In <[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] writes:

> - Have you ever downloaded an MPE/iX patch from the HP Electronic
> Support Center?

Yes.

> - Do you currently download patches?

Not lately, but might again.

> - Do you tend to use AUTOPAT or Patch/iX (or either) on the downloaded
> patches?

Have used autopat up to this point.

> - Do you have access to MPE/iX patches some other way that (I think) is
> no longer supported (e-mail,
> direct dial-in, etc.)?

No.

> In case you're wondering what this is for, we are in the process of
> improving the MPE individual patch download side of the HP ESC site.

The two problems I hit were:

 1) Some patches listed multiple dependent patches. In at least one (important
     to me) case, one of the dependent patches was not on the patch server.
     Also, the dependent patch had been superceded anyway, and the original
     patch description referred to a patch that no longer existed.
 2) Though I consider myself quite adept with downloading files (and even with
    the variations of mover) I was never able to download a patch via a web
    client and get it to upload successfully. I ended up creating a job stream
    that just ftp'd the file(s). This worked very well, and I wonder why HP
    doesn't consider including a simple command file with every system that
    asks for a patch-id and if you have an Internet connection, ftp's the
    requested patch(es) for you. Maybe even a job stream to ftp-retrieve the
    list of current patches from the patch server that sites could stream on
    a regular basis, then browse the list when convenient searching for
    applicable patches.

I also worked with the original team developing the downloadable patches re:
e-mailing patches to MPE users. While it was do-able, it wasn't very friendly.
(Each patch was sent as multiple messages, with a script/wrapper you had to
run after manually cutting all the uuencoded text out of the multiple messages
). Since most mailers nowadays handle MIME or uuencoded files directly, it
might be a nice option to allow the emailing of a patch(es) as a single
binary file attached to an e-mail... at least for sites that know they can
handle them. uuencode/mime-encode a mover truck or 'store-to-disc' file of
the patch and e-mail it as a single message. I know of a few HP3000 sites that
could easily handle them... ;-)

    -Chris (remove nospam) Bartram