[Info-vax] Open Source on OpenVMS - A Progress Report

[BillPedersen]

On Oct 6, 9:36 am, Steven Schweda <sms.antin... at gmail.com> wrote:
> BillPedersen wrote:
> > In the last few weeks I have been discussing the needs and
> > requirements to revitalize the Open Source on OpenVMS Community.
> > [...]
>
>    I have a simple question.  Which "Open Source" are you
> talking about?  All things GNU, or actual open source
> software, or what?  For example, the source code for programs
> like MMK and VMSTAR would seem to me to be openly published,
> but neither program has any obvious connection with GNU, or
> GNV, or GN<anything>.
>
>    Certainly, HP could do more to support portability of GNU
> software to VMS.  Adding support for, say, shmget() and
> friends, and UNIX sockets, and so on, to the C RTL would be
> helpful for stuff like BOINC and GnuPG (if you want all the
> features to work).
>
>    But, in any case, it might be nice to know what we're
> discussing here, before we get too far into the discussion.

There has never been any discussion of including or excluding any
"type" of Open Source.  Yes, some of the effort is oriented toward GNV
and therefore GNU applications and utilities.  But then there is the
entire additional spectrum of Open Source, some of which has
originated on OpenVMS, much of it from Unix/Linux and even the
personal computer environment.

In my discussions with folks I have seen no reason to delineate the
type and no one has brought that up, whether it be folks in the HP
OpenVMS Team or others actively involved in porting all sorts of Open
Source software to OpenVMS.

Personally I would like to see participation by everyone who has an
application or package or utility that they like or use on OpenVMS
that originated from Open Source and make sure it is listed and
available to others.  Information being the key here - make sure we
know about all applications.

We also need to make sure we document best practices in porting of
applications to facilitate quick ports.

Thanks for your comments and input.

Bill.