[Info-vax] vax vms licenses

[Simon Clubley]

On 2022-04-19, chris <chris-nospam at tridac.net> wrote:
>
> Not familiar with later versions, but at least with 5.4 vax, it's
> possible to install vms and have indefinate access with the root
> account (sorry, was it operator ?) with no licence input at all.
> Istr, it nags you, but doesn't stop anything happening.
>

Ignoring the legal issues, you can work from OPA0: in this way, but
you have no networking and no access to any DEC layered products,
including the compilers, as they also require licences to be installed.

> I was given a VSII/GPX by a company I worked for, 1990, and never got
> round to transferring the licence, though it was only powered
> up from time to time and never used for anything serious, just
> out of interest.
>
> Even Oracle have quite generous licensing terms, where any of
> the software downloaded from their website is free to use
> for non commercial purposes. Very wide range as well. Don't
> understand why vms should still use the archaic lmf style
> licensing, but I guess they think there is a good reason...
>

It's part of the historical DEC mindset unfortunately that may have
been perfectly acceptable at one time but which has not adapted to
today's world.

Don't forget that VSI has now become the company that has imposed
time-limited _production_ licences on its customers and they expect
the customers to just accept this.

IOW, with these time-limited production licences, if VSI goes bust,
then those licences will eventually stop working and hence so will
the customer systems those licences are installed on.

Simon.

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