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> 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 consider

> 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.

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.