[Info-vax] A new suggestion to handle the temporary production licences problem

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <s93oe5$m7m$1 at dont-email.me>, Dave Froble
<davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes: 

> >> My idea is the same as it's been for years.  Do away with license PAKs,
> >> allow anyone to run VMS, require support for any commercial use of VMS.
> >> This would avoid all the issues about drop dead dates.
> >
> > How would you actually check whether commercial users had support?  Big
> > commercial users?  Sure.  Commercial users with one VMS system left?
> > Probably not.
> 
> When VSI would provide media, they would specify the requirements for 
> support.  How does Red Hat do it?  Number of systems is irrelevant.  If 
> they use VSI software, then support would be required for commercial use.

So, in contrast to the old days, it would be illegal to borrow media for 
installation?  A change of paradigm.  Also, how would you enforce it.

> >  And what about other people offering support, openly or
> > not, in return for money?
> 
> Who else has the VMS source code to modify and patch?

That is not all there is to support.

> >  Could VSI prevent that?  Yes, someone who
> > needs important patches will pay for support.  But if you are relying on
> > that, then you will have unpatched VMS support in the wild at least
> > among non-commercial users (or, rather, all who don't want to pay for
> > support, whether commercial or not).
> 
> It would be good for VSI to make all patches available to anyone.  Not 
> just support customers.  If you're going to make the OS free to use, 
> then why would you not do the same with patches?  This ain't HP.

They why pay?  If someone without support (a hobbyist, say) finds a 
problem, then someone with support will request a patch, and all will 
get it.

> >  But old systems which haven't been
> > touched for years or decades probably won't be patched anyway.
> >
> 
> Nor would they be running VSI software,would they?

Not now.  But just like there are still VAX systems around, there might 
be VSI systems which are frozen after a few years.  Why continue to pay 
for support?