[Info-vax] DECnet for Solaris

[Richard B. Gilbert]

On 10/14/2011 6:19 PM, glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> Richard B. Gilbert<rgilbert88 at comcast.net>  wrote:
>
> (snip)
>> Sharing software with others can have legal consequences!  Expensive
>> ones.  Someday you might be required to provide "proof of license" for
>> your software.
>
>> It cost time and money to write that software and the author(s) feel
>> that they are entitled to be paid for their efforts.  If you are caught
>> using copyrighted software without a license, you can find yourself a
>> party to an expensive legal action for which you may be required to pay!
>> Not to mention the damages that might be awarded.
>
> Solaris has been free, in some sense, for some years now.
>
> I don't remember if at some point you needed a free license.
> One I remember, you could download CDs, but were required to
> put the appropriate label on them.  I had a laser printer but
> no CD label stock...
>
> Some versions were free for research and development use, but
> at the time that was all we did.  As far as I know, you can
> still download ISO files, make your own install disks, and
> install it.
>
> Now, it could be that DECnet was charged for, even when the
> base system was not.
>
>
> -- glen

I believe that DEC/Compaq/H-P now owns the rights to DECnet.  The last 
time I heard, DECnet required a license that the user must pay for.  In 
many cases, purchase of a new computer system included the cost of 
software licenses.