Accelerate your OpenVMS development with VMS/XDE

A unique OpenVMS development environment that runs natively on GNU/Linux.

Request Evaluation License See Product Overview

New from VMS Software

Why VMS/XDE?

  • Native OpenVMS development environment (not emulated; runs directly on Linux)
  • Seamless file sharing with the Linux host, no VM or OpenVMS connection required
  • Use your preferred Linux tools for VMS development (source control, IDE, etc.)
  • Set up CI/CD workflows
  • Lightning-fast setup: extract the package and start developing
Hand typing on pc

How It Works

  • Download and install the package
  • Apply license
  • Run
  • Check out your sources and start developing!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need VMS/XDE?

If you have experience developing on Linux but not on OpenVMS, VMS/XDE provides seamless integration between modern tools, processes, and workflows with OpenVMS compilers, scripts, and utilities. It also allows you to use technologies that are tricky to implement on OpenVMS, such as CI/CD. Overall, VMS/XDE aims to improve your productivity and speed up your work.

What are the hardware and software requirements?
VMS/XDE requires an x86-64 GNU/Linux distribution with a minimum kernel version of 5.9 and a file system that supports extended attributes. For more information, refer to the VSI VMS/XDE Installation and Configuration Guide.
How is VMS/XDE licensed?

VMS/XDE requires an OpenVMS license. Additionally, some of the components included in VMS/XDE (such as compilers and certain layered products) require their own separate licenses. To purchase a license or request an evaluation license, visit our licenses page or contact a VSI representative.

Can I run production applications on VMS/XDE?
This is not recommended and not supported. VMS/XDE is intended for development and testing purposes only and should not be used in production. VMS/XDE includes a limited set of layered products and does not offer the same features, reliability, or security as a full OpenVMS system. 
How many users can use VMS/XDE at the same time?
VMS/XDE instance is designed to be used by one developer at a time. If multiple developers are going to use VMS/XDE in your organization, each of them should have their own VMS/XDE instance.
Can I put VMS/XDE into a Docker container?
Yes, you can. You can visit our GitHub VMS/XDE Repository.
Is VMS/XDE an OpenVMS emulator?

No. An emulator mimics both the hardware and the software environment of a system, whereas VMS/XDE is a compatibility layer that translates OpenVMS system calls to Linux system calls. This technology is much faster than emulation, because hardware abstraction is not involved. Note that VMS/XDE is limited to software built for OpenVMS on x86 and cannot be used to run Alpha or Integrity applications. 

Is it supported?
 Yes, VMS/XDE is officially supported. 
How much does VMS/XDE cost?

Please contact VSI Sales to get a quote.

Does VMS/XDE behave exactly the same as regular OpenVMS?

 VMS/XDE does have limitations, for more information see Release Notes.