[Info-vax] State of the OpenVMS hobbyist program?

[Dave Froble]

On 11/20/2019 9:10 AM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> On 11/20/19 8:07 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2019-11-19, Hans Bachner <hans at bachner.priv.at> wrote:
>>>
>>> While we all are interested how the VSI hobbyist program will work (and
>>> when), this is only half the answer. I assume that there are quite a few
>>> hobbyists around who use VMS on physical and/or emulated VAXen or just
>>> enjoy running historic equipment with software from the days when this
>>> equipment was built. And the probability that VSI will (be allowed to)
>>> issue licenses for DEC/CPQ/HP(E) versions of VMS is rather low imho.
>>>
>>
>> Unless something dramatic happens, I suspect there will be no VAX
>> hobbyist
>> licence of any kind after the end of 2020, regardless of whatever
>> hobbyist
>> program VSI may eventually come up with.
>>
>> Simon.
>>
>
>
> Welcome to the same world as PDP-11 "Hobbyists".  :-)

Maybe, but, I don't think it's the same world.

I'm not aware of any LMF type of thing on PDP-11 OSs.  Does such exist?

There is plenty of VAX/VMS media available.  Not sure it's the same with 
PDP-11 OSs.

Probably the biggest problem for PDP-11 stuff is media.  At least media 
for which there still exists devices which can access such media. 
Haven't seen a 9-track tape drive for quite a long time.

Another issue would be documentation.  Back in the day it was all on paper.


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