VSI has made available OpenVMS V9.0-G for x86. This is the first x86 release of the year, and seventh overall, and it’s another good one with more functionality, VMware support, and a number of improvements. VSI also added five additional EAK testers (approaching 50 in all) and there may be a few more in the coming days.
The porting process is progressing nicely.
Bit of a shame nobody else seems to have taken an interest in this: VMS has its flaws and its quirks (decide for yourself whether the fact it shows filesizes in disk blocks, its DOS/AmigaDOS style device: filesystem roots, its [odd.pathname]convent.ions;2 , its original limit of eight directories deep, its filenames of 32 characters followed by a thirty-two character extension, or the fact that you can SET a DEFAULT directory to one that doesn’t exist are one or the other) but even although I’m a Unix lover, in a world filled with POSIX clones, it’s pretty interesting. I regret not taking DEC/HP up on the offer of a Hobbyist Licence for the VAX years ago, as the program seems to be closing, but hopefully VSI will restart it.