[Info-vax] VAX VMS going forward

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <9513122f-5615-4d7c-b9aa-f97699920cfdo at googlegroups.com>,
Alice Wyan <finitud at gmail.comwrites: 

> 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. 

Right.  I can understand VSI having little interest in it; it surely 
couldn't be justified financially.

> 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? 

Nothing, except that they figure that it is not worth their time.

> I guess there'd be quite a legal mess of rights behind the old code,
> but... 

I'm sure that they have a lot of experience with that, and the situation 
wouldn't be that much different than Alpha or Itanium.

> would it be a doable thing? 

Certainly.

> What sort of money could we be talking about to get this sort of
> transfer done? 

No idea.  Of course, money talks, bullshit walks.  I'm sure that they 
would consider an offer which worked out to a good hourly wage for all 
involved.  I have no idea how high such an offer must be.

Legally, there is no concept of "abandonware".  Even if no-one is making 
money from it, no-one cares about it, etc., that doesn't give anyone any 
extra rights.  A more viable solution might be to buy, for whatever 
price you agree on, non-hobbyist licenses (which won't expire).  There 
used to be a transfer fee of $300.  I don't know who handles that now.
But if you buy such a license and send a registered letter to HPE asking 
how to pay the transfer fee, then I doubt that you would have any 
problems if they don't answer.