RE: Greenscreen URL Link using ACS -- MIDRANGE-L

Hi Patrik,

Strpco is a OS400 command not a pc/windows command.

I did do a quick search and there were some hits relating to using this on
linux but I did not have tome to investigate thoroughly so I do not know
if it is possible to use or not.

So from ChastGPT ...

IBMi provides a command strpco which subsequently enables a command to be
initiated from the greenscreen environment to run a command on the pc that
is accessing the green screen using strpccmd. Can this be used on linux ?
does this require ACS or Client Access to be installed on the PC ? What
job is started when the strpco command is run ? How does the strpccmd talk
to the pc operating system to run the requested command ?
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT

The STRPCO (Start PC Organizer) and STRPCCMD (Start PC Command) commands
in IBM i are designed to allow interaction between the IBM i green screen
environment and a PC running IBM i Access Client solutions, like IBM
Access Client Solutions (ACS) or older tools like IBM iSeries Access or
Client Access. Here's how they work and the answers to your questions:
1. Can STRPCO/STRPCCMD be used on Linux?

Yes, STRPCCMD can be used on a Linux system, but it requires IBM i Access
Client Solutions (ACS) or a similar client installed and configured on the
Linux machine.

ACS is a Java-based solution that works across platforms (Windows, macOS,
Linux). STRPCCMD works by sending commands to the PC through the client
software, so without ACS or equivalent client software, it cannot
function.
2. Does STRPCCMD require ACS or Client Access to be installed on the PC?

Yes, ACS or Client Access (or similar IBM i client software) must be
installed and running on the PC. These clients provide the environment
needed to interpret and execute the commands sent from the IBM i system.
3. What job is started when STRPCO is run?

When you run STRPCO on the IBM i system:

It starts the PC Organizer session on the interactive job associated with
your green screen session.
This session prepares the environment for subsequent STRPCCMD commands.

The job associated with STRPCO is your interactive job. No separate server
job is started for STRPCO itself; it runs as part of your green screen
session.
4. How does STRPCCMD talk to the PC operating system?

When STRPCCMD is executed:

The IBM i system sends the command and its parameters to the client
software running on the PC (such as ACS or Client Access).
The client software receives the command through the 5250 emulation
session or related communication protocol.
The client software then forwards the command to the PC's operating system
for execution. On Linux, it might involve running the command through a
shell like Bash.

The IBM i system itself does not directly interact with the PC's operating
system. Instead, it relies on the client software to act as an
intermediary.
Additional Considerations:

Security: STRPCCMD can pose a security risk since it allows remote
execution of PC commands. Its use should be carefully controlled.
Environment Setup: Ensure that ACS is properly configured to receive and
execute STRPCCMD commands on Linux. This might involve setting up the
correct environment variables and shell paths.
Alternatives: Modern ACS setups might use SSH or other methods for command
execution on the PC, which can offer more secure and flexible
alternatives.

Â

Don Brown

Senior Consultant
Â
[1]OneTeam IT Pty Ltd
P: 1300 088 400

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Monday January 6, 2025.
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-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Patrik Schindler
Sent: Thursday, 2 January 2025 3:48 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Greenscreen URL Link using ACS

Hello Don,

Am 01.01.2025 um 02:40 schrieb Don Brown via MIDRANGE-L
<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> I could do it with a button but would require changing the users initial
> logon program to run strpco
>
> Then I could use strpccmd 'start [1][2]http://url...'
>
> I just remember that strpco was not always the best but that was many
> years ago,

Well, strpco might be specific to Client Access running on Windows? This
is all far from my experiences, because I try to stay away from Windows as
good as I can. Also, I can't normally use iACS, because it doesn't support
connecting to V4. Hence I use Mocha tn5250 and that one definitely doesn't
support all the additional features the IBM stuff does.

:wq! PoC

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