Pub400: free *PGMR user profile on IBM i 7.3 mainframe
IBM i never were mainframes. Being it called IBM i Series, AS/400, or System/38, it were midrange computer systems.
Re:Release of GnuCOBOL 2.2
by WorksOfBarry on Friday September 08, 2017 @04:22AM
(#15198687)
Which of course comes with a COBOL compiler too!
I'd love to see z/OS being licensed for hobbyists. I'm very curious about mainframes, but I don't have the space to get myself a used zSeries.
I would also love to see a z/OS hobbyist program. Sadly, I doubt IBM is ever going to do it (but you never know).
In the meantime, anyone can download and run the public domain MVS 3.8J, it is ancient but it includes a lot of the basic technologies of z/OS (JCL, JES2, VSAM, VTAM, TSO, 3270, etc), just in much older versions (essentially 1970s vintage).
I think TK4- is the easiest way to run it: http://wotho.ethz.ch/tk4-/
I believe TK4- includes the MVT COBOL compiler from 1972 (which was the last COBOL compiler version IBM released into the public domain), although I've never tried it myself.
It's not for everybody. You cant do all those cool shit (compared to modern languages and tech stacks) - it has its own stack. One of the main barrier to entry is access to a Mainframe. Sure there are emulators , but nothing beats playing around with the real thing. If IBM really wanted to secure talent , they should really address this. People are willing to pay for access as long as it doesnt burn a hole in one's pocket.