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┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │F(ile) M(anager)/2 copyright (c) 1993-95 by M. Kimes (Barebones Software)│ │ All Rights Reserved │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ READ.ME file -- read before installing │ │ See end of document for contact info and license details │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ File Manager/2 (FM/2) is a shareware OS/2 2.1+ PM 32-bit file/directory/archive maintenance utility (a sort of super-Drives object, something midway between the Drives objects and a more traditional file manager) with plenty of bells, whistles and utilities, drag and drop, context menus, toolbars and accelerator keys. If you know how to use OS/2, you already know how to use most of FM/2. You can easily glean the rest from the extensive online help. This document explains how to install FM/2, including upgrading from previous versions. It explains command line syntaxes and how to get the program(s) running. The online help tells you how to actually use FM/2. A separate document (history.txt) lists changes for this version. Another (register.txt) tells you how to register FM/2. If you're interested, there're well over 110 printed pages of documentation in this package, counting only this file and the online help -- did I write all that? The license agreement and author contact info is at the bottom of the file. FM/2 2.x installation instructions: ================================== 1. Unpack the FM2*.ZIP archive in a private directory (UNZIP.EXE works nicely). FM/2 2.x requires its own home directory (FAT or HPFS, doesn't matter). I recommend that it _not_ be your old FM/2 1.x directory (and don't delete the old 1.x version until after you install, so the install program can migrate some of your old settings and registration first). If upgrading from 2.x, just unpack the files in the FM/2 2.x directory and go (you might want to skip ARCHIVER.BB2 if you've customized it). 2. Run the provided INSTALL.CMD (a simple REXX program) in that directory to build a folder and program objects and migrate some old INI information. Rerun INSTALL.CMD if you later move the FM/2 directory. (If you later decide to remove FM/2, run UNINSTAL.CMD in the FM/2 2.x directory and follow simple directions. Both installation and deinstallation are no-brainers. UNINSTAL will help you quickly and easily remove all traces of FM/2 from your system if you don't like it for some reason. All OS/2 programs should be so nice.) INSTALL sets up some associations for you unless you give it NOASSOC as an argument. 3. Run it. Have fun. Full help is available from within the program. If you're unfamiliar with OS/2's WPS, please take the time to run the OS/2 Tutorial before attempting to use FM/2, as FM/2 uses many of the same conventions. Starting FM/2: ============= If you start File Manager/2 (filename FM3.EXE) with no command line arguments, it opens the Drive Tree window but no directory windows (unless the "Save state of dir windows" toggle is checked -- see online help). File Manager/2 optionally accepts names of directories on the command line; it'll open a directory window for each one. Hint: If you often do different specific things with FM/2, you might set up a WPS object customized to start up ideally for each activity. For example, if you wanted to maintain your BBS areas, you might have one object like: "FM3.EXE D:\BBSDIR D:\BBSDIR\MAILIN", and if you also like to use FM/2 to set icons on files, you might have another object like: "FM3.EXE E:\MYICONS D:\NEWFILES". You can exclude drives on the command line by prefacing the drive letter with "/", and there can be more than one drive letter behind the "/" (i.e. "FM3.EXE /BH" to exclude both drives B: and H:). Hint: Many people like to use /B to exclude "phantom" drive B: if they have a single-floppy system. Similarly, you can cause drives NOT to be prescanned by the Drive Tree by prefacing the drive letter with ";", drives NOT to load icons for objects by prefacing the drive letter with ",", drives NOT to load subjects for objects by prefacing the drive letter with "`" and drives NOT to load longnames for objects by prefacing the drive letter with "'". If you place the argument "+" on the command line, FM/2 will log, to FM2.LOG, delete, rename, move and copy operations that are performed by drag-and-drop or with the menus. The command line argument "-" causes FM/2 to ignore, not load or save, the previous state of directory windows (see the "Save state of dir windows" toggle under Config Menu->Toggles in the online help) for that invocation. Installation notes: ================== Please read the following sections in the online help when you start FM/2 for the first time: "How to use FM/2's Help," "Terminology" and "General Help," then "Hints." The rest you can browse as you get time/feel the need; for instance, if you want to know what a toggle does, read the help under Settings notebook->Toggles page. If you prefer hardcopy help, print this file, run FM/2, press CTRL+F1, click the "Print" button at the bottom of the help window that appears and then print both the "Contents" and "All sections" (keep an eye on the printer around page 100 of "All sections" as the Help Manager will begin printing its own help then -- you may want to abort printing at that point). Advanced and/or curious users may also want to print FM3TOOLS.DAT and ARCHIVER.BB2. Be sure you have plenty of paper and ink handy -- the package is well documented. You'll probably also want a three-ring binder and hole punch to get it bound, as staples aren't going through that puppy. You may want to either move ARCHIVER.BB2 (the data file containing information about archiver programs and archive files) to a directory in your PATH= statement or erase this one if you've customized an old one. FM/2 can still find, use and maintain ARCHIVER.BB2 on the PATH; it doesn't have to be in FM/2's directory (this allows it to be used by other programs as well, like XGroup, XBBS/2, LA, AV, ZTreeBold, etc.). Remember, FM/2 needs OS/2, not DOS, archivers. If FM/2 refuses to run, the most likely culprit is CONFIG.SYS. Your LIBPATH statement should begin with "." (shorthand for "the default directory"), as in: LIBPATH=.;C:\OS2\DLL;C:\OS2\MDOS;<etc.> This is the default OS/2 installation, but a few folks, or programs they've installed, have changed it. I've separated many of the standalone utilities that I used to include with FM/2 into another archive (FM2UTILS.ZIP). Since I update the utilties far less frequently than FM/2 itself, this allows you to download less and still keep up to date. To get the maximum use out of FM/2, you should pick up the package. If you can't find it where you found this archive, bug your sysop to pick it up. Bonus programs: -------------- You'll note the extra objects that the Install program creates in the File Manager/2 folder. FM/2 is modular, so that you can get directly to some of its components without running the entire ball of wax. This may allow you to enhance the behavior of some of your other applications in the WPS tradition. You don't _have_ to keep these around, of course -- FM/2 itself contains all their functionality. Archive Viewer/2: Intended for drag-and-drop operation (or WPS association) with WPS objects or other applications. Drag an archive onto it, drop it, get an archive listing box. FM/2's installation program sets up some associations between archive files and this program by file extension (run INSTALL with "NOASSOC" as an argument if you don't want them). AV/2 will try to display whatever you give it as sensibly as it can. Filename AV2.EXE. SysIcon: Intended to let you change a system pointer by dragging an icon/pointer file (*.ICO or *.PTR) onto it, then picking the pointer to replace. You can reset a pointer by starting it without arguments. Filename DOICON.EXE. EA Viewer: Drag a file system object onto it and it'll show you the object's extended attributes. Filename EAS.EXE. INI Viewer: Drag an .INI file onto it and it'll show you its contents. Filename INI.EXE. Bookshelf Viewer: Shows all .INF files in a listbox and lets you pick the one(s) you want to view. If you give any command line argument, the .HLP files on the HELP path will be shown instead (the Helpfile Viewer object calls VIEWINFS.EXE with "dummy" for an argument, for example). Filename VIEWINFS.EXE. Process Killer: Lets you kill off renegade processes. An English version of PSTAT.EXE must be on your PATH. Filename KILLPROC.EXE. Undeleter: Lets you undelete files (via interface with UNDELETE.COM). Drag a file system object onto it and it'll let you undelete files for that drive. Filename UNDEL.EXE. Visual Tree: Opens a Drive Tree window (like the WPS Drives object with more horsepower). Filename VTREE.EXE. Visual Directory: Opens a Directory Container window; drag a file system object onto it and this will open its directory (like a WPS directory Folder with more horsepower). Filename VDIR.EXE. Collector: Opens a Collector window. Filename VCOLLECT.EXE. Two other objects, "See all files" and "Seek and scan" are created which call up the Collector and go directly to dialogs for the appropriate purpose. Databar: Opens a databar showing some system information. Filename DATABAR.EXE. FM/2's install creates FM2.CMD, AV2.CMD, VDIR.CMD, VTREE.CMD, VCOLLECT.CMD, UNDEL.CMD, KILLPROC.CMD, INI.CMD, EAS.CMD, VIEWINFS.CMD and VIEWHELP.CMD files for you in a directory "utils" off the install directory. You should add this directory to your PATH= statement in CONFIG.SYS (type HELP PATH at a command line for more info). If you prefer, FM/2's INSTALL builds a SETENV.CMD in the FM/2 directory which you can call to set the PATH for FM/2 in any given session without modifying CONFIG.SYS. Additional documentation: ======================== Register.txt: How to register FM/2. Associat.txt: Some association recommendations FM/2 isn't free, it's shareware: =============================== To register FM/2, fill out REGISTER.TXT and send to the mailing address listed in it, together with the purchase price (commercial users, there's a 5% discount for each ten commercial licenses, up to one hundred licenses, where the price flattens, so you get a total 50% discount on each license for one hundred or more licenses in one order -- see REGISTER.TXT for a table). Registration gets rid of the initial about box and closing screen, eases your conscience and makes the world safe for truth, justice, the democratic way and further FM/2 updates, not necessarily in that order. Registrations are good for one year or one full version change (i.e. 2.00 -> 3.01), whichever comes last. Versions before a full version change stay registered forever. Considering the price, the program and the upgrade policy, I don't think you can beat FM/2 with a stick. But then, I'm a prejudiced jerk. (Someone asked me why registrations are cheaper for personal use than for commercial use. I thought it was obvious, but I guess it's not. I feel that individual, private use of software should be cheaper than use in an environment where it's contributing to making money. I feel that much software is already priced far too high for individual, private users as it is, and therefore I give individual, private users a 50% break. It just seems fair to me, and I've got to live with myself. Please don't bother trying to send me a commercial check for a personal registration -- I don't even return them any more, I just throw them away.) If you have a CIS address, _be sure_ to fill it in on REGISTER.TXT. You'll get your registration information much more quickly that way. You can also register online via Compuserve's Shareware Registration service (GO SWREG) and is #2859 for personal registrations, #4228 for commercial -- warning: the price is a bit higher to give CIS a cut (CIS will show it to you first). Support is currently being provided in the CIS OS/2 Shareware forum (GO OS2SHARE) and regular updates are posted there. Speaking of updates, I tend to put them up _very_ regularly (incrementing the version number by .01 each time). I'm one of those fellows who likes to always have some new software to play with, so I figure others might, too. Besides, it's fun. Don't feel obligated to get each new release if you don't like updating. Technical stuff: =============== There are some limitations to FM/2, imposed by OS/2 2.1's current 16-bit subsystems (hopefully OS/2 3.0 will remove some or all of these). It's possible to overload PM's resources and crash OS/2. For instance, if I Collect all the files on all my drives, totaling over 9000 files, PM will cease up; for another, trying to list a directory containing hundreds of large icons will cause OS/2 to hang (in FM/2 _or_ a WPS folder!). Listbox limitations are more obvious -- a listbox under OS/2 2.1 cannot contain more than 64k of information (less some system overhead). Containers are better, but even they have their (undocumented) limits (about 320k as nearly as I can tell, though there seems to be a random element involved). There also seems to be a bug in WinLoadFileIcon when called repeatedly (around 512 times in quick succession, though why "quick succession" seems to be required I don't know, and the size of the icons loaded may also be involved). If you receive a message box telling you that PM is out of resources, you've slammed head-on into an OS/2 limitation (you won't always be notified -- the result is sometimes just an unexplained system lockup). The good news is that, as OS/2 is improved, these limitations should vanish without changes to FM/2. The bad news is that there's no way around them, that I know of, at the present time (though again I emphasize that OS/2 3.0 is just over the horizon and may cure some or all of the problems) except to avoid situations where they occur. LAN troubleshooting: ------------------- FM/2 has been tested by users with the following LAN software: LAN Server: No known problems. TCP/IP: No known problems. Novell: Earlier versions had problems that have been corrected. If you encounter problems, upgrade. LANtastic: Somewhat buggy -- contact Artisoft and ask for a fix. They know about the problems but could use some "guidance" from their users. +----------------------------------------+ | IMPORTANT! Read before distributing! | +----------------------------------------+ Simple license statement: ======================== You are granted a license to try this shareware program (FM/2) for up to thirty (30) days, after which you must register or discontinue its use. Permission is granted to redistribute the unaltered shareware archive for a reasonable (read nominal, small) copying charge (FM/2 may specifically not be packaged with a commercial book without requesting and obtaining permission (common courtesy -- remember, "copyright" means literally "the right to control who copies the material"). If you write a review on FM/2, I'd certainly appreciate a courtesy copy of the review.). All rights are reserved by the author. That's me. There is NO warranty. Support is NOT guaranteed to unregistered users. Contact info: ============ Mark Kimes (CIS 74601,1327; Fidonet#1:380/16.0; (318)222-3455 data)