eComstation.ru has listings of OS/2 based solutions and companies that you can contribute to; recent additions include the use of eComstation in science and technical labs. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
OFB.biz has an article about installing eComStation; apparently this is the beginning of a project to evaluate eCS. From VOICE News.
eComstation.ru has listings of OS/2 based solutions and companies that you can contribute to; recent additions include the use of eComstation in science and technical labs. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
A Wiki has been set up where you can enter suggestions for presentations and workshops at Warpstock Europe. It will help find suitable speakers; anyone interested in presenting should submit their information to the Session Manager. From VOICE News.
NetLabs has published their fifty-ninth biweekly newsletter to update everyone on their latest developments. Recent updates include ACPI, FM/2, GenMac, Samba, UniAud, WPS Wizard, and more. You can sponsor NetLabs, which helps fund development on various projects.
eComStation.Ru is collecting information about Dell notebooks that are OS/2 compatible. They also have a categorized listing of available software. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
An OS/2 build of Firefox version 2.0.0.14 has been released (4/18/2008). Firefox is a stand-alone browser, based on Mozilla code. See my Warpzilla tips page for more information. Thanks to Sander Nyman and Gary Wong for the info.
Warpstock Europe 2008 will be held at the City Hostel in Düsseldorf, Germany, on November 14th-16th.. This annual conference is dedicated to information, education, support, and exchange and addresses users, developers, and software vendors. To achieve these goals, the event offers seminars and workshops, exhibition areas, and room for personal exchange. From VOICE News.
An OS/2 build of Firefox version 3.0 beta 5 has been released (4/9/2008); there are some known issues, see the readme file. Firefox is a stand-alone browser, based on Mozilla code. See my Warpzilla tips page for more information. Thanks to Gary Wong for the info.
Universal Audio version 1.1.4 RC6 has been released (4/6/2008). This is based on the GPL ALSA Project from Linux and provides drivers for various sound chipsets. It now has support for ACPI, but users with HDA chipsets should continue to test the 1.9.x series of UniAud32 builds.
The SciTech SNAP Graphics products are no longer being actively developed, and portions of the source code will be available under an open source license. In the meantime, there is a free registration code you can use. If you are interested in assisting with an open source release, there is an OpenSNAP mailing list. SciTech SNAP Graphics is a "universal" video driver, with support for over 240 graphics chipsets, with extra features like zooming, multihead, video overlays for some chipsets, software OpenGL 1.5 support, and more.
Lewis G Rosenthal has set up a mailing list for T60 and T61 users running eCS; this should allow for more focused discussion of hardware issues on these laptop models. To subscribe, please send a message to ecs-t6x-on@2rosenthals.com and reply to the confirmation message.
Paul Smedley has released (4/5/2008) UniAud32 version 1.9.3; in this version the driver code has been updated to ALSA 1.0.16. This features better support for HDA than earlier builds of UniAud, and will eventually become UniAud version 2.0. Note that the emu10k1 driver (used by SB Live) is not currently included.
Peter Weilbacher has released (4/1/2008) unofficial builds of Seamonkey 1.1.9, Firefox 2.0.0.13, and Thunderbird 2.0.0.13(pre) that adds high memory support, MNG/JNG support, SVG and Canvas support, Rich Walsh's WPS enhancements, EA URL tagging of downloads, and more.
eCoSoft has published a newsletter informing everyone on their latest developments. Recent updates include ACPI, Panorama, General Network Utilities, NeoWPS, and more. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
The OS/2 and eComStation Developers Workshop 2008 will be held May 17th-18th, in the city of Duesseldorf, Germany, in the City Youth Hostel, located right by the Rhine. Students don't need to pay, but they are required to register; speakers do not need to pay or register. Tickets are available for purchase through the Mensys Online shop.
An OS/2 build of Seamonkey version 1.1.9 has been released (3/27/2008). SeaMonkey is a continuation of the Mozilla Suite, which was discontinued by the Mozilla Foundation. See my Warpzilla tips page for more information. In related news, there is a Seamonkey Bug Bounty program, which is awarding a total of $2700 to work on critical bugs and features on the path to SeaMonkey 2. Thanks to Gary Wong for the info.
A "developer's build" beta 1 of OpenOffice version 2.4.0 has been released, and is available to subscribers of the OpenOffice.org Support Agreement, via login at the Mensys online shop. It features mouse wheel support, support for the Innotek FontEngine, and more. This release does not support Java, which means that the database component is not fully functional. The source code is available under the LGPL license from Sun. Support for the OS/2 version can be obtained through the ticketing system, and there is also a newsgroup available. From VOICE News.
Warpstock 2008 will be held August 15th to 17th, at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Thanks to Andy Willis for the info.
eComStation.Ru has an interview with Joachim Benjamins of Mensys, about the current state of eComStation, the community of users, and more. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
Curtis Systems Software now has hardware RAID as an option on their systems preloaded with eComStation.
"Cal" has a large list of OS/2 links divided into Apps, Info & Programming, and Java.
An OS/2 build of Thunderbird version 2.0.0.12 has been released (3/3/2008). Thunderbird is a mail / news client, based on Mozilla code. See my Warpzilla tips page for more information. Thanks to Gary Wong and Sander Nyman for the info.
There is a 3 part video on YouTube showing OS/2 and eComstation running on the Asus EEE PC notebook computer, as well as documentation on Hobbes detailing how to install eCS 2.0 on that system. From VOICE News.
eCo Software has some resources for developers, including the ACPI toolkit, and the LANGE multi-language library. They also have a list of eComStation Myths, and a forum discussing what would make for a Perfect eComStation. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
Some people have apparently had luck running the Win32 version of Java 1.5.0_07 with Odin. This should allow running some newer Java applications, although it won't work in web browsers. From OS2.org.
James Bell, author of MidiLab/2, the original MIDI sequencer for OS/2, has posted all the material associated with the program on his web site. There are both binary and source downloads available; anyone interested can pick up further development of the project.
The Simple DirectMedia Layer version 1.2.10 OS/2 port has been updated (1/21/2008). This is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, and 2D video framebuffer. It is used by MPEG playback software, emulators, and many popular games. The SDL/2 package includes the following libraries: SDL 1.2.10, SDL_mixer 1.2.6, SDL_image 1.2.5, SDL_gfx 2.0.13, SDL_net 1.2.5, and SDL_ttf 2.0.7. The latest build is on NetLabs FTP, and offers a VMAN fallback mode, in addition to the default accelerated SNAP Graphics mode.
OS2World.com has received a response from IBM concerning the second petition to open source OS/2. The short version: IBM still isn't interested. There are articles covering this on Slashdot and OSNews.
Martin Iturbide reports there are new suggestions on the OS2World Bounty System. It lists several projects that developers can get paid for; the total current value of all bounties exceeds $3500. Users can help by sponsoring money to encourage development on the projects that are of interest to them. The two latest bounty suggestions include: VTun (Virtual Tunnel Driver), VPNC (Client for Cisco VPN Concentrator), Filezilla, wxWidgets Improved GUI, QT 4.x framework, Moonlight, Mono project, VLC player, cdrtfe, InfraRecorder, Xara Xtreme, HyperEngine-AV, MediaCoder, Firewire Driver Development, and AEFS security improvements.
ecomstation.ru has published the following reviews: PBX on eComStation, Oz. Of Prevention System, General Network Utilities for professionals, Piano Launchpad for professionals, Central Remote Control for mobile users, eSchemes colour mood, Everyday usage of Personal Cards Manager, Sydney 2000 Olympics, Evolutionary sprint 2007/11, and Usage of eComStation at home. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
eComStation 2.0 RC4 has been released (12/26/2007), and is available to Software Subscription Service subscribers. It includes: FAT32/NTFS partition resizing, GenMAC network drivers, installation on JFS, SNAP/ENT, ACPI, Samba client, and more. Note that even if your subscription has expired, you are not required to purchase a renewal to obtain the GA version of eComStation 2.0. Thanks to Joachim Benjamins for the info.
eComStation.Ru is running a poll asking what OS/2-related petition is important to you; choices range from updating Java to open sourcing OS/2. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
Joachim Benjamins reports that version 1.0.1 of the WPS integration package for OpenOffice.org 2.0 for eComStation and OS/2 has been released, and is available to all subcribers of the OpenOffice.org Support Agreement, via login at the Mensys online shop. It extends the WPS data file class to recognize OpenOffice.org document files, has integrated support for WPS-Wizard hint and folder info area, and provides Rexx hooks for reading document properties. Official support is available through the ticketing system, and community support via the newsgroup. Andreas Ludwig has a review of the package. In related news, future plans include a OpenOffice.org 2.4 release around March 2008, to coincide with releases for other platforms.
The Swedish OS2 User Group has changed its name to OS2 World Foundation. During the last 5 years, it has financially supported OS2World.Com, and its founders are convinced that these two communities should join and support the OS2 community by forming the new OS2 World Foundation.
OpenWatcom 1.7a has been released (10/23/2007), and includes an OS/2 installer. This is an open source release of the Watcom C, C++, and Fortran compilers. Michal Necasek has an article describing how to set up an older version, which is still applicable.
eCo Software has a Developer Connection site, with reference books, useful links, and more for professional developers. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
The OS/2 and USB has been updated with additional info on cameras, printers, storage, multimedia, cards, mice, and more. Be sure to check it out if you are using USB devices. Thanks to Martin Iturbide for the news.
Sheldon Britton pointed out this old Warp 3 Ad on YouTube.
Peter Weilbacher has started uploading some Warpzilla trunk builds (Firefox 3.0a9pre and Seamonkey 2.0a1pre) on the PmW-Warpzilla site for testing. Please note that these have known bugs, and are not considered stable.
eComStation.RU is promoting the eComStation PC, which is basically a PC pre-loaded with eComStation and badged with an eCS logo. There is some discussion about it on Yahoo groups. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
The October issue of the VOICE newsletter has been published, which covers eCS vs MacOSX, Feature Install, virtual memory, creating karaoke disks, and more. There is a Newsletter Master Index and Search Function for finding things in back issues. From VOICE News.
Lewis Rosenthal passed on some sad news: Randell Flint, of Sundial Systems, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, October 5th.
eCo Software maintains several FAQs: USB FAQ (including USB Dock), Panorama video driver FAQ, ACPI FAQ, eSchemes Deluxe FAQ, eSchemes FAQ, JRescuer FAQ, and a Russian language FAQ. Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
A GenMAC 2.1 experimental version is available for testing from genmac@godawa.de if you have any of the supported hardware, which includes Atheros AR5213A, AR5005G, AR5006XS, and AR5001X+ wireless chipsets, Intel 82566DC and PRO/1000 PL gigabit chipsets, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, and 3Com 3C90xC and 3C920. From VOICE News.
OS2World has done a review of the installation process of eComStation 2.0 RC1 on a handful of different systems. OSNews conducted a lengthy review of eComStation 2.0 RC1, from the perspective of someone who has not used OS/2 before.
Eugene Gorbunoff reports that eComStation.Ru is organizing the "e-Ball Awards" and are accepting nominations in the following categories: Best eComStation Application, Best WorkPlace Shell Application, Best eComStation Utility, Best eComStation Widget, Best eComStation Driver, Best eComStation Developer Tool, Best eComStation Game, Best eComStation Scientific Computing Solution, Best eComStation Student Product, and Best Technical Article for eComStation Developers. Submit your nominations to eball@ecomstation.ru, with the name of the program, the category, the homepage, and why you think is it the best.
eCo Software has released the "Panorama" video driver, which features support for older Radeon chipsets (pre-R300, i.e. those with a number below 9500). Thanks to Eugene Gorbunoff for the info.
The Inquirer has an article on the 20 year anniversary of OS/2. There's also some commentary on OSNews about it.
There are timezone updates available for eClock, Java 1.3.1, and Java 1.4.2. For other apps, including GoldenCode Java, you can update your TZ variable manually, by appending or modifying it with the new daylight savings string "3,2,0,7200,11,1,0,7200,3600" - this translates to "March, second week, Sunday, 2:00AM, November, first week, Sunday, 2:00AM, 1 hour adjustment". Thanks to cytan and Maynard for the info.
The GUIdebook has timelines of different operating systems and their GUI components, including one for OS/2 and eComStation. They also have the OS/2 2.1 tutorial. From VOICE News.
There's a wiki article discussing How to Boot OS/2 from USB. From OS2.org.
In 1987, Microsoft held a series of OS/2 Software Developers Conferences, geared towards ISVs interested in porting existing applications or writing new applications for the upcoming OS/2 operating system. The attendees were provided with video recordings of the speakers; those are now available for download in AVI format, and much of it is still applicable. Thanks to Michal Necasek for the info.
Vladest, the primary developer of WarpVision and UniAud, had his contract with Netlabs end on January 31st. Unless other developers step in to work on these open source projects, there may not be future releases. Update: Adrian Gschwend reports there is now a Netlabs blog entry discussing some of the background on this decision, as well as Wiki entries discussing the future of UniAudio and WarpVision development. There is also some discussion about it on OS2World.
The OS/2 Java Corner has been updated with new info. It contains over 180 Java applications (and some applets), each with a short description and its url, and sorted into categories. All applications have been reported to run well with IBM Java 1.1.8 or 1.3.1, or Innotek's port of Sun Java 1.4.2. Click the Java icon at the top of the page to see a list of the most recent updates. Thanks to Roger Henson for the news.
Martin Iturbide has migrated The Config.sys Documentation Project to a wiki on the EDM2 web site; this will allow for more people to easily contribute to it.
As eComstation 2.0 nears release, the feature list for version 2.1 is starting to come together. Currently listed are ACPI updates, CUPS printing engine, Samba server support, and OpenLDAP. From OS2.org.
InnoTek has released VirtualBox as open source. This is a x86 virtualization product, similar in purpose to VirtualPC. OS/2 is not officially supported as a host, although contributions are encouraged; there is a screenshot of Windows XP running under OS/2. Windows and Linux versions are available for download, and OS/2 as a guest OS is listed as working, but requiring hardware virtualization support, as found in only the most recent CPUs. You can subscribe to announcement, user and developer mailing lists. From VOICE News.
Martin Iturbide has written up details on adding OS/2 to the Windows Vista Boot Manager.
The fifth issue of the OS2eCS e-Zine has been published. It covers Warpstock, Warpstock Europe, OpenDoc, Lucide, CBIRC, and more. Thanks to Jeramie Samphere for the info.
Martin Iturbide has migrated the Warp Wishlist onto the NetLabs Wiki, which makes it easier for everyone to contribute to it. This is a list of operating system and application enhancements that current eComStation and OS/2 users believe are worth paying for.
A pre-release build of FixPak XR_C006 (Convenience Pak FixPak 6, build level 14.105) has been made available for the adventurous. Note that this may never be formally released; the list of fixes is short, and seems to be all in components that have been previously released separately.
Opera 5.12 for OS/2 was released back in 2002. Since then, the browser has become free. You can register and turn off the ads by using this registration code: v-ucebm-WmRrz-WnifM-ezWsJ-WFTyb
Mensys has updated their Hobbes DVD, which contains over 4 GB of software from the Hobbes file archive. Long-time OS/2 users may recall that there was once a Walnut Creek Hobbes CD. The DVD from Mensys offers a convenient web interface, which can be either used to browse the contents or search for a specific file. Of each DVD sold, Mensys will transfer 2 Euro to the New Mexico State University to support the Hobbes server. From VOICE News.
The Team Trier Collection Vol.18 is now available; this is a CD-ROM packed with shareware and freeware, for the price of 5 Euros (plus shipping). See the website for a listing of the highlights; you can also download the HTML interface and PM program to get a look at how the CD allows you to select and install the programs. Thanks to Sascha Weber for the info.
SciTech has announced that the development of SciTech SNAP has ceased, and the device driver technology is available for sale.
The proposed design for Voyager is now available for perusal. NetLabs hopes this will one day become the replacement for OS/2. Thanks to cytan for the info.
A year ago, Innotek quietly released (9/20/2005) OS/2 Kit for Java version 1.4.2_09, which is an Odin wrapper for Sun's Windows JVM. You can download the latest JRE and SDK directly. It is free for personal use; enterprise customers can license it in order to get defect support. It includes browser plugin support for Mozilla, but you need to copy the files manually. See the readme and FAQ for more information. From OS2.org.
Alex Taylor has updated the Toolkit documentation for the OS/2 Unicode API. It is based on the IBM UNIAPI.HTM document from the 4.5x toolkit, but with many improvements.
IBM has released (8/10/2006) Java 1.3.1 Service Release 10 for Passport Advantage subscribers. It includes Java Web Start, an XML parser, and a plugin for the IBM Web Browser (and Warpzilla), so that it can use Java. eCS customers should look for it on the eComstation site. From VOICE News.
Solution Technology, Mensys, and Paul Smedley have agreed to work together on a TWAIN interface for controlling flatbed scanners. Solution Technologies has provided the source code of its OS/2 TWAIN DDK so that an interface can be built between SANE and TWAIN; this will allow applications with a TWAIN interface to utilize scanners supported by the open source SANE drivers. The driver will be available as part of the standard SANE package. Thanks to Roderick Klein for the info.
Mensys now owns all rights and source code for the Win32Prn project. This allows you to use Windows 2000 printer drivers via Odin. It was previously announced that it would be sold for $20 once it was out of the test cycle, but there is currently not expected to even be a beta version available until after a few months. Thanks to Roderick Klein for the info.
www.RexxInfo.org is a comprehensive new web site covering Rexx, with free downloads, tools,
reference, manuals, and how-to's. From VOICE News.
Sander Nyman reports that he has discovered why Duxshelf has stopped working for many people. The Styler/2 option "Use Styler/2 font," which can be used to replace system fonts with Warpsans (or another font), appears to make Duxshelf crash. You can fix this by adding DUX.EXE to the "Exceptions list" for the font replacement feature.
The winners of the 5th Annual OS2World Awards have been announced. Winners are: Best Commercial Software - DFSee; Best Individual Software - Genmac NIC Driver; Best JAVA Application - Jeti/2; Best PHP Application - phpMyAdmin; Best Site - os2voice.org; Best Supporting Company - SciTech Software; Best Unix Port - LIBC/GCC; Honor Award for Individuals - Paul Smedley.
aerolitheOS is a planned successor to OS/2, that is binary and API compatible, from the authors of PAF. Thanks to Francesc Signes for the news.
IBM has released (12/5/2005) version 2.2.2 of SciTech SNAP Graphics/se, but it is not available for download (except for registered eComstation users). Apparently you must now contact IBM by phone to get updates. Note that the version numbers for SNAP/se and SNAP/Pro do not correspond to each other, and they do not support the same graphics chipsets. From VOICE News.
The eComStation 1.2 media refresh has been released. This utilizes IBM's recent kernel updates, which fixes crashes on Athlon64 (and Pentium4) systems with more than 512MB of RAM, as well as the latest DaniS506, which provides support for many SATA chipsets. The Application Pack has been withdrawn; Lotus SmartSuite will be sold separately for anyone still interested in that. Support for eCS 1.0 and 1.1 will be dropped at the end of the year. There is a promotion running this month, offering discounts (and free subscription services, which gets you a free upgrade to version 2.0) for anyone who has yet to upgrade to version 1.2. From VOICE News.
An eComStation demo CD has been released. It is a "Live CD" that can be booted directly on a system, without anything getting installed. It can be downloaded as an ISO image, or you can purchase it for a nominal fee. It will be published in more languages in the future. There is now a review of it. From VOICE News.
For those wondering what the connection is between Parallels Workstation and SVISTA, this posting should help explain things. Apparently there are plans to continue with a virtual machine product, but this was a major setback.
Sander Nyman reports that on October 5th, Symantec discontinued support for the OS/2 version of Norton AntiVirus. However, the Linux virus signatures are identical, and can still be used. You can delete the extra Linux files (3 *.so files, and navuplin.dis); the 2 OS/2 DLL files (NAVEXO2A.DLL and NAVENGO2.DLL) are copied to the new VIRUSDEF folder automatically by Live Update. NAV Live Update can also be fixed by editing NAVLUOS2.INI as follows:
[NAVLUOS2] PacketName=ftp://update.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/antivirus_definitions/symantec_antivirus_corp/rapidrelease/ennlu.lin UserName=anonymous Password=email@address.com
Here's a tip for Passport Advantage subscribers: if you are trying to get a PMR opened for OS/2, it will get routed to the right place quicker if you reference Rodney Almodovar's name. Rodney is the one who routes all the OS/2 PMRs to get handled by the right people, so he will be the first OS/2 person to see it anyway. If you are unsure of how to obtain IBM support contacts for OS/2, call 1-800-426-7378 for IBM Solutions Management in the United States, or your IBM country support in other countries.
The PCI Soundcard Matrix has been updated with additional information. There is also another PCI sound card compatibility listing hosted by OS2World. Thanks to Martin Iturbide for the news.
Martin Iturbide has started a nice Wiki listing various MMOS2 Related Projects.
IBM now has an online "Library Server" where you can find a lot of information on OS/2 APIs. For example, searching for "Presentation Manager" gives you links to a number of programming guides and references.
IBM has officially announced that they will stop selling OS/2 on December 23, 2005, and withdraw support on December 31, 2006. Further details indicate that support after December 31, 2006 will be available for a fee through Service Extensions or Total Content Ownership contracts. There are no plans for any Java 1.3.1 updates (obsoleted by the GoldenCode and Innotek Java offerings), IBM Web Browser updates (obsoleted by Mozilla), or new FixPaks. No new device drivers will be provided after this year. From VOICE News.
Bob St.John has said that this will have no effect on eComstation. The product plan is to sell it through at least mid-2007. "eComStation will remain available as long as it is a good business. There is no end in sight." Esther Schindler has an opinion article discussing the OS/2 community, and how it hasn't depended on IBM for years. The Inquirer also ran an article recently pointing out how much of the OS/2 hardware support these days isn't coming from IBM. There have been a couple Ubersoft comic strips about the announcement.
Martin Iturbide reports that there was wide coverage by the press: Slashdot, The Register, OSNews, The Inquirer, Red Herring, Tom's Hardware Guide, PC World, ZDNet UK, NewsForge, WebProNews, WebProNews (2), Softpedia, ATM Workplace, Neoseeker, DesignTechnica, Monsters and Critics, SearchDomino, WebIndia123, BetaNews, CNet News, ZDNet, and eWeek.
WarpOverlay version 1.10 has been released (4/18/2005) as open source. This successor to HW EnDIVE provides hardware-based video overlay support on top of the SciTech GRADD drivers. This no longer uses DIVE, so it only works on applications that use its API, such as WarpVision. For what it's worth, it was quite easy to add support for my Radeon X600.
Tonigy is now free for non-commercial purposes; a registration key is available. Tonigy is an IFS that maps tracks of Audio CD into WAV or RAW files, tracks of Video CD into MPG files and tracks of Data CD into ISO files. From OS2World.
There is a new QEMU forum on running OS/2. QEMU is a virtual machine for running x86 OSes, that runs on Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, and MacOS. They need more developers to help improve the OS/2
guest support. Thanks to "ecs user" for the info.
The latest "testcase" kernels (revision 14.103a and later) at last feature proper support for Athlon64 and Pentium4 systems with more than 512MB of RAM. Previous versions would crash in testcfg.sys or apm.sys, unless you used Veit Kannegeiser's APMAA64.SYS.
Michal Necasek has a lengthy overview, including screenshots, of OS/2 Warp for PowerPC.
IBM has released (2/28/2005) Convenience Pak FixPak 5. Downloading requires a Passport Advantage subscription; eCS customers can get it from the eComstation site. The majority of changes in it have already been available via IBM's testcase FTP server (kernel updates, and HPFS and JFS fixes). Thanks to Achain for the info.
There are many new printers listed as supported on the IBM Device Driver Pak Online, but the new printer drivers are not available for download. Apparently you must now contact IBM at 1-800-IBM-SERV (1-800-426-7378) to get the updated PrinterPak (it is supposed to be available on the eComstation site soon, for eCS customers). From VOICE News.
InnoTek has released (2/1/2005) version 2.60 beta 1 of their anti-aliasing font engine, based on FreeType. This version can be used with any program (as manually specified by the user), but OpenOffice and Mozilla (and other Mozilla-based browsers) are the only applications currently supported. From OS2World.
The current caretaker of Hobbes, Dave Rocks, will be retiring from NMSU in the near future. He had some concern about the university's long-term support for it once he is gone, but has since gotten a commitment from others there to keep it going while there is still interest from the OS/2 community. OS/2 users can show there is interest by continuing to upload new files to the site, and/or by making a donation to the university. Select "Give Today" from the navigation bar and then select the appropriate donation method. To target your donation for Hobbes, under 'Step 1" be sure to select 'where
the need is greatest' and write in HOBBES. If you send a check, write it on the check as well. As of February 13th, they had received about $2000 in donations, which will probably be used for hardware upgrades.
RexxLA has set up a website for the open source Object Rexx. It seems the source code they got from IBM did not include the OS/2 code, but they plan to do an OS/2 port. The Inquirer has a nice feature on it, although not all the details are accurate (no release has been made yet). Some info from VOICE News.
Smartsuite 1.7.3 was recently made available to eComstation "Upgrade Protection" subscribers. IBM has published a list of fixes. It's also available from IBM, by calling 1-800-465-6887. From VOICE News.
The modem settings information page has been updated. Thanks to Martin Iturbide for the news.
OS/2 drivers have been developed for Verizon Wireless PC5220 cards, and testers are needed to try them on a range of laptops. If interested, contact Mark Abramowitz and let him know what OS version you're running, and what hardware you'll be running it on. From VOICE News.
As previously reported, IBM's Software Choice will be completely discontinued on December 10, 2004, including access to the downloads currently available. After that, Software Choice customers will have to make explicit contact with an IBM representative requesting electronic delivery of features made available during their remaining subscription time. Passport Advantage customers can now download updates that they are entitled to from the IBM Support site; there are downloads listed for os2ddpak and os2fixpak. From os2.jp.
Andy Willis, Adrian Gschwend, and Dietrich Teickner have created a new experimental tree for Odin. Unofficial builds will now be based on this; official builds have not existed for many months now, as Innotek apparently has no interest in maintaining it outside of their Innotek Runtime. The CVS tree is available at :pserver:guest@www.netlabs.org:/netlabs.cvs/odin32xp, and there is an archive of most Odin builds, including unofficial ones.
EDM/2 (Electronic Developer Magazine/2) has been hosted at netlabs.org for quite some time now, and is now done with a Wiki, which makes it possible for everyone to add or edit articles. The first article in the new magazine is "An introduction to SOM" by Yuri Prokushev. Thanks to Adrian Gschwend for the news.
Four months after announcing it, Golden Code has finally made their port of Java 1.4.1_07 available for purchase to endusers. It is priced at $42; customers requiring more than 10 seats are requested to contact Golden Code Development directly for volume discount information. It includes a plugin for use with Mozilla (including GCC builds). This is a native port, as opposed to the Odin port from Innotek, and features many improvements over the previous release. For German customers, Juergen Ulbts is organizing a group purchase, contact him if you are interested.
The first alpha version of a Firewire driver (IEEE 1394a) has been released (8/6/2004). This version does not yet enable you to use any devices, but it will show if your Firewire controller is recognized; those based on the VIA
VT6306 chipset are supported, and it should also work with other OHCI compatible controllers. From VOICE News.
The OS/2 Config.Sys editor, Tyra/2, is now available for free (Username: Freeware; Key: 788818476). The source code will be open sourced after removing the registration code. The CSDP (Config.Sys Documentation Project) and Tyra/2 will be given to the Team OS/2 Hamburg e.V. to maintain. Thanks to Joerg Sievers for the news.
Felix Miata has an excellent FAQ on disk partitioning. From VOICE News.
The OS/2 Compatible Hardware List has been updated, and now has over 1600 compatible printers listed. Minor changes to the other device types have also been made. There has also been an update to the PCMCIA Socket Chipsets Matrix. Thanks to Jonas Buys for the info.
The VOICE web site now shows recent News announcements, as posted to the VOICE News mailing list. You can also post news via the web site now.
The latest "testcase" OS/2 kernels (14.097d and above) have a new experimental feature, that allows loading parts of DLLs above the 512MB line. "Any DLL objects that do not need to be called by (for code) or addressed by (for data) 16 bit code can be moved out of the low shared arena... this is the place that most often runs out of room, causing sys0008 and similar." Scott Garfinkle gave an example that "saved nearly 11mb of shared memory address space" on his test system:
EXEHDR /HIGHMEM MMPARTS.DLL EXEHDR /HIGHMEM:1 xx.dllwhere xx is every DLL in mozilla and mozilla/components except npoji6.dll (the Java plugin). Note that for mmparts.dll, you'll need to use an unlock program or boot to a command line. If you have trouble finding the new EXEHDR, you can also try the above512 program.
IBM has updated (1/19/2004) the OS/2 PCM Compatibility Testkit to version 4.9. This is a software package that lets personal computer hardware manufacturers (PCMs) perform self-testing to be listed in IBM's list of compatible systems. This is for testers who want to ensure that their hardware products are compatible with OS/2 Warp.
IBM has released (12/17/2003) Warp 4 FixPak 17 for Software Choice subscribers. Still available (1/10/2001) is the free FixPak 15. FixPak 17 updates the base level of OS/2 to approximately the same level as Convenience Pak FixPak 4. Device drivers are not included, and can be found in the separate Device Driver FixPak. You will need FixTool version 1.44 to install this. My personal preference is to install it using Fix.cmd from FastKick, which eliminates the need for floppies. From VOICE News.
The OS/2 game Master of the Empire has been released as a free download. From os2.jp.
BlueCad 1.0 is now available for free. Unfortunately, this CAD program has only continued on the Windows platform. Thanks to Klaus Staedtler for the news.
The Ultimate OS/2 Newsfeed at Jakesplace is now read-only by default, due to spam problems. If you want to post, you can request a userid and password from support@consultron.ca with the subject line "News Server User Request", and including your name, e-mail address, and city / state / province / country. Registrations from emails in the hotmail.com, yahoo.com, etc domains willl not be accepted, and any abused accounts will be terminated. This news server includes the Sundial news groups, the OS/2 related newsgroups from IBM's news server, Usenet, eComStation.nl, IBM's java news server, Scitech/Openwatcom, and Mozilla.org, for a total of 88 newsgroups. Thanks to Jack Troughton for the info.
InnoTek has announced the WebPack for OS/2, a
comprehensive solution for intranet and internet applications, which includes the InnoTek OS/2 Kit for Java, Macromedia Flash Player for OS/2, InnoTek OS/2 Kit for Acrobat Reader, and InnoTek Font Engine for OS/2. Apparently eCS users are licensed to use these products (most of which are already free for personal use).
Here are some Java tips which may be useful:
SET HOMEDRIVE=X: SET HOMEPATH=\DIR\PATHor if you prefer a root directory you must NOT have a trailing backslash:
SET HOMEDRIVE=X SET HOMEPATH=:The JAVA2_USERHOME variable used by the Innotek/Sun Java does work correctly.
Adrian Gschwend wrote in to announce that GIMP can now (4/7/2003) run on the OS/2 desktop, with the help of Everblue. Gimp is the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, often called the free "Photoshop". It has been available for a long time for XFree86/OS2, and now you can run it without XFree86/OS2 installed. Everblue, the XLib implementation for OS/2 PM, is bundled with GIMP in a WarpIN package for easy installation. There is also a gimp.org page for the OS/2 version, which has further information.
The WPS Toolkit web site has been launched at NetLabs. The Workplace Shell has by far the most innovative and extendible interface of all computer GUIs around. Besides giving you a lot of little helper functions, the API of the Workplace Shell Toolkit encapsulates the complexity of the handling of some of the tasks being the most time consuming to code. The following major APIs of the Workplace Shell Toolkit possibly are of particular interest: Text Message File (TMF) Support, Settings and Details Manager, Extended Attributes Manager, and Memory Mapped Files Manager. Among lots of little additional helpers to show up in future versions the following major APIs are on the todo list: XUL support. There is a programmer's guide and reference available.
IBM has released updates for the OS/2 networking components. MPTS has been updated to revision WR08706, and TCP/IP 4.3 has FixPak UN022206, both of which require a Software Choice subscription. eCS customers can find these on the eComstation site. With this update, MPTS is at version 6.52, and the TCP/IP revisions are: SOCKETS.SYS - 6.3100, AFOS2.SYS - 6.3000, AFINET.SYS - 6.3100. To check your current version, type INETVER at a command prompt. From VOICE News.
Virtual PC for OS/2 version 5.1 has been released (10/21/2002). This allows you to execute additional operating systems on top of your OS/2 desktops. This update comes with a plethora of new features and enhancements. For existing Virtual PC for OS/2 customers, the update is free of charge, and can be downloaded here. You can purchase it for the suggested retail price of Euro 239, from resellers such as Mensys. From OS2.org.
Innotek has updated (9/26/2002) Macromedia Flash version 5 for OS/2. This version supports Netscape 4.61 and Mozilla (including IBM Web Browser). It is now shareware, and can be purchased from Mensys. This version still has the Easter egg in the credits section, look for a red dot, and click on it. Thanks to Klaus Staedtler for the news.
Here's a nice tip for people who are using recent kernels, and have large Windows EXE files (for use with Odin or otherwise). You may have noticed that the WPS takes a VERY long time to display the folders holding these files. The reason for this delay is that OS/2 has to search through the entire file to find the proper icon to display. If you're tired of waiting, add the following to your CONFIG.SYS file:
SET NOLARGENTEXEICON=nWhere n is the number of megabytes OS/2 should scan before assigning a default Windows icon.
IBM has released (8/19/2002) Device Driver FixPak 3, for Software Choice subscribers. eCS customers can find it on the eComstation site. Still available (9/29/2000) is the free Device Driver FixPak 2. Thanks to Andy Willis for the news.
IBM has released (2/25/2002) FixPak 3 for WSeB, which is available via FTP, and on the Software Updates Page. If you want to use the RSU update, you need to get this fix, or install TCP/IP FixPak UN_2101. Thanks to Klaus Staedtler for the news.
IBM has released (1/31/2002) TCP/IP 4.3.2 for Software Choice subscribers. This should include all of the previous fixes, as well as improved support for Java 1.3.
IBM has released (12/28/2001) updates to Java 1.1.8. You must have Java 1.1.8 from Software Choice already installed. Thanks to Klaus Staedtler for the news.
IBM has released (10/26/2001) updated kernels for Warp 4 and WSeB / MCP / ACP (UNI and SMP), as well as updates to JFS, SES, and the dump formatter. There are lots of fixes, and a couple new features: fine-tuning of the clock scale; support for more than 64MB of memory (for machines that previously required Dani's patch to OS2LDR); the internal revision displayed during boot can be suppressed; and trap messages will show the module name, including traps in 32-bit code. Thanks to R.C. for the news.
IBM has created updated (8/4/2001) installation disks for Warp 4. They are for ThinkPads, but should work on other systems as well.
Just like in Microsoft Office, there is a game hidden in the Star Office spreadsheet. Open a new Spreadsheet document, and then enter =GAME("StarWars") in the first cell. It starts a game resembling Space Invaders - the text is German, but it's easy to figure out. From eCS NewsCast.
Complete text of some OS/2 books are now available at OS/2.cz: Advanced OS/2 Programming, Inside OS/2, and Programming The OS/2 Presentation Manager. Note that these are copyrighted materials, so be aware of any local copyright and fair use laws. There is also a free OS/2.cz e-cards calendar for the year 2001. Thanks to Filip Molcan for the news.
IBM has released (3/14/2001) updates for TCP/IP 4.21 and 4.3 to fix the Trap E's that were occurring for dialup users (especially with InJoy). Thanks to Klaus Staedtler for the news. They also released (2/27/2001) updates for TCP/IP 4.21 and 4.3 that fix FTP ASCII transfers, and another update (8/14/2000) for TCP/IP 4.3 that fixes traps when connecting to FTP via Telnet.
IBM has released (1/9/2001) fixpak IP08414 for Warp Peer services. From VOICE News.
FixPak 43, the last FixPak for Warp 3, has been released (10/18/2000). You can get it via FTP or the IBM Software Updates page. It applies to Warp Server and Warp Server SMP only, because all versions of Warp 3 except Server and Server SMP have been dropped from support.
Frank Meilinger has updated (6/17/2000) the Large OS/2 Customer List, check it out.
MPTS has been updated (4/28/2000) to revision WR08621, which contains a 32-bit TCP/IP stack. It requires either WR08600 or WR08610 to be installed. I recommend extracting the disk images to a directory on your hard drive, and installing it from there, since it is much faster. With this update, MPTS is at version 5.50, and the TCP/IP revisions are: SOCKETS.SYS - 6.2004, AFOS2.SYS - 6.2000, AFINET.SYS - 6.2013. To check your current version, type INETVER at a command prompt. Warning: the problems with the InJoy dialer in 32-bit stacks has gotten much worse with this release; it now causes Trap E errors. From WarpCast.
IBM has released (4/27/2000) FixPak UN_2101 for TCP/IP 4.21 (included with WSeB). It should be installed with MPTS 8621.
It seems the 512MB memory limit in Warp 4 has been increased to a maximum of 3GB. With FixPak 13 applied, it defaults to 1GB, but can be tuned via the Config.Sys variable "VIRTUALADDRESSLIMIT=3072" which indicates the value in megabytes, 512-3072.
For those who have stuck with the 16-bit TCP/IP stack (version 4.0x), MPTS WR08425 is now (1/19/2000) available. This will bring your inetver to 4.02y, and requires 8421 or above to be installed. Thanks to Klaus Staedtler for the news. Also available (12/2/99) is FixPak UN_0980. This contains updates to the 16-bit TCP/IP applications, including FTP, FTPD, NewsReader/2, Syslogd, and TCPCOEX. From WarpCast.
IBM has released (1/6/2000) some new fixes for the 32-bit TCP/IP applications. This supersedes UN1001, and requires MPTS 8620. From WarpCast.
Martin Hadam reports IBM has updated (8/16/99) the Feature Installer to version 1.2.5. It "contains enhancements for installation reliability and serviceability."
Tan Le passed on some cool news: IBM has set up phone numbers for a sort of OS/2 advocacy; you can call them to find out the latest news about OS/2 (i.e. Warp Server and Communicator). In the US and Canada, call 888-567-0759, International call 402-220-4040.
FixPak 6 and above includes what seems to be a fix for the Pentium F00F bug. To enable it, add the line "BASEDEV=CMPXCHG8.SYS" to your CONFIG.SYS. You may have to copy this file from the OS2 directory to the OS2\BOOT directory. Thanks to Loren Bandiera for the info.
It's recently been discovered that FixPak 5 and 6 have an extra setting for the WarpCenter. If you add the line "SET MENUSFOLLOWPOINTER=ON" to your Config.sys, the cascading menus work in the same manner as the Windows 95 Start menu; that is, to view the contents of any folder you only need to put the mouse pointer over its icon. Thanks to Loren Bandiera for passing it on.
