The Arsenal Files 6/The Arsenal Files 6 (Arsenal Computer).ISO/os2/tmfaq.zip/TMFAQ23.TXT

Text File | 1996-01-17 | 43KB | 997 lines

Team OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List

Version 2.3 (16th Jan 1995)

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Available on the World Wide Web at:

   * USA: http://www.teamos2.org/faq
   * UK + Europe: http://www.aber.ac.uk/~ccs95/teamfaq.html

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Abstract

This document contains a list of questions and answers about that wholly
remarkable organisation, Team OS/2. It is maintained by Christian Scarborough.
Corrections, as well as constructive criticism, suggestions for improvement and
additions, and large sums of money are all welcome, and can be submitted to the
following addresses:

Internet: [e-mail] (preferred), [e-mail]

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Disclaimer and Copyright Notice

This document is based entirely on my personal opinions about Team OS/2, and
any inaccuracies are therefore my fault. In no way does this document
constitute the official opinion of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (who
probably don't even know what OS/2 is), or IBM itself.

The document is provided AS IS, without warranty of any kind. The author is not
liable for any loss or damage resulting from use of information contained
herein, correct or otherwise.

All trademarks are copyright of their respective owners.

Copyright Christian Scarborough 1994-1996 (except where otherwise stated).
License is hereby granted to freely distribute this document in any form,
provided no fee (other than a reasonable distribution charge, where applicable)
is charged, and that this copyright notice remains intact. This document may
not be reproduced in any way, either in full or in part, as part of a
commercial venture (including but not limited to CD-ROM distribution and
magazine articles) without my express written permission.

An explicit exception to the above license is hereby granted to the producers
of the Walnut Creek OS/2 Shareware CD ROM, who may include this document on
their distribution.

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Contents

  1. General Questions
       a. What is Team OS/2 about?
            1. What exactly is Team OS/2?
            2. How did Team OS/2 originate?
            3. What does Team OS/2 do?
            4. I'd like to do one of the things mentioned above, but I'm a bit
               nervous about going it alone. Is there anyone I can ask for
               help?
            5. What is Team OS/2's position on Windows, Windows 95, NT, and
               other competing software?
       b. IBM and Team OS/2
            1. What is IBM's relationship with Team OS/2?
            2. Do I have to work for IBM to be a Team OS/2 member?
            3. How do I contact IBM's Team OS/2 support?
       c.  How do I join?
            1. How do I join Team OS/2?
            2. How do I get my name placed on the register of Teamers?
  2. Where to contact Team OS/2 members
       a. Electronic conferences
            1. Fidonet
            2. Internet / Usenet
            3. Prodigy
            4. CompuServe / CIX
            5. GEnie
            6. Delphi
            7. America Online
            8. WWIVnet
       b. Face to face
            1. User groups
            2. Computer shows / store demos
  3. Team OS/2 sources of information
       a. Where are the principal sources of Team info?
            1. Fidonet
            2. Internet
            3. Others
       b. What general documents are available?
            1. The Team OS/2 FAQ
            2. The OS/2 FAQ
            3. The Team OS/2 membership list
            4. OS/2 installation help file
            5. Trap error guide v1.01
            6. OS/2 2.1 performance improvements
            7. OS/2 performance tuning
            8. Stupid OS/2 Tricks
            9. APAR lists
           10. CONFIG.SYS documents
           11. OS/2 shipping applications
           12. OS/2 BBS list
           13. Hardware compatibility table
           14. The Good, Bad and Ugly hardware list
           15. Workplace Shell keys reference
           16. OS/2 Awards
       c. What newsletters are available?
            1. Team OS/2 newsletter
            2. San Diego OS/2 User Group newsletter
            3. IBM Developer Support News
            4. Others
       d. Where can OS/2 promotional items / software be obtained?
            1. Indelible Blue Inc. (USA)
            2. Lees-Keystone (USA)
            3. The OS/2 Solution Centre (UK)
            4. OneStop Software (UK)
  4. A brief history of OS/2
       a. History
       b. Versions
  5. Team OS/2 related jargon
  A. Appendix - The Fidonet Team OS/2 echo
       1. What is Fidonet?
       2. What is the Fidonet Team OS/2 echo?
       3. How do I carry the echo on my bulletin board?
       4. Who moderates the Team OS/2 echo?
       5. Why are technical questions about OS/2 off topic in the Team OS/2
          echo?
  B. Appendix - Revision History

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1) General OS/2 questions

1(a) What is Team OS/2 about?

Question 1(a).1 - What exactly is Team OS/2?

Team OS/2 is a highly informal organisation dedicated to telling the world
about the advantages of Operating System/2 (OS/2), an advanced operating system
for personal computers. Faced with a large amount of ignorance and
misinformation about OS/2, Teamers respond by demonstrating the operating
system to others, and educating them about its strengths and weaknesses.
Teamers are all volunteers with a genuine enthusiasm for OS/2 that translates
into a wish to spread that enthusiasm to others.

Question 1(a).2 - How did Team OS/2 originate?

Shortly before the release of version 2 of OS/2, an IBM employee called Dave
Whittle had an idea. He, like many others at that time, could see that OS/2 was
an excellent program, but like many others, he was frustrated by the lack of
attention that it was receiving in the computer press and elsewhere. As a
result, he decided to form a group of OS/2 enthusiasts who would help each
other to promote OS/2 at the grass roots level. This organisation grew beyond
his wildest dreams to encompass Teamers both inside and outside of IBM.
Currently, Team OS/2 has more than six thousand members worldwide. Less than 5%
of these are IBM employees.

Question 1(a).3 - What does Team OS/2 do?

Anything that promotes OS/2 to other people. Examples include, but are not
limited to:

   * Showing OS/2 to friends and workmates.
   * Demonstrating OS/2 to local stores, sometimes "adopting" a store.
   * Participating in electronic conferences discussing OS/2.
   * Helping exhibitors at computer shows to set up OS/2 demonstrations, and
     answering OS/2 questions.
   * Promoting OS/2 at user groups, possibly starting Special Interest Groups
     dealing with OS/2, or starting OS/2 user groups.
   * Running OS/2 BBS systems, carrying OS/2 files.

Not to mention anything else that springs to mind, often on the spur of the
moment. Above all, Teamers do what they do because it is fun.

Question 1(a).4 - I'd like to do one of the things mentioned above, but I'm a
bit nervous about going it alone. Is there anyone I can ask for help?

Yes. Many Teamers are willing to offer advice through electronic conferences,
and you may be able to find Teamers local to you this way. For demos, you might
like to get in touch with IBM's Team OS/2 support group (see Section 1(b)
below), or your local IBM office, if you have one. If you are setting up an
OS/2 User Group, then IBM can also offer some help; contact
[e-mail] via the Internet. In particular, the Fidonet Team OS/2
echo has many contributors that also run user groups.

Question 1(a).5 - What is Team OS/2's position on Windows, Windows 95, NT, and
other competing software?

Well, Team OS/2 is an informal organisation, and as such has no views on
anything. In my experience, and yours may differ, the majority of Teamers feel
that OS/2 is good enough that we can promote it on it's own merits, rather than
resort to rubbishing competing products, which can often give a bad impression,
alienating people who might otherwise enjoy using OS/2.

1(b) IBM and Team OS/2

Question 1(b).1 - What is IBM's relationship with Team OS/2?

IBM has no control or authority over the activities of Team OS/2. It does
provide formal support for Team OS/2 activities, such as the loan of computers
for demonstrations, OS/2 store packs, etc, in a similar way to the support it
offers to OS/2 user groups. IBM also maintains a register of Team OS/2 members
(see Section 1(c) below), and produces a Team OS/2 newsletter, both distributed
electronically.

IBM's support for Team OS/2 is strongest within the USA, but they now have
liasons in sixteen other countries. Their email addresses are listed in section
1(b).3.

Question 1(b).2 - Do I have to work for IBM to be a Team OS/2 member?

The answer to this question is a categorical NO. Although Team OS/2 contains
many IBMers who are active participants, the vast majority are users,
programmers, students, and other enthusiasts from outside of IBM.

Question 1(b).3 - How do I contact IBM's Team OS/2 support?

Any of the following may be used, but electronic mail is preferred

Internet (Team OS/2 Support):         [e-mail]
Internet (Team OS/2 Newsletter):      [e-mail]
Internet (PC User Group Support):     [e-mail]
Telephone:        Anita Venable, Team OS/2 Support, at [phone]

International contacts:

Caveat: This information is very old, and I have no idea how accurate it is.

Argentina:        Juan Sortheix - [e-mail]
Australia:        Peter Kelley - [e-mail]
Austria:          Georg Hascheck - [e-mail]
                  Ludwig Eder -  [e-mail]
Belgium:          Frank Vandewiele - <address unknown>
Canada:           Arylnn Poczynek - [e-mail]
Denmark:          Carsten Joost - [e-mail]
Germany;          Andreas Claus Kistner - [e-mail]
Ireland:          Scott Myles - [e-mail]
Japan:            Kaoru Sudo - <address unknown>
Latvia:           Harry Bush - [e-mail], Fido 2:51/2
Netherlands:      Jeroen van den Horn - [e-mail]
Portugal:         Pedro Soares - <address unknown>
Singapore:        Jason Ho Yong Sing - <address unknown>
South Africa:     Faridah Hoosen - <address unknown>
                  Glenn Fermoyle - <address unknown>
                  Francois van der Merwe - <address unknown>
Spain:            Xavier Caballe - [e-mail]
Sweden:           Mats Pettersson - [e-mail]
Switzerland:      Thomas Straumann -
                  [e-mail]
UK:               Andrew Agerbak - [e-mail]

1(c) How do I join?

Question 1(c).1 - How do I join Team OS/2?

Joining Team OS/2 is very simple. There is no formal membership application
process. All that is necessary is to do something that promotes OS/2 to others,
no matter how large or small, and you are entitled to call yourself a Team OS/2
member. Once you have done this, you may wish to place the text "Team OS/2" in
any electronic messages you send, and you may wish to have your name placed on
the register of Teamers kept by IBM, but neither of these steps are essential
to becoming a Team OS/2 member, just a willingness to promote OS/2 to others.

Question 1(c).2 - How do I get my name placed on the register of Teamers?

The following is quoted from a document by Janet Gobeille

The Team OS/2 Support group keeps a database of members that we then sort and
upload to the electronic networks so that you can find each other. For this
database, please send the following information to one of the addresses in
section 1(b).3 above:

  1. Your Name
  2. Mailing address (only the city, state, and country will be published)
  3. May we release your address to vendors who wish to do mailings to Team
     OS/2 members? (Yes or no)
  4. userids and networks / email addresses
  5. Optional: you can include a short (1-2 line) description to be included
     with your name. Sometimes software developers like to mention which
     products they've written or BBS operators include how to reach their BBS.
  6.  Also please let us know what you've been doing so that you feel you
     qualify for Team OS/2.

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2) How to contact Team OS/2 members

2(a) Electronic conferences

Teamers frequent many electronic conferences, some of which are listed below.
If there is a conference that you know of that is not listed below, please let
me know.

2(a).1 - Fidonet

The Fidonet echo TEAMOS2 is on the echo backbone in Zones 1 and 2, and is also
taken by sites in zones 3 and 6. It serves as a meeting place for Teamers
worldwide to discuss issues relating to Team activities, as well as serving as
a point of contact for many OS/2 user groups.

There are also several national Fidonet echoes in existence, for example
Germany and France both have national language Team OS/2 echoes.

2(a).2 - Internet / Usenet

The newsgroup alt.org.team-os2 is specifically devoted to Team OS/2, although
many Teamers also follow the newsgroups in the comp.os.os2 hierarchy. Of
particular interest to Teamers is the comp.os.os2.advocacy newsgroup, also
frequented by several staunch NT supporters. some of the posts in this
newsgroup are rather extreme in nature - you have ben warned!

There are also a couple of OS/2 related mailing lists. To subscribe to one of
these lists, send mail to the address specified with a blank subject line and
the text

    sub <list name> <your first name> <your surname>

in the message text, filling in your details as appropriate. Do not include an
explanation or signature, as the request will be processed automatically.

List name: os2users
Location: McGill University in Canada
Topic: general OS/2 discussion
Address: [e-mail]

List name: os2-l
Location: the Netherlands
Topic: general OS/2 discussion
Address: [e-mail]

List name: team-os2
Location: the Netherlands
Topic: Grass roots promotion of OS/2
Addresses: [e-mail]

List name: teamhelp
Location: the Netherlands
Topic: Team OS/2 help desk
Addresses: [e-mail]

2(a).3 - Prodigy

Seek out the OS/2 club, which has both files for downloading and message areas.

2(a).4 - CompuServe / CIX

'Go OS2USER'. Section 9 is dedicated to Team OS/2.

2(a).5 - GEnie

The OS/2 roundtable (page 1400) is the place to look here. Look out for the
announcements of upcoming Realtime Conferences (RTCs) in the Upcoming Bulletin
Board conferences section.

2(a).6 - Delphi

The Teamers here are to be found hanging out on Custom Forum 41.

2(a).7 - America Online

Head for the Computing icon, OS/2 topic. AOL has regularly-scheduled OS/2 chats
on Tuesdays at 11:30 p.m., Thursdays at 9 p.m., and Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. EST
(Grenwich Mean Time minus 5 hours.)

2(a).8 - WWIVnet

Dave Allen Walker hosts a Team OS/2 subboard on WWIVnet, which can be
subscribed to from WWIVnet or WWIVlink as follows:

     Subtype: TEAMOS2
     Host:
          WWIVnet: @5555
          WWIVlink: @19984

2(b) Face to face

Often it's nice to meet fellow Teamers in the flesh too. There are two main
places where there is a good chance of meeting Teamers face to face.

2(b).1 - User groups

OS/2 user groups usually have a large contingent of Teamer members, and there
may be one near you. These are mostly found within the USA, although the
International OS/2 User Group is based in Cirencester, UK and many other
countries (such as Genmany) now have their own user groups.

A list of OS/2 User Groups is beyond the scope of this document. An up to date
list of such groups worldwide may be found within the latest issue of the Team
OS/2 newsletter - see section 3(c).1 for details.

2(b).2 - Computer shows / store demos

If you are planning to attend a computer show, it is possible that you will
find a group of Teamers helping out there. If you would like to help out with
Team activities at the show, then contact IBM's Team OS/2 support, who will
probably be able to put you in touch with those organising Team OS/2's
presence. Also, Teamers will often help out at store demos of OS/2.

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3) Team OS/2 sources of information

This section is concerned mainly with the electronic distribution of Team OS/2
and general OS/2 related information, although the final sub-section covers
OS/2 promotional items and software by mail order.

3(a) Where are the principle sources of OS/2 information / software?

This section is classified by electronic network.

3(a).1 - Fidonet

An extensive selection of OS/2 related material is distributed on file echos
called the "Fernwood Collection" and is maintained on the Bear Garden BBS in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. FWOS2INFO is the place to look for Team
OS/2 info, much of which can also be FReqed (see glossary) from Janet
Gobeille's BBS (1:382/902).

Also worth a mention is the OS/2 Shareware BBS (sysop Pete Norloff, node
1:109/347), located in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, phone number 703-385-4325,
carrying one of the widest selections of OS/2 related files and echos in the
the world. The BBS is also connected to the Internet at bbs.os2bbs.com
(subscribers only) and the WWW at http://www.os2bbs.com.

In England, Monusci, the BBS of the International OS/2 User Group is a good
source of OS/2 information and files, and access is not restricted to User
Group members. The Sysop is Mike Gove, node number 2:255/100, phone number
[phone].

3(a).2 - Internet

Several OS/2 related anonymous ftp sites are available on the Internet. The two
main sites are

    ftp-os2.nmsu.edu               Directory: /os2
    ftp.cdrom.com                  Directory: /pub/os2

IBM's own official OS/2 FTP site is located at

    software.watson.ibm.com        Directory: /pub/os2

The IBM OS/2 device driver repository is at

    ftp.europe.ibm.com              Directory: /psmemea/os2drivers

These sites are mirrored in several places around the world, including

    src.doc.ic.ac.uk (England)      Directory: /computing/systems/os2
    ftp.funet.fi/pub/os2 (Finland)  Directory: /pub/os2
    ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de   Directory: /pub/comp/os/os2
        (Germany)

A more comprehensive list of FTP sites can be found in the OS/2 FAQ.

For information about ftp, consult the glossary in Section 5

In addition, IBM operate an experimental gopher server at index.almaden.ibm.com
containing many OS/2 related files.

There have been an enormous number of OS/2 related World Wide Web sites set up
recently, so much so that it is impossible to list them all here. However, a
couple of sites worth looking at, from which you should be able to find the
rest, are:

www.ibm.com                 IBM's own WWW site
www.europe.ibm.com          IBM Europe
www.teamos2.org             Team OS/2's home on the Web
www.mit.edu:8001/activities/os2/os2world.html
                            The MIT OS/2 home page

3(a).3 - Others

Any details of OS/2 sources on other networks would be greatly appreciated.

3(b) What general documents are available?

3(b).1 - The Team OS/2 FAQ - TMFAQ23.ZIP

Well, you are reading it at the moment. Anything I could say about it seems
slightly superfluous in the light of that fact.

3(b).2 - The OS/2 FAQ - WARPFAQ3.ZIP

This is a list of questions and answers related to OS/2 generally, maintained
by Timothy Sipples. It is posted at regular intervals in the ,a
href="news:comp.os.o2.advocacy>comp.os.os2.advocacy newsgroup, and can be found
on many ftp sites, as well as some BBSes. There are a small number of FAQs
concerned with more specific aspects of OS/2, such as programming. For a list
of these, please consult the OS/2 FAQ.

3(b).3 - The Team OS/2 membership list - TEAMOS.ZIP

This document, widely distributed on BBSes, is a list of all the Team OS/2
members worldwide who have submitted their names to IBM, along with their
location (city and country), and any electronic addresses, enabling Teamers
local to each other to get in touch. The filename is TEAMxx.ZIP (xx being a
version number).

3(b).4 - OS/2 installation help file

A list of problems and fixes for use when installing OS/2 2.1, in INF format.
Filename is probably INSIN2.ZIP.

3(b).5 - Trap error guide v1.01 - TRAPINF.ZIP

INF file containing a brief description of OS/2 Trap messages and what they
really mean. File name: TRAP.ZIP (?)

3(b).6 - OS/2 2.1 performance improvements

An INF file describing Workplace Shell performance improvements in OS/2 2.1.
Filename: WP21PERF.ZIP

3(b).7 - OS/2 performance tuning.

INF file containing tips to allow you to fine tune your system settings for
better OS/2 performance. Filename: OS2PERF.ZIP

3(b).8 - Stupid OS/2 Tricks - TRICKS6.ZIP

A list of useful (and not so useful) things you can do to your OS/2 system in
INF format.

3(b).9 - APAR lists - 30APR1.ZIP

APARs are known problems with OS/2 that IBM is in the process of fixing. The
lists contain details of the bugs that IBM know about.

3(b).10 - CONFIG.SYS documents

There are currently two ASCII documents explaining what the sometimes rather
cryptic statements in the OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file mean. These are CFGS_11.ZIP and
OS2CFG11.ZIP. I would recommend downloading a program called CFGINFO4.ZIP that
makes CONFIG.SYS editing easier, and also contains a copy of OS2CFG11.ZIP.

3(b).11 - OS/2 shipping applications - OS2_APPS.TXT

Just that. A list of currently shipping applications for OS/2. Often useful
when countering rumours that there are no OS/2 applications available.

3(b).12 - OS/2 BBS list - OS2WORLD.ZIP

Contains a list of BBSes that carry OS/2 files and echos throughout the world.

3(b).13 - Hardware compatibility table - PCMTAB.ZIP

Contains a list of hardware that has been tested by IBM and found to be
compatible with OS/2. This can be very useful when buying new hardware, or for
finding out if OS/2 will run on a friend's machine.

3(b).14 - The Good, Bad and Ugly hardware list - GBU109.ZIP

Similar to the hardware table above, but is compiled from feedback from users
who tried to get their hardware running under OS/2. It is in INF format, and is
organised by peripheral type (e.g. 'soundcards').

3(b).15 - Workplace Shell keys reference - WPSKEYS.TXT

A concise reference containing keyboard shortcuts for various operations.

3(b).16 - OS/2 Awards - OS2AWARD.ZIP

An IBM produced listing of awards that OS/2 has won

3(c) What newsletters are available

3(c).1 - Team OS/2 newsletter - TNEW10.ZIP

This electronic newsletter from IBM in INF format aims to keep Teamers
worldwide informed and up to date on Team activities worldwide. This should be
widely available. Available from many BBSes as TNEWxx.ZIP (xx is the version
number).

3(c).2 - San Diego OS/2 User Group newsletter - SDIN9410.ZIP

An extremely well presented and professional INF format newsletter produced for
the San Diego OS/2 User Group, but distributed worldwide via Fidonet and the
Internet. Edited by Dave Sichak, each edition contains OS/2 related articles
and reviews, as well as a worldwide list of OS/2 User groups. This is worth
checking out. The newsletter has now gone print only, but electronic back
issues are still available.

3(c).3 - IBM Developer Support News - DSN95AA.ZIP

An INF format magazine produced by IBM and aimed at programmers working with
OS/2. This magazine tends to contain articles of a more technical nature. The
latest filename can be calculated according to the following archaic formula,
reproduced from the newsletter itself:

Issue  Date       Zipped       ASCII        .INF        .PS        Pages

 10    15 Aug     dsn4ja.zip = dsn4j.asc                           106
                  dsn4ji.zip =              dsn4j.inf
                  dsn4jp.zip =                          dsn4j.ps

 11    14 Sep     dsn4ka.zip = dsn4k.asc                            54

Explanation of names of zipped files for 1993 Issue 7 and later:

  DSNymA = Developer Support News 199y issue m ASCII (plain-text)
  DSNymI = Developer Support News 199y issue m .INF  (use OS/2 VIEW)
  DSNymP = Developer Support News 199y issue m .PS   (PostScript)

where y = last digit of year (3, 4, ...)
      m = issue represented as alpha (1=A, ..., 7=G, 8=H, ...)


For example, DSN3GI is 1993 issue 7 (=G), the 15 October issue, in .INF format
(after being unzipped).

3(c).4 - Others

Here is a short list of some of the other newsletters available:

CON1195.ZIP - OS/2 Connect
EDMI3_6.ZIP - Electronic Developer's Magazine/2
PROS1195,ZIP - PROS/2 - Tampa Bay OS/2 Users Group Newsletter

3(d) Where can OS/2 promotional items / software be found?

3(d).1 - Indelible Blue Inc. (USA)

Indelible Blue is an OS/2 only mail order vendor with a large stock of
applications. They also have franchises worldwide. Any details on these would
be much appreciated.

Address:        Indelible Blue, Inc.,
                3209 Gresham Lake Road,
                Suite 135,
                Raleigh, North Carolina, 27615
                USA

Phone:          [phone] (USA only), 919-878-9700
Fax:            919-878-7479
Office Hours:   8:30am - 7:00 pm EST Monday-Friday.
CompuServe:     70670,2352
WWW:            http://www.indelible-blue.com/ib

3(d).2 - Lees-Keystone (USA)

Lees-Keystone stock a wide range of OS/2 trinkets and promotional items such as
mouse mats, car stickers etc. They also stock Team OS/2 specific items such as
T-shirts.

Lees-Keystone are known for having high shipping costs. Be sure to check these
before ordering.

Phone:          [phone] (USA only)
                [phone]
Fax:            [phone]

3(d).3 - The OS/2 Solution Centre (UK)

An offshoot of the International OS/2 User group, based at the same address,
this mail order vendor stocks a large range of OS/2 products and services,
aimed primarily at business customers.

Address:        The OS/2 Solution Centre,
                Barton House,
                Barton Lane,
                Cirencester,
                Gloucestershire,
                GL7 2EE
                ENGLAND

Phone:          [phone]
Fax:            [phone]

3(d).4 - OneStop Software (UK)

OneStop Software aim to be the most comprehensive source of OS/2 products in
Europe. They will ship outside the UK.



Address:        OneStop Software
                Maggs House
                78 Queens Road
                Clifton
                BS8 1QX
                United Kingdom

Phone:          [phone]
                (9.30 - 5.30 Mon. - Fri. - answering machine out of hours)
Fax:            [phone]
WWW:            http://www.onestop.co.uk

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4) A brief history of OS/2

This section is intended to give an introduction to the history of OS/2, as
well as a brief explanation of the rather confusing splintering of OS/2
versions that has occurred recently.

4(a) - History of OS/2

In 1987, IBM and Microsoft released OS/2 version 1.0 as the successor to MS
DOS, the PC operating system shipped with the original IBM PC. OS/2 ran on a
286 or better processor, and required a minimum of 2MB of RAM.

OS/2 version 1 was enhanced and improved jointly by IBM and MS, and for version
1.1 a GUI (see Glossary below) was added. Version 1.2 introduced the High
Performance File System (HPFS), and also a plethora of bugs.

At about this time, MS and IBM started to disagree over the future of OS/2, and
Microsoft pulled out of the project, leaving IBM to develop a more stable OS/2
1.3 on its own.

OS/2 1.x never sold in great volume, and enjoyed only a moderate success in the
corporate market for a variety of reasons. It did not run on most non-IBM
manufactured hardware, was not really backwardly compatible (having very
limited DOS program support), and suffered from a lack of applications.

In 1991, IBM released OS/2 version 2.0, a new version of OS/2 for 386 and
higher processors requiring a minimum of 4MB (6MB for practical purposes) of
RAM, and featuring a redesigned object oriented GUI called the Workplace Shell.
It also introduced multiple DOS sessions that would run the majority of old DOS
applications, as well as built in support for Windows programs through a
licensed version of the Windows 3.0 code.

Version 2.1 added improvements in performance and usability, as well as Windows
3.1 support and built in multimedia. IBM then followed this up with OS/2 for
Windows, which would take users' existing copies of Windows, and modify them to
allow them to run under OS/2. The next release of OS/2, called OS/2 Warp
version 3, built on this with substantial an improved install process, reduced
memory requirements, and support for many more hardware devices. This was
followed by OS/2 Warp Connect, which added full TCP/IP support and Peer to Peer
networking to the Warp bundle.

4(b) - The OS/2 family

There are a number of versions of OS/2 about. Hopefully this will explain the
differences. Where products have not yet been released, details are obviously
sketchy and subject to change.

   * OS/2 1.x - The original release of OS/2

   * OS/2 2.0 - The first release of OS/2 specifically for 386 or better
     computers.

   * OS/2 2.1 - An enhanced version of 2.0 with multimedia and Windows 3.1
     support.

   * OS/2 for Windows - A version of OS/2 that is functionally the same as OS/2
     2.1, but comes without any Windows code, and can use genuine Windows 3.x
     code that the user has already purchased from Microsoft instead of making
     her pay for a new Windows license. Surprisingly enough, OS/2 for Windows
     does not require Windows to run. Windows is only needed to run Windows
     programs under OS/2. Users of OS/2 2.x cannot upgrade to OS/2 for Windows.

   * OS/2 SMP - SMP stands for symmetric multiprocessing. This is a version of
     OS/2 that is capable of using the greater power of PCs that have a number
     of processors in them. As a rule, such PCs are normally used as file
     servers on large networks, so this product is aimed at the corporate
     market.

   * OS/2 2.99, Warp, Performance OS/2 - These names were all used to refer to
     the beta test version of OS/2 Warp version 3 (see below).

   * OS/2 Warp version 3 - The current mainstream release of the OS/2 family.
     It is reported to be faster and more responsive than earlier versions of
     OS/2 (although not in some systems - particularly those with slow disks),
     with smaller memory requirements. It also includes a number of useability
     enhancements, such as a LaunchPad for quickly launching applications. The
     first version of Warp to be released was based on the OS/2 for Windows
     code, and so did not ship with Windows code included.

     Warp comes in four flavours: OS/2 Warp, OS/2 with Win-OS/2, OS/2 Warp
     Connect and OS/2 Warp Connect with Win-OS/2. The 'with WIN-OS/2' versions
     include Windows code from IBM (as well as the cost of a Windows licence,
     naturally). Users of OS/2 2.1 can upgrade to 'with Win-OS/2' versions of
     OS/2 Warp. The Connect versions are designed to allow easy connection to
     local area networks, and come with built in peer to peer networking
     facilities.

   * OS/2 for PowerPC - A version of OS/2 for the PowerPC platform, expected
     sometime in 1995.

   * OS/2 Warp Server - OS/2 Warp Connect integrated with IBM LAN server 4.0.
     This version of Warp is still being beta tested, but is designed for
     networked computers serving files and printers to other computers on the
     network.

   * Merlin - OS/2 version 3.1 beta. Currently in early development with a
     possible public beta program occurring sometime after the start of March
     1996, and eventual release in mid 1996. this will be the last release of
     OS/2 that is specific to Intel processors, and promises more performance
     and stability improvements.

   * Workplace OS - The eventual successor to OS/2, this will run on a variety
     of hardware platforms, including PC, PowerPC, RS/6000, and AS/400, giving
     a common user interface over all of IBM's small and mid range hardware
     systems.

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5) Team OS/2 related jargon

This section is intended to explain some of the terms used by Teamers and in
this document. The world of computing in general seems to be rife with jargon,
and this can be confusing for the newcomer. Hopefully, things will be a little
clearer after having read this section.

APAR
     I have absolutely no idea what this is short for. An APAR, however, is a
     problem or bug (qv) in OS/2 that IBM has officially recognised and either
     has fixed, or is in the process of fixing. Fixpacks (qv) usually come with
     a list of APARs that have been fixed.
Beta
     A pre-release version of a program. OS/2 was subject to one of the widest
     beta tests ever, with many copies being shipped to customers. Beta
     products are often unstable and usually contain many bugs (qv), but allow
     the user to test out the product ahead of its release.
Bug
     A problem with a piece of software that causes it to operate incorrectly.
CPU
     Central processing unit. The part of the computer that does the work. OS/2
     runs on computers containing Intel (qv) 80386, 80486, and Pentium CPUs.
CSD
     Corrective Service Diskettes. The same thing as 'Service Pack' (qv).
DOS
     The Disk Operating System. This was the operating system (qv) shipped with
     the original IBM PC in 1981. It has since gone through seven major
     releases.
Fixpack
     Yet another name for a Service Pack (qv)
FReq
     Fidonet term. File Request. A netmail (qv) message sent directly to a BBS
     system requesting files from them.
FTP
     file transfer protocol. A method of transferring files from a remote
     machine to your machine over the internet. For details of how to use it,
     type 'man ftp' or 'help ftp' on your local system.
FUD
     Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Term used to describe certain unscrupulous
     marketing techniques whereby large amounts of incorrect information are
     disseminated to the public in order to aversely effect sales of a product.
GA
     General Availability. The GA release of a product is the first 'for sale'
     release.
GUI
     A Graphical User interface. This is a method of interaction with the
     computer (usually using a mouse - an electronic device used to move a
     cursor around the screen) that is theoretically more intuitive than the
     command line interface used in DOS, because it uses graphics to represent
     various tasks to the user. Sometimes described as a WIMP (Windows, Icons,
     Menus and Pointers) system. Windows (qv), and OS/2's Workplace Shell are
     both graphical user interfaces.
HTML
     Hypertext markup language. Confusing piece of jargon that is used to
     describe the language in which World Widw Web (qv) documents are written.
HTTP
     The hypertext transfer protocol. Another onfusing piece of jargon that
     just means that a World Wide Web (qv) document is in the standard form for
     Web browsers (qv).
IBM
     The International Business Machines corporation, manufacturer of OS/2.
INF
     A file extension used to denote IPF files readable by the VIEW program
     supplied with OS/2. INF files have the form .INF. The VIEW program
     presents these files in a user friendly and intuitive manner, allowing the
     user to manipulate the information contained easily.
Intel
     A manufacturer of CPU (qv) chips.
Netmail
     Fidonet term. Private mail transferred between Fidonet systems.
Operating System
     The software that allows a computer to run other programs.
OS/2
     IBM's (qv) Operating System/2 (or OS/2 for short) is an advanced 32 bit
     Operating System (qv) for IBM PCs and compatibles with an 80386, 80486,
     Pentium, Pentium Pro, or other compatible processor, and also the PowerPC
     (qv). Amongst the advantages of OS/2 are pre-emptive multitasking, DOS and
     Windows compatibility, an advanced object oriented GUI (qv), multimedia
     support and much more.
PowerPC
     A new kind of PC based on a CPU (qv) developed jointly by IBM (qv), Apple
     and Motorola.
PSP
     Personal Software Products, the division of IBM responsible for marketing
     OS/2.
Recursion
     See recursion (qv).
Service Pack
     A collection of OS/2 bug fixes that are distributed together to allow
     users to get rid of several fixed problems.
SP
     see Service Pack.
Teamer
     Member of Team OS/2 (qv).
Team OS/2
     Informal organisation dedicated to promoting OS/2 at a grass roots level.
Web browser
     A piece of software, such as WebExplorer (which comes with OS/2), that is
     used to access the World Wide Web (qv). Other popular browsers include
     Netscape and Mosaic.
Windows
     A GUI (qv) for DOS (qv). OS/2 was originally designed as the successor to
     Windows by IBM and Microsoft, but Microsoft have since decided to follow a
     different path with their Windows NT (qv) product.
Windows NT
     Microsoft's alternative GUI operating system intended originally as a
     competitor to OS/2, but more recently marketed as a high end server
     platform.
Windows 95
     Microsoft's latest upgrade to Windows (qv) and replacement for DOS (qv)
     including some of the features and improved stability of Windows NT.(qv)
Workplace OS
     A portable version of OS/2 that will run on several different types of
     computer, currently being designed by IBM.
World Wide Web
     Term used to describe a way of providing linked information over the
     Internet. OS/2 (qv) now comes with software that enables users to access
     the web.
WWW
     Abbreviation for World wide Web (qv).

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Appendix A

The Fidonet Team OS/2 echo

This section contains information specific to the Fidonet Team OS/2 echo. Some
readers may wish to skip it.

Question A.1 - What is Fidonet?

Fidonet is a worldwide network of electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBSes),
connected via async modems for the purpose of the transfer of electronic mail
including echo mail.

Question A.2 - What is the Fidonet Team OS/2 echo?

The echo is an electronic conference that serves as a meeting place for Team
OS/2 members worldwide. Broadly interpreted, its purpose is to discuss the
spreading of OS/2 related information, and to act as a forum between OS/2 User
Groups across the world. Press clippings, success stories, product
announcements, user group info, and questions are all welcome in the echo (but
not adverts for profit making organisations.)

Question A.3 - How do I carry the echo on my bulletin board?

The TEAMOS2 echo is available from the Zone 1 and Zone 2 backbones. It is
currently taken by many sites in Fidonet zones 1,2,3 and 6, who may be able to
supply you with a feed.

Question A.4 - Who moderates the Team OS/2 echo?

The echo is moderated by Michael Lavallee.

Question A.5 - Why are technical questions about OS/2 off topic in the Team
OS/2 echo?

Helping others with technical problems is part of what Teamers do, but there
are plenty of echos for technical support on Fidonet, and the Team OS/2 echo is
now so big that it can be difficult to manage and costly for sysops to
transport. For these reasons, and because questions stand a better chance of
reaching someone who knows the right answer if asked in a specific place,
technical questions are not appropriate in the echo. The best thing to do if
you come across one that you know the answer to is to answer it then point the
questioner in the direction of the right echo,

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Appendix B

Revision History

The long overdue version 2.3 involves a few cosmetic changes, a load of updates
(sigh, the world moves too fast for me), and a complete traslation to HTML. The
text version is now generated from the HTML version. (anyone who has an HTML to
IPF source converter would make my day if they'd send me a copy). I've also
added a couple of new questions (on other operating systems, and appropriate
topics in the Fidonet Team OS/2 echo). OneStop Software was also added to the
software sources list.

Version 2.20 is an attempt to make the information contained here more current.

Version 2.10 updates some information that has become out of date since version
2.01. The section on sources of information has been greatly expanded (thanks
to Byron Huang for this info), and a new section on the history and versions of
OS/2 has been added. Question 1(a).5, dealing with Teamers and Windows, is also
new. OS/2 Internet mailing list details are now included, in section 2(a).2.

This document is intended to be a universal source of Team OS/2 related
information, but does contain a few gaping holes, notably relating to
electronic networks that I do not participate in. In particular, I must
apologise for the US/anglocentric focus of this document, as these are the
areas for which such information is readily available to me. It is my hope that
individuals with knowledge in areas that I lack would send it to me for
inclusion in the next release. Thank you.

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Team OS/2 FAQ v 2.3 / Christian Scarborough / [e-mail]