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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: ch_123 on Thu, 10 June 2010, 10:28:29
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As it says on the title, I'm looking for the IA64 port of DEC/Compaq/HP's OpenVMS operating system.
There is a hobby license for OpenVMS on all platforms, and there is hobby installation CDs for the VAX and Alpha, but not the Itanium. If someone could point me in the direction of install media, I'd be legally able to run it on a machine with my own hobby licence.
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Maybe here (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=openvms+iso+torrent&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) Lots of obscure torrents out there.
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What a great idea. Clearly I never thought of trying Google searches before searching around forums. Thanks for the really useful advice.
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Well I figured you had tried google, but didn't know if you tried including terms "ISO" or "torrent" specifically. Frequently including ISO in searches has helped me.
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Im sorry for being sarcastic in my last reply. I just spent a while trying to track it down and thought I'd throw it up here in case someone had a copy of it... I thought your post was just being some "LOL LET ME GOOGLE THAT FOR YOU" post.
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No worries. I spent about 10 minutes looking for you but all I found were dead ends. HP's site had a page for it, but no download was there any longer.
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If you can get your hands on a filename (say, from old pages that have dead links now), try filewatcher.com or filesearching.com
An option would be using archive.org to track down such a filename if you know a site to browse around on to find it.
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Are you still looking for this? I have a friend who's into this stuff, he runs OpenVMS and has an interest in Itanium stuff. He might know. Let me know if you're still interested and I'll put you two in touch.
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Yeah, would be interested in this.
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(5:48:06 PM) Dave: No clue. The OpenVMS Hobbyist group haven't even replied to any of my emails, so I'm giving it a break.
(5:49:06 PM) Dave: I'd tell him to check with the OpenVMS hobbyist usergroup,
(5:49:10 PM) Dave: and get membership at DECUS.
(5:49:15 PM) Dave: But aside from that he's on his own.
(5:49:22 PM) Dave: I've been waiting for MONTHS with no reply.
Sorry mate. :(
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Yeah, the problem is that HP has promised to provide installation media for hobbyists, but it hasn't. It's possible that they are stalling until some of the older Itanium machines on the market become too slow for serious use. It could be that they're lazy. Either way, it's a shame that interesting operating systems like this are completely closed off to the outside world.
Thanks for asking though.
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Send Carly Fiorina and email and ask what happened to it. Think her email is carly.fiorina@itsallaboutmesoscrewyou.com , I know quote a few folks who worked at H.P. and generated good revenue who were unceremoniously told to not let the door hit their asses on the way out.
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Dave says the hobbyist program isn't run by HP, it's the "OpenVMS Hobbyist Group" and he doesn't know where they came from.
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Yeah, but I'd assume that ultimately HP would have to sign off on allowing one of its high end OSes to be distributed for free (even given the various restrictions on non-commerical use and such forth)
AFAIK, the hobbyist program was originally approved by Compaq in the brief period between where they bought out DEC and before they merged with HP. The hobbyist license that comes with the license keys still says Compaq instead of HP (and DEC for the matter)
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The license is free/gratis (as in beer) for non-commerical/hobbyist use. You just join your local chapter of the DEC user group, and then register with HP (both can be done over the internet for people in the U.S.). This includes the Itanium license. The only caveat is that you will need to renew your license every year or your computer will effectively lock you out until you renew it. However, the renewal process is also free.
The difficulty as the OP noted is obtaining the install media. HP will sell you a OpenVMS/Itanium DVD for $500 (the DVD media, not the license to use it). Most people running OpenVMS on Itanium borrow the DVD from someone who has it, or who has access to it-- usually from work. These are not the type of people who put stuff up on torrent sites.
For the past two or three years, HP has been promising for it to be available through the Hobbyist program endorsed by HP, but run by volunteers. This group makes available CDrom media for installing OpenVMS on VAX and Alpha for the more reasonable cost of $30 including shipping anywhere in the world. Since the proceeds go to support the hobbyist org, and the license to use it is free, no one really minds spending this smaller amount on a CDrom.
Which is just to say that it's been an ongoing issue for people who want to run it on Itanium legally. If you can get your hands on the install media somehow, you can install it and run it legally. This is why the OP is asking around.
I too would be interested, and have been putting off purchasing an integrity rx2620 until it's released.
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I since discovered that the IA64 OpenVMS port only runs on HP's Integrity servers. I have access to an SGI IA64 machine which I thought may be able to run it somehow, but OpenVMS and HP-UX are tied down to the HP IA64 chipsets, making this impossible. So, until I find an Integrity server in a skip, the IA64 OpenVMS port is useless either way.