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Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct

 
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Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - Mar. 22, '06, 6:13:03 PM   
breiter

 

Posts: 346
Joined: Jun. 14, '04,
From: Washington, DC
Status: offline
I had occasion to uninstall Starnet X-Win32 LX in favor of testing another X server and a few days later tried re-installing it. My license key wouldn't work. Starnet would only let me register once per email address with no reinstall. What the...? So then I tried getting a license key with another email address... out of licenses error from Starnet.

So I moved on.

Two weeks later, I recieved an email from Starnet which I'll excerpt here:

quote:

Dear X-Win32 LX User,

In the past week or two you've tried to obtain a new license for X-Win32 LX. StarNet has discontinued this product after Microsoft dropped support for Services for Unix for which LX was developed.

First off all, we would like to offer a temporary extension of the license through September 30 2006.

<snip>Offers for other products</snip>

Again, our apologies for the inconvenience, but we had not input into Microsoft's decision.


*BOGGLE*

Huh?

This is completely disingenuous. SFU/Interix 3.5 is not discontinued. It is the only POSIX subsystem available for Windows 2000/XP and Windows Server 2003 pre R2. It is supported for years to come. SUA/Interix 5.2 was just released as a component of Windows Server 2003 R2 and similarly SUA/Interix 6.0 (or whatever version) will be released with Windows Vista.

Download SFU 3.5 here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/interopmigration/unix/sfu/default.mspx

Subsystem for Unix-based Applications (SUA/Interix 5.2) http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/r2/unixinterop/default.mspx

I suspect that Starnet decided that LX wasn't a good business move for them. That's fine, but in my book it is extremely lame to try to tell me that Microsoft made them do it. I'm sure that Microsoft made them not get back to me for a couple of weeks, too.
Post #: 1
RE: Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - Mar. 24, '06, 6:31:08 PM   
Rodney

 

Posts: 3728
Joined: Jul. 9, '02,
From: /Tools lab
Status: offline
I just received a copy of a mass e-mail from Starnet about the end of the LX product.
The message in this e-mail is different and a bit more clear.
The gist of it is that LX was only available via the SFU web page as a download.
Starnet does note that SFU will be available and supported for several more years.
However, since LX won't be downloadable from the MS web page anymore, LX won't be
available. Starnet is offering several different options:
- A key that anyone can use until the end of May.
- to buy a permanent licence at $39.95 USD for LX
- buy the Starnet Full Xserver at a big discount
- or extend at no cost the LX licence for 1 year.

So the message I've received seems much more clear than what Brian got.
[I have no affiliation with Starnet].

(in reply to breiter)
Post #: 2
RE: Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - Apr. 6, '06, 6:33:26 PM   
gwojan

 

Posts: 30
Joined: Apr. 28, '04,
Status: offline
Rodney,

Could you post the email for the rest of us? Starnet's website has completely different information.

I'm stuck in the position of evaluating X-Win32 and eXceed and if I could get a copy of X-Win32 at a reasonable discount it would make my wallet a lot happier...

--Greg

(in reply to Rodney)
Post #: 3
RE: Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - Apr. 7, '06, 2:15:21 AM   
Rodney

 

Posts: 3728
Joined: Jul. 9, '02,
From: /Tools lab
Status: offline
This e-mail was sent to existing LX users.
I should have mentioned that last time, but I missed doing so.
The information about SFU in this e-mail is accurate for when it was sent
(that's for readers in the future). But if there's a bug hotfixes are
still going to be issued.
Back in December 2004 StarNet released X-Win32, a "light" version of our X-Win32 PC X server. LX was developed for Microsoft to support
Microsoft Services for Unix (SFU 3.5). Access to LX was only available through the Microsoft Web site.

Recently, Microsoft has removed LX from its web site as the company has decided to move Interix and other SFU components into the UNIX
subsystem of Windows Vista and server 2003 R2.  SFU is still available and will be supported for a couple more years. But no new upgrades 
will be made available.

Since SFU is no longer an actively developed and marketed solution, and with Microsoft having stopped giving access to LX, the product 
will no longer be made available or supported in engineering.

For existing LX users such as yourself we would like to offer three option, in addition to a new temporary license key that is good 
through the end of May. Simply re-register your copy of LX with this  License Key: 1007787-10421

1) You will be able to purchase -- thru April 31 -- a permanent license for the current version of LX for just $39.95 Note: no upgrades or 
bug fixes will be made available. But LX has been a very stable product, so you're probably o.k. with the existing version for some time.

2)  You will be able to purchase -- thru April 31 -- our flagship X-Win32 PC X server at just $79.95 including a full year of maintenance 
and upgrades.  Normally this costs $270.00

3) If you do not wish to take us up on options 2 or 3, we will extend your existing LX license for one additional year at no cost. 

Please write me with the option that works best for you or check the box below:

(  )  Option 1: LX permanent license for $39.95 
(  )  Option 2: X-Win32 permanent license for $79.95
(  )  Option 3: Send me a final free 1-year license for X-Win32 LX

If you want to take X-Win32 for a test drive before buying the upgrade, you can download the current 7.1 release from: 
http://www.starnet.com/download/support.php and use this 30-day evaluation license: 1751908-27703


< Message edited by Rodney -- Apr. 7, '06, 1:39:46 PM >

(in reply to gwojan)
Post #: 4
RE: Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - Apr. 7, '06, 9:40:01 AM   
eperea

 

Posts: 71
Joined: Apr. 6, '05,
Status: offline
(Very long lines on that last message.:)

I gather that this was posted for reference only, and the offers are still open for current users only, right?

(in reply to Rodney)
Post #: 5
RE: Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - Apr. 7, '06, 1:40:26 PM   
Rodney

 

Posts: 3728
Joined: Jul. 9, '02,
From: /Tools lab
Status: offline
> (Very long lines on that last message.:)

Sorry, I'll edit it in a minute or so.

> I gather that this was posted for reference only, and the offers are still open for current users only, right?

Correct. There's nothing personal or secret, and this letter was sent to hundreds (if not thousands)
of people. It is a letter to LX users (or at least people who obtained an LX key and registered
at some point in time). However, the 30-day trial of X-Win32 is open to anyone as I understand.

< Message edited by Rodney -- Apr. 8, '06, 6:30:03 PM >

(in reply to eperea)
Post #: 6
RE: Starnet X-Win32 LX defunct - May 23, '06, 6:09:47 PM   
marcdw

 

Posts: 12
Joined: May 12, '05,
Status: offline
Late reply but...
Has anyone received the 1-year extension key? I replied with option 3 but haven't
been sent anything yet.
Just wondering.

Marc

(in reply to Rodney)
Post #: 7
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