[Info-vax] VSI Community License Program - x86

[Andrew Back]

On Thursday, 6 April 2023 at 01:46:35 UTC+1, Dennis Boone wrote:
> > Going to move to Ubuntu & QEMU this weekend.
> I was not successful with QEMU yesterday. More tinkering required. 
> If you succeed, please share your recipe? 

It's working fine for me on Ubuntu 20.04. The steps were:

1. Install Linux packages

$ sudo apt -y install bridge-utils cpu-checker libvirt-clients libvirt-daemon qemu qemu-kvm

2. Create disk images

qemu-img create hd1.img 64G

qemu-img create hd2.img 64G

Or whatever size you'd  like...

3. Check KVM is operational

$ kvm-ok

4. Run Qemu

$ qemu-system-x86_64 -machine type=q35,accel=kvm -cpu host -smp 2 -m 8G -bios /usr/share/ovmf/OVMF.fd -serial pty -cdrom X86E921OE.ISO -drive file=hd1.img,index=0,media=disk,format=raw -drive file=hd2.img,index=1,media=disk,format=raw -device e1000,netdev=net0 -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::5555-:22

5. Connect a terminal for console

$ screen /dev/pts/1 115200

(you may get a different device to use output when Qemu starts)

6. Follow the steps provided by VSI

https://docs.vmssoftware.com/vsi-openvms-x86-64-v92-installation-guide/#d0e32

Obviously ignoring the stuff about other hypervisors and with Qemu connecting console as per the previous step, instead of telnet.

7. Load the OE base licence

Did this via cut and paste into the console terminal.

8. Configure TCP/IP and OpenSSH

As per VSI instructions.

9. Copy the complete license file across

I renamed the .txt file to LIC.COM and then from Linux:

$ scp -P 5555 LIC.COM system at localhost:

10. Log in via SSH

$ ssh system at localhost -p 5555

11. Install all the licences etc.

Executed LIC.COM and then amused myself by running:

$ write sys$output f$getsyi("hw_name")

Also can't believe how fast everything runs on my Thinkpad! Kind of wish I could have it the other way round and boot VMS on it, then run Linux virtual machines.

Andrew