[Info-vax] An alternative history of computing

[chris]

On 07/23/21 18:02, Robert A. Brooks wrote:
> On 7/23/2021 12:36 PM, chris wrote:
>
>> Full decnet was an expensive layered product, from memory, though
>> a subset and run time libraries did come with vms.
>
> I'm not sure what you mean by "run time libraries"; there is
> no run-time-only DECnet option for either Phase IV or Phase V.
>
> DECnet Phase IV was pretty simple -- you had either a routing license
> or an end node license. The X.25 stuff (VAX PSI) was separate, but
> that's not DECnet per se. The NAS morass was simply a license bundling
> mechanism with
> other stuff, but did not alter the DECnet functionality.
>
> DECnet Phase V (known first as DECnet/OSI and now known as DECnet-Plus)
> has more moving parts (the optional OSAK, FTAM, VT -- none of which
> require an extra license), and its licensing also essentially follows
> the routing/end-node paradigm. The X.25 stuff is again separately licensed.
>

So you are just confirming what I said then, that full decnet was an
expensive layered product ?. Thanks for the clarification though.

Most people expect networking to be part of the base os these days, as
machines are generally useless without it...