> 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 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.
> 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".
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.
They also allow people to run their software under SIMH in the HP-1000 and 2100 emulators.
> > 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 :(