[Info-vax] Creating an open source version of VMS, was: Re: OpenVMS Hobbyist Notification

[Dave Froble]

On 3/10/2020 9:57 AM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> On 3/10/20 9:21 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2020-03-09, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
>> <helbig at asclothestro.multivax.de> wrote:
>>> In article <r4606o$gjl$4 at dont-email.me>, Dave Froble
>>> <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
>>>>
>>>> Define "commercial" ....
>>>
>>> In this sense, "to make money; for profit".  But that isn't the only
>>> restriction in the hobbyist license; it also has to be "personal use".
>>>
>>
>> Something that did occur to me:
>>
>> I wonder, if someone tried to create an open source version of VMS
>> from public documentation only, if VSI would somehow try to suppress
>> development of it.
>>
>> There are a number of possibilities here, if you focus on application
>> level source code compatibility and break compatibility at a lower level
>> instead, in which you could produce something which runs a good number of
>> existing applications but which has a _much_ cleaner and more functional
>> operating system underneath.
>>
>> Think about how Linux is much more functional and cleaner underneath
>> when compared to the original versions of Unix, yet can still compile and
>> run earlier Unix application level source code.
>>
>> I wonder if VSI would actively try to suppress development of such an
>> alternative version of VMS.
>
> It was tried more than a decade ago.  How far it got and how
> successful it was should be obvious by this point.  I have
> often thought about a clones for the PDP-11 OSes which are
> much simpler and have never gotten anywhere on that either.
>
> bill
>

First you'd need a design, then it's simply a matter of coding.

Maybe I don't have the "right attitude".  At this point in my life I can 
use VMS for "real work" and WEENDOZE for email and browsing.  I don't 
have the drive for more.  Aviation is much more fun.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
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