[geeks] UK DECUS / OpenVMS licensing

[Jonathan Patschke]

On Mon, 30 May 2011, Mark Benson wrote:

> I would like to get OpenVMS legitimately if possible, and I know it can
> be obtained using a Hobbyist license, the problem is that you need to be
> a member of a local chapter of the DECUS User Group and I have no idea
> how to contact the UK DECUS or obtain membership credentials.

If you're willing to jump through a few hoops, it doesn't cost anything.

   1) Get an HP Passport ID and an AllianceONE (formerly DSPP) membership
      here: http://h21007.www2.hp.com/portal/site/dspp
   2) Register for HP Connect with your DSPP/AllianceOne membership
      credentials here:
      https://connect-community.site-ym.com/general/register_member_type.asp
   3) Use your HP Connect membership number to generate VMS license scripts
      here: http://www.openvmshobbyist.com/licenses.php

Warning: HP will send plenty of advertising to your e-mail address, as
well as your postal address, but occasionally they send you interesting
technical documentation or offers for discounted conference registrations.
Even if they didn't occasionally send nifty stuff, it's a very fair trade
for getting to play with VMS.

This doesn't get you VMS media, though--just a noncommercial RTU.  If you
know people with ISOs of VMS, there you go--you have a license to use it.
In case you want media kits, they're available for $30 US here:
   http://www.montagar.com/hobbyist/mount.html

Your licenses will have a 1-year expiration, which VMS will cheerfully
enforce, so set a reminder to refresh your licenses next year.  Loading
them the first time is difficult, since you have to carefully paste them
piecemeal into your terminal window to avoid overrunning VMS's outdated
input buffers.  Subsequent times, though, you'll have the IP stack
functional, so you can FTP the licenses onto the system and run the file
like any other DCL script.

-- 
Jonathan Patschke |
Elgin, TX         | "He who is contented is rich." -- Lao Tzu
USA               |