[Info-vax] DECnet for Solaris

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2011-10-15 21.28, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
> 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.

Eh? DECnet is not a product. DECnet consists of the protocol 
specifications, which are free (if you google around, you'll even find 
them available online).

You then have implementations, which are products that are sold. 
DEC/Compaq/HP have a DECnet product for VMS. But they never had anything 
to do with DECnet for Solaris, nor Symbolics, or any of the other DECnet 
implementations from other vendors.
As such, it is totally pointless to even contact HP about DECnet for 
Solaris. You need to figure out who did that implementation, and talk to 
that company.

There is/were even a DECnet for Linux, which is free.

(DEC did other DECnet implementations as well, in the past, such as 
DECnet-11M, DECnet/E, DECnet-10, DECnet-20, DECnet-8, DECnet-RT11, 
Pathworks for DOS, Pathworks for Windows, DECnet for Ultrix and DECnet 
for OSF/1. I'm sure there are products I forgot.)

	Johnny