Hey guys. My name is Chris Smith. Some of you may remember me from when I was rather active on comp.os.vms a few years ago. Well, work (which, unfortunately, still has nothing to do with VMS) got busy, I stopped reading the newsgroup so much, I let my Encompass membership lapse (perhaps a really bad idea, as it turns out), and so on...
So today I've been trying to find a way to renew my membership without paying $50 to "HP connect," and so far turning nothing up. It seems that with the connect/encompass merger, the non-voting associate membership has been tossed out the window. Though, maybe the connect web site is just poorly designed enough that I haven't found it yet. I've recently become the proud owner of a PWS XP1000 and a DS10, both of which would be quite nice running VMS 8.2, I imagine. Even bought a set of 8M Elsa Gloria Synergy video boards for them.
Have we really lost the only actual no-cost option to run VMS on our personal hardware, or am I just missing something?
Posts: 134 Location: Hopedale, MA USA Joined: 15.12.05
Posted on June 24 2008 14:24
protheus wrote:
Hey guys. My name is Chris Smith. Some of you may remember me from when I was rather active on comp.os.vms a few years ago. Well, work (which, unfortunately, still has nothing to do with VMS) got busy, I stopped reading the newsgroup so much, I let my Encompass membership lapse (perhaps a really bad idea, as it turns out), and so on...
So today I've been trying to find a way to renew my membership without paying $50 to "HP connect," and so far turning nothing up. It seems that with the connect/encompass merger, the non-voting associate membership has been tossed out the window. Though, maybe the connect web site is just poorly designed enough that I haven't found it yet. I've recently become the proud owner of a PWS XP1000 and a DS10, both of which would be quite nice running VMS 8.2, I imagine. Even bought a set of 8M Elsa Gloria Synergy video boards for them.
Have we really lost the only actual no-cost option to run VMS on our personal hardware, or am I just missing something?
Anyway, hello again.
Chris
Hi Chris,
I was an associate member of Encompass for a number of years, and didn't renew my membership, but my membership was still good for obtaining my yearly hobbyist licenses. I updated my information on the "connect" website, and it looks as if my associate membership is still good to go. I renewed my hobbyist licenses a couple of weeks ago, without issue.
It probably wouldn't hurt to contact the folks at "connect", to see if associate membership is still an option.
Hello.
My name is Valdir, from Brazil. I´m getting same problem. I really wanted to go on with VMS as hobbyist, but stopped at this point that must be a member (free member, of course). I sent an email to encompass, and no reply. Tried a deustch group, waiting for 24 h authetication reply. Also nothing.
valdirfranco wrote:
Hello.
My name is Valdir, from Brazil. I´m getting same problem. I really wanted to go on with VMS as hobbyist, but stopped at this point that must be a member (free member, of course). I sent an email to encompass, and no reply. Tried a deustch group, waiting for 24 h authetication reply. Also nothing.
Hi Valdir. As skeptical as I am, I'm trying to give the user groups the benefit of the doubt, and place the blame for the obvious absence of the associate membership option on the recent merger of the groups. I had hoped somebody on this forum might know for sure, but Stephen Hoffman was the most likely candidate in my mind, and given his reply to your post, it seems that he doesn't know.
Anyway, the best case is that it's some confusion from the restructuring of the user groups. As frustrating as it is, that means probably a month or two of time will fix the problem. Even so, I'm also looking around to see if anyone else offers similar things. To be truthful, I have an install setting there on the DS-10 waiting for licenses, and I hate to wait for them. If it was licensed, that DS10 might just replace the PC box I'm using to type this. Good luck in your own search, and I'll let you know if I find something.
Thanks, I will keep my search too. I just received a reply from encompassus (Connect) and they confirm: no free status. I must pay $50 USD to join for 18 month.
I am waiting an email from a Deutsch OVMS group, too.
The link at UK group doesnt work, I tried it.
I´ll stay tunned on this.
When Mark Gorham was asked about membership fees, he really wanted the OpenVMS Hobbyist Program to be freely available. Which is why the free "Associate" membership was created. It appears that they have changed that... I'll have to look into that.
Also, if you were an Encompass member, and your membership has lapsed, please try to register licenses anyway. The Hobbyist database is different from the Encompass/Connect DB, and I don't delete stuff. Once a hobbyist, ALWAYS a hobbyist, as far as I'm concerned.
Also, if you were an Encompass member, and your membership has lapsed, please try to register licenses anyway. The Hobbyist database is different from the Encompass/Connect DB, and I don't delete stuff. Once a hobbyist, ALWAYS a hobbyist, as far as I'm concerned.
I would have tried that, but I'm afraid I always depended on the club to keep my membership ID straight, so I have no idea what it was. On the bright side, I have found one users' group that was willing to accept me as a member, and now have a new ID, though it's not in the local chapter. I'll probably wait for a few days to try to get licenses, since I'm told that the database updates have been taking a while recently.
On this subject, Valdir, the guys I've been talking to about this don't want the fact that they're doing this advertised, since we have no idea how many people that would bring to them, and they're quite a small operation. Even so, I've spoken to them about your trouble, and they said I could send you along as well. Check your private messages; I've sent you contact information.
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!
If it was licensed, that DS10 might just replace the PC box I'm using to type this. Good luck in your own search, and I'll let you know if I find something.
