
               Introduction to the OpenVMS Freeware Submissions
               ------------------------------------------------

OpenVMS Engineering is again sponsoring an OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM
collection.  The specific schedule for release is to be determined.

The OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM contains "public domain" and "freeware"
software which runs on OpenVMS VAX, OpenVMS Alpha, OpenVMS I64, and
selected tools specific to the interoperation of other systems with
OpenVMS systems. 

The purpose of the OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM is to provide OpenVMS 
customers with easy access to public domain software, to various
otherwise unreleased tools and software developed within HP, and
to provide a channel for HP to release retired products.

The guidelines for the software to be contained on the OpenVMS Freeware 
CD-ROM are the following:

o The software must be free and access unencumbered.  No license fees
  shall be requested of or required by the customer for its use.  GNU,
  OpenBSD or or similar open-source licenses may (or may not) apply.
  If specific licenses apply and are not already widely available and
  widely known, please include the license(s) within the kit.
o If a product authorization key (PAK) or similar key mechanism is 
  required, an unrestricted PAK or other key (with no termination!) 
  must be provided with the submission.  If a PAK is not provided, HP 
  may (at its sole discretion) elect to provide a PAK or other similar
  key to fully enable the Freeware submission.
o The software must run on OpenVMS VAX and/or OpenVMS Alpha and/or OpenVMS
  I64, or for other platforms with direct relevance (or "Affinity") to
  operations with OpenVMS systems.
o Neither HP nor the submittor(s) warranty this software in any way. 
  It is provided as "as is" software.  Use At Your Own Risk.
o HP will not provide service for this software, test the software,
  review the software or the source code, fix the software, or warranty
  that it works correctly or at all.  Individuals and vendors that have
  submitted packages to the Freeware may explicitly elect to provide 
  additional services, testing, enhancements, updates and/or specific
  warrantees for submissions -- beyond "none" -- but no such statements
  should be expected nor assumed.
o Customers are free to adapt and change the sources for their needs.
o HP products on the Freeware may or may not provide source code, but
  -- and at the discretion of HP -- all other submissions are expected
  to provide full source code.
o The OpenVMS Freeware is not intended for use as a commercial software
  distribution channel, though its use for the release of retired 
  commercial products is appropriate.
o Submissions that are regulated under US export controls will not 
  be accepted.  As binary submissions cannot be verified for export
  compliance, the submission of binary kits is generally discouraged.


                 Acquiring a Copy of the Freeware CD-ROM kit
                 -------------------------------------------

The OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM will be distributed in conjunction with the 
standard OpenVMS operating system software distribution kits.  It will 
also be made available for anonymous access from the OpenVMS Website:

  http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/freeware/

The Freeware CD-ROM kit may or may not be separately orderable.


                 Creating a Kit for Inclusion on the Freeware
                 --------------------------------------------

Please carefully follow the following simple steps to ease the job of 
packaging the wealth of software submissions onto the Freeware CD-ROM kit:

  1: Build the software into a saveset or ZIP kit.  Each product must be 
     in a DIFFERENT directory, or in a separate saveset or ZIP kit.  If 
     the sources are included, place them in a subdirectory called [.SRC].
     If executable or shareable images are included, place them one or more 
     architecture-specific subdirectories, and preferably named [.VAX_IMAGES],
     [.ALPHA_IMAGES], and/or [IA64_IMAGES].

     You must to supply two files (and optionally two others) in each 
     top-level directory:

       - FREEWARE_RELEASE.TXT  

	 This is a software distibution release.  See below for details.


       - FREEWARE_README.TXT  

         This file must have the following format for the FIRST line:

            PACKAGE_NAME, CATEGORY, ONE_LINE_DESCRIPTION

          for example:

            INTOUCH, LANGUAGES, High-performance 4GL for VAX and Alpha...

         The one-line descriptions will be truncated to 60 characters.  This
         will allow them to display nicely on the selection menus later on.
         Spaces are not allowed in the kit name or the category name, and
	 exactly two commas (delimiters) can exist within the entire string.
         (If you have questions on the format, the current processing for
	 this is listed over in [FREEWARE]CREATE_FREEWARE_PACKAGE.COM.)

         The list of categories to choose from are:

         BUILD_TOOLS          Source code build-related tools
         DECWINDOWS           X Windows, CDE, and Motif tools (and toys)
         FREEWARE             Reserved for Freeware-specific files
         GAMES                Games
         GRAPHICS             Graphics tools and utilities
         LANGUAGES            Compilers, assemblers, and language-related
         MISCELLANEOUS        Or ask for a new category
         MULTIMEDIA           Multimedia Tools and Utilities
         NETWORKING           Networking and network-related tools
         PROGRAMMING          Tools of interest to OpenVMS Programmers
         SOFTWARE             Random Software Packages, Retired Products
         SYSTEM_MGMT          Tools related to system managment, security, etc
         STORAGE_MGMT         Tools related to Storage and Storage Management
         UNKNOWN              Reserved; assigned to submissions lacking ReadMe files
         UTILITIES            Random Utilities not related to other categories
         MS_TOOLS             Interoperation with Microsoft Windows systems
         WEB_TOOLS            CGI and HTML tools, web servers, etc


         HP OpenVMS Engineering may choose to reset the category to match
         one of the above categories, or to modify the requested category
         to a more appropriate category.  Petitions for the creation of new
         categories or for the retirements of old ones gladly accepted.

         Any additional lines of text in the FREEWARE_README.TXT file will 
         be displayed to the user from the MENU SYSTEM, if they choose this 
         package from the menu.


       - FREEWARE_DEMO.TXT file (optional file)
  
         The FREEWARE_DEMO.TXT file is text that can explain how to try this
         software...or explains what the FREEWARE_DEMO.COM file will be
         showing the user.

         Depending on the volume of software submitted, these demonstrations
         may require the end-user unzip the distribution.


       - FREEWARE_DEMO.COM (optional file)
  
         If the user selects this package from the menu system, 
         the FREEWARE_DEMO.COM file will be executed.

         Depending on the volume of software submitted, these demonstrations
         may require the end-user unzip the distribution.


  2: Each directory should contain VAX, Alpha and/or IA64 executables (if 
     possible), help text or help libraries, documentation, source file(s)
     (preferably in a [.SRC] subdirectory) and then  anything else you wish
     to include.  If the kit contains objects or executables or multiple
     platforms, consider using subdirectories [.VAX_IMAGES], [.ALPHA_IMAGES]
     and/or [.IA64_IMAGES].  Also consider providing object files, for those
     potential users that might lack particular tools, compilers or certain
     OpenVMS versions.

     If the software is already kitted as a VMSINSTAL or PCSI kit, that 
     is quite acceptable.  Just put the kit(s) in the directory, along 
     with the installation instructions and a basic introduction.  

     Depending on the volume of software submitted to the Freeware, these
     installation kits may be left available directly, as well as residing
     within the zip archive.  (Source code may or may not be compressed
     into zip archives, as well, depending on the submission volume.)

  3: PLEASE make sure that the .txt and .com files are easy to read and 
     to understand -- introduce the tool to those that are not familiar
     with it.  The more friendly your instructions and directions, the 
     more likely that others will want to try to use the tool.

  4: In order for the software to be considered for inclusion on the 
     freeware CD-ROM, the attached FREEWARE_RELEASE.TXT release form
     MUST be submitted with the software.

     Electronic copies of the signed release form are acceptable.

     The release form itself will not be included in the distribution.


                             How to Submit a Kit
	                     -------------------

Once the software is packaged, you can submit it on a tape, floppy disk
or other common media to:

	HP OpenVMS Engineering Freeware Submissions
	Mailstop: ZKO3-4/S23
	HP
	110 Spitbrook Road
	Nashua, NH  03062, USA

If you have Internet access, you can attach and mail the kit or can send 
a pointer to the location of the kit or can otherwise request an FTP 
transfer by sending mail to:

	openvms.freeware<--at-->hp.com

and HP will transfer the kit electronically.  Kits can be submitted as 
zip kits or as BACKUP savesets, as mail attachments, and can be base64 
or uuencoded, and can be downloaded via FTP or via a link at a specified 
website.  Other kit formats may be acceptable by prior arraignement.


The HP OpenVMS Development group is looking forward to your submissions...




       - FREEWARE_RELEASE.TXT (required; not shipped)


                                 RELEASE FORM
                                 ------------

OpenVMS Freeware CD
--------------------

DEVELOPER RELEASE FORM:


	As the owner/developer of this software, I have read and understand 
        the submission documentation, and I release the package to be included
        on the next OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM.  I expect no remuneration and no
        payments for the use of this software from HP nor from HP's customers.



					_______________________  
					Developer/Owner Name


