IBM Mainframe Forum

hi i am a novice to ibm mainframes, and i really want to learn this operating system, by any chance can i download it to my laptop, or is there any simulation of IBM mainframe platform, just like cygwin for linux.

Hercules is a mainframe emulator that you can download and install on a laptop. It requires an operating system -- and MVS is available to install on it. All recent IBM operating systems, such as z/OS, are under copy right and IBM requires signing strict licensing agreements -- which prohibit installation of z/OS, for example, on anything but a z/architecture mainframe. As far as I know, the only legal way at this time to install z/OS on a laptop is to become an IBM development partner and purchase the laptop with z/OS from IBM (the cost is supposed to be about $20,000 US dollars).

Hello and welcome to the forum,

If you are completely new to the mainframe, you will find installing Hercules and then MVS quite a challange. The people i know who have done this smoothly already knew very much about the mainframe before they began. . .

You can find lots of informaton at the Hercules site (Google for hercules emulator and it will probably be the first "hit". There is also a Hercules Support link there.

If you successfully install Herecules and the free MVS, you will be able to see many of the current mainframe features. Learning your way around the environment will be quite informative and if you go to work on a current level system, you will have a "jump start".

There are a few members of our forum who are running Hercules at home and will answer particular questions posted here. So far, i am not yet one of them - maybe next year<g>.

Good luck

So far, i am not yet one of them - maybe next year<g>.

I' ll be glad to help You !

even with the limitation of an older system MVS 3.8 is still a very good playground for people willing to learn
see for example ...
http://www.jaymoseley.com/hercules/

I' ll be glad to help You !

Thanks, Enrico!

I'll surely take you up on the offer when i do this

d