dave@lsuc.uucp (David Sherman) (11/30/87)
We're an educational institution (the Bar Admission Course) within
the governing body of a self-regulating profession. In 1983, when
we began developing CAI, we had no problem getting an educational
source license, and it's proven invaluable in the development of
our student system. This machine (lsuc) is licensed for System III,
though it's running a v7-derivative (Perkin-Elmer's port, for which
we also have a source license).
AT&T Canada has recently donated a large amount of equipment to
us for setting up a new classroom to teach computer skills to
lawyers and law students. Included in the package is a 3B2/400
which acts as both UNIX host and PC file-server to a roomful of
PC6300's using StarLAN. The 3B2 is running System V, Release 3.
When I enquired about a source license for the new system, I was
told it would be difficult to get, and that AT&T is granting such
licenses now only to universities which grant degrees in computer
science, where the source is needed for teaching. I am informed that
now that System V is a standard, they want us to do everything from
the documentation rather than the source; that everything can be
configured using configuration tools without needing source;
that we shouldn't be changing UNIX or its tools ourselves anyway;
and that all the traditional reasons for wanting source, other
than teaching the kernel to CS students, aren't enough anymore.
Have others run into this change in approach to licensing?
After 11.5 years of UNIX with source, I find the idea of working
without it uncomfortable; but maybe the world really has changed.
David Sherman
The Law Society of Upper Canada
Osgoode Hall
Toronto, Canada M5H 2N6
(416) 947-3466
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Pronounce it ell-ess-you-see, please...