PDP-11 arch & OS ownership, was Re: [HECnet] NT 4 on AlphaServer es40

On 2013-02-12 02:08, Dave McGuire wrote: On 02/11/2013 08:00 PM, Brett Bump wrote: Mentec continued on for about 10 years, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, during those 10 years (take or give a few), first DEC, then Compaq then HP continued to support and sell PDP-11 software, even though Mentec was the guys owning and developing. When Mentec Inc. did disappear, the software bits were bought out by another company. And that is where it sits today. If we could get HP to actually release the IP for this software, then maybe something hobbyist-like could happen, but as it sits right now, HP control bits and pieces, making it a very complex situation. I'm not sure if you can still contact HP and get a new license for RSX, but it might be. But getting anyone to legally release the stuff seems difficult. :-( It was a UK firm (Calyx). Peter Dick was going to see if he could find a contact there to untangle some of the mess. At least that was in our last discussions on the matter (and that was April 15, 2009). No word since then. I believe that after Calyx, XX2247 LLC (recognize that?) bought the rights. No other info on that yet. Hmm. I've never heard of Calyx before, but it might just be because I don't know all the details. Anyway, XX2247 LLC (thanks, I wrote ltd in my last mail) is the current owners. And that company is located in Colorado. Johnny -- Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus || on a psychedelic trip email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol