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OpenVMS Hobbyist Program | Hobbyist Licensing | VAX License PAK's
Author VAX Hobbyist Liscensing and a University Computer Science Club
CMGauger
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Posts: 2
Location: The University of Waterloo
Joined: 04.09.09
Posted on September 09 2009 17:02
Hello, I'm a noob here (to use the colloquial term), as well as a bit of a noob at VMS.

Now my question is this. I am acquiring a refurbished MicroVAX 3100-40, and I have a VMS hobbyist license. The MicroVAX is a bit large to be hanging 'round my dorm room (insert laughter here). So I'm working with my school's Computer Science Club (by the by, I'm a first year mathie at the University of Waterloo, so yes I'm in that CSC) to loan them the machine while I am a registered student there.

Now I know that I can put OpenBSD on the machine and not deal with license issues. What about VMS? The loan to the CSC would involve the VAX being connected to the CSC's private network and being accessible only to CSC members. Following that, CSC members can use the machine for whatever the hell they want (be it school work, work work, screwing around, et cetera). Now would the hobbyist license still be a valid in this case? Or would one need to pay for a non-hobbyist license?

As a corollary to that, would one be able to register the UW CSC as a valid hobbyist licensee? Or would a specific individual be required to do so? (And furthermore, if I just let them use my VMS license, is that an issue?)


Thank you all in advance for all of your helpful insight.
Author RE: VAX Hobbyist Liscensing and a University Computer Science Club
HobbyistOne
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Location: Plano, TX
Joined: 20.02.08
Posted on September 11 2009 06:20
Use the OpenVMS Educational License Program licensing. http://www.openvmsedu.com. It's free and works a lot like the OpenVMS Hobby Program, except the licensing is a little more lenient for schools.

To go a little further, it even allows your fellow students to get their own OpenVMS licenses - for instance, to have SIMH running on your laptop. You can even cluster the laptops together!

If you need any help, let me know, as I help manage that program, too.
Author RE: VAX Hobbyist Liscensing and a University Computer Science Club
CMGauger
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Location: The University of Waterloo
Joined: 04.09.09
Posted on September 12 2009 04:41
Many thanks for all your help. This website really is a treasure trove of VMS information.

HobbyistOne wrote:
Use the OpenVMS Educational License Program licensing. http://www.openvmsedu.com. It's free and works a lot like the OpenVMS Hobby Program, except the licensing is a little more lenient for schools.


This brings up my question of, because the CSC let's their members do anything (non-harmful to the software/hardware, as well as not illegal) with their machines, I'm seeing a teeny tiny conflict. (As according to the terms of the Educational Licence:
It may not be used for any commercial or business purpose, whether "for profit" or "not for profit." Any work performed or produced as a result of use of this Software cannot be performed or produced for the benefit of other parties for a fee, compensation or any other reimbursement or remuneration.
The simple solution on our end is just telling everyone to use the machines for non-commercial purposes only, but that's not going to be a "perfect" solution in any way, shape or form.

HobbyistOne wrote:
To go a little further, it even allows your fellow students to get their own OpenVMS licenses - for instance, to have SIMH running on your laptop. You can even cluster the laptops together!


Truth be told the CSC seems to be leaning a lot toward FOSS, so they'd rather run (and stay running) a variety of Linux-derivatives.

Before I tried VMS my favourite OS was OpenBSD. (Enough so that I had planned to install OBSD on the MicroVAX I'm purchasing.) Though now I find VMS more... intriguing.

But enough about that. Hopefully I can register the CSC for an educational licence. (Side note: Since the CSC is a mostly independant club on campus, could -- if the need ever arises -- the actual school acquire and educational licence as well?)

HobbyistOne wrote:
If you need any help, let me know, as I help manage that program, too.


Licencing always give me a headache so I'm pretty sure I'll need your help again.


"If you start losing data, people won't be using your operating system. Of course there are counterexamples to this..." -- Tim Brecht
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malmberg
August 04 2022
No more VAX hobbyist licenses. Community licenses for Alpha/IA64/X86_64 VMS Software Inc. Commercial VMS software licenses for VAX available from HPE.

ozboomer
July 20 2022
Just re-visiting.. No more hobbyist licenses? Is that from vmssoftware.com, no 'community' licenses?

valdirfranco
July 01 2022
No more hobbyist license...sad

mister_wavey
February 12 2022
I recall that the disks failed on the public access VMS systems that included Fafner

parwezw
January 03 2022
Anyone know what happened to FAFNER.DYNDS.ORG? I had a hobbyist account here but can longer access the site.

gtackett
October 27 2021
Make that DECdfs _2.1A_ for Vax

gtackett
October 27 2021
I'm looking for DECdfs V2.4A kit for VAX. Asking here just in case anyone is still listening.

MarkRLV
September 17 2021
At one time, didn't this web site have a job board? I would love to use my legacy skills one last time in my career.

malmberg
January 18 2021
New Hobbyist PAKs for VAX/VMS are no longer available according to reports. Only commercial licenses are reported to be for sale from HPE

dfilip
January 16 2021
Can someone please point me to hobbyist license pak? I'm looking for VAX/VMS 7.1, DECnet Phase IV, and UCX/TCPIP ... have the 7.1 media, need the license paks ... thanks!

Bart
October 16 2020
OpenVMS, and this website!

malmberg
September 05 2020
VSI community non-commercial licenses for AXP/IA64 are available now.

malmberg
September 05 2020
See the forum about licensing. Don't know if HPE hobby licenses still being issued. Commercial licenses still being sold.

silfox70
September 01 2020
I need the license for OpenVMS7.3. Where can I find them?

malmberg
August 29 2020
Eisner, which is currently being moved, got an SSH update and the keys were updated to more modern encryption standards.

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