Procedure to Submit IBM-Written Software or Documents to the VM Download Library

Note: these instructions do not apply to employees of wholly- or partially-owned IBM subsidiaries, such as ISSC or Advantis. Employees of those organizations should use the submission process for non-IBMers.

The first few steps of the submission process are the same for all IBM employees. The latter steps vary according to how you want your posting to appear and whether you have the privileges (SFS authorities on our server, namely) to post your submission yourself. Read carefully and follow the instructions that apply to your situation.

We might make revisions to this procedure, especially early on as we are working out the kinks in it. Please check this page right before you submit to make sure you are following the current instructions.

Instructions for All IBM Employees

  1. Read the submission agreement for IBM-written content. By making a submission you are stating that you agree to the terms therein.

  2. Make sure that your Content conforms to the copyright guidelines contained in the submission agreement. Include copyright statements as called for by the submission agreement. Remove IBM security classification legends, including IBM Internal Use Only legends.

  3. Gather up the supporting materials called for by the submission agreement (notes from other authors, etc.). Put them in a CMS file whose filename is the name of your package and whose filetype is IAGREE. Be sure to state in your file the category under which you are making your submission. For your convenience, there is a skeleton IAGREE file available for your use.

  4. Draw up a one line abstract of your package -- just a single line of text. Put your abstract in a file whose filename is the name of your package and whose filetype is ABSTRACT.

  5. Write a more complete description for your package. Your description should be written using simple HTML markup. Please follow the instructions for writing such descriptions. Save your description in a file whose filename is the name of your package and whose filetype is DESCRIPT.

  6. If your submission includes files intended for consumption on CMS, build a single VMARC archive file containing those files. This is the VMARC archive file that others will download when they retrieve the CMS component of your submission from our server. (If you do not have VMARC, you can get it from our download page.) Make the filename of your VMARC archive the name of your package. The filetype of your VMARC archive should be VMARC.

  7. If your submission includes files intended for consumption on a PC, build a single ZIP archive file containing those files. This is the ZIP archive file that others will download when they retrieve the PC component of your submission from our server. Upload the ZIP file in binary to your CMS system. Make the filename of your ZIP archive the name of your package. The filetype of your ZIP archive should be ZIP.

  8. If your submission includes files intended for consumption on a UNIX system, build a single TAR archive file containing those files. This is the TAR archive file that others will download when they retrieve the UNIX component of your submission from our server. Upload the TAR file in binary to your CMS system. Make the filename of your TAR archive the name of your package. The filetype of your TAR archive should be TAR.

At this point you should have:

  • An IAGREE file,
  • A one-line ABSTRACT file,
  • A DESCRIPT file,
  • Perhaps a VMARC file, if your content is targeted to CMS,
  • Perhaps a ZIP file, if your content is targeted to a PC,
  • Perhaps a TAR file, if your content is targeted to Unix.

Then What?

What you do next depends on what you are submitting, where you want it posted, and your SFS authorities on our server. Follow these guidelines to determine where and how to post your submission.

The basic themes of these guidelines are:

  • If you want the simple approach, or if you have no write authority to our site, then you can post on our packages page with a single CMS SENDFILE command from your VM userid.

  • If you have write authority to a page on our server, you are permitted to post your submission there, but you'll be asked to:

    1. Make sure that the page on which you make your posting links the download license agreement and the download instructions, and

    2. Send us the information we need so that our packages page can point to your download correctly.

    These guidelines help us keep order on this site, but their most important purpose by far is to help others find your submission.

How to Send Us Your Submission

Let's take the simple choice first. If all you want to do is send us your submission so that we will post it for you, follow these easy steps:

  1. Using VMARC, make an archive file that contains all of these things:

    1. Your IAGREE file.
    2. Your ABSTRACT file.
    3. Your DESCRIPT file.
    4. Your VMARC file, if you have one.
    5. Your ZIP file, if you have one.
    6. Your TAR file, if you have one.

    Give this file a filename matching the name of your package and a filetype of DOWNLOAD.

  2. Using CMS SENDFILE, send your DOWNLOAD file from your VM userid to SUBMIT at GDLVMWEB.

Your act of sending your DOWNLOAD file constitutes submission and indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of the submission agreement for IBM employees.

Your package will be placed on our packages page with other submissions.

How to Post Your Submission Yourself

OK, so you have write authority to some page on our site -- your own developer page, for example -- and you want to post your download right there. That's fine. Just follow these guidelines so that we know you made a posting and so that others can find your jewel more easily.

  1. Post your archive files (VMARC, ZIP, TAR) on the pages which are to contain them. Use the <a> tag to make your archive files downloadable. Our packages page has some examples of this.

  2. If the page does not already have one, you must install a link to the license agreement and remind your visitors to read it before downloading. Follow the example set on Brian Wade's page.

  3. If the page does not already have one, please install a link to the download page and remind your visitors that it contains both download instructions and the VMARC utility. Follow the example set on Brian Wade's page.

  4. If a VMARC archive is part of your package, make a one-line file whose filename is the name of your package and whose filetype is LINK. Put in the file the absolute pathname we should use on the packages page to point to your VMARC file. For example, your file might contain the single line /devpages/bkw/stuff.vmarc.

  5. If a ZIP archive is part of your package, make a one-line file whose filename is the name of your package and whose filetype is LINKZIP. Put in the file the absolute pathname we should use on the packages page to point to your ZIP file. For example, your file might contain the single line /devpages/bkw/stuff.zip.

  6. If a TAR archive is part of your package, make a one-line file whose filename is the name of your package and whose filetype is LINKTAR. Put in the file the absolute pathname we should use on the packages page to point to your TAR file. For example, your file might contain the single line /devpages/bkw/stuff.tar.

  7. Using VMARC, make an archive file that contains these things:

    1. Your IAGREE file.
    2. Your ABSTRACT file.
    3. Your DESCRIPT file.
    4. Your LINK file, if you have one.
    5. Your LINKZIP file, if you have one.
    6. Your LINKTAR file, if you have one.

    Give this file a filename matching the name of your package and a filetype of DOWNLOAD.

  8. Using CMS SENDFILE, send your DOWNLOAD file from your VM userid to SUBMIT at GDLVMWEB.

Your action of making your package available for download constitutes submission and indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of the submission agreement for IBM employees.

How Do I Refresh My Package?

Resubmit it, using whatever submission procedure you used previously.

How Do I Remove My Package?

Make a file whose filename matches the name of your package and whose filetype is CHANGE. In this file, put one line containing: 

REMOVE

Send the file to SUBMIT at GDLVMWEB. We will remove your package and notify you when the removal is complete.

How Do I Change the Owner of My Package?

Make a file whose filename matches the name of your package and whose filetype is CHANGE. In this file, put one line containing: 

NEWOWNER newuserid newnode

where "newuserid" is the userid of the new owner and "newnode" is the node of the new owner. Send the file to SUBMIT at GDLVMWEB. We will change the owner of the package and notify you when the change is complete.