• Welcome to OS2World OLD-STATIC-BACKUP Forum.
 

News:

This is an old OS2World backup forum for reference only. IT IS READ ONLY!!!

If you need help with OS/2 - eComStation visit http://www.os2world.com/forum

Main Menu

1-Where to upload. 2-Definition. 3-List

Started by Glenn, 2008.02.24, 09:27:40

Previous topic - Next topic

Glenn

Hi Kim,

1) I have lots of old pieces of software (and trying to increase this number) that may be abandonware. I could upload them somewhere (I would make an exception of the software I had to register nominatively), but we would have to agree on the repository. Maybe part of this forum ? Maybe some other dedicated site ?

2) In order to avoid legal issues, I think we should first discuss what meaning we should give to abandonware. Is it a piece of software that:
- has never been updated ? (ex: last version of Mesa/2)
- has been updated on eCS recently but the software to be uploaded is an older version ? (ex: Warp 3)
- has not been updated on eCS, but exists on other platforms ? (ex: MS (PM)Word, Corel Draw!)

What do you all think about it ?

3) A list of what I could upload (I do not have much more OS/2 software than this list...):
+ Non-IBM
-WordPerfect 5.2 (English and German versions)
- PMWord 1.1A and 1.1B
- PMExcel 2.2 and 3
- MS Fortran 5.1
- MS LanManager (with OS/2 1.3)
- MS Assembler 6
- MS C 6
- MS PM Addon for WinNT 4
- WordHunt
- American Heritage Dictionary+ Columbia Concise Encyclopaedia
- Stardock Avarice
- Backagain/2
- Backmaster 1.10
- Borland C++ 2
- Borland Brief
- Borland Paradox (version unsure, maybe 1)
- CA SuperProject
- TrueSpectra ColorWorks
- CorelDraw! 2.5
- CPU Monitor Plus
- DBExpert
- Describe
- Desktop Observatory
- FaxWorks Pro 2
- Stardock Gal.Civ.
- Gamma Tech Utilities
- Gauss v.3.x
- Green Desk
- HyperAccess 6
- ImpOS/2 v.2.0E
- KaseSet
- LinkRight
- LinkWiz
- Maple 4 (is available from another well-know russian site...)
- Metaware High C++
- Norton Commander
- Oracle SQLServer, SQL Plus
- PM Chkdsk
- PageMaker
- Partition Magic (v.1 I think)
- Process Commander
- Relish
- SimCity 2000
- SPF/PC
- SPG Colorworks 1+
- Stacker
- UniMaint 4
- Visual SlickEdit 2
- VisPro C++
- VisPro Rexx
- VPC
- VX/Rexx
- Window Washer

+IBM
- AFP Font collection
- Communications Server 4
- C Set ++
- DB2 v5, v6.1
- Domino 5.0.6, 5.0.7
- E Network Host-on-Demand 3
- Family FunPak
- FlowMark
- Anti-Virus v2.5.2, v3.0.1
- Personal Communications/3270
- Translation Manager 2.02
- WebSphere Business Components Composer
- VisualAge
-- CICS
-- Basic
-- Cobol v1
-- C++ 3.6.5
-- C++ 4
-- Generator Server
-- Java 1.0.1
-- Java 3.0.2
-- SmallTalk 3
-- SmallTalk 5
-- (just VisualAge, without more..)
- Warp 3
- Warp Server 4
-- Normal
-- Advanced
-- Software choice for WS4A
- I will not upload WSeB, as I do not consider it abandonware.


Notes
1) If you have objections on the abandonware status of any piece of software listed here, please tell me here.
2) Also, some older software on floppies may have unreadable floppies, so the only way to have the full software uploaded is if we complete each other's uploads.
3) Uploads of CDs will take much more time than floppies, so old floppy software comes first...

APP

El Vato

Quote from: Glenn on 2008.02.24, 09:27:40
Hi Kim,

[...]
- Maple 4 (is available from another well-know russian site...)
- Metaware High C++
[...]
- UniMaint 4
[...]
- VisualAge
[...]

  • --C++ 3.6.5
  • -- C++ 4
[...]

The above definitely would be useful.  Before I acquired my Mathematica for OS/2, there was a site that was asking nearly 1,000 U.S. dollars for the Maple 4 product.  Although reviews indicated that Maple 4 was a poorly integrated rushed port to the OS/2 platform --from the WinXX port code-- it never became widely available, that I know.

Subsequently, I found out that Odin could run the WinXX Maple 4 mathematical software but Mathematica executed natively on OS/2, nonetheless.

kim

#2
Well, the topic is hard to get through since there aren't really any legal cases to point to; except for that we could be accused for software piracy; so the closest definition regarding Abandoware is to be found at Wikipedia and if anyone has more sources of definitions; please do post them.

"Even if the copyright is not defended, copying of such software is still unlawful in most jurisdictions when a copyright is still in effect. Abandonware changes hands on the assumption that the resources required to enforce copyrights outweigh benefits a copyright holder might realize from selling software licenses. Additionally, abandonware proponents argue that distributing software for which no one remains to defend the copyright is acceptable. Companies that have gone out of business without transferring copyrights are an example; many hardware and software companies that developed older systems are long since out of business and precise documentation of the copyrights may not be readily available."

I think that most of us can agree that there are a few issues to be solved; the first way to handle the copyright is what Martin Iturbide has already done during couple of years and that is to make the code open source. If we can't get the code open sourced the second way would be to get a written permission for OS2 World Foundation to offers downloads.

About uploading; we have set up a ftp resource that can be used to upload; but no downloads can be done so nothing will be spread.

Ben

I think the real questions are, though;


  • Is there anyone out there that would benefit from prosecution, and
  • Is there anyone out there in a position to prosecute?

And while I think there is always some nominal risk to distributing such things, I can't remember anyone actually having been prosecuted for the distribution of abandon-ware.

As a curiosity; Roughly speaking, what are the combined, (total), sizes of these programs?

Glenn

Quote
The above definitely would be useful.  Before I acquired my Mathematica for OS/2

And I would definitely be interested in Mathematica for OS/2 !! A few years of looking on eBay did not produce any result for Mathematica :/

Quote
there was a site that was asking nearly 1,000 U.S. dollars for the Maple 4 product.  Although reviews indicated that Maple 4 was a poorly integrated rushed port to the OS/2 platform --from the WinXX port code-- it never became widely available, that I know.

Was it this site: http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/ ? They have outrageously high prices. Not accounting for the fact that they also did snipe some eBay auctions to resell the software at a much higher price... (they got me once...)

Quote
Subsequently, I found out that Odin could run the WinXX Maple 4 mathematical software but Mathematica executed natively on OS/2, nonetheless.


As for Maple, I contacted the Maplesoft customer service some time ago. Their answer was that if I bought the latest Maple for Windows (~$120 with student price), I would be allowed to use Maple 4 for OS/2.

Quote
    * Is there anyone out there in a position to prosecute?

M$ would certainly be in such a position if I upload PMWord, PMExcel or the old compilers...

Maybe a good thing would be to ask the owners of the Vetusware website. Their website is dedicated to abandonware and they have quite a lot of stuff available.

Quote
As a curiosity; Roughly speaking, what are the combined, (total), sizes of these programs?
Hum *roughly* 45GB... so the best 'upload' method is certainly to send Kim a BluRay with almost eveything on it :D

TheNerd

I know this is an old thread but you can upload some of the software to http://ecsware.org/
http://ecomstation.ca/ - Your Canadian Source for eComStation and OS/2 Software!
http://ecomstation.ca/forums/ - Canadian eCS Forums
http://ecsware.org - Software for eComStation

BookWorm

> I could upload them somewhere (I would make an exception of the software I had to register nominatively),
> but we would have to agree on the repository. Maybe part of this forum ? Maybe some other dedicated site ?

Consider vetusware.com . They already have some OS/2 stuff.

> M$ would certainly be in such a position if I upload PMWord, PMExcel or the old compilers...

True, but since they advertise on vetusware, I don't think they care anymore.