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I would love to see SDSF (the field developed version with source code before it became an IBM PP).
Anyone ?

Henk

You forgot to mention ISPF for MVS 3.8 which I've written from scratch and is available to anyone who emails me -

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The product was written for MVS 3.8 and attempts to re-create the functionality of ISPF from that era.? The product supports many of the familiar features of ISPF, such as menus, panels, variables, messages, tables, ISPF commands and PFKeys, thereby providing the look and feel of the original ISPF.

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ISPF Version 3.2 was used as the basis for development, although some features from subsequent versions, such as AREA support, are included.??

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The product does not perform any of the functions of the IBM Program Product PDF. Instead, it invokes Review as an ISPF application to perform browse, edit and other functions.

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Wally

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From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Jeffrey Melton via groups.io
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2020 12:00 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [H390-MVS] mounting a SCRTCH volume

?

Oh, how I would love for IBM to release later versions of MVS to hobbyists
some day. I'd even be happy if they just released some MVS 3.8J level
program products like compilers and CICS to hobbyists.

I would love it too, and to me it would only help IBM get great PR as a result, without impacting their installed base.? Still we do have a fair bit to freely play with even in our ancient environment:
? * (older) COBOL and PL/I compilers
? * the IFOX00 Assembler
? * the ASSIST Assembler
? * Other compilers in the SYSCPK
? * VSAM implementation
? * BREXX
? * RPF/RFE productivity environments (for ISPF)
? * KICKS for TSO (CICS replacement) - Did you know that's available for MVS 3.8J/TK4-?? Moshix has a video on installation.

Here's the way I look at it - It's fun to be able to play around with software that's pushing 50 years old (for our sort routine, it's even older!!) and find out what it's still capable of.? Myself I took assembly language as a college course for the MC68000 chip decades ago and have done nothing with it since - it's good brain exercise to try out my assembly skills on a completely different platform and instruction set.? I consider it a challenge to develop a working application without a database driving it and using a compiler that's almost as old as I am.? JCL was something I dealt with and conquered decades ago under XA and promptly forgot once I left the mainframe environment.? And I've always had an underlying respect and appreciation for the mainframe platform itself since I got a work/study job as a college student where I was able to operate the University's excellent mainframe-based administrative systems.

It's also easy on the wallet to gather this knowledge from older editions of manuals freely available on bitsavers or from books available at dirt cheap prices from AbeBooks and ThriftBooks.?

Finally, It's a hobby that keeps me from mentally going nuts with this whole COVID lockdown.? It gives me great ways to spend my spare time.?

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Virus-free.