Updates to the Community Program
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:02 am
https://vmssoftware.com/about/news/2024 ... se-update/
Big news about the hobbyist license program
Big news about the hobbyist license program
The official board to discuss OpenVMS-related topics
https://forum.vmssoftware.com/
Absolutely.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.
Go here: OpenVMS Licenses
Community users will still have license to compilers and some layered products. Portal access will be cut off for the community users.pocketprobe wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:21 pmI'm interpreting this as no licensing for additional layered products, updates, and eventual service portal lockout. Is this interpretation correct?
Having a configured and tuned open-source development environment for your purposes takes a while, and between OS revs backup/restore will not be possible of the system disk.kerky wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:01 amFor a legit hobbyist usage, having to re-install and eventually backup/restore, or have two installations and move the licenses shouldn't be much of an issue.
If you have a serious problem with that you're probably running production-like or persistent workloads or doing some sort of development for profit on your hobbyist system, which is sort of no-no under the community / hobbyist license agreement. I understand how nice and tempting this might be, but that's not and never was the purpose of the hobbyist licensing program, even when it was back in the hands of HP.
As far as that NO NEW community licenses will be accepted for Alpha and Integrity, it does make sense as well. Anyone with a legitimate interest in running a hobbyist installation on these OLD and DISCONTINUED for quite long hardware could have applied for a community license by now. Also, I can understand that VMSSoftware would like to focus their resources on a platform that is current and is going to be around for a long time like X86. Continuing to provide support for Alpha and Integrity has a cost to them, and they need to focus resources on what they will be able to sell for profit.
That makes you the first.
Some CL users have a lot of stuff from two decades of hobbyist work.kerky wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:01 amFor a legit hobbyist usage, having to re-install and eventually backup/restore, or have two installations and move the licenses shouldn't be much of an issue.
If you have a serious problem with that you're probably running production-like or persistent workloads or doing some sort of development for profit on your hobbyist system, which is sort of no-no under the community / hobbyist license agreement.
And?kerky wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:01 amAs far as that NO NEW community licenses will be accepted for Alpha and Integrity, it does make sense as well. Anyone with a legitimate interest in running a hobbyist installation on these OLD and DISCONTINUED for quite long hardware could have applied for a community license by now.
As far as I know then VSI is fully supporting VMS Alpha and VMS Itanium.kerky wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:01 amAlso, I can understand that VMSSoftware would like to focus their resources on a platform that is current and is going to be around for a long time like X86. Continuing to provide support for Alpha and Integrity has a cost to them, and they need to focus resources on what they will be able to sell for profit.
So basically be ancient and not a newcomer to the world of OpenVMS. It does not help matters that if you want to get a GUI running on VMS for x86-64, well, you can't. Literally, CDE just does not load. Ever. And apparently there are no plans to fix it.reinhardtjh wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:14 amGo here: OpenVMS Licenses
Scroll down to the "Ambassador license" and click the "this form" link there.
Yeah. I want to apply for an Ambassador's license but the "Why should we accept you as an OpenVMS Ambassador?" question is intimidating and I've used VMS since V2.2 (or thereabouts). The problem is my last professional association ended in Dec 2002 and since then I've been pure hobbyist.daemonspudguy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 6:46 pmSo basically be ancient and not a newcomer to the world of OpenVMS.reinhardtjh wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:14 amGo here: OpenVMS Licenses
Scroll down to the "Ambassador license" and click the "this form" link there.
I'm willing to go a little further. I think this will be the death of the OpenVMS Hobbyist scene. VSI is shooting themselves in the foot by changing the way the CLP works this drastically.thunderbird32 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:58 amWhat 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.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.