28 Nov
2025
28 Nov
'25
3:20 p.m.
On 29/11/2025 09:49, Doug McIntyre via cctalk wrote:
On Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 07:26:38AM +1100, Doug Jackson
via cctalk wrote:
I'm not so sure VSI holds the copyright - I think that's still with HPE.
VSI just has the right to develop new releases and issue licenses for
those alone. Last I heard they're not allowed to issue licenses for any
releases produced by DEC/Compaq/HP which is why they're not selling VAX
licenses - they'd have to produce a new VSI-branded OpenVMS VAX release
in order to do that and it likely isn't worth the effort.
As for the VSI Community Edition - that effectively doesn't exist now.
All they're doing is what used to be called the Student Kit - a Virtual
Machine with some preinstalled licenses and software which expires one
year after it was issued. You don't get to choose what to install, or
install anything extra. No updates, no separate license you can apply to
your existing VM to keep it going, just start over from scratch every year.
And even HP is a farce of a company now - a sad
sad shell compared to what
they were.
Who actually owns the software? Have we considered going to them and
asking? It worked for CP/M - which is now unencumbered.
It is owned by VMS Software Inc (VSI). (https://vmssoftware.com/)
It is highly unlikely that they will be willing to free old VAX versions of the VMS
software.
They apparently are doing well enough to be a viable company supporting existing VMS
installations.
They still even have Itanic & Alpha licenses available.
As well as Community Edition licenses, although those are only available on x86 now.