Changing or displaying message deletion and format specifications

Use the CONTROL S command to change console specifications or to display the console specifications currently in effect. Any changes you make with the CONTROL S command do not exist when you IPL the system the next time.

The following parameters on the CONSOLE statement in the CONSOLxx parmlib member control, at IPL, the same console specifications as the CONTROL S command. The system defaults are:
CON(N)
Conversational or nonconversational mode
DEL(RD)
Message deletion mode
MFORM(M)
Format of messages
RNUM(5)
Maximum number of messages included in one message roll
RTME(2)
Number of seconds between message rolls
SEG
Number of lines in the message area that the CONTROL E,SEG command deletes.

The complete syntax for the CONTROL S command is:

 
K S[,REF                                                   ]
    |
    |[,CON={Y|N}][,SEG=nn][,DEL={Y|N|R|RD|W}]
        [,RNUM=nn][,RTME=nnn][,MFORM=(option[,option]...)]

[,L=name]
S
The current console specifications are to be temporarily altered or referenced.
CON=
Conversational message deletion is requested or canceled.
Y
Requests conversational message deletion.
N
Cancels conversational message deletion. (non-conversational message deletion is to go into effect).
Note: The CONTROL S,CON= command has no effect on extended MCS consoles or on system consoles and is not valid for managing these consoles.
REF
The current console specification values are to be displayed in the entry area in CONTROL command form.
SEG=nn
The size of the message segment is to be altered, where nn specifies the number of lines to include in the segment of messages deleted when a CONTROL E,SEG command is entered. The CONTROL S,SEG= command can accept a maximum value of 99 or the number of lines on the screen, whichever is smaller.
Note: The CONTROL S,SEG= command has no effect on extended MCS consoles or on system consoles and is not valid for managing these consoles.
DEL=
The message deletion mode is to be changed.
Y
Automatic mode of message deletion is to go into effect. That is, all flagged messages are removed from the screen whenever the screen becomes full.
N
Automatic mode of message deletion is canceled. Messages must be removed manually.
R
Roll mode is to go into effect. That is, a specified number of messages (determined by RNUM) roll off the screen each specified interval (determined by RTME).
RD
Roll-deletable mode of message deletion is to go into effect. That is, messages roll off as with roll mode, except that the action messages accumulate at the top of the screen.
W
Wrap mode is to go into effect. When the screen is full, the next message overlays the message at the top of the screen and subsequent messages continue overlaying older messages down the screen. The separator line, with the same highlighting attribute as the warning line, moves with the new messages and includes the count of the undisplayed messages. WTORs and action messages are also overlaid.
Note: The CONTROL S,DEL= command has no effect on extended MCS consoles or on system consoles and is not valid for managing these consoles.
RNUM=nn
The number of lines in the message roll. The CONTROL S,RNUM=nn command can accept a value of nn from 1 to 99 (decimal) or the number of lines on the screen, whichever is smaller, as the number of lines in the message area.
Note: The CONTROL S,RNUM=nn command has no effect on extended MCS consoles or on system consoles and is not valid for managing these consoles.
RTME=nnn
The time interval in seconds between message rolls. The nnn value can be any decimal number from 1 to 999, 1/2, or 1/4. This time interval sets the MCS, Start of changeHMCSEnd of change and SMCS screen refresh rate. Messages will be displayed each nnn seconds in R, RD, and W modes.
Note:
  1. The value for 3290 consoles should be 1 or higher.
  2. The CONTROL S,RTME=nnn command has no effect on, and is not valid for managing, extended MCS consoles or system consoles.
MFORM=(option[,option]...)
The format of messages sent to a console is to be changed. You can control whether the text of each message (including those from JES2 and JES3) is accompanied by:
  • a time stamp
  • the name of the system that issues the message
  • the jobname or job id of the issuer of the message
The format of a message that includes all MFORM options is: 
Time stamp  System name  Jobname/id  Message text
You can enter more than one of the options. If you do, place parentheses around the list of options and separate them with commas. The system displays the information that accompanies the message text in the order described, regardless of the order of the options you specify on the MFORM operand. option can be any of the following:
T
Requests that each message appear with a time stamp.
S
Requests that each message appear with the name of the system that sent the message.
J
Requests that each message appear with the job name or job ID associated with this message.
Note: This value is initially the job name or ID of the issuer of the message, but either the issuer or subsystem code can change the value. For example, messages that JES issues often change the initial value from the JES name/id to that of the job the message is describing.
M
Requests that the text of each message appear without a time stamp, the job name/job ID of its issuer, or the name of the system that sent the message. The text of the message is displayed whether or not you use this operand. At IPL, if the MFORM operand in the CONSOLxx parmlib member is not coded, the system displays the message text without time stamp, system name, or job name/ job id.
Note: M is the default MFORM option for extended MCS consoles. To change the default value for the extended MCS consoles use the RACF® command, ALTUSER userid OPERPARM(MFORM(T,S,J,M,X)). See z/OS Security Server RACF Command Language Reference for more information. The default for MCS, Start of changeHMCSEnd of change and SMCS consoles can be changed with the CONTROL command.
X
Requests not to prefix messages flagged as exempt from sysname and jobname formatting with a sysname and jobname field when the S and/or J operands are specified. X does not affect the T operand.
L= name
The console this command is to affect. Before using the L operand, realize:
  • You can specify this operand to change the specifications of another console only from a console with at least CONS command group authority.
  • For name, you can specify the name of a full-capability console only from a console with master authority.
  • For name, You cannot specify the name of a status display console.
  • If you specify the name of a message stream console, you cannot specify DEL=Y or DEL=N, CON=N; if the name is for a non-display console, you cannot specify any operand other than MFORM.

Example 1:

To set SEG equal to 10 lines, enter: 
K S,SEG=10

Example 2:

To cancel roll mode on console CON4, enter: 
CONTROL S,DEL=N,L=CON4
In this case, you must delete messages manually.

Example 3:

To determine the current value of SEG, enter: 
K S,REF  or  K S

Example 4:

To place a console in wrap mode, enter: 
K S,DEL=W

Example 5:

To display all messages on the full-capability console named CON5 with time stamps and the job names/job IDs of their issuers, enter the following command from the console with master authority: 
K S,MFORM=(M,T,J),L=CON5
Note:
  1. The system displays the time stamps and the job names/job IDs in the order described earlier.
  2. Whether or not you specify the option M, the system displays the text of the message.
Parent topic: CONTROL command