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

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <qr3fcn$t7m$1 at dont-email.me>, Simon Clubley
<clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes: 

> > What is the probability that, as mentioned in the first conference call, 
> > VSI will have a hobbyist programme similar to that of HP at the time?  
> > When can we expect it to be set up?
> >
> > At the same conference call, it was said that Alpha and x86 would be 
> > supported in the same cluster, at least for migration, so presumably 
> > there will be Alpha and x86 hobbyist licenses, or one which works for 
> > both, though perhaps only for some VSI version of Alpha VMS.
> 
> You are coming across as having a bit of an entitlement complex Phillip.

No, not at all; I'm merely recalling what was promised.

> You can't assume that whatever hobbyist licence VSI may come up with will
> allow full access to the range of VMS capbilities. Didn't someone say that
> the current VSI student kit doesn't have clustering support ?

Back then, "similar to what is currently available" was what was said.

> You also can't even assume that VSI will finally decide to create a VSI
> hobbyist licence. There is absolutely no obligation on them to do so.

I never said that there was, merely that VSI people said during the 
conference call that there would be.

> I personally think VSI not creating a hobbyist program will be very
> short term thinking on the part of VSI which will damage them, but that's
> for VSI to decide. I just wish VSI would make up their minds quickly
> so we know whether it's worthwhile to continue maintaining a VMS hobbyist
> setup at home.

Agreed.  MANY hobbyists would probably BUY x86 hardware if they could 
run VMS on it.

> VSI will also need to be convinced that any hobbyist program will be used
> within the constraints that VSI state, so anyone suggesting ideas to
> work around the end of the existing hobbyist licences from HPE are just
> damaging the prospect of any future hobbyist program from VSI.

Indeed.

> To rephrase that: you are _not_ entitled to a free or low cost hobbyist
> licence and if such licences are issued, any organisation issuing them
> needs to be convinced they are going to be used within the constraints
> the organisation have laid out. I think it's in the best interests of
> VSI for them to maintain an active hobbyist program, but that's for VSI
> to decide.

Agreed.