On 7/26/17 8:33 PM, Mark Linimon via cctalk wrote:
I emailed IBM regarding a license to do research with
IBM redid all their websites a few years ago, and finding information
about systems older than Power7 has become ... challenging.
They're ... uh, not going to respond to you. IMHO.
TL;DR:
Mr. Linimon is probably right.
In... 1998? I bought a 43P 133 "Carolina" system off Ebay, with the
intention of learning AIX. At the time, IBM had offered v4.3.2 "free"
for educational use, so I was confident that I would have no problem
obtaining license and media.
There was no link or instructions in that announcement page on their
website to actually avail myself of the offer, so I called IBM Sales,
RS/6000 Group.
No person in the RS/6000 sales group had ever heard of that
promotional program. I logged about 15 hours on the phone with them,
over the space of two weeks. EVERY conversation went like this:
"AIX? What is one of your machines' serial number? We need that to
access your support contract."
....
Then "That RS/6000 is registered to <Ohio-based leasing company>."
....
"You bought it on *EBAY*???"
....
"We don't SELL AIX. The license and media are included in your
support contract."
....
"What do you mean 'free for educational use'...?"
I eventually located a manager who would give me an email address so
that I could send this IBM employee, whose job was providing service and
goods to RS/6000 customers, a link to the web page on ibm.com that
described the Educational AIX Licensing Program.
Two or 3 weeks later I received in the mail a 17-page contract
detailing my obligation to give them a kidney and both pinky toes if I
dared use my RS/6000 for profit. I signed it, had it notarized, and
mailed it back. Two weeks after that I received a 6-page license
document and a shiny, shiny set of AIX CDs from IBM.
I swear this is no exaggeration. To date, I have never located
another person who was able to get AIX media through that educational
program.
Doc
