[Info-vax] Some questions on software for VMS 7.3 VAX (Stephen Hoffman)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2016-01-10 21:02:40 +0000, box said:

> I was actually wondering about that recently too, not only with ADA but 
> with the more ancient VAX Lisp distro, which I believe went by the 
> wayside back around 1990 from what I've been able to dig up?

VAX went by the wayside in ~1992, with the availability of Alpha.

There were very few enhancements to OpenVMS VAX after V6.0.

DEC started pushing folks from OpenVMS over to Microsoft Windows 
starting in ~1995.   Not that more than a few weren't already heading 
to Unix, too.

The old products that were deprecated were effectively tossed out.  
That's rather the point of deprecating old software, after all.

If you need any of this and it's not on the recent consolidated 
distributions, then — the more obscure — the more effort.  You're going 
to need to scrounge older kits.

Would some folks be all smiles and joy if there was a big old 
repository of vintage software kits around?   Sure.   But that's 
entirely up to the legal folks at HPE and VSI.

More recently, HPE is getting entirely out of the OpenVMS business.  
This is the last year for new patches for the last supported OpenVMS 
Alpha release.  With the exception of OpenVMS I64 V8.4 and then 
whatever VSI has available, everything that HPE has that's related to 
VAX, Alpha and Itanium ends in ~three years.

In general, OpenVMS VAX — compared to what's expected and normal now — 
was rather a pain in the rump to deal with.  Even back then.

Integrity boxes are available, with rather more current products.   
There's an rx3600 for ~US$250 on eBay, and an rx2660 for ~US$450.

There can be some very good deals, if you watch for them.   Alpha and 
VAX hardware is much more expensive — if it's still working.

There are CD distribution kits available, too:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIGITAL-DEC-OPENVMS-VAX-SOFTWARE-MAY-1991-/200933817590
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIGITAL-DEC-OPENVMS-VAX-SOFTWARE-SEPTEMBER-1992-/151063764952 


If you're into retro-computing — which is most anything that's 
involving VAX — then it's going to involve some effort, and there will 
be hassles.  Missing firmware kits, missing distros, flaky (old) 
hardware, etc.    Much like adventure tourism, software tourism often 
involves hauling your own supplies.

In any case, welcome to OpenVMS.


-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC