[Info-vax] VSI OpenVMS Community License

[Simon Clubley]

On 2024-03-26, Chris Townley <news at cct-net.co.uk> wrote:
> On 26/03/2024 14:26, Chris Townley wrote:
>> Just received 2 mails from VSI
>> 
>> End of Alpha and I64 community licenses
>> 
>> Looks like a more restricted X86 - WE can download a pre-built and 
>> licensed VMDK with a few LP, including compilers
>> 
>> Or there is an Ambassador program
>> 
>> Not sure what to think yet...
>> 
>
> Actually I am not surprised. There have been a lot of VMS newbies 
> recently on the VSI forum, asking endless basic questions without even 
> trying to look in the manuals, and a fair number of responses from both 
> VSI and the community
>
> However it is a real shame, as such people could well move into VMS 
> jobs, and spread the word
>

Nothing that I am about to say changes the fact this is VSI's product
and it is for them to decide who can get access to it and under what
conditions. There is no legitimate justification for any thinking that
we are "somehow" entitled to get free or low-cost access to anything
that VSI produces.

Having said that, IMHO, while I can understand some of the thinking based
on what I am seeing in the forum that Chris references above, this is a
really big mistake for VSI to do this at this point, when the product set
is not yet complete for x86-64 VMS (ie: BASIC).

If they want to discontinue free access to Alpha and IA64, then it should
also have been done with some notice to any new people wanting to sign up
today (as was done by HPE with VAX/VMS) and not simply hard-reject any
newcomers as they have decided to do. On the plus side, they are implementing
a HPE-style incremental phase-out for existing community members, which
is good to see.

Based on some of the things I am reading in the forum, I can well understand
why a pre-built image is a highly desirable option for some in VSI, but it's
not clear if a traditional ISO image will continue to be offered (it appears
it _may_ not be), which would be a mistake.

This ISO would give people practice with configuring VMS from the ground up
and give them exposure to the issues involved when managing VMS in a
production environment.

It is also not clear if additional Layered Products will be available for
download and installation into this pre-built image.

One final thought: when the licence in this pre-built image expires, can
we simply download a new licence into our existing pre-built image or do
we need to download a new pre-built image every time, then need to customise
this new pre-built image from scratch once agin ?

Simon.

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