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

[Arne Vajhøj]

Steven Schweda wrote:
> ja wrote:
>> One thing I have read frequently in this discussion and elsewhere is
>> that "...HP should this..." and "...HP should that..." in the open
>> source software world. It is just as well that few people in the, say,
>> Linux, world do not sit around and wait for "someone" to do something.
> 
>    Gee.  Let me think about that for a millisecond.  It might
> be in part because in the GNU/Linux world, say, they have, for
> the past decade or two, had all the stuff which whiners like
> me complain about being missing from the VMS C RTL.  It might
> also be in part because in the GNU/Linux world, say, it's
> possible to contribute code and get it adopted, as opposed to
> creating one's one code which might someday be supplanted by
> an incompatible implementation which is incorporated into VMS.
> It might be in part because in the GNU/Linux world, say, one
> wouldn't need to worry about a situation like the one where
> the C++ standard library IOStreams facility is available on
> Alpha only with code compiled with /FLOAT=G_FLOAT, while on
> IA64 it's available only with code compiled with /FLOAT=IEEE.
> 
>    When the code in question is under the exclusive control of
> the OS vendor, then it may be difficult for anyone else to
> make significant changes to it.

It might.

But I am rather sure that the main reason is that there are
way to few people that are willing to spend time on it.

You are one of the relative few exceptions.

My guess is that it is mostly due to demographics. Most VMS'ers
have demanding jobs, families, houses, dogs, mortgages etc. that
take their time. It requires extraordinary commitment to prioritize
open source work.

I am a bit curious to see what will happen when they start to retire
from the job market and kids have their college degrees and are starting
their own families. Maybe VMS open source work will catch up then. It
could be considered more interesting than bridge, bowling and golf!

Arne