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 <JimFleming@unety.net> From: "Roeland M.J. Meyer" <rmeyer@mhsc.com> 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:rmeyer@mhsc.com>mailto:rmeyer@mhsc.com 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)-------