6 ms·

> The community support OpenVMS has received over the years has been instrumental in the success of the product. > As we approach the end of the HPE OpenVMS V8

> The community support OpenVMS has received over the years has been instrumental in the success of the product. > As we approach the end of the HPE OpenVMS V8.4 standard support period, HPE plans to conclude the HPE OpenVMS Hobbyist license program. Boilerplate "fuck you and your contributions". Standard HP behaviour.

close04 7y ago
> With the change in ownership of OpenVMS — HP Enterprise turned over the business to VMS Software Inc. — the hobbyist program is ending at HPE. VSI is considering one option to continue hobbyist-class licenses. It looks like HP offloaded OpenVMS and future decisions to VSI, which doesn't appear to be an HP subsidiary. Am I missing something? HPE giving out licenses for another 2 years (end of 2021) is probably what was agreed with VSI.
- sigwinch28 7y ago
  From the article: > Users who wish to avail themselves of HPE OpenVMS long term licenses are encouraged to purchase permanent licenses at standard prices. It seems like HP still have the ability to issue licenses, and from the VMS Software Inc. FAQ [0]: > VMS Software, Inc. (VSI) is the sole provider of the OpenVMS operating system and layered products. In 2014, VMS Software, Inc. licensed exclusive rights from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) to develop new versions of the operating system. Edit: after carefully re-reading, I get where you're coming from: HP sold off the exclusive rights, and the company who has the rights might not want to support hobbyists. Well, if only HP had included a stipulation that hobbyist licenses remain available in their license terms, especially since "The community support OpenVMS has received over the years has been instrumental in the success of the product". [0]: https://vmssoftware.com/about/faq/#faq1 https://vmssoftware.com/about/faq/#faq1
  - close04 7y ago
    > It seems like HP still have the ability to issue licenses I expect they may retain the ability to issue licenses but surely not in a way that undermines VSI's business model, like giving them away for free. So they probably aren't allowed to undercut VSI in any way.
- vt240 7y ago
  Unfortunately VSI will not be releasing any VAX processor support, so this will leave any hobbyists maintaining vintage systems in the lurch. From what I have seen, no one in the OpenVMS hobbyist community is really upset about this decision, except for the people maintaining VAX hardware. The expectation for those using Alpha and ia64 systems is that VSI will take up some kind of opensource developer license or hobbyist license before the current hobbyist licenses expire from HP.
  - icedchai 7y ago
    Fortunately, you can generate your own license for OpenVMS is you google around a bit for "VMS Liberation Front" ...
    - vt240 7y ago
      I am aware. But the community has always been pretty strongly adverse to that kind of activity.
sgeorge96 7y ago
Can we keep these reddit-tier comments out of HN please.
- AsyncAwait 7y ago
  Highlighting corportate spin is not invaluable.
  - jsjddbbwj 7y ago
    Quoting the original article verbatim and saying the obvious adds no value. If you don't add anything of value then your comment has no value by definition.
  - ajb 7y ago
    'In' is a wierd prefix in english: Inefficient: means not efficient Invaluable: means 'really valuable' Inflammable: means the same as 'flammable' Inland: means inside the land I think you meant 'Highlighting corporate spin is not un-valuable'
    - wyldfire 7y ago
      I always think of Dr. Nick, "Inflammable means flammable‽ What a country!" [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8mD2hsxrhQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8mD2hsxrhQ
    - AsyncAwait 7y ago
      Indeed :-), can't edit anymore, but thanks.
- fortran77 7y ago
  This. I'd give you gold if I had any money!
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
globular-toast 7y ago
Lesson: don't contribute to proprietary products unless you're being compensated for your efforts.
rbanffy 7y ago
To be fair, They transferred all rights over OpenVMS to VSI and, most likely, can't grant usage rights to anyone anymore. They also allow people to run their software under SIMH in the HP-1000 and 2100 emulators.
coribuci 7y ago
> > The community support OpenVMS has received over the years has been instrumental in the success of the product. > > As we approach the end of the HPE OpenVMS V8.4 standard support period, HPE plans to conclude the HPE OpenVMS Hobbyist license program. > Boilerplate "fuck you and your contributions". Standard HP behaviour. It is not the first time they did this. It was the same with Apollo :(

close04 7y ago

> With the change in ownership of OpenVMS — HP Enterprise turned over the business to VMS Software Inc. — the hobbyist program is ending at HPE. VSI is considering one option to continue hobbyist-class licenses. It looks like HP offloaded OpenVMS and future decisions to VSI, which doesn't appear to be an HP subsidiary. Am I missing something? HPE giving out licenses for another 2 years (end of 2021) is probably what was agreed with VSI.

sigwinch28 7y ago
From the article: > Users who wish to avail themselves of HPE OpenVMS long term licenses are encouraged to purchase permanent licenses at standard prices. It seems like HP still have the ability to issue licenses, and from the VMS Software Inc. FAQ [0]: > VMS Software, Inc. (VSI) is the sole provider of the OpenVMS operating system and layered products. In 2014, VMS Software, Inc. licensed exclusive rights from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) to develop new versions of the operating system. Edit: after carefully re-reading, I get where you're coming from: HP sold off the exclusive rights, and the company who has the rights might not want to support hobbyists. Well, if only HP had included a stipulation that hobbyist licenses remain available in their license terms, especially since "The community support OpenVMS has received over the years has been instrumental in the success of the product". [0]: https://vmssoftware.com/about/faq/#faq1 https://vmssoftware.com/about/faq/#faq1
- close04 7y ago
  > It seems like HP still have the ability to issue licenses I expect they may retain the ability to issue licenses but surely not in a way that undermines VSI's business model, like giving them away for free. So they probably aren't allowed to undercut VSI in any way.
vt240 7y ago
Unfortunately VSI will not be releasing any VAX processor support, so this will leave any hobbyists maintaining vintage systems in the lurch. From what I have seen, no one in the OpenVMS hobbyist community is really upset about this decision, except for the people maintaining VAX hardware. The expectation for those using Alpha and ia64 systems is that VSI will take up some kind of opensource developer license or hobbyist license before the current hobbyist licenses expire from HP.
- icedchai 7y ago
  Fortunately, you can generate your own license for OpenVMS is you google around a bit for "VMS Liberation Front" ...
  - vt240 7y ago
    I am aware. But the community has always been pretty strongly adverse to that kind of activity.

sgeorge96 7y ago

Can we keep these reddit-tier comments out of HN please.

AsyncAwait 7y ago
Highlighting corportate spin is not invaluable.
- jsjddbbwj 7y ago
  Quoting the original article verbatim and saying the obvious adds no value. If you don't add anything of value then your comment has no value by definition.
- ajb 7y ago
  'In' is a wierd prefix in english: Inefficient: means not efficient Invaluable: means 'really valuable' Inflammable: means the same as 'flammable' Inland: means inside the land I think you meant 'Highlighting corporate spin is not un-valuable'
  - wyldfire 7y ago
    I always think of Dr. Nick, "Inflammable means flammable‽ What a country!" [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8mD2hsxrhQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8mD2hsxrhQ
  - AsyncAwait 7y ago
    Indeed :-), can't edit anymore, but thanks.
fortran77 7y ago
This. I'd give you gold if I had any money!
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

globular-toast 7y ago

Lesson: don't contribute to proprietary products unless you're being compensated for your efforts.

rbanffy 7y ago

To be fair, They transferred all rights over OpenVMS to VSI and, most likely, can't grant usage rights to anyone anymore. They also allow people to run their software under SIMH in the HP-1000 and 2100 emulators.

coribuci 7y ago

> > The community support OpenVMS has received over the years has been instrumental in the success of the product. > > As we approach the end of the HPE OpenVMS V8.4 standard support period, HPE plans to conclude the HPE OpenVMS Hobbyist license program. > Boilerplate "fuck you and your contributions". Standard HP behaviour. It is not the first time they did this. It was the same with Apollo :(