Re: rdesktop and licensing...??

[Peter Byström <peter.bystrom@xxxxxxxxx>]

I believe this is a non issue.

earlier you could buy NT 4 + CAL licenses for the machines, currently
you have to buy w2k pro licenses, soon you will have to buy xp licenses.

rdesktop may just as well identify as a w2k pro client since that is
what you have paid for.

oh well.. maybe that is just me. :)

regards,

peter


Jacco de Leeuw wrote:

> Grant Fraser wrote:
>
> > How do you go about licensing rdesktop on Linux/Irix/OSX?
> > We have found that the license only lasts 90 days then when
> > you try to run rdesktop
>
> That's the 'temporary license', which is only valid for
> a grace period of 90 days. Of course, after that period
> you can always change your client's name (-n) for
> another 90 days. Microsoft probably never expected it
> to be changed that much with their own Windows TS clients...
>
> > Is there a way for license rdesktop on the local machine?
>
> Yes, use the following option:
>
>    --built-in-license: identify as a w2k client to
>                        the license server
>
> It was contributed by Ahmon Dancy and you can find it in
> the unified patches 19-8-x, as composed by Peter Bystroem
> (http://bibl4.oru.se/projects/rdesktop/)
>
> Technically, with this option you won't need a
> Client Access License since it spoofs the Terminal Server
> into thinking the client is Windows 2000 Professional.
> Legally/morally, it's another matter. I guess you still
> have to obtain a CAL and do the paperwork. But then
> again, I Am Not A Lawyer, nor a license specialist...
>
> Now, if you don't mind a bit of speculation: I'm sure that
> this particular option made rdesktop just a little bit
> bigger on Microsoft's radar. (Hello everybody from
> Microsoft reading this!). It would be fairly easy to
> scrap RDP v4 support from Windows XP Terminal Server
> (or whatsitsname) so that rdesktop cannot connect.
> Or even to remove RDP v4 through a new Windows NT/2000
> Servicepack. It's easy for Microsoft to do this because
> current Windows TS clients support RDP v5 anyway.
>
> Jacco
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