Updates to the Community Program

[imiller]

https://vmssoftware.com/about/news/2024 ... se-update/
Big news about the hobbyist license program

[thunderbird32]

This decision is necessary to ensure a vibrant VMS Software OpenVMS community thrives and adapts to new technologies. Continuation of free licensing for old architectures does not incentivize community members to adapt to OpenVMS x86-64, virtualization, and future technology developments.

What also does not incentivize me to adopt OpenVMS x86-64 is changing the community license in such a drastic way. If the goal is to get me to learn and evangelize OpenVMS, putting a bad taste in my mouth by taking away the Alpha licensing sure isn't the way to go about getting me to do so. I understand what they're going for, but I don't think it will help with their goal.

[babydr]

Now that there is no further need to install all the NEW OS & Software and all licenses have been applied .

I see this becoming a method of distribution . Not a very efficient method for us users but would be rather easy for VSI .

That said , How would I (or WE) when redistribution time arrives , Recreate / Restore / ??? all our changes into the new system & confguration structure(s) .

Backup ? , I see lots of fun there ... NOT
differences files , Why did we move to VMS anyway ?-(
seperate disks , With the changed System Configuration files . Looks almost like backup again ...

Again , How ?
Tia , JimL

[soutbarr]

I have many thoughts on this.

First the community license is a flat install .iso every year? No upgrading previous systems?

Immediate draw backs that I can see
1) I would have to re-install every open-source program I have installed.
2) I would have to back up all of my data.
3) I would have to restore all of the backed up data.
4) I would have to re-create every non-default account that I created.

I am wanting to take courses for OpenVMS as it is very alien to Linux and Windows.

In order of how I want to take them IF people managing course sales ever get back to me.

1) OpenVMS Fundamentals - Starting Point
2) OpenVMS System Management I: Essentials - Learn basics of system management
3) OpenVMS System Management II: Installation/Configuration/Customization - Install OpenVMS as I want it
4) DCL Command Procedures: Design and Implementation - Get my DCL abilities to full capacity
5) Managing Complex OpenVMS Systems - Pre-requisite for other things
6) TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS - It's important to software development
7) OpenVMS Programming Features - Polish my basic programming in OpenVMS
8) Internals I - Start understanding lower levels of openvms programming
9) Internals II - Increase system programming internals knowledge
10) Internals III - Finish off what is offered in learning the internals.
11) OpenVMS System Performance Management - Optimize OpenVMS with code

I definitely don't qualify for the Ambassador program as I'm too new to getting into OpenVMS, I wanted to delve deep into it as it was the first operating system I ever touched as a kid.

This of course won't stop me. I have spent $1,200.00 a year on a Visual Studio Professional license every year for over a decade for purely personal use. I have dozen's of licenses for every possible version of Windows operating systems since WIndows XP both consumer and Server.

I will be pissed about it for a long time, but if you say it. I'll just buy the commercial license.

Added in 4 minutes 43 seconds:
That is of course assuming the price to buy a commercial license for non-commercial use is only a couple thousand dollars. If it's tens of thousands I'll be priced out.

[joukj]

What does this mean for the short term? The X86 license will not work from next week on and we'll have to wait till the pre-installed disk is ready. Do we have to apply again. I did not get any mail (also not iy spam-boxes) about this change.

[m_detommaso]

https://vmssoftware.com/about/news/2024 ... se-update/

...
"Effective immediately, we will discontinue offering new community licenses for non-commercial use for Alpha and Integrity. Existing holders of community licenses for these architectures will get updates for those licenses and retain their access to the Service Portal until March 2025 for Alpha and December 2025 for Integrity. All outstanding requests for Alpha and Integrity community licenses will be declined."
...

...
"For x86 community licenses, we will be transitioning to a package-based distribution model (which will also replace the student license that used to be distributed as a FreeAXP emulator package). A vmdk of a system disk with OpenVMS V9.2-2 and compilers installed and licensed will be provided, along with instructions to create a virtual machine and the SYSTEM password. The license installed on that system will be valid for one year, at which point we will provide a new package. While this may entail some inconvenience for users, it enables us to continue offering licenses at no cost, ensuring accessibility without compromising our sustainability."
...

...
"We are also launching the OpenVMS Ambassador program. As an OpenVMS Ambassador, you can get a custom OpenVMS license for Alpha, Integrity or x86 free of charge. The purpose of the VMS Software Ambassador Program is to enable collaboration between VMS Software and independent community members who wish to participate in the development of the OpenVMS ecosystem and bring value to VMS Software and are qualified to do so on the grounds of having extensive knowledge of and experience with OpenVMS and its layered products and/or knowledge of the OpenVMS market."
...

https://vmssoftware.com/products/licenses/


/Maurizio

[craigberry]

How would I (or WE) when redistribution time arrives , Recreate / Restore / ??? all our changes into the new system & confguration structure(s) .

I guess one could consider going the other direction. There are unlikely to be major technical obstacles using LICENSE MOVE or LICENSE ISSUE to getting the licenses from the vmdk system onto an existing system. Whether that's considered kosher is a different question; I don't see anything in the license agreement that expressly forbids it, but IANAL.

The problem with this approach is that you'll always be running stale software with no way to patch or update it. It's probably only useful in the unlikely case when the only thing interesting on a new vmdk is the new license.

So yes, it may be necessary to move accounts, queues, configurations, etc., from an old system disk to a new one. It's certainly possible to do this but it's not going to be easy for a VMS newbie, so the folks who purportedly benefit from this distribution mechanism are going to have a pretty tough time when the second vmdk distribution becomes available, at leat if they've done anything interesting with their systems that they want to carry forward.

[pocketprobe]

I'm interpreting this as no licensing for additional layered products, updates, and eventual service portal lockout. Is this interpretation correct?

[motk]

I'm interpreting this as no licensing for additional layered products, updates, and eventual service portal lockout. Is this interpretation correct?

Yep.

[gdwnldsksc]

This is a real shot across the bow and negates a few decent arguments I had made about the x86_64 transition, such as that it's being tested by more people than ever in more imaginative ways than ever before, etc... by greatly reducing the scope of, and the users of, such interesting configurations.

A low blow to actual community members, many of which are active here and have reported some very interesting things, for sure, and a huge disincentive. No way to entice people to get interested in it without having to explain a laundry list of limitations.

I've gotten bug reports for some strange cases from some strange areas and some strange users for open-source stuff i've released

I wonder how much feedback they've gotten so far about this....