGITAL Standard RUNOFF (DSR) and other unsupported utilities.

The document also lists problems resolved from previous VAX/VMS versions and, importantly, details current restrictions and known problems specific to VAX/VMS V2.0 across various functionalities like DCL, LIBRARIAN, Linker, Symbolic Debugger, RMS, and system management. Finally, it provides corrections and supplementary notes to other published VAX/VMS documentation and includes specific installation and testing instructions for VAX-11 COBOL-74.