[Info-vax] OpenVMS app development, kitting (was: Re: Making Open Source Tools Work for VMS)

[David Goodwin]

On Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 8:19:21 PM UTC+13, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote:
> On 11/22/2021 1:36 PM, Stephen Hoffman wrote: 
>
> No surprise. People who use VMS like VMS. People who use VMS don't
> like some open-source code, and don't like Richard
> if-your-code-is-not-open-source-then-that-is-a-crime-against-humanity M.
> Stallman and his ilk driving the community. (Yes, Stallman---who by all
> accounts seems to be a rather creepy guy---really said that, insulting
> millions of victims of real crimes against humanity.)

It has been some years since RMS had any real influence. Most open-source 
software is unaffiliated with the Free Software Foundation or the GNU project. 
Quite a lot these days is built by companies like Intel, IBM, Apple, Microsoft and
Google.

>
> > BTW: OpenVMS customers REJECTED an offer to open-source OpenVMS. Yes. 
> > Really. Outright rejected that. Put slightly differently, some of the 
> > open-source preferences around here can be... unexpected. Even among 
> > folks that have worked with OpenVMS for decades.
> No surprise. People who use VMS like VMS. People who use VMS don't 
> like some open-source code, and don't like Richard 
> if-your-code-is-not-open-source-then-that-is-a-crime-against-humanity M. 
> Stallman and his ilk driving the community. (Yes, Stallman---who by all 
> accounts seems to be a rather creepy guy---really said that, insulting 
> millions of victims of real crimes against humanity.) 
> 
> Has VMS been handled badly by its owners, including DEC? Sure. Should 
> the solution be open source? Probably not. The world is not black and 
> white, though it seems that more and more people try to see it that way, 
> e.g. either one supports Trump or one is woke. Whatever happened to 
> old-fashioned common sense?

If it had been open sourced then VAX hobbyists wouldn't be loosing access
to OpenVMS at the end of this year. Same goes for people with older Alpha
hardware.

I think the main thing open-sourcing it would have achieved is securing *a* 
future for it. It would have guaranteed access indefinitely to anyone with an 
interest in running it.

Now is there is no guarantee VMS will be available long term - its continued
availability depends on it being profitable. If VSI is not replacing every customer 
that leaves then eventually everyone who is not the original owner of a permanent 
license will find themselves in the same situation as VAX hobbyists.