[ros-dev] Getting a Windows Server 2003 license for the project?

[Colin Finck]

Adam wrote:
> Using an OEM license on a computer that the software has not originally
> been distributed with is not legal  (confirmed with a call to MS [...]

Of course, this is what every software vendor wants. But gladly, this 
decision is not just up to Microsoft, but the local jurisdictions. And 
at least in Germany, Microsoft has lost a case related to OEM software 
in court (see http://tinyurl.com/dfl6u). Later court cases also allowed 
unbundling single licenses of volume license contracts. See 
http://www.usedsoft.com/rechtslage/urteile.html for a list of German 
cases related to this.
The appropriate German law behind this decision seems to be a ratified 
EU law, so it should be legal to unbundle licenses in all EU states.


> Perhaps you can try Windows Server 200X Web Edition as that is the
> cheapest.

Now that we only need the Remote Desktop for Administration and no extra 
Terminal Services, this might indeed be a cheap alternative. But as the 
Web Edition was only available in volume license contracts, it is quite 
rare on eBay and other platforms.

Additionally, I'm not sure about two things: Does its Remote Desktop for 
Administration also allow two concurrent RDP sessions like the other 
server editions? And are there any localized versions of it or just an 
English one with MUI packs? Latter one would be the best for us :-)


> And why the hell would you want a 32-BIT edition of Windows Server 2003?

Because this is still the main target. And as stated, we won't use the 
server for real serving purposes, but just for development and testing.


- Colin