Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> >> Really? Wow. I thought people stopped making and using mainframes
> >> about 20 years ago...
> >
> > Actually, they're suing open source mainframe emulator authors lately.
>
> OK, wow. I had no idea that such things even existed. o_O

Hercules is an open source product that emulates the IBM mainframe instruction
set.  You can find it here:

http://www.hercules-390.org/

It will run all of IBM's operating systems from the original DOS and OS/360 to
the
current z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE and zLinux.  As I understand it all the OS's up to
MVS 3.8 are in public domain and you can run them without a license.
Everything since requires a license to use.  As long as Hercules remained a
essentially a hobbyist program IBM didn't pay much attention to it.
TurboHercules, a commercial firm, started promoting Herules as a way
for companys to offload some work from their mainframe.

http://www.turbohercules.com/

Since this could impact IBM revenues, they are using patent infringement
arguments to stop the use of the Hercules software in a commercial environment.


Isaac

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