Sun WorkShop Question

[thunderbird32]

So, I've gotten a copy of Sun WorkShop C/C++ 4.2 off of eBay. It was sealed and therefore includes the license card with serial number, however it appears as though Sun used FLEXlm for licensing for this program. As such, the license card isn't enough to install the software, it apparently needs someone at Sun/Oracle to generate a license key based of the serial on the license card. Has anyone attempted this, and had any luck with Oracle actually responding, let alone issuing a key? Alternatively, I see that there were perpetual demo keys for v3 and v5, does anyone know if one was available for v4.x?

[uunix]

Have you installed all the software off the CD? I had no issues years ago I'm sure and never had to contact SUN.

Kind regards Mark.

[thunderbird32]

I haven't yet, just read the manual. I'll give it a try and see, but based on the documentation, I don't have a lot of hope. Maybe I'm being over pessimistic as I've had a lot of vintage software 'shit the bed' lately (shakes fist at Oracle Server for OS/2). It's left me in a mean mood when it comes to these things

[uunix]

I haven't yet, just read the manual. I'll give it a try and see, but based on the documentation, I don't have a lot of hope. Maybe I'm being over pessimistic as I've had a lot of vintage software 'shit the bed' lately (shakes fist at Oracle Server for OS/2). It's left me in a mean mood when it comes to these things

Have faith, I'm pretty sure the CD includes a licence server.

[jan-jaap]

Have faith, I'm pretty sure the CD includes a licence server.

That's not the issue.

What the OP needs is a FLEXlm license code which ties a feature (SUN Workshop compiler) to a hostid (his system).
Because SUN (now Oracle) will not just issue licenses to just anybody, the package you buy comes with some sort of proof of purchase (serial number, activation code, whatever). This proof of purchase has no other function than to convince the software vendor to issue a FLEXlm license for your hostid.

The problem for the OP is that he may have a proof of purchase, but there's probably nobody left at SUN (or Oracle) who will issue that FLEXlm license.

[uunix]

Have faith, I'm pretty sure the CD includes a licence server.

That's not the issue.

What the OP needs is a FLEXlm license code which ties a feature (SUN Workshop compiler) to a hostid (his system).
Because SUN (now Oracle) will not just issue licenses to just anybody, the package you buy comes with some sort of proof of purchase (serial number, activation code, whatever). This proof of purchase has no other function than to convince the software vendor to issue a FLEXlm license for your hostid.

The problem for the OP is that he may have a proof of purchase, but there's probably nobody left at SUN (or Oracle) who will issue that FLEXlm license.

The OP has a licence card, which you enter into the licence server. Again though, if I recall Correctly.

I'm going back a fair few years I know, but I purchased about ten Sparc & i386 versions that were sealed. I installed one, and if I recall, ran the licence program and it produced the licence key. I ran it on an IPX and I'm going out on a limb now, but I am pretty sure I also installed it on a classic about three or so years back (certainly in my current house).

But the OP hasn't attempted install yet, so I maybe be wrong.

[thunderbird32]

Jan-jaap is right on with my concern. The manual seems to indicate exactly that. I was asking more for informational purposes than anything though. I'm not going to be able to test in the near-term. I've never been able to get the Rasterflex working in my Ultra 1 (the driver causes a kernel panic when I try to start X). I'll have to decide whether I want to go back to the TGX (which didn't work at all last time I tried it) or keep trying with the Rasterflex. Don't have a HDD for the Axil (which also needs a new clock chip), and don't really want to reload my SPARCclassic with Solaris.

[jan-jaap]

The OP has a licence card, which you enter into the licence server.

Normally not, because it would defeat FLEXlm entirely. Let me explain.

Commercial software vendors want to limit software piracy. Much of this is carelessness rather than bad intent by their customers: they often need a 'quick fix', grab that single copy from the shelf and enter the one license key for the Nth time. Then they forget about it.

FLEXlm solves that piece of the software licensing puzzle: a software feature is permanently linked to a hostid (it can do more, but let's keep it simple).

It does not solve another piece of the puzzle from the perspective of the software vendor, namely: which hostids are entitled to a license. If you're selling off-the-shelf software (e.g. Adobe PhotoShop), you'll have people from all over contacting you for a FLEXlm license and you'll want proof they actually bought the software. That's why there's a proof-of-purchase in the form of a serial number on the package. If I (customer) contact a software vendor with my serial# + hostid, they generate a FLEXlm license and flag the serial# as used in their database. These days, this happens without human intervention and is called 'activation'.

This serial# business is entirely separate from FLEXlm. Some vendors have other means of establishing the right to a license. With WindRiver (VxWorks) for example, we have actual, signed contracts in place. They have a license portal where the user can register a hostid and generate a FLEXlm license for it themselves.

If the software vendor would print a FLEXlm license on the package, this by definition means it's not tied to the customer's hostid, but a HOSTID=ANY license. This pretty much defeats what FLEXlm was all about unless it's a time limited license (a trial, you'll find them inside shrink wrapped MIPSpro CD packages). Needless to say, any time limited trial for SUN Workshop expired years ago.

If the software vendor goes out of business or simply stops generating FLEXlm license, I (the customer) am SOL, regardless whether I have a serial# or whatever other proof that I am the legitimate owner of the software. The good news is that FLEXlm SDKs up to ~ version 7.2 did *not* use public key cryptography, but oldskool symmetric crypto. Which means the encryption seeds are hiding in the binaries, and for someone with some skills and a FLEXlm SDK it's not too hard to keygen. I never was much into SUN, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't 'something' out there.

[escimo]

All it depends on is the major compiler version.

What a compiler version do you have?
If it's C/C++ 4.2, then you're a lucky guy. Look here.

"Sun WorkShop 4.0" or better known as "Sun WorkShop for Solaris 2.x" media (CD-ROM) in some cases also was referenced as "Sun Visual WorkShop C++ 3.0" because it contains the IST's GUI-Builder "X-Designer", a Sun OEM product.

The demo (FLEXlm) licenses don't expire and you are able to use the software w/o restrictions (means: non-proprietary, as I remember and w/o any support, of course)

Did I have to write more?

[thunderbird32]

I had seen that post, but didn't notice that the compiler was considered WorkShop 3.0 even though the compiler itself is 4.2. This is actually really good news. I'll have to test it out later when I get the machine running.

Also, in case anyone is wondering, Oracle will not supply keys for a version this old. I asked, and they said they will provide keys for nothing older than version 6.

[escimo]

The funny thing is, they will not provide but could. The reason is they still have the older keygen progs but denying to use them even now, more than 20 years after product launch. And even for FD6 (WS6) you have to make clear to Oracle why you will need this old version. I tried and lost, in first place. Second round follows.

[thunderbird32]

The funny thing is, they will not provide but could.

Huh, I assumed they were in a similar situation to Wolfram with older versions of Mathematica. Apparently, they don't even have the keygen software anymore. Hence why they're willing to allow NeXT hobbyists to use it as a perpetual demo.

[escimo]

I've never been able to get the Rasterflex working in my Ultra 1 (the driver causes a kernel panic when I try to start X)

Which Solaris version?

[thunderbird32]

I'm trying to use Solaris 2.6 with driver version 5.0. I've considered trying an older version of Solaris and the driver to see if any issues still occur. What versions have you had good luck with?

[escimo]

What versions have you had good luck with?

As I remember it was Solaris 2.5 up to 2.6 running on my SPARCstation 20 back in 2008 and later.

* https://www.sonnenblen.de/index.php/topic,5394.msg31929.html#msg31929 (German)
* Tranlation by Google

RasterFLEX_FAQ.pdf

(158.61 KiB) Not downloaded yet

...

faq039: I am about to upgrade to Solaris 2.6. What should I know?

The RasterFlex-32 and -HR boards work fine on Solaris 2.6, but you must have (at least) software release 4.7. (This is part of the 5.0 release.)

faq052: I am about to upgrade to Solaris {2.}7. What should I know?

Officially, the last supported version of Solaris we support RasterFlex on is 2.6. However, the latest (5.0) version of the software is known to support an -HR on a SPARCstation 5 running Solaris 7 and CDE 1.3. RasterFlex-32 does NOT appear to work, nor do we have any information about compatibility with SBus Ultra machines.

Maybe this is also true for the RasterFlex-HR version, the one you own, so as me. But I never used them with an Ultra 1/2 system.

Also look for the correct jumper settings comparing the instructions on the

RasterFlex_User_Guide.pdf

(307.53 KiB) Downloaded 2 times