[Simh] VMS/VDE: Almost there

[Jordi Guillaumes i Pons]

>> 
>> Nothing prevents you from letting the MAC do NAT in addition to the
>> routing. :-)
> 
> Well with the user mode NAT that slirpvde provides the mac OS needn't know anything about any routing that is going on.

I’ve got it working.

It being VDE + slirpvde. I’m now typing at my macbook, with a virtual 3900 humming in the background and hooked to the internet using an iPhone. The VAX has full TCP/IP connectivity, but of course no DECNET outside the VDE virtual switch.

How to do it:

1) Start vde_switch and DO NOT attach the VDE switch to a tap interface. In OSX that means to not execute the vde_plug2tap utility; in Linux I guess you should not specify the “tap0” parameter in the vde_switch command line.

2) Start slirpvde, specifying the local redirects you want to set up. I have used this command line:

slirpvde -socket /tmp/vde.ctl -L2323:10.0.2.14:23 -L2121:10.0.2.14:21

Notice I have not enabled dhcp (more on this later). Also, I’m redirecting local ports 2323 and 2121 to the VAX telnet and ftp daemons, respectively. I will set up my VAX IP address as 10.0.2.14, but that choice is up to the user.

This command line start slirpvde in foreground, so it locks the terminal session. Adding the “-daemon” switch will run it in (guess it) daemon mode.

3) Assuming you are using TCPIP Services as IP stack in the VAX, configure it with:

- Fixed IP address=10.0.2.14, netmask=255.255.255.0
- Static route = 10.0.2.2
- BIND server = 10.0.2.3

I have not been able to make it work using DHCP. You will want to redirect some host ports to log onto your VAX anyway, so I see no advantages on using DHCP. Make it static and it will work.

(The DHCP stuff will probably work if you use Multinet instead of TCPIP Services; however, I don’t have Multinet in the test setup I’m using so I haven’t tested it).

4) Enjoy your internet connected VAX:

Outgoing telnet connection:

$ telnet rsx.pdp-11.org.ru
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 178.49.9.102
%TELNET-I-SESSION, Session 01, host rsx.pdp-11.org.ru, port 23
-TELNET-I-ESCAPE, Escape character is ^]
Welcome to PDP-11.ORG.RU!


Incoming telnet connection (from the mac host):

MacJordi:bin jguillaumes$ telnet 127.0.0.1 2323
Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.


Welcome to OpenVMS (TM) VAX Operating System, Version V7.3    

Username: 


That is basically all. Of course, you will not have DECNET with this setup. You need to work at level-2 to have DECNET connectivity. 

Enjoy!