VSI-I64VMS-PYTHON-B0308-2-1-RNOTES.PDF

This document announces the February 2021 release of Python 3.8.2 for VSI OpenVMS I64.

Key aspects include:

• Release Contents: The port is distributed in two PCSI kits: a core Python kit (containing the binary distribution and OpenVMS-specific extensions for products like VSI DATATRIEVE, Oracle RDB, and various system/library calls) and a Python packages kit (comprising a substantial collection of common Python packages for web development, integration, and testing, installable via Python wheels).
• New in this Release: Includes bug fixes, new functionality for RTL LIB$SET/GET/DELETE_SYMBOL, and new packages such as S3cmd (for AWS S3 cloud storage), WSIT (for Python interfaces to legacy OpenVMS code), and ReportLab (for PDF/graphics generation).

• Requirements:

  • VSI OpenVMS Version 8.4-1H1 I64 or higher.
  • ODS-5 enabled disk for installation.
  • VSI TCP/IP or HPE TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS (MultiNet likely compatible).
  • An optional C compiler is needed for developing custom Python extensions.
  • Python source files should be STREAM_LF record type.

• Installation:

  • Core Kit: Installed using $ PRODUCT INSTALL PYTHON. Requires adding commands to SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and SYSHUTDWN.COM for runtime definition and pre-compiling modules for performance. A foreign command PYTHON :== $PYTHON$ROOT:[BIN]PYTHON3.EXE should be defined.
  • Packages Kit: Installed using $ PRODUCT INSTALL PYTHWHLS. Also requires SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM updates to define PYTHON_WHEELS$ROOT and PIP_FIND_LINKS. Individual packages are installed using python -m pip install --no-index <module-name> (or by defining PIP_NO_INDEX 1). Users should avoid defining PYTHONCASEOK and can configure temporary disk space for installations using logical names like SYS$SCRATCH, TMPDIR, and PIP_CACHE_DIR.

• Included Modules: A comprehensive list of OpenVMS-specific modules and bundled Python packages is provided. Users can also download and install additional Python packages directly from PyPI using PIP.

• S3cmd Utility: The S3cmd package is included for managing files in AWS S3 storage. It requires initial configuration, including locating certificate files, and currently supports only stream-LF format files on VSI OpenVMS.