On Thu, 22 Jun 2000 healyzh_at_aracnet.com wrote:
> NO. RT-11 is most definitly NOT FREEWARE!!! Read the *License* that is
> with the versions of RT-11 that you will find out on the net! You will
> learn that it is available with the following restrictions:
>
> 1. Only for use with Bob Supnik's emulator (actualy DEC owned
> emulators)!
This is not a problem. One just has to make sure that one has a
system in one's collection running Bob Subnik's emulator attached to
one's real PDP-11s. Have the one with the emulator monitoring
something on the real PDP-11 systems, or somesuch, then, you ARE using
the versions of RT-11 on the real PDP-11s with Bob Supnik's emulator.
:-) :-) :-)
> AGAIN RT-11 IS NOT FREEWARE!!! Furthermore, claiming such could damage
> efforts to get a hobbyist license in place that will allow hobbyists to run
> RT-11 on thier hardware.
Ok, let's not make a big deal out of people using RT-11 on their
systems. If they don't have a copy, someone will probably clone them
a copy. No big deal, and DEC didn't care. I was actually told, by
someone in customer service at DEC, to go ahead and use it and not
worry about the license, a few years back, and, when a very pleasant
chap from DEC field service came to my house to investigate a melted
mains plug, no questions were asked.
> Note, the existing Hobbyist License, which as I've stated can only be used
> with Bob Supnik's emulator, also covers some of the other OS's. It also
> covers layered products.
> MENTEC grants to CUSTOMER a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free
> license under MENTEC's INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS to use and copy the
> SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY solely for personal, non-commercial uses in
> conjunction with the EMULATOR.
There, _in conjunction with the EMULATOR_ - it doesn't say to only use
it with the emulator, but in conjunction with the emulator.
Also, that bit about the license being revocable; that's probably as
binding as a contract of ashesion. Let's say you spend a huge amount
of time on writing some software to control various things around your
house that runs under RT-11; you most likely have a right to continue
using your software running under RT-11.
--
R. D. Davis
rdd_at_perqlogic.com
http://www.perqlogic.com/rdd
410-744-4900
Received on Thu Jun 22 2000 - 20:14:11 BST