[Info-vax] Any stronger versions of the LMF planned ?, was: Re: LMF Licence Generator Code

[Simon Clubley]

On 2021-08-08, VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG <VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG> wrote:
> In article <sen4f7$sfu$1 at dont-email.me>, Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
>>On 2021-08-07, Bob Eager <news0009 at eager.cx> wrote:
>>>
>>> I always thought that the primary purpose of LMF was a 'light touch' way 
>>> of making sure that compaies kept up with their licensing, even if the 
>>> company was a bit disorganised.
>>>
>>
>>There is a major change between then and now.
>>
>>Back in those days hardware cost a _lot_ of money. If you had enough
>>money to buy the hardware, you also had enough money to buy the
>>software.
>>
>>These days hardware is cheap compared to the cost of the software.
>>There is a much stronger motivation for some people to try and
>>break the licencing so they can run the expensive software on
>>cheap hardware.
>>
>>The old LMF is no longer suitable for purpose in this new world
>>with its different dynamics and I would be absolutely amazed
>>if VSI were not looking at making the licencing software much
>>stronger as a result.
>
> HOW is it no longer suitable?  More WEENDOZE-like licensing?  There
> have been publications of a Micro$oft checksum sieve too.  Is theirs
> unsuitable as well?
>

A third party has created a tool that can generate valid functioning
licences as required without having needed to steal any private
signing keys (for example) from VSI or HPE.

That should tell you all you need to know about whether using the
LMF as it stands is still a viable option in today's world of low-cost
hardware and high-cost VMS software.

I'll now make another prediction related to VMS hobbyist licences:

Sometime around the end of the year or shortly afterwards, the
discussion about VAX hobbyist licences will start again as the
last valid hobbyist licences for the VAX architecture expire and
hobbyist VAX systems stop working.

Someone will ask if they can get hold of new VAX licences and
someone else will suggest that this pakgen tool can be used to
generate a set of new hobbyist licences. :-(

Someone may even post instructions to use this tool or even post
a set of VAX licences to comp.os.vms or elsewhere. If that happens
all hell will break loose and may even result in the cancellation
of the VSI hobbyist program.

Just remember this before you do that: VSI are under no obligation
to offer a hobbyist program. By helping to create VAX licences in
this way, you may end up destroying the future x86-64 hobbyist program.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.