ADV: SCO/filePro system for sale...

[ken white]

Top posted:

Purchase it quickly,  SCO lost their copyright case against Novell in a jury 
trial yesterday.  They (never had) have no leg to stand on for suing 
companies based on copyright infringement, they do not own the copyrights to 
Unix.   I think the end is near.

McBride should be ashamed of himself.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "John Esak" <john at valar.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 12:22 AM
To: <filepro-list at lists.celestial.com>
Subject: ADV: SCO/filePro system for sale...

>
> Hi,
>
> I have a 300Gb SATA 2.0 drive with a SCO 5.7 5-user license and a licensed
> DevSys loaded on it. There is also a 15-user filePro 5.6 system with 
> Fpxfer
> loaded, and a 15 user FacetWin license loaded as well.  With this hard 
> drive
> goes an Intel Pro 1000 1Gb NIC, a 256Gb DDR-2 memory stick, and a *NEW* 
> Sony
> SDT-11000 DDS-4 DAT tape drive.
>
> I believe all three licenses can be transferred legally since they are
> staying on their original drive and network card.
>
> I will be putting these main components together with a case and 
> motherboard
> specified by the buyer.  If no one buys this stuff, I will put it into a
> small mini-tower case with a motherboard that has a2.4Gb Core II Duo chip.
> It will go on my shelf as a super spare server for any of the myriad 
> clients
> I have out there who will one day need such a thing.  How do I know 
> someone
> will one day need it?  Believe me, I just know. I've done dozens of 
> upgrades
> from old systems to new ones like this.... It's just that they have 
> usually
> been done under the duress of a crashed old machine.
>
> For a forward thinking person, though, this could be a ready to go upgrade
> that will smoothly replace a system you currently rely on now, but are
> getting worried about. Perhaps, the tape drive is old, or the whole system
> is old. The SCSI hard drives we used to buy lasted far longer than the 5
> years they were warranted for and now are probably going on 10 years if 
> you
> upgraded around the 2k scare.  Moving your users, filePro and other apps 
> to
> this new box while you are comfortably working instead of trying to do it 
> in
> the aftermath of a serious system stopping crash would be so much more
> comfortable and profitable, wouldn't it?  For whoever buys this unit, I 
> can
> be cajoled into helping with the transfer and upgrade as well, however,
> there is a substantial charge for this since that is the last thing I want
> to do these days.  I think I would charge $1k for taking responsibility 
> for
> the transfer/upgrade and making sure everything works properly on the new
> system.
>
> I want  only $2,500 for the main pieces all put into a fully working box
> with a brand new motherboard. That's the licenses, the hard drive the
> motherboard, memory and tape machine. An extra $1.500 would get me for a 
> day
> as well. If you are in the NYC area, I would come to your place for a day
> (preferably a Sunday (and possibly adding Saturday as well... Depending on
> the size/complexity of your existing system). Doing it on a weekend 
> usually
> ensures that the transfer/upgrade doesn't interfere with your working
> system, and the transfer is smooth and unnoticed by your users.  It could 
> be
> a situation where you are working the next day (Monday).  If you are far
> away from Harrisburg, I would have to have net access to your old system 
> to
> do the work. My feeling is that a weekend will easily allow enough time 
> for
> the changeover to the new system. I need to be allowed to work through the
> night. You do not have to stay up with me... :-)
>
> This is a deal in two completely different ways. A completed box with what
> it has in it is worth far more than $2,500.  So, just by itself it's a 
> deal,
> and for technically minded administrators who have done this kind of 
> upgrade
> before, this is a very inexpensive way to move to a new machine with new
> licenses... While *keeping* your old system and its licenses. Actually, 
> I'm
> hoping this is the kind of sale I make for this system. I hate
> responsibility and work these days. :-)
>
> If my talents (??) are purchased to manage the transfer/upgrade from your
> old Unix box to this new one, then that also is a great deal. Why?
> Well, $1.5k for my guarantee that everything will work fine on the new
> system whether it takes me 1 or 2 days ... Is a really good deal since I
> don't usually work for any amount of money these days. :-)  For a small
> operation, mom and pop business, perhaps, without a Unix guru on hand, 
> this
> kind of an upgrade would be virtually impossible. So, in order to make the
> sale, and to offer this good stuff to the widest audience here on the 
> list,
> I will do the transfer/upgrade for the $1.5k.  I will not make this offer 
> to
> anyone who buys the unit off eBay. I will be posting it on eBay as a
> complete box for a starting price of $2.5k Saturday (April 10th) if no one
> on the mailing list takes advantage of it before then.
>
> Now, there are a few serious caveats to this otherwise staggeringly
> well-priced deal.  Whether you buy my services in conjunction with the
> hardware or not, you need to be well aware of these things. Mostly they 
> deal
> with my participation if I'm retained to do the transfer.
>
> 1.
> The SCO license is only 5 user. So, you would need to access the system
> through only 5 legacy type terminals or the console, and the rest of the 
> 15
> users would need to use the FacetWin license... Meaning any PC can login 
> and
> use the SCO and filePro without problem. Any serial printers in your 
> system,
> you need to count them up and be sure the whole legacy SCO access does not
> exceed 5 users. Network printers and FacetWin printers do not tick the
> license count. (Or, of course you can purchase a user bump from wherever 
> one
> gets such a thing these days.)
>
> 2.
> For any applications other than filePro which you want to work on the new
> system, you must have a movable license for them. Also, the operation of
> said application must be totally your concern and worry.  With the
> exception, perhaps, of WordPerfect (and even Scripsit I suppose) there
> aren't many applications I can make work without problem... And even those
> two are a little iffy. :-)  Basically, I know my limitations, I can handle
> anything that comes up related to SCO and related to filePro, and related 
> to
> FacetWin. I can move all O/S based scripting and PATH things correctly to
> work on the new system.  All else will have to be your concern.  I will
> help, but I can't be the final guarantor of anything outside the three
> programs, SCO, filePro, FacetWin. (AnzioWin and PrintWizard will work on 
> the
> new system with no problem, and maybe one or two others... But I'm not 
> going
> to count on anything other than the big 3, SCO, filePro and FacetWin.)
>
> 3.
> For the time I'm working on the transfer, I will need root privileges on 
> the
> old and new Unix box, as well as Administrator privileges on any PC that
> needs to connect with the Unix box through FacetWin. If my help is 
> purchased
> for the transfer/upgrade, I will help set up old Facetwin shares, and
> printers.
>
> 4.
> If I can not be physically "on-site" to do the transfer, I will need a
> reasonably "technically competent" person to assist me at various points
> during the upgrade. For example, if for some reason a network connection 
> can
> not be established with the old box to move the user data to the new
> machine, then I would need to have the assistant attach the Sony DAT drive
> to the old machine so backups can be made.  The, it would need to be moved
> to the new machine.  Other physical help may be needed from time to time 
> if
> I can not be on site.
>
> 5.
> Any work done on the GUI side of the SCO 5.6 can not be supported by me.
> Should you need to work on a scologin screen, you must set this up 
> yourself.
> I will put a working GUI on one of the 12 console logins and you must take
> it from there. (Sorry, like I say, I know my limitations.)
>
> 6. If more than 5 users are going to be accessing this system
> simultaneously, I suggest that another 256Gb memory stick be installed in
> the unit for at least 1Gb of memory.
>
> 7.
> I must suggest that whoever buys this system from me, obtains a new
> BackupEDGE support contract for this box.  It already has a licensed copy 
> of
> BackupEDGE loaded on it, and this may be transferable, I'm not sure at the
> writing of this message. I will find out shortly and post the answer.  If 
> it
> can be transferred, great, you get it as part of the price of the unit. If
> it can't, you really should buy a license so the machine can be backed up
> securely and often.
>
> 8.
> At some point, the purchaser of my services will have to "release" me from
> service.  I suggest that this will happen when a full backup tape of the 
> new
> machine is made in a completely working state. By working state, I mean 
> viz
> the terms above... SCO, filePro, FacetWin... Some standard extras like
> AnzioWin and PrintWizard, etc.  The network will function. You will have
> access to the net or not from the Unix box as desired.
>
> 9.
> There may be some things I've forgotten. Nothing major.  If my services 
> are
> purchased as well as the hardware and licenses, I may require that a 
> simple
> written contract that states essentially what I've listed here be signed
> between us.  I am usually not so careful, but since I am retired, I do not
> want anything to be taken for granted after the buyer is satisfied with 
> the
> initial transfer/upgrade.
>
> 10.  Remember, this system goes on eBay next week (April 10th). If you're
> interested, contact me soon.
>
> John Esak
> john at valar.com (put SCO system in the subject...)
> (717) 889-4689
>
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