Fundamentals 240129-1633

VSC1
Installing and Configuring Visual Studio Code
• VSC1 - GET YOURSELF CONNECTED
• 1 LOAD UP ON DOWNLOADS
• 2 INSTALL NODE.JS
• 3 INSTALL AND RUN VS CODE
• 4 INSTALL Z OPEN EDITOR
• 5 CHECK OUT ZOWE
• 6 CREATE YOUR PROFILE
• 7 LOGGING IN!
• 8 SETTING YOUR FILTER
• 9 FIXING CONNECTION ISSUES
• 10 STYLING AND PROFILING
• 11 NAVIGATE TO VSCJCL
• 12 SUBMIT VALIDATION JOB

IBM Z Xplore
VSC1 - GET YOURSELF CONNECTED
The Challenge

We’ll be connecting through Zowe Explorer plugin for VS Code. To get there, you’ll need your very own
userid and password, plus a few pieces of supporting software. Fortunately, it’s all very simple and
shouldn’t take much time at all. You can also use these instructions to help you get connected again if
you have to switch computers or start all over again for any reason.

Before You Begin

Since this is the first technical challenge, all you need is about 45 minutes to get everything
downloaded, installed, and ready to go

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Investment

Steps Duration

12 45 minutes

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1 LOAD UP ON DOWNLOADS
Download VS Code and other required software packages.

For all downloads, you will probably be automatically directed to the correct version that you should
get.

NODE

https://nodejs.org/en/

For Node.js, select the LTS (Long Term Support) version, as it is more likely to remain stable and
consistent throughout the time you’re working on the challenges in IBM Z XPlore.

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Note that the available versions change over time - pick the most recent LTS version available to you
when installing

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 JAVA

You will also need to have a Java enviornment available - most operating systems have a version of
java installed which you can test by opening a command terminal (CMD or PowerShell on Windows,
Terminal on Mac and linux) and entering java; if the response is something similar to “command not
found”, then you will need to install a java “runtime”.

IBM provides a free Java runtime at https://developer.ibm.com/languages/java/semeru-runtimes/

downloads/ – as with Node.js, look for the LTS version.

Other Java options are available - Installing the IBM Z Open Editor VS Code extension

VSCODE

https://code.visualstudio.com/download

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IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [4/25]
2 INSTALL NODE.JS

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Node.js is a flexible code framework for javascript, used on many popular websites and apps. Zowe
Explorer uses it to represent Z resources in a series of menus.

Run the Node.js installer you just downloaded. This will install not only Node.js, but npm, the Node
Package Manager, which will be needed for some later steps.

If you get a message about being unable to validate the software, right-click on the installer and
select Open. This will let you proceed once you verify that it’s ok.

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3 INSTALL AND RUN VS CODE

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• Windows: Run the VS Code installer
• Mac: Copy VS Code application into the Applications folder
• Linux: Install the rpm/deb file
• Everybody: Start VS Code
• Optional: Make a shortcut to VS Code in your dock, taskbar, or menu so you don’t have to search
too far for it next time.

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 WHY DO I NEED TO SET UP THIS SOFTWARE?

Some people connect to Z systems to write applications. Other people connect to do support and
upgrades. Since there are so many different roles in Z, we have many different methods of
connecting and storing data. Most recently, Z professionals have started using VS Code, an
extensible editor, which supports a wide range of plugins, as a way of providing this access.

We will start out just using Zowe, but soon we will begin using the Terminal, then even later on,
the DB2 Developer plugin. Being able to focus on just the type of access you need, keeps things
fast and lightweight, plus you can use many of the features built right into VS Code without
needing to go off and memorize a new set of commands and shortcuts for every different area of the
platform.

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IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [7/25]
4 INSTALL Z OPEN EDITOR

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Click on the Extensions launcher in the Activity Bar (looks like a set of four boxes, highlighted on
the left in the screenshot above) and search for “IBM Z Open Editor”.

If you click on the picture beside “IBM Z Open Editor”, you will see the details of the package that
will be installed:

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Next, click on the blue `Install`` button for it to install the the Editor, and included with it, the
ZOWE Extension. The installation is handled entirely within VSCode.

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This may take a few minutes depending on the speed of your computer and internet connection.

When the process has completed, the “Install” button will disappear, leaving the option to Disable or
Uninstall .

You’ll notice a new icon at the bottom of the side bar on the left in VSCode.

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IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [10/25]
5 CHECK OUT ZOWE
The IBM Z Open Editor is useful for editing files specific to the IBM Z platform, and it uses the Zowe
Explorer extension to handle its connections to the IBM Z system.

The new icon you see in your sidebar is how you get to the Zowe Explorer.

Get familiar with that icon, you’ll be seeing a lot of it throughout these challenges.

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IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [11/25]
6 CREATE YOUR PROFILE

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Click on the Zowe icon to launch the Zowe Explorer view.

As you can see, there is an editor area to your right, and three sections on the left. You will explore
those more later.

Next, click the (+) Plus sign next to DATA SETS at the top of the ZOWE navigation area.

The info you need for setting up the profile for connection to the mainframe server is detailed in the
next step.

NOTE - VSCode prompt windows disappear if you switch between applications.

This may be annoying if you are trying to copy/paste information from one window (a web browser) into
it. You may want to line up your windows side-by-side, rather than switching between them.

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7 LOGGING IN!

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Select the + Create a Team Configuration file from the options provided (there may only be one).

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You will be prompted to choose either Global or Project for the location of the config file - select
Global:

You will now see an edit session open on a file call zowe.config.json - you will make a few changes to
this file, and then save to activate the Team Configuration.

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At the top of the file you will see a section named “zosmf”, and below it, another named “tso” - these
need modified to enable connection to the IBM Z XPlore mainframe server.

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In the zosmf section, set the value of the port property to 10443.

In the tso section, set the value of the account property to “FB3”

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Now scroll down to near the bottom of the file - you should see the following “base” section:

There are two changes needed here:

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The IBM Z XPlore server is available at the IP address 204.90.115.200. The server supports secured
connection via SSL/TLS certificates, but the certificate is self-signed (issued by the system itself)
and will normally be rejected by Zowe; set the rejectUnauthorized flag to false to allow the secure

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connection to be established.

Once the edits are complete, make sure to Save the file.

Go to the VSCode menu, select File, and then Save.

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 Mac Users

the “secure” sub-section indicates that “user” (mainframe Z-userid) and “password” will stored
securely. On a MacOS system the first time VSCode saves userids or passwords, you will probably see
a popup like this :

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The password requested is your MacOS user password, not the mainframe password.

Be sure to click the Always Allow button, rather than the Allow button.

(You may need to repeat this a couple of times)

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8 SETTING YOUR FILTER

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Mouse-over the new connection you just created under DATA SETS and click the magnifying glass next to
it.

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In the window that pops up, type in your Z-userid - a “Z” followed by 5 digits.

This will set the filter to your user datasets, which is a good way to check connectivity and access.

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Press the Enter key.

This search may take a couple of seconds before returning a result.

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Remember: Your Zuserid is not z99999 or Zxxxxx. Those are just examples used for screenshots. Get used
to typing your own ID, you’ll be using it a lot throughout these challenges.

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NOTE: the first time you use this filter, you may only see one entry in your DATA SETS view - a dataset
with the same name as your Z-userid; this is NOT a dataset you can view/edit – if you try to open it,
you will receive a 500 error message, like the one above.

If that happens, just close the error notification, and carry on with the challenge.

As of December 2023, you will probably have a README dataset - you open this with the editor.

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9 FIXING CONNECTION ISSUES

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If you get an error about invalid credentials, REST API Error, or see a red circle next to your profile
name, it is possible that you typed in your username or password wrong.

Simply right-click on the profile you created (zxplore, for example) and select “Update Profile”. This
will let you re-enter all of your connection information, step by step.

If you want to start all over again, simply right-click on it and select “Delete Profile”.

Because of the asynchronous nature of the plugin, sometimes it’s good to quit VS Code before updating,
or after deleting a profile, as you may see an error message that is not accurate.

When in doubt, restart VS Code. This clears up a lot of problems.

Note: if at any time your team configuration becomes corrupted (“messed up”), you can restore a basic
working copy from the sample team configuration

IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [21/25]

10 STYLING AND PROFILING

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Click the + next to Unix System Services (USS) and select the connection profile you created in Step 7.
Repeat the step for JOBS down at the bottom section.

When done, you should have connection profiles for all three main areas of the Zowe Explorer plugin.

Now that you’re in, feel free to explore a little and see what you just unlocked.

IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [22/25]

11 NAVIGATE TO VSCJCL

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The Data Sets section lists all of the data sets and members which are available under your filter.
Edit the filter to include ZXP.

Remember, you will not see Z99994, you will see your own userid which you specified in Step 9.

Find the data set labeled ZXP.PUBLIC.JCL and open up the twistie (triangle) next to it.

Within there, look for a member called VSCJCL

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12 SUBMIT VALIDATION JOB

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Once you find VSCJCL, right-click on it, and select “Submit Job”. After a few moments, when you go back
to https://ibmzxplore.influitive.com , you should see that the VSC1 challenge has been marked
COMPLETE!

If not, make sure to click the button at the end of the instructions:

Congratulations on making this big first step. It’s time to celebrate, and by celebrate, we mean move
on to the next challenge.

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 Nice job - let’s recap Next up …

You got connected to a real live Z system with

your very own userid and password, then set your It’s one thing to follow steps, it’s another to
Zowe data set filter, navigated through the data understand. In the next two challenges, we’ll get
sets to find a specific member, and then submitted to the bottom of exactly what these data sets and
some JCL. members are, plus dive a bit deeper into JCL.

As you might imagine, there’s a bigger story about You’re making great progress, let’s keep it all
what’s actually going on here. For now, just feel going.
proud of a job well done.

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IBM Z Xplore Copyright IBM 2021-2023 [25/25]