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

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 11/20/19 6:07 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 11/20/2019 5:04 PM, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote:
>> In article <qr3dqa$j3k$1 at dont-email.me>, Simon Clubley
>> <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
>>
>>> 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.
>>
>> Perhaps, but what good reason is there not to have one?
> 
> It is not a question of to have one, or not.  It is a question of who 
> will provide such.

After 2020 it wold have to be VSI as there will be nobody else in
the VMS business.

> 
> VSI as far as I know has nothing to do with VAX.  They are not in any 
> position to do anything with a VAX hobbyist program.  They most likely 
> are prohibited to do so, and, why should they?  

I would need to hear that from VSI before I would accept it as a fact.
I can think of no reason why having anything to do with the VAX would
have been prohibited.

>                                                Why would they want to 
> do so?

Why are there computer museums popping up all over the place running
real hardware rather than just having pictures or non-functional static
displays?  Why are there still VAX VMS Hobbyists?

> 
>>  Those people
>> running VAXes in production have commercial licenses, which don't
>> expire.  No-one will say "how, I can get a hobbyist license, I'll set up
>> my new commercial application on a VAX and save on license costs, even
>> though it is against the rules".  If anything, people running VAXen in
>> production will be paying for support, not for licenses, but will that
>> be available from any of the (current or former) owners of (some aspects
>> of) VMS?
>>
> 
> Not from HPe.  Not from VSI.
> 

I agree with this statement.  There is no VAX support offered now and
hasn't been for quite some time as far as I know.  We are  not talking
about offering support, only making it possible for people who have an
interest in archaic hardware and software to continue.

bill