I’m going to re-mention Hercules sort of. There is a turn key download search “tk4-” that gives you a working MVS3.8j environment on Windows, Linux and MAC OS. Yes you will need to find a 3270 emulator. Tom Brennan has a good one with an evaluation if you’re on Windows. Linux has x3270. Dunno about MAC OS. There is also KICKS for TSO available. TK4- gives you an 80’s COBOL compiler, HLASM, PL/1, JES2, RAKF, and other assorted goodies.
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MicroFocus COBOL is a very close match to IBM’s COBOL. You can freely download to your PC. It’s file access closely matches the IBM mainframe, but it accesses files on your PC. It’s data base activity closely matches IBM mainframe but it accesses files on your PC - either MySQL or ACCESS. You can compile and run your programs, but you will not get the experience on execution JCL. The output of the compiler and the perameters of the linker are very close to the IBM mainframe. But, of course your not accessing mainframe run libraries, you will be accessing/using the link outptus from your MF COBOL compile.
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I’m really enjoying reading the posts on this topic. I learned a lot. Thank you very much, dear friends. My native language is Brazilian Portuguese. I can communicate well in English.
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FWIW, I worked for CA technologies until 2018 (for nearly 24 years, counting my time at Platinum technology, which was acquired in 1999). Right after I retired, about this time of year 2 years ago, CA was acquired by Broadcom. The mainframe software area (that was CA) is apparently really thriving under Broadcom, so there’s that. As to that product in particular, I don’t know its status (hey, I’m retired), but I’m sure you could find out on their web site… Good luck…
Looks like this is quite an old post, but just for clarification… Heirloom recompiles mainframe workloads so they execute on the JVM. It has a complete IDE (a set of Eclipse plugins) for developing in COBOL/CICS, JCL etc. It does produce Java code (at the intermediate stage of compilation), but what language you choose is entirely up to you. I’ll submit a separate post for the courseware for anyone who is interested in exploring.
Does Hercules have a DOS (Line mode) like interface that I worked with in college (1985), or something opensource that simulates ISPF. Or is there some sort of workaround to simulate a card reader? There must be a green screen to reply to operator commands. I was reading on the Hercules website to build your own mainframe - build your own s/360. I’m interested in transmitting an unreadable pds on the web (cbt tape files) to mainframe through trsmain to be able to read them. I’m willing to build a Hercules environment if this is possible (incur some decent expense and hard work). I’ve worked on the mainframe since 1988. Have been exposed to sysadm automation, MQ (junior administrator and ran system utuiities and created some), DB2 (zparms, catalog), OPS/MVS (less CA, just enough to call REXX), SMF, MICS, MXG. Most of my career was a COBOL/ASM developer. I realize these are mostly vendors (or ridiculously expensive IBM add-ons), but I think I can get through the console commands to IPL and bring up the environment. My goal is the pds and small COBOL/ASM development and JCL.