> > >Of course a PAK generator solves the problem of missing PAKs
> > quite nicely.
> >
> > Yes it does, however I am dearly afraid that with HP and
> > Compaq doing the
> > dance that the lore of such things will be permanently lost
> > at some point.
>
> AFAIK, the PAKGEN program that third parties
> were allowed to purchase would only
> generate PAKs in the name of that
> third party. So simply having PAKGEN
> would not allow you to generate DEC PAKs!
True, and PAKGEN was only available to run on a VAX, not an
Alpha, so you had to keep a VAX around.
> OTOH several people reverse-engineered
> the PAK checksum and at least one
> company were selling a PAKGEN-like service
> until they were "leaned on".
Reverse engineering is what most people did. I know of one
company still selling a PAK generator, but like PAKGEN it
only lets you generate PAKs for your own products.
Was the company that was stopped selling a PAK generator or
were they selling generated PAKs? If they were selling a
PAK generator I don't see how they could be stopped.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman_at_dittman.net
Check out the DEC Ethusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/
Received on Mon Sep 10 2001 - 07:25:15 BST