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1995-05-08
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Archive-name: os2-faq/new-user/part1
Version: 950407
Posting-Frequency: weekly
OS/2 New User Introduction
==========================
[Revised: April 7, 1995]
Welcome to the world of OS/2! IBM OS/2 2.11 and 3.0 are inexpensive,
full-featured, DOS- and Windows-compatible operating systems for 386SX (or
better) PC compatibles. It is quite powerful (supporting long
filenames , REXX programs, Adobe Type Manager and TrueType [in Windows],
a 32-bit flat memory model, preemptive multitasking, multithreading, advanced
multimedia including software motion video, and robust communications,
for example), yet its Workplace Shell user interface makes it
remarkably easy to use (and amazingly flexible).
In addition to the features listed above, OS/2 Warp 3.0 contains several
major improvements aimed at making it easier to start using
immediately, These include a interactive tutorial, and several
integrated productivity applications such as a spreadsheet, word
processor, database, and personal information manager. It also includes
"one-button access" to the Internet, through IBM's Advantis service.
[Other Internet service providers can be used too]. Other applications
in the Bonus Pack include a Fax application, a Compuserve Information
Manager, and a Communications program. Updates to Warp can be
found on the Internet, at ftp.ibm.net for example, and at this time
these include the Web Explorer 1.0, a multi-threaded World-Wide_web
client, and a PPP [point-to-point protocol] client.
This brief document is intended to help you get started using the
Internet's OS/2 newsgroups and to help you obtain more information on
OS/2. Read it carefully to get started with this exciting operating
system. It will be posted regularly to the OS/2 newsgroups which new
users are most likely to visit.
Where Can I Get OS/2?
---------------------
In the United States, IBM OS/2 Version 2.11 and Warp 3.0 are available from
almost any software dealer, including Egghead, Software Etc., CompUSA,
Softmart, Babbage's, and many others. (Below Zero, Indelible Blue, and
other vendors listed in the OS/2 FAQ List -- see below -- will handle both
U.S. and international mail orders for the U.S. English version.) It
is also available directly from IBM through the OS/2 Hotline at (800)
3-IBM-OS2. You may also call the OS/2 Hotline if you would like OS/2
product literature, videotapes, books, t-shirts, and special discounts
on popular OS/2 applications.
As of now, there are three varieties of OS/2 commonly available.
Choose OS/2 Warp 3.0 FullPack Full Edition, if you do not have either
DOS/Windows or a previous version of OS/2, and wish to
run Windows applications under OS/2. [ Street Price around $ 120]
Choose OS/2 Warp 3.0 Fullpack Upgrade Edition if you are upgrading
from the full version of OS/2 2.1. [Street price around $ 75]
Both Fullpack versions come with a specially compiled version of
Windows built-in, knows as Win-OS2.
Choose OS/2 Warp 3.0 (around $ 75 from most dealers) if you
already have Windows 3.1, 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups (or if you
don't have Windows but do not need Windows application compatibility).
OS/2 Warp 3.0 is also the upgrade path for users of OS/2 2.1 for
Windows [ it is NOT an upgrade path for users for OS/2 2.1 Full].
The two FullPack versions come in boxes with a blue spine, as opposed
to regular Warp [the one without Win-OS2] which comes in a box with a
red spine.
OS/2 Warp 3.0 [ any of the 3 flavors] does not support Ethernet or
Token Ring based networks without additional software. A version of
Warp that does include LAN support will be released in 1995. See the
OS/2 Warp FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] List for details.
All three packages are available in your choice of 3.5 inch, or CD-ROM
media. If you purchase the diskette version of OS/2, be sure to buy the
diskette size that corresponds to your Drive A. (Similar to the DOS install,
you must boot from the OS/2 diskettes to install it.) Before purchasing
the CD-ROM version, check with the OS/2 FAQ List (see below) to make sure
your CD-ROM drive and adapter combination are supported by OS/2 (the
vast majority now are). (The FAQ List also includes purchase suggestions
if you do not yet own a CD-ROM drive.) OS/2 3.0 contains support for
significantly more CD-ROM drives than OS/2 2.11.
In addition to these three packages, OS/2 2.11 is available in a
symmetric multi-processing version that can exploit computers that
have more than 1 CPU [ upto 16]. There will also be update of the
OS/2 2.1 SMP to the Warp level in 1995.
Note that OS/2 2.11 (at least when purchased directly from IBM in the
United States) has a 30 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee.
You can try OS/2 risk free and return it for a full refund if not
completely satisfied.
Please see the OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List for further
information on OS/2 pricing, availability, and hardware requirements.
OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List
------------------------------------
The OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List is a compendium of
useful OS/2 information. It should be your first stop whenever you
have an OS/2 question. Before you post a question to any OS/2
newsgroup, please check the FAQ List to see if it is already answered.
The first few sections of the OS/2 FAQ List are particularly helpful to
those who have never seen or used OS/2 before.
To obtain the OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List, you may use "ftp."
The ftp command (available on most systems connected to the Internet)
allows you to retrieve files from other systems on the network. The
exact procedure may be different on your system, but you should try
the following command:
ftp ftp-os2.cdrom.com
(Press ENTER or RETURN after each command.) When asked for a
username, type:
anonymous
and when asked for a password, simply type your Internet mail address.
Then, type the command:
cd /pub/os2/16bit/info/faq
to change to the correct directory. To get a list of files in
that directory, type:
dir
Identify the file with the "highest" number. (As of this writing, the
latest OS/2 FAQ List is Release 2.1E, filename faq21e.zip.) To
retrieve this file, type the following commands:
binary
get faq21e.zip
The FAQ List package will then be placed in your home directory on
your home system. You can then download the file to your DOS or OS/2
machine. This file is "zipped," as many OS/2 program files are. You
need an UnZip utility to decode the file (and extract the files
contained in the package). Versions of UnZip are available for many
systems, including DOS, Unix, and OS/2. (The OS/2 version of UnZip is
located in directory /pub/os2/32bit/archiver on that same ftp site. The
16 bit version for OS/2 1.3 is in /pub/os2/16bit/archiver. Multiplatform
source code is also located there.)
The OS/2 Warp FAQ has been released, and will be available
at ftp-os2.cdrom.com soon. It is currently available at the other
major OS/2 ftp site, ftp-os2.nmsu.edu, in the directory
/os2/newsltr as file warpfaq3.zip. You may retrieve it in the
same manner as faq21e.zip.
The ftp-os2.cdrom.com site is one of the Internet's largest
repositories for OS/2 software and information. For more information
on ftp-os2.cdrom.com, consult the ASCII (text) file /pub/os2/0readme
at that site. For a directory of OS/2 files available at
ftp-os2.cdrom.com, retrieve the ASCII file /pub/os2/00index.txt.
If you need more help in either retrieving a file using ftp or in
UnZipping the file, ask your system administrator.
To end your ftp session, type:
quit
and you will be disconnected.
If you cannot use ftp, you may retrieve the FAQ List by mail from an
ftp mail server. Ask your system administrator (or consult the
newsgroup news.answers) for advice. The OS/2 FAQ List is also
available from several online services, including CompuServe, and many
bulletin board systems (BBSes). The OS/2 Shareware BBS
(+1-703-385-4325) and Greater Chicago Online (+1-708-895-4042) always
carry the latest version.
There are ftp sites world wide that may be easier for users in
Europe and Australia to access, namely src.doc.ic.ac.uk [ Britain],
and luga.latrobe.edu.au [ Australia]. These also "mirror" or keep
copies of the files from ftp-os2.cdrom.com. In the U.S, an alternate
site is ftp-os2.nmsu.edu.
The List is now also available through Gopher. Your host may have the
Gopher client software installed. Try entering the command:
gopher
to see if it works. If it does, you should navigate through the menus
to connect to the IBM Almaden Research Center experimental Gopher
server in California (or connect directly to index.almaden.ibm.com).
Once you have located that server, select "OS/2 Information," "Non-IBM
Originated Files," then download the OS/2 FAQ List.
Also, the FAQ is avalible via World Wide Web (WWW). If you have a WWW
Client (such as Mosaic or Lynx) installed, you should be able to get it at:
http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/os2/os2world.html
The newsgroup news.answers contains several help files, posted
periodically, which can assist you in using ftp, mail, Gopher, and
LISTSERV systems. You may wish to consult these information files
before asking your system administrator for assistance.
OS/2 Newsgroups
---------------
After reading the OS/2 FAQ List you may have some unanswered
questions. If so, you may post a message to one of the OS/2
newsgroups. Note that crossposting (posting the same message to more
than one newsgroup) is generally frowned upon -- please try to post to
just one newsgroup.
These OS/2 newsgroups are available:
comp.os.os2.multimedia
For information on OS/2 multimedia features, including MMPM/2
and Ultimotion (software motion video).
comp.os.os2.setup
For all questions relating to setup, installation, and driver
support under OS/2.
comp.os.os2.bugs
For the discussion and reporting of OS/2 bugs (flaws).
comp.os.os2.advocacy
For the discussion of OS/2 compared with other products,
marketing, and "politics."
comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip
For any OS/2 questions dealing with TCP/IP networks/networking.
comp.os.os2.networking.misc
For any OS/2 questions related to other networking.
comp.os.os2.programmer.porting
For talk about porting software from other environments to OS/2.
comp.os.os2.programmer.oop
Information and discussion about Object Oriented Programming under
OS/2.
comp.os.os2.programmer.tools
For talk about OS/2 programming tools.
comp.os.os2.programmer.misc
For discussion of any other OS/2 programming issues.
comp.os.os2.apps
Discusses DOS, Windows, and OS/2 applications running under
OS/2.
comp.os.os2.games
For discussion relating to OS/2 and games. Includes both native
OS/2 games and information on running DOS/Windows games under OS/2.
comp.os.os2.announce
Carries important OS/2 announcements. This newsgroup is
moderated -- you cannot ask a question here. OS/2-related
announcements should be submitted to David Tholen
(tholen@newton.ifa.hawaii.edu).
comp.binaries.os2
If you do not have ftp access you can obtain OS/2 software
using this newsgroup. This newsgroup is also moderated.
Submissions should be sent to os2bin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu.
comp.os.os2.beta
For discussion of beta releases of OS/2 (versions of OS/2 that
are released for testing purposes by IBM and that you cannot
buy in stores). Also, if you would like to see a feature
added to OS/2 in a future version, post here.
comp.os.os2.misc
For general OS/2 discussion. Post here only if none of the
above categories fits.
You may also be interested in the following newsgroups which cover
OS/2 topics with great frequency:
comp.lang.rexx
A general newsgroup covering the REXX programming language.
Every copy of OS/2 includes a built-in REXX interpreter.
comp.sys.powerpc
Both Apple and IBM have introduced computers based on the
PowerPC processor. IBM (and IBM compatible) PowerPC systems
will soon ship with OS/2 for PowerPC (part of the Workplace
OS family).
Free Real Time Technical Support and OS/2 Discussion
----------------------------------------------------
If your host has an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client installed, it is
poosible to get free help with installing, or any other problems by joining
the OS/2 channel. Although the people in the channel are not IBM technical
support, they can be very helpful. To see if you have an IRC client, try
typing:
irc
at the command line, and see if it works. To join the OS/2 channel, type:
/join #os/2
Aside from Technical Support, IRC is also a good place to get information,
rumours, and tips about OS/2.
Reporting Problems to IBM
-------------------------
If you have an OS/2 problem you may contact IBM directly. Consult the
OS/2 FAQ List for details on OS/2 technical support (through
CompuServe, to CompuServe from the Internet, or by telephone).
Reporting Problems/Suggestions for this Document
------------------------------------------------
If you notice any problems with or have any suggestions for this document,
please e-mail me at: phaniraj@badlands.nodak.edu. I try to keep up with any
discussions about this document that are posted to any of the newsgroups, but
occasionally I miss a few. E-Mailing me will assure that I receive your
comment. Also, please do not hesitate to give me suggestions. Most changes
to this document are made because someone has suggested it!
Again, welcome to OS/2!
--
V. Phaniraj, EE Dept., North Dakota State Univ. phaniraj@badlands.NoDak.edu
Out the 10Base-T port, through the router, over the leased line, off the
bridge, past the firewall...nothing but net. -- perobich@ingr.com