Last year I was lucky to get a VaxStation 4000/60 and some BSD ran very happily on it.
But ... as it is said VMS is so much intellectually superior I wanted to taste that wonderful OS. So I decided to join a DECUS chapter. I'm in Norway, and from the main encompass page I clicked on the appropriate link with brought me to some Compaq page completely unrelated. Next I tried HP-Interex Sweden, which happens to give membership for free! so I registered and marked the option "Montagar" to get enrolled in the OpenVMS Hobbyist program. Their page told me I had to wait 5 days to get my data. After one week and not hearing back, I decided Sweden was dead, so I turned into the mother house at connect-community, where some very kind people (thank you Barbara and Jillian!) answered my questions and took care of my registration, which would take several days, they told me. Ok, there's no hurry and the fee is reasonable: $50. (some chapters, like the british one, ask for insane amounts of money).
I got a member's login but still no DECUS number but as I said I'm in no hurry and I understand that the nice folk at connect-community.org are probably volunteers.
In the meanwhile, and funny enough, the same day I got my login on connect-community.org (but not the DECUS #) I got a welcome email from Marina @HP-Interex Sweden. Heia! Sweden's alive. And that precious email has a member's number. Jepp! Champaign!
That was the 18th may (of the current year: 2009), but I decided to wait few days, because it seems me that VMS people need some time to sync their stuff and I suspected my fresh number. despite the "Montagar" registration, would need some time to cross the big ocean from the shores of Yurop to the Empire.
Today, 22/23th may, I went on Montagar to register licenses, and guess what: I was told my DECUS number isn't on record and that I must ask my chapter.
Well well well ...
Needless to say I didn't wait two weeks without doing nothing: I downloaded an OpenVMS VAX 7.3 from the wild internet and installed it on my vaxstation. I still need licenses to fully use the system.
Or maybe not, I guess craking the licensing scheme will not be so hard. And please don't lecture me about legalities, we all know legalities are local politics but computing is science.
That can be interesting:
how long time is needed to crack VMS licenses vs. how long it takes to get a DECUS membership
I suspect for some mysterious reason, VMS folk don't want others to learn their OS, so everything possible is done to avoid members.
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!
