[Info-vax] OpenVMS I64 V8.1 "Evaluation Release"?

[johnhreinhardt at yahoo.com]

On Mar 18, 8:32 pm, MG <marcog... at SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:
> Today I saw this on eBay: <http://www.ebay.com/itm/130666773030>
>
>         "HP DEC OpenVMS 8.1 Itanium IA64
>
>         offering a set of OpenVMS 8.1 installation media. Includes the
>         following cds/dvds:
>
>         HP OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 Evaluation Release Version 8.1
>         Operating System
>         HP OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 Evaluation Release Version 8.1
>         Layered Products
>         HP OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 Evaluation Release Version 8.1
>         Documentation
>
>         this is a private sale without any warranty"
>
> Can someone confirm its authenticity?  ("HP DEC" puts me slightly
> off, although it could merely be for increasing the visibility of
> this item and better search results.)  As this wasn't an official
> release.  At least, I can't find any references to a V8.1, only
> V8.2.
>
> I wonder if this is a direct off-shoot of the version that was
> ported to the first[1] HP i2000[2] Itanium ("Merced") workstation?
> If so, that begs the question: Would this run off an i2000?  That
> would make it a rather versatile VMS Hobbyist system.
>
> [1]
> <http://web.archive.org/web/20030418131308/http://www.openvms.org/stor...>
>
> [2] <http://www.openpa.net/systems/hp_i2000.html>
>
>   - MG

There was no 8.0 for IA64. V8.1 was in reality the beta test (or maybe
"alpha" - no pun intended!).  I believe it was seeded to developers
upon request for testing and an attempt to  get application porting
started so there would be something available on release of the
production version.  If you check Hoff's site I'm pretty sure I
remember information about it.  The i2000 workstation is not supported
by any production version of IA64 OpenVMS, but, again, I seem to
remember info on Hoff's site that it was supported for the V8.1 pre-
release.  I could be imagining things.

Found some info here doing a search for "i2000" : http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/9
Search for i2000 on the page.

Found nothing on Hoff's site searching for "V8.1"  There is an article
in V6 of the OpenVMS Technical Journal about the early versions of 8.x
for IA64 in which the i2000 is mentioned as an early boot system so
there is some hope.  As Hoff often says, you may just have to try it
and see if it works.

  John H. Reinhardt