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> -----Original Message-----
> From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Mike Yawn
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 1997 11:55 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      MPE Freeware distribution
>
> We at CSY have been trying to come up with the best way
> to distribute freeware products such as GNU, Java, and
> Samba.
>
> At the IPROF 97 conference held this March, this
> effort took a great step forward with the FREEWARE
> tape, put together by Michael Hensley of Lund
> Performance Solutions including contributions from
> a number of software porters and software vendors,
> including HP. At the same time, we were investigating
> in parallel a process for making a FREEWARE account
> a part of future MPE releases, beginning with MPE/iX 6.0.
>
> Following IPROF, Interex stepped in and offered
> to take over duplication and distribution of the
> freeware tape, with Michael Hensley continuing to
> collect and assemble the component pieces.  The
> resulting tape is available to everyone --
> Interex member or not -- for a minimal charge to
> cover expenses ($30 in the U.S., $40 for Mexico
> and Canada, $55 elsewhere).
>
> Because of the long lead-times in getting things
> bundled into an OS submittal, a bundled freeware
> account in an MPE release would be continually
> out-of-date.  There is also the need to manage
> the submittal process, which requires resources
> that could be applied to a number of other
> efforts.  Based primarily on these factors,
> CSY has decided not to include a freeware
> account in the MPE/iX 6.0 release at this time.
>
> Many IPROF attendees felt that even with the
> freeware tape widely available, there was an
> additional benefit to having the freeware
> included in an MPE release.  We have not
> closed the door on this possibility.  Instead,
> we wanted to give the current mechanism a
> chance to work, and resurvey users after
> the Hensley/Lund/Interex/SIGPOSiX freeware
> tape was "in production".  We'd like to
> revisit this issue in the HPWorld timeframe,
> to see whether the existing system is
> working, needs to be tweaked, or needs to
> be supplemented by the 'freeware in FOS'
> implementation previously considered.
>
> Feedback on the list is always welcome, and
> we'll also be discussing this at some
> as-yet-undetermined forum during HPWorld.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike "freeware porter" Yawn