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

[VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG]

In article <septub$cp5$1 at dont-email.me>, Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
>On 2021-08-08, VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG <VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG> wrote:
>> In article <sen4f7$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 *tool* is in the LICENSE code on VMS.  A PAKGEN license enables it.


>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.

Many third parties use PAKGEN for their licensing too.   I'd caution
against the "signing" mechanisms because third parties using OpenVMS
installation mechanisms got fucked when it was added to those tools.
Thankfully, that was corrected.
 

>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.
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