[Info-vax] openvms licensing

[johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk]

On Friday, 19 February 2016 04:10:05 UTC, li... at openmailbox.org  wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:58:37 -0600
> Kevin Monceaux via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
> 
> > On Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 04:37:39PM +0100, hb via Info-vax wrote:
> >  
> > > For (simh) hobbyists it seems to be more convenient (should I say
> > > simpler?) if there would be an option to have the file with paks, the
> > > command procedure, shipped in a container file aka Logical Disk File.
> > 
> > Much easier.  It's also easy enough to create a "container" file with them
> > in it.  A CDROM ISO image file can work wonders.  The last time I received
> > new license files I stuck them in a directory, created an ISO image 
> 
> The commands for this step were not shown here. Non-trivial for the "I
> can't copy/paste" crowd.
> 
> > of the
> > files in that directory, added an entry like:
> > 
> >     attach -r rq3 /home/dokpm0/OpenVMS/Licenses.iso
> > 
> > to my SIMH VAX config file.  RQ3 was previously set as a CDROM drive with:
> > 
> >     set rq3 cdrom
> > 
> > Then after booting OpenVMS in SIMH I mounted the CDROM, copied the license
> > files to my hard drive, then used:
> > 
> >     set file/attr=rfm:stmlf Hobbyist-USE-ONLY-VA.com
> > 
> >     set file/attr=rfm:stmlf TCPWare.com
> > 
> > to compensate for them being files copied from a Linux system.  Then:
> > 
> >     @Hobbyist-USE-ONLY-VA.com
> > 
> >     @TCPWare.com
> > 
> > was all that was needed to load the licenses.  It was the first time I
> > tried that technique, and it was much easier than the way I used to do
> > it.  
> 
> How is that even possible? Did you use to type them in manually? ;-)
> 
> > 
> > 
> 
> My procedure is basically 3 steps.
> 
> 1. view the pak in my email client or text editor on the host, hit ctrl-a to
> select all, ctrl-c to copy it
> 
> 2. edit newlic.com or similar on the VMS machine, ctrl-v to paste the data,
> ctrl-z to save. 
> 
> 3. @newlic
> 
> Try as I might I just cannot see how expecting somebody who can't even
> copy/paste to go through the gyrations to create and use a container file is
> even a discussion. Actually I can't even see the usefulness of doing that
> at all given regardless of whether you can or not when copy/paste is so
> much simpler, faster, and direct.

And for the few who for whatever reason can't manage copy+paste, the
two core PAKs can be done the tried tested proven and documented way
that people used to use in the era of video terminals - use
VMSLICENSE.COM and enter the small amount of critical data **by hand**
from the supplied PAKs, no high technology involved.

But we haven't even reached that stage yet :(

Incidentally, as many of you will already know but a few may not,
the oldVMS approach of hand entering some meaningless data (and
some meaningful tracking info) is somewhat similar to the "modern"
approach used on a Window box - by hand, enter a "product key"
consisting of a couple of dozen meaningless characters. 

Except in the Window box version, the characters are printed
in 2point font on a Certificate of Authenticity which came with
the software or system in question. Get a single character wrong
(e.g. by mixing zero and oh), re-enter the lot. And there's
no concept of "tracking info" so you can see what keys are active
where, without physically looking at the label/certificate(s)
which are supposed to be stuck on the relevant box (thereby
destroying the concept of user-specific licencing or floating
licencing).

Some people should be careful what they wish for or they just might
end up using what many other folk already have to put up with, which
may or may not be an improvement.

I wonder what state FlexLM is in these days. 

Have a lot of fun.