Copyright: "(c) 1994 Central Alberta OS/2 Users Group"
Citation: "This Windows Help file (c) Copyright 1994 CAOS/2: Central Alberta OS/2 Users Group. Any distribution must be in an unaltered state."


CAOS/2: Central Alberta OS/2 Users Group

Welcome to CAOS/2

How We Talk to the World

Details

Tips for a Better Life With OS/2

Other Information Sources

CAOS Guy

Colophon

This is version 0.1 of this Windows HLP file, produced on 03-October-1994.

This Windows HLP file is (c) Copyright CAOS/2: Central Alberta OS/2 User Group 1994 and may be distributed freely provided it is distributed without modification nor changes in attribution.


Welcome to CAOS/2

We are a small but merry band of OS/2 pioneers and newbies living in and around Edmonton, Alberta. The group was formed in August of 1993 to provide a forum for OS/2 users and investigators who often found themselves alone in a sea of marketing ballyhoo and technical misinformation. As of our first anniversary we have over 70 paid members.

The aims of CAOS/2 are many, and vary from member to member, but all involve one or more of the following principles.

Information

Local support (or even recognition) of OS/2 while growing, still leaves many users with questions about their own setup. CAOS/2 members and resources can provide a local source of news and information about products, services, and the experiences of real users.

Technical Support

Our members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, operating OS/2 in the home and at work, for fun and profit. We have a collective experience with OS/2 products and procedures that outpaces what is usually available through normal consumer channels.

Participation

Many OS/2 users face a quite struggle when justifying their choice to DOS and Windows users, especially those that have gained the bulk of their information from mainstream computing resources, like magazines and the popular press. CAOS/2 provides an environment in which like-minded individuals and the open-minded can gain credible facts in an atmosphere of informed consensus, rather than market hype. Those that feel the need to do so are also provided with a forum to relate their experiences to an educated and appreciative audience.

CAOS/2 is a registered Society under the Alberta Societies Act.


Central
Alberta
OS/2
Users
Group


In case you didn't know, Edmonton is a smallish city of 650,000 people located in the middle of the Canadian province of Alberta. For those of you with atlases, look at 53.5° North, 113.5° West. For any telephone-based contact, use the "1" country code and "403" area code.


How we talk to the world

From the beginning CAOS/2 has relied on multiple media outlets for spreading its message. Since it's so easy once you've mastered a few computer-based media, we thought we'd do as many as we could.

Mach/2 BBS

Electronic Mail

Fax

Print


Mach/2 BBS

Mach/2 BBS	+1.403	489.4250	FREE
		484.3982
This is the CAOS/2 information hub, an OS/2-hosted BBS operating two nodes around the clock. The board offers an OS/2-heavy list of e-mail conferences and files fed by a Planet Connect satellite receiver.

There are several conferences devoted to group activities (CAOS_*) and OS/2 in general, and many more devoted to OS/2 discussion carried by several networks: Fido, UseNet, BitNet, WorldNet, and IBMNet. Furthermore, several Mach/2 users also use CompuServe and UseNet and will at various times cross-post information onto Mach/2 from these sources.

The majority of our group's interaction and information exchange occurs through this BBS, and members should make every effort to take advantage of this valuable service.

The board's always-affable sysop is also committed to providing all the files he possibly can, including the Walnut Creek and Hobbes CD-ROM collections.

Sysop Comments


I'm running two BBS/mailer (Maximus/Binkley) nodes on a 386DX 33Mhz with 8M RAM, two SCSI 1.2 gig drives (one Maxtor and one Seagate) in a separate enclosure, a SoundBlaster 16, and a Philips CD-ROM. OS/2 2.11 and 2.99 are both bootable to run the BBS system. I use a 5 gig Tape backup (SCSI) Exabyte 8200 with BackupWiz for files that go offline, and GNU TAR ported to OS/2 for weekly "full" backups.

I have a separate machine (386-16, 2M RAM) that runs all the time for the satellite feed (Planet Connect). I transfer files as they are received through a parallel port to the main machine, at the rate of 2M/min. using "File Shuttle Express."

I have in the neighborhood of 1 gig of files online all the time. I carry a few hundred message areas, top heavy on OS/2, including InterNet, Fido, WorldNet, ImexNet, "CAOSnet", ProgNet, EggNet, etc. I provide a direct FidoNet/filebone feed to approximately 16-20 people, of which three are hubs who probably feed another 20+ people. I am a hub for IMEXNET and the local NC for IBMNET and CAOSNET.


Actually, an OS/2 mailing list, which may also be found as a UseNet group.


Note that not all of these echoes are on the "backbone."

OS2
OS2BBS
TeamOS2
OS_Debate
OS2ProdSup
OS2Lan
OS2Prog
OS2DOS
OS2HW
OS2DOSBBS
OS2Video
OS2Communic
OS2Database
OS2Wordpro
OS2Workplac
OS2Beginner
OS2Rexx
OS2Games
OS2CDRom
FernwOS2


IBM.OS2DBM

IBM.OS2LAN

IBM.OS2COM

IBM.OS2PRO

IBM.OS2.OS2REXX

IBM.OS2SIG

IBM.OS2.INS

IBM.OS2BETA


OS2


comp.binaries.os2

comp.os.os2

comp.os.os2.advocacy

comp.os.os2.announce

comp.os.os2.apps

comp.os.os2.beta

comp.os.os2.bugs

comp.os.os2.games

comp.os.os2.misc

comp.os.os2.multimedia

comp.os.os2.networking

comp.os.os2.networking.misc

comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip

comp.os.os2.programmer

comp.os.os2.programmer.misc

comp.os.os2.programmer.oop

comp.os.os2.programmer.porting

comp.os.os2.programmer.tools

comp.os.os2.setup

comp.os.os2.ver1x


Electronic Mail

CAOS/2 conferences are echoed locally by the following Edmonton (403 area code) BBSs, which also carry as much available shareware as they can find (and have room for):

BBS		Sysop
Freddy's Place	456.4241	Jim McGallan
The Circular Ruins/2	453.5711	John Long
Calanost RBBS-PC	468.1741	Robert Goshko
Nor'wester	472.7882	Edward Williams
First Solution BBS	458.7871	Harry Wagensveld
The Ozone (Athabasca)	675.3392	Kevin Crocker
Starship Heart of Gold	489.1735	Steve Whitelaw
NAPCUG	489.4685	Peter Mosonyi
Northern Alberta Maple	474.0147	Don Hazlewood
Tanktalus' Tower	457.0249	Darin McBride
Full Circle Wildcat	425.2535	Dennis Cambly
The Real George	459.8219	Gary George

NOTE: If you run an OS/2-friendly BBS within the Central Alberta region (roughly Red Deer and north) we'd be happy to include your name here. Contact Jerome Yuzyk for this or any other information.


Fax

Meeting notices are posted by fax at least one week before each meeting, or when details of the monthly meeting are settled. To be included on the notice list, send a fax cover-page with your addressing details to Jerome Yuzyk; also state whether you require a cover page for your notice. To be removed from the list, simply return the cover page or a copy of a monthly notice, indicating your name, to Jerome.


We use FaxWorks for all our faxing.


Print

A quarterly newsletter is available, edited by our secretary. Interested contributors are always welcomed.

Also look for our notice in the "User Groups" listing in the Alberta edition of The Computer Paper.


This is a free monthly newsprint paper published across Canada by Canada Computer Paper Inc. and available at various Computer, computer-related and convenience stores.


CAOS/2 Details

Here are a few details about how the group operates.

Meetings

Membership

Benefits

Whos Who


Meetings

First Thursday of every month, 6:30pm

Agriculture/Forestry Building, Rm. 113

University of Alberta campus, North of Stadium Carpark, East of the General Services Building

Meetings are informal, and generally consist of some group administration, OS/2 news and notes, featured presentations, and a Question/Answer session. Thanks to the kindly assistance of the UofA Department of Animal Sciences, we have a decent computer to use for meeting demos, complete with LCD-panel projector.


Try to be on time, please. The building has a security system that automatically locks all doors at 7:00 and we'd hate to miss you.

If you do get locked out, try entering the General Services Building and using the 2nd-floor walkway to enter the building, then go to the bottom floor.


Specifically Brian Kerrigan, Faculty Services Officer


Doing something neat with OS/2? We're always open to hear what you know. If you can provide a 15-30 minute demonstration, you've got the floor! Presenters are always welcome -- you need not be an expert, only enthusiastic.


Membership

From the beginning we have decided to keep our membership fee low. Since we rely on electronic means where we can and solicit donations for things we need, we have been successful in doing so. Membership fees cover meeting supplies, registrations, shipping costs, and the occasional piece of hardware for our BBS or meeting machine.

Single:	$25 per year, payable at your 2nd meeting
Corporate:	$100/5 people per year

Since we are a registered society, a receipt will be provided.


Benefits

Here's what you get for your membership fee:

-	one-time $5 off OS/2 merchandise
-	early access to "hot" files on Mach/2
-	beta- and evaluation-testing programs
-	access to collected information materials and demonstration kits
-	various discounts from local vendors on presentation of proof of membership
-	a reliable, unbiased source of OS/2 information and technical assistance
-	a chance to talk with other OS/2 users of varying experience, and get the kind of assistance and support you can't find anywhere else


Among other things we have DeScribe, Lotus SmartSuite, R:Base, VX-Rexx, and a number of utilities.


Whos Who

Executive
Jerome Yuzyk	Chairman, New User Director	448.1434 (v) 468.9453 (f)	jerome@supernet.ab.ca
Kevin Crocker	Vice Chair	675.3585	(Athabasca)
Steve Ward	Secretary	450.3300	70404.1462@compuserve.com
Harry Wagensveld	Treasurer	459.6298	henry@cs.ualberta.ca
Members at Large:
Richard Dodsworth	Mach/2 BBS Sysop
Arylnn Poczynek	founding member, now doing TeamOS/2 work with IBM in Toronto
Tom King	original secretary, now in Winnipeg working on a group


TeamOS/2 is a grass-roots organization of OS/2-enthusiasts that spread the word through their pontification and demonstration activities.


Tips for a Better Life with OS/2

-	Remember that OS/2 is an operating system, quite possibly the first you have encountered in your personal computing experience, unless you have used Unix. Expect that some of the things you "got away with" in DOS and Windows won't always work (the same way) in OS/2.
-	Make sure you are using a "quality" 386/486 machine. OS/2 demands a CPU that meets Intel specifications. Most DOS programs (Windows included) are much more forgiving of cheap hardware, and not every CPU is created equally. Beware of "bargain" hardware.
-	Read the README.TXT file on the Installation Disk before starting an installation. This file lists known hardware and software incompatibilities. The majority of installation problems arise because information in this file is not known or not heeded.
-	Turn off all BIOS-based RAM caching and shadowing options before installing. OS/2 needs to know the exact nature of your computer during installation, and these options mask the true nature of your system. These options may be turned back on after OS/2 is installed. Failing to follow this simple rule accounts for 90% of all installation problems, and even though OS/2 may appear to install successfully, you may have problems later on.
-	Once OS/2 has completed its base installation, you will be presented with the opportunity to take a tutorial while the rest of the system is configured. We strongly suggest you take the time to complete the tutorial. Since OS/2 is already multi-tasking at this stage, you can work through the tutorial while configuration continues in the background, and avoid many common "how do I?" problems.
-	Get the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list, a file containing a wealth of answers and tips on the successful installation and operation of OS/2 gathered from various questions posed by new (and veteran) users over the years. This file is available from any BBS that supports OS/2.
-	OS/2 for Windows users will need their original disks during installation, since a few original files will be copied to your hard-disk from these disks.
-	Join CAOS/2 and ask us the rest!


Other Information Sources

Edmonton Computer Books stocks as many OS/2 titles as they can find, and is happy to fill special orders.

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) offers an introductory-level OS/2 course through their Microcomputer Institute.


Edmonton Computer Books

10265 - 107 Street

Edmonton, Alberta

+1.403.429.1077


MCC36: OS/2 Operating System Introduction

$275 for 14 hours. Available days, evenings, or weekends


CAOS Guy

Here's "CAOS Guy," a graphic we use as our mascot, of sorts.


Colophon

Colophon?

This Windows HLP file was prepared by Jerome Yuzyk from an earlier OS/2 INF (on-line information) file one cloudy afternoon/evening in October. Both INF and HLP versions were produced using OS/2 2.1 and its Windows 3.1 emulation on a 486DX-33 with 16M RAM.

Text for the INF was exported from an existing paper brochure designed with PageMaker 4, and the INF source file was imported into Microsoft Word 6.0 for output to RTF (after significant munching) and the Windows Help Compiler (which just happens to run native in OS/2), generously donated by a close friend.

"CAOS Guy" came from a PCX scan of a hand-drawn picture generously donated by a friend of a group member. The PCX was passed through CorelPhoto to remove some extraneous lettering, then imported into CorelDRAW for lettering and export as a Windows bitmap. All images used in this HLP have been created at VGA-resolution.


From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

col-o-phon n [L, fr. Gk kolopho summit, finishing touch; akin to L culmen top - more at HILL] (1621) 1: an inscription placed at the end of a book or manuscript usually with facts relative to its production 2: an identifying device used by a printer or a publisher

Unfortunately, the Windows Help Compiler does not allow the use of a very wide range of symbols without touching the RTF input to the compiler; thus, this definition is not an exact translation from the dictionary.


"Matt," a friend of Tom King.


A Wizard
A.G. Olekshy, who if anyone I know can be described as such, is a true wizard, a scholar, and a gentleman. It was from this fellow that I saw enough to inspire the original INF and this HLP file.