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PC2.FAQ
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1993-05-31
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******************************************************************************
Frequently asked questions
PC/2 - Programm Commander/2 Version 1.50 for
IBM OS/2 2.x Presentation Manager
Copyright (C) by Stangl Roman 05, 1993
Version 1.50 Draft
******************************************************************************
1.) How can I configure PC/2 to popup the menu after a single-click instead
of the default double-click with mouse button 1 on the desktop?
By adding the commandline option -SingleClick or /SingleClick to
parameters field in the setting of the PC/2 object. If you run PC/2
as a WPS replacement, you can't use any commandline option, because
OS/2 seems to dislike commandline options on programs run as the WPS.
2.) PC/2 assumes that OS/2 is installed on drive C:, but I use drive H:!
Either start with a blank menu and add your programs, or use an editor
f.e. EPM.EXE to replace all C: to H: in the profile.
3.) How do I add DOS Settings correctly?
First you should use the same spelling as in the settings of a DOS
program. They have usually ON/OFF or numbers as possible selections.
For ON/OFF you add =1 or =0 to the setting, f.e. HW_TIMER=1. For
numbers add =xxxx, f.e. EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT=1024.
4.) How can I add batch files?
Batch files aren't executable files, they need a command processor to
interprete them. Therefore you have to select a command processor and
add /C filename.bat or /C filename.cmd to the parameters entryfield.
You may whish to look at the command reference of CMD.EXE and COMMAND.COM
for more details. If you use the standard file dialog to find the batch
file you want to add, PC/2 automatically add this batch file as an
argument of an command processor.
5.) Is HPFS supported?
Yes, PC/2 fully supports HPFS. However, if a filename contains spaces
you have to place it in double-quotes, f.e. at a command prompt you
whould type DIR "D:\OS!2 2.0 Desktop\*" /s to list all files of the
Desktop directory. The same is true for PC/2, f.e. you want to start
a batchfile that conforms HPFS-filename convention, you may create
an entry:
Program Title: HPFS-Test
Path and Filename: C:\OS!2 2.0 Desktop\Prompts\Command Processor.exe
Working Directory: C:\OS!2 User Applications
Parameters: /C ""C:\OS!2 2.0 Desktop\Run Me.cmd""
Note: Passing HPFS-filenames to command processors may required two
double-quotes (f.e. CMD.EXE does). Also take a look at the help pages
for CMD.EXE to get more details.
6.) How do I start a full-screen WIN-OS2 session?
Create an entry that of a full-screen DOS command prompt that starts
WINOS2.COM (f.e. C:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\WINOS2.COM). Then add the required
DOS Settings (f.e. the following settings greatly improve performance
on a 8514/A adapter: VIDEO_8514_XGA_IOTRAP=0, VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION=0,
VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION=1, XMS=64, EMS=0, DPMI=4, IDLE_SECONDS=2,
IDLE_SENSITIVITY=100, HW_ROM_TO_RAM=1. Thanks to Timothy Sipples for
them!).
7.) How do I start a windowed WIN-OS2 session?
Sorry, I don't know it myself. For a WIN-OS2 session you can usually
specifying in the settings: WIN-OS2 full screen, WIN-OS2 window and
seperate session. If someone knows which OS/2 APIs are used to start
sessions with these settings, please mail me!
You can use MAKEOBJ.CMD to create a WPS Object with a known Object ID.
Such an object can then be started with PC/2, so if you want to start
a seamless WIN-OS2 session first create an object that corresponds to
a seamless WIN-OS2 session and then use the defined object ID as the
filename of that object to start is via PC/2.
8.) How do I start a VDM from an image?
First create the image, then create an entry of a full-screen or windowed
DOS session. Then add to the DOS settings:
DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE=[path]DISK.IMG
where [path]DISK.IMG is the path and filename of the image you wand to
start. Caution! On my system (2.0 GA) it doesn't work, I don't know why.
9.) How do I start a VDM that boots from drive A:?
Same a item 8.) says, only adjust the DOS settings to:
DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE=A:
Caution! On my system (2.0 GA) the system traps, I don't know why.
10.) Why has PC/2 an option to shut down OS/2?
Some people use PC/2 as a replacement for the WPS (that sames memory)
and they can't click with button 2 to get the popup menu, from where
shutdown can be selected.
PC/2 requests OS/2 to clear all filebuffers. After all disk activity
has been stopped it is safe to power off your system. PC/2 don't closes
the programs, but after the disk activity has stopped, all processes are
frozen (you can switch to or select programs anymore).
11.) How do I add commandline parameters a run-time?
F.e. assume you created an Menuentry that start the editor EPM.EXE.
After you selected EPM, just before it is started, you can request
a dialog box from PC/2, where you can enter any commandline parameter
by adding a [...] construct in the parameters entryfield of the Program
Installation dialog. This work similar to the same WPS feature.
12.) How do I install PC/2 as a replacement of the WPS?
First, install PC/2 in the normal way. Second, edit your CONFIG.SYS to
replace the statement (you may have to use another drive name instead
of C:):
SET RUNWORKPLACE=C:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE
by
REM * SET RUNWORKPLACE=C:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE
SET RUNWORKPLACE=h:\path\PC2.EXE
where h:\path is the path where you installed PC/2 into, f.e.
C:\PMAPPS\PC2.
The next time you boot, the WPS will not be loaded (you can verify this
by a blank screen displayed instead of the normal Desktop with objects.
Not using the WPS saves memory and reduces boot time lightly.
Of course you may start the WPS later, either by starting PMSHELL.EXE
from a command prompt or from an PMSHELL Menuitem of PC/2. You can
follow the WPS initialization by heavy disk access and buildup of your
Desktop with objects.
PC/2 requires to know the Desktop (in technical terms the window handle
of the Desktop) to be able to catch mouse button 1 clicks. If you start
the WPS the Desktop changes too. Therefor you must restart PC/2 by
selecting PC/2 and close it from the task list. PC/2 will automatically
restarted by OS/2 (because it is the WORKPLACE that runs) and then
work as before.
13.) How do I add WPS Objects to start then via PC/2?
The important thing is, that you have to know the WPS Object ID
(Identifier) to be able to add them to PC/2. For preinstalled Objects,
you can find the ID in the file C:\OS2\OS2_20.RC (sorry I don't know
any other method to get them). For user-installed Objects, you have
to use MAKEOBJ.CMD, a small REXX-utility supplied with PC/2, to create
an Object with a known ID. You can't use Objects created by the
Program Template, because I don't know how to get the ID of such
Objects, if you know how to get the ID of such Objects, p l e a s e
mail me.
The ID of Objects, created as outlined above, may than be added in the
entryfield Path and Filename in the Program Installation dialog, with
the Program Type WPS Object.
If such an Object is a seamless WIN-OS2 session, PC/2 can also start
such a seamless WIN-OS2 session - but remember, without an Object
created with a known ID no seamless WIN-OS2 support with PC/2!
14.) How do I use Drag & Drop?
Additional to the standard file dialog, you may use Drag & Drop to add
applications in the Program Installation dialog. F.e. you may use a drive
object, select one (1 !) application drag it into the dialog and drop it
onto any area that accepts it (any area that isn't coverd by text,
buttons, entryfields,...).
PC/2 will try to determine the type of the application you added
automatically, but you may overwrite it.
15.} How can I add WPS Objects?
If you drag WPS Objects onto the dialog, you must ensure, that the entry-
field Path and Filename contains the correct Object ID, and the Program
Type is WPS Object.
For preinstalled Objects, you may need to look into OS2_20.RC to the the
Object ID, f.e. <WP_DRIVES> or <WP_INST>.
For user-installed Objects, use MAKEOBJ.CMD to create an Object with a
known Object ID, f.e. <WP_WIN_PBRUSH> or <WP_WIN_WORD4WIN>.
Then select the Object, and drag a copy over the Program Installation
dialog and drop it on an area that accepts it.
For preinstalled Object you have to verify that the entryfield Path and
Filename contains the Object ID of this object.
For user-installed Object (with MAKEOBJ.CMD) the entryfield Path and
Filename should contain the Object ID, as long as you didn't rename the
created Object.
16.) Does PC/2 change to the root of all drives except for the working dir?
Yes, PC/2 changes to the root of all non-removable drives before the
selected application is started.
17.) Which versions of OS/2 are supported?
PC/2 was developed under OS/2 2.0 GA, but I know it works under the
December 2.1 beta and under the March 2.1 beta too. PC/2 will also
work under OS/2 2.1 GA (6.514), for more information you may also
follow the news conferences on Internet, FIDO-net,...
18.) How do I enable the virtual Desktop and/or sliding Focus?
Start PC/2, click on the Desktop and select SETUP DESKTOP. A dialog box
will appear where you can enable these features. Just press help for
further information.
19.) How does the sliding Focus work?
OS/2 generates for all pointer movements messages, that contain the
window where the message originated. PC/2 hooks into these messages
and determines the active window. If the active window is not the
window that originated the message, it makes the window active, where
the message originated. Of course, PC/2's window, the Desktop and
the window list are treated differently.
20.) How do I use the enabled virtual Desktop?
You may know that f.e. a VGA-display has usually 640 columns and 480
rows (numbered from 0...639 and 0...479). If you position your mouse
pointer over the surrounding rows and/or columns of your display
(here columns 0 or 639 and/or rows 0 or 479) PC/2 shifts all windows
that exist on your system (with some exceptions like window list) in
the opposite direction. Some windows may slide out, some may slide in
from the other direction.
21.) How does the virtual Desktop work?
First, for all windows OS/2 tracks their coordinates in data structures.
PC/2 queries, and adjustes them according to the mouse movements the
user made. F.e. if the mouse pointer is over column 0 on the screen,
PC/2 adds to the x-position of all windows 25, 50, 75 or 100 % of the
x-dimension of the screen. The windows appear to move rightwards (out
of the display) because the display shift leftward within the virtual
Desktop. Because windows are usually aligned on byte-boundaries, they
may not appear on their original place if you shift one unit in one
direction and one unit in the opposite direction.
22.) How do I start applications on the virtual Desktop?
In the Program Installation dialog, you can define the size and
position that the application should use. You can f.e. enter
a position of -200 in X, which would position the application left
out of your Desktop. Some applications overwrite these values, so
this may not work.
23.) What's the name of the Desktop?
OS/2 2.0 introduced the name "OS/2 2.0 Desktop" for the Desktop window,
which normally is the WPS. OS/2 2.1 will use the name "Desktop" instead,
if you install it over a newly formatted system. OS/2 2.1 may use a
different name, if you install it over a previous OS/2 2.0 system, so
please read the README file provided with OS/2 2.1 carefully.
Please read also the help panels and enjoy! Roman Stangl