North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical Fwd: Re: $110,000 for Gated Source Code
So far, I've had a large number of questions about a statement I made here in NANOG. The statement was made in passing, while I was looking for sources for something that would run BGP4 and allow us to transition from static single-homing to dynamic multi-homing. Rather than answer, yet many more inquiries, I am posting the answer here in NANOG, to fore-stall further such inquiries. MHSC prefers open-source whenever we can get it and prefer to run reference-standard code. This is why we run sendmail v8.8.8, qpopper, BIND, and others. We are a Caldera VAR and our servers are built up from Caldera Open Linux Standard edition, with about 30 add-ons <groan>. We *do* have BRU, Netscape, and other commercial binaries that have been bought, but not before attempting to find acceptable reference-standards. We have also provided DewPoint/Caldera with input towards an Enterprise Server distribution for Linux. Anyway, we've applied for an ASN and ran into the BGP4 requirement. Ergo, we were looking for the reference-standard BGP4 implementation, which is GateD. We (I) was *very* surprised at the attitude exhibited at <http://www.gated.org>. Very much anti-commercial. But, that does not matter to me as I have $other$ things to worry about (Paying the rent around here is one of them <sigh>). Ergo, having run *that* trail to ground, I posted a query here in NANOG, that Dean Anderson, Shane Wright, Craig Labovit, and others have answered. I now have gated v3.5.9, for Linux, and am building it now. I'll probably run into trouble, as I do with most things that don't have a configure script, or have an otherwise non-standard build process (Why is it that *only* the academic originated stuff is such a PITA? <sigh>). Back to the point, we are a commercial technology R&D house that is also bringing up an ISP (MHSC.NET). As such, since we actually have a gawd-awful-scummy profit motive (why else form a corporation?), we do not qualify for Academic membership in the Gated Consortium. The prices that I quote here are for the level of membership which MHSC would have to sign-up for in order to obtain what we really need. There are lower-orders of membership, but if you look at the URLs you'll find that the minimum is $10s of K-bucks$ for the first year, plus an annual maintentance agreement of, at least, half of the first year premium (and we thought we had profit-at-heart). Being a startup, we don't need such expense (it comes out of *my* pocket, personally, and I ain't that rich). Again, this is not a rant at the gated folks. I frankly wasn't much surprised. I thank all those who helped me obtain the sources for gated-3.5.9. BTW, Flemming did comment that since gated was NSF funded, it may be inappropriate for such fees to be charged. In reallity, the message clearly states that "start-ups need not apply". They just want to keep out the riff-raff. I've long-ago quit getting emotional about these things and have come to expect it from acadamia-types. The URL is ; >The latest public release of gated is 3.5.9 and is available at: > >ftp://gated.merit.edu/net-research/gated/gated-3-5-9.tar.gz > >Lots of information regarding licenses, bug reports, and releases can be >found at http://www.gated.org/ > > >Cheers, >Shane Thank you, Shane. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- >Date: Sun, 07 Jun 1998 20:08:54 -0700 >To: Jim Fleming <[email protected]> >From: "Roeland M.J. Meyer" <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: $110,000 for Source Code > >At 09:46 PM 6/7/98 -0500, Jim Fleming wrote: >> >>Roeland, >> >>I noticed your comment on NANOG about $110,000 >>for souce code. I must say, I was confused. What did >>that cover ? >> >>Who is that paid to ? > >As an answer, I'll quote a message I wrote to someone else about this same issue. > >>At 08:24 PM 6/7/98 -0400, Dean Anderson wrote: >>>>Where can I get latest and which is the latest. I prefer open-source but >>>>I'll take binary-only if I don't have to cough-up the $110KUS for it. GAWD, >>>>what a rip-off! >>> >>>I'm curious, did someone actually claim to sell bgp4 for linux for 110K? If >>>so, I'd like to know who... >>> >>> --Dean >> >> >> >>From <http://www.gated.org/new_web/code/doc/code_info/product/intro.html#Source Code> >> >>>Source Code >>> >>>The GateD source code, tools and documentation are based on three different product lines: GateD >>>Unicast, GateD Multicast, and GateD IPv6. Each of the products has its own software base, release >>>dates, and product descriptions. >>> >>>New GateD Source code, tools and internal documentation are available to GateD members only . >>>Binaries for utilities or on-line documentation are available for anonymous ftp or via the web. >>> >>>Members of the Academic and Research community can join the Merit GateD Consortium by simply >>>filling out a GateD Academic and Research membership. This membership requires that the member: >>> >>> sign the GateD Membership, >>> register the machines to which GateD source code and/or binaries will be distributed, and, >>> agree to return any enhancements to the project for redistribution. >>> >> >>and as regards the price see <http://www.gated.org/new_web/consort/member_info/prospects/howto.html> >> >>>Across-Product Line Memberships >>> >>> Gold Membership >>> >>> Existing members of two product lines may elect the Gold membership for $45,000. >>> Existing members of one product line may select Gold membership for $75,000. >>> The fee for new members is $110,000. >>> >>> Gold Members have the top level access to GateD sources and to the developers. Internships are >>> available for technical staff members from Gold members. Gold members are helping bring new >>> protocols and services to GateD. Gold members may redistribute GateD binaries for two product >>> lines in commercial products for the duration of the GateD membership. GateD source code for >>> these two product lines may be distributed to development teams at the Member's corporate >>> offices or research sites. Source code may not be distributed in commercial products. >>> >>> Gold members may send 4 voting members to the GateD Consortium meetings. >>> >> >>I say again, "GWAD, what a rip-off!" _________________________________________________ Morgan Hill Software Company, Inc. Roeland M.J. Meyer, ISOC (RM993) President and CEO. e-mail: <mailto:[email protected]>mailto:[email protected] Web-pages: <http://www.mhsc.com/~rmeyer>http://www.mhsc.com/~rmeyer Web-site: <http://www.mhsc.com>http://www.mhsc.com Colorado Springs, CO - Livermore, CA - Morgan Hill, CA -----------------------------------------(legal notice)-------- Note: Statements made in this message do not necessarily reflect the position of MHSC. All forcasts and projections are to be considered as forward-looking and presume conditions which may not be referenced herein. -----------------------------------------(/legal notice)-------
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