[geeks] UK DECUS / OpenVMS licensing

[Jonathan Groll]

On Tue, 31 May 2011 00:22:16 +0100, Mark Benson <md.benson at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 30 May 2011, at 21:39, Jonathan Patschke wrote:
> 
> > 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.
> 
> Thanks :)
> 
> >  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
> 
> I got tripped up here. I don't know where my membership number is on Connect
> (it's a hellish pseudo-social-network abortion).

Having tried (and given up as I had some media) to go through the same
exercise if I recall correctly there was some wait involved before you
got your number.

Out of curiosity what drives you to know more about VMS? 

In my case it was from the 'security' benefit - as this Defcon 9 post
showed:
http://wiz.openvms.org/pages.php?page=DefCon9

'Near the end of the third day, it was printed in the periodically
updated intranet scoreboard, that "the green team's vax is running vms
and seems to be unhackable" (not exact quote but real close). After
this showed up, the machine was pretty much ignored. Strangely, they
kept calling the Alpha a VAX, but it is understandable. Next time we'l
get a big sign that says "Alpha" and put it on our machine, or maybe
we'll bring a vaxcluster. ' 

Of course, one has only to do a bit more reading to see how horribly
hacked VMS was in the past. Guess most hackers nowadays have no VMS
knowledge.

Cheers,
Jonathan
--
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