[Info-vax] OpenVMS Hobbyist Notification

[Zane H. Healy]

jeffrey.s.katz at aya.yale.edu wrote:
> Well, I have a physical VAXstation 4000-60 that is running, solely as a
> hobbyist, and the VMS team has been very helpful in getting me through my
> PAK loads initially.  So I really hope they will issue a set of PAKs that
> don't expire if they close the hobbyist program.  Perhaps they can issue
> final PAKs keyed to a serial number or Ethernet MAC address so they can
> only be used by the hobbyist, if that is the issue?

Having a license keyed to your S/N or MAC address is a very bad idea, then
when the physical hardware dies, you're unable to run your software.  I've
been in this situation in the distant past, it's not fun.  Of course you
could spoof the MAC address if you were to move to SIMH.

Realisitically what would be best is if VSI were to support Hobbyists with
Alpha PAK's for older versions of OpenVMS, since they can also be used on
the VAX.  They wouldn't be providing "VAX" licenses, but they'd be providing
ones that would work on VAX.

Zane