[Info-vax] VAX VMS going forward

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 7/17/2020 7:42 AM, Alice Wyan wrote:
> If I understand the situation correctly, HPE is completely dropping
> support for VAX VMS, but the rights haven't been transferred to VSI.
> This means starting next year VMS on the VAX is essentially
> abandoned.

VMS VAX became EOL years ago.

Only recent event is that HPE dropped VMS hobbyist program and that
the VSI replacement will not include VMS VAX because VSI can only issue
licenses for VSI VMS and they will not release VSI VMS for VAX.

> If HPE is no longer going to be making money out of it, what would be
> stopping them from selling it/give the rights away to, say, a
> hobbyist collective that could be set up to preserve this system? I
> guess there'd be quite a legal mess of rights behind the old code,
> but... would it be a doable thing? What sort of money could we be
> talking about to get this sort of transfer done?

Possible? Yes.

Likely? No.

The relevant point is not that "it will not cost HPE much"
but "it will not gain HPE much".

Why would they want to do it??

Arne