VSI-I64VMS-PYTHON-V0305-0A-1-RELNOTE.PDF

This document describes the January 2020 Beta release of Python 3.5.0 for VSI OpenVMS I64, noting it's a preliminary version likely to be superseded but aiming for maximum compatibility.

The port provides Python 3.5.0, a high-level programming language known for readability and support for various programming paradigms. It includes the core Python 3.5.0 distribution and several extensions, notably for web application development (e.g., Cheroot, CherryPy, Flask), a simple Oracle RDB interface, and interfaces to OpenVMS System Services, RMS, and RTL routines. Other included modules cover areas like HTTP requests (requests), time zones (pytz), and RabbitMQ client functionality (pika). Many of these modules are still under development.

System requirements include VSI OpenVMS 8.4-1H1 I64 or higher, an ODS-5 enabled disk, and VSI or HPE TCP/IP Services. Installation is via a standard OpenVMS PCSI kit, followed by post-installation steps to configure system startup/shutdown and optionally compile modules for performance.

A notable limitation is that the pip package installer does not function correctly in this beta, especially for packages with 3GL code. However, C header files are provided for building custom dynamic modules.