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ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Copyright information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Copyright information "IBM OS/2 Warp 1995 TechNotes" Copyright IBM Corp. 1996.
All rights reserved. Information current as of December 31, 1995
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. TechNotes Article #1 (February 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #1 (February 1995)
Welcome to TechNotes. This collection will provide you with some useful
information on how to get more out of OS/2 Warp and IBM's BonusPak. Each
collection will have a major theme (this month's is the "Internet Connection
for OS/2"), but I also intend to publish other useful notes and comments as
appropriate.
1) Buyer's of OS/2 Warp are entitled to 60 days free support, but that support
is NOT toll-free. If you call IBM's 1-800-992-4777 support number and navigate
through the menus, you'll be told the 'Getting Started' support number is
1-407-994-5544. Save yourself some time, and call it directly if you need
assistance.
2) If you're a user of BonusPak's HyperACCESS Lite, there is an update to this
program which fixes some problems related to modems not initializing properly.
Use the Hilgraeve BBS icon included in HyperACCESS Lite's phone book.
3) IBM's Internet WebExplorer is now available. If it didn't ship with your
copy of BonusPak, you can download it by using the Internet Connection's
"Retrieve Software Updates" option, or you can get it via FTP-PM it from
"ftp://ftp.ibm.net/pub/webexplorer".
4) Your local bookstore's "Computer" book section should have LOTS of books
about using the Internet. Since OS/2 Warp makes Internet 'surfers' out of
'newbies' (slang for experienced users and new users, respectively), you can
IGNORE all of the sections on UNIX commands, and flip to the "Interesting
Places to Visit" section. Concentrate on World-Wide-Web, Gopher, and FTP
resources, and buy the book(s) which most appeal to you there.
5) You can use the IBM Internet Connection even if you only have a 2400bps
modem. Just restrict yourself to FTP (just like downloading software from a
BBS) and Gopher (text documents only!). An average page of text is about 3,000
characters, which you should receive in 10-15 seconds at 2400bps. However, if
you plan on accessing Gopher picture files (like *.GIF), or using the IBM
WebExplorer, the files sent to your computer are MUCH LARGER! For example, a
full-screen (640x480) PC image at 256 color resolution is over 300,000
characters (100 times the text page above!). While you might wait 10-15
seconds for a text page, your wait for an image could be 1,000-1,500 seconds
(or 16-24 minutes!). Invest in at least a 14.4 modem to use the IBM
WebExplorer, and you might want to consider 28.8 versions now becoming
available (make sure your Internet Service provider offers 28.8 access!). 14.4
and 28.8 are 6x and 12x faster (respectively) than a 2400bps modem, and
usually come with full fax send/receive functions as well.
6) How come I didn't get MOSAIC with the Internet Connection software in OS/2
Warp? I hear that it's a "must-have" for Internet users!
MOSAIC is the name of a program which is used to access the Internet's
World-Wide-Web. Your tool for accessing the Web is IBM's WebExplorer (see Tip
#3 above for how to get it free), which is BETTER than the MOSAIC available
today. How is it better? Well:
a) It allows you to view large documents WHILE THEY'RE BEING
RECEIVED! You can read all the text while the images are
still being downloaded. Just use the mouse scroll bars on
the right side of the screen, or your PgUp/PgDn keys to move
through the Web document's text (you can go back and view
the fancy pictures and icons later).
b) It's a 32-bit OS/2 application, so while a large document/picture
is being downloaded to your PC, you can minimize it the WebExplorer,
and work at something else on your PC (even another copy of WebExplorer
-- see Tip #7 below!).
c) If you MUST have MOSAIC, use the WebExplorer to contact NCSA's Web
Server at "http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu" for more information on compatibility
with OS/2 Warp, and how to get it.
7) A SLIP connection to the Internet (like the one provided by the IBM Global
Network) is multi-tasking, which means you can run multiple Internet programs
to different Internet resources AT THE SAME TIME! For example, while you're
using "Retrieve Software Updates" to get the latest Internet Connection
capabilities, you might also use the WebExplorer to access IBM's "home page"
(http://WWW.IBM.COM), a second copy of the WebExplorer to peruse the Library of
Congress (http://LCWEB.LOC.GOV), and the Gopher to read a copy of Business Week
on-line! (gopher.enews.com/business/pubs/business/bw). All at the same time!
This multi-tasking capability also applies to ANY applications which use your
Internet connection, such as UltiMail Lite, FTP-PM, Telnet, Retrieve Software
Updates, NewsReader/2, and other applications (see Tip #10 below).
WARNING: Such multi-tasking use is liable to make your 14.4 modem appear to be
slower than 2400bps! If you like doing multiple Internet functions at the same
time, consider a 28.8 modem to keep things moving (as soon as your service
provider offers 28.8 support).
8) You have different Internet Connection programs to help you do different
things. For example, Gopher finds information and pictures, FTP transfers
files to and from your computer, and the WebExplorer gives you multimedia
(audio/video) hypertext (fancy term for built-in footnotes and references)
access to all kinds of organizations on the Web. DID YOU KNOW that the
WebExplorer can also access Gopher information AND transfer files from FTP
sites? It's true! The 'secret' is in defining the Web URLs (Uniform Resource
Locators), and they define the type of Internet service at the address which
follows. Example (URL is in bold):
http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/warp.html (IBM OS/2 Warp page)
means World-Wide-Web type service. Requires WebExplorer or MOSAIC
ftp://ftp-os2.cdrom.com (Hobbes OS/2 Shareware archives)
means File Transfer Protocol service. Use FTP-PM or WebExplorer.
(FTP-PM doesn't understand URLs. To use a URL address with
ftp, DROP the URL prefix "ftp://" and just use "ftp-os2.cdrom.com".
gopher://index.almaden.ibm.com/1os2dsn (IBM PSP Dev. Support)
means Gopher service. Use Gopher or WebExplorer.
file:///d:\tcpip\tmp\webmap.htm (Web map from your last session)
means a local file on your PC (yes, this one has 3 slashes, not 2).
9) So why would you want to use "file:///"? Well, WebExplorer allows you to
save World-Wide-Web documents to your disk. It even stores the last Web map
you used in \tcpip\tmp\webmap.htm. You can specify this path (add your drive
letter where TCP/IP is installed) in WebExplorer's URL field, or drag and drop
any *.HTM file onto the WebExplorer icon. To make it even easier, modify the
WebExplorer's SETTINGS - ASSOCIATION to add *.HTM. Now you can double-click
directly on any HTM file on your system.
10) Another application which can operate across the Internet is BonusPak's
Person to Person/2 (P2P/2) desktop conferencing. P2P/2 must be configured with
TCP/IP 'enabled' and "Slow-but effective" compression selected. AFTER your
Internet "SLIP" connection has been started, bring up the P2P/2 Call Manager.
Call Manager status should be "NO CALLS" instead of "INACTIVE", indicating that
the TCP/IP Internet connection has been established. All each P2P/2 system
needs now is the IP address of the other to complete the connection. That
information is established dynamically at the start of each Internet session
(changes each time), and can be found by maximizing the Internet Dialer, and
scrolling down to find the line which says: "nnn.nn.nnn.nnn is your IP
address". This (for example: 129.37.124.135) is the address that should be
entered into the P2P Address OF THE OTHER P2P/2 SYSTEM (and vice versa). Now,
you're ready to initiate contact with the other P2P/2 system. Allow 5-20
seconds for it to be completed, and you're ready to use any of the P2P/2
functions across the Internet. You should also be able to use WebExplorer,
Gopher, FTP-PM, and UltiMail Lite at the same time!
11) P2P/2 is missing one small piece from the original, complete IBM
application. Relax, IBM isn't asking you to pay an upgrade fee to get it, it
was only left out because of BonusPak diskette space, even with those 1.7MB XDF
(eXtended Diskette Format) diskette images!. You can get your free copy of
P2P/2's own File Transfer capability via CompuServe (GO IBMP2P, Library 2,
file P2P-FT.ZIP) or from the Internet via
"FTP.HURSLEY.IBM.COM/PUB/P2P/P2P-FT.ZIP" (to practice Tip #8 above, try getting
this by using the WebExplorer instead of FTP-PM, and don't forget to add an
FTP's URL ("ftp://") to the FTP address for WebExplorer).
12) Hooked on the Internet and you'd like to reduce your costs? Use the
WebExplorer to checkout IBM's new pricing plan (http://WWW.IBM.NET) for volume
users. Instead of $12.95/month for 6 hours and $6 for each additional hour, as
of 1/23/95, you'll have an additional plan choice of $29.95/month for 30 hours
and $3 for each additional hour. That's a 50% savings, and you still get local
call access in many cities around the world. With either plan, 800# access
costs $6 per hour additional for ALL hours used. If you never travel outside
your local calling area, a local service provider might be less expensive yet.
13) Now that you're Warp'ed, are you looking for some good OS/2 Shareware and
Freeware? Look no further than FTP-PM (or WebExplorer), and access
"ftp-os2.cdrom.com", the Hobbes Internet OS/2 Archive. What, there's so much
there you don't want to spend all your time downloading? Well, the folks who
run the OS/2 Archive will sell you a CD-ROM with ALL of it at a reasonable
price. What, you don't have a CD-ROM drive? Well, you can spend all your
Internet hours downloading the stuff . . .
Note: FTP-PM only requires the address as listed above. If you use the
WebExplorer, you must expand the address to include the URL (see Tip #8 above)
so WebExplorer knows what type of service it is accessing.
14) Other interesting Web sites to visit might include the White House at
http://www.whitehouse.gov. See photos of Jupiter after Comet Shoemaker-Levy
impacted at "http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/sl9.html". Get your young
'uns hooked on the Internet by showing them Barney's Page at
"http://www.galcit.caltech.edu/~ta/barney/barney.html" (with your kids as heavy
Internet users, consider a second phone line, a 28.8 modem, and the alternate
pricing plans in Tip #12 above!).
15) As you explore the World-Wide-Web, if you find an interesting "page", don't
forget to mouse-click the 'thumbs-up' button on the WebExplorer's button bar.
This will 'bookmark' where you are, so you can come back another time (Gopher
has a similar facility). If you don't, be prepared for frustration, as the
Internet is VERY BIG, and it can be difficult to find your way back another
time. Bookmarking will take you directly there in a future session, just use
the WebExplorer's "Quicklist" pulldown menu to display all of your bookmarks.
You can also use the Web Map icon, which maintains your entire Quicklist as
well as all the places you've visited in the current session.
If your Quicklist grows too large, you can edit it (carefully!) by editing the
Quicklist section of \TCPIP\ETC\EXPLORE.INI. Each entry has two lines, use your
favorite ASCII editor to delete, cut, and paste to your heart's content
(wouldn't be a bad idea to backup this file before editing!).
16) Want to save time when using the WebExplorer? By default, the IBM " home
page" (WWW.IBM.COM) is loaded each time the WebExplorer starts. You can change
this to be any other home page, or none at all.. To disable this, use
WebExplorer's "Configure" pull-down, select "Servers", and make sure that the
"Load on Startup" box is NOT checked (or change the Home Document to be another
of your choosing). Now, WebExplorer will come up blank, and you can use your
Quicklist pulldown to select which of your bookmarks you wish to access first.
If you change your 'home page' to be "file:///d:\tcpip\tmp\webmap.htm", you'll
get the Web map from your last WebExplorer session ( which should include your
Quicklist as well).
17) Did you know there are two flavors of OS/2 Warp? Both let you run all your
DOS applications as well as OS/2 applications. The difference is in how Windows
applications are supported. "OS/2 Warp" requires that a copy of Microsoft
Windows (or Windows for Workgroups) already be installed on your machine so
that it can reuse this code to operate Windows applications on your newly
Warp'ed desktop. "OS/2 Warp with WINOS2" contains an IBM version of Windows
(we call it WIN-OS/2), so it can be installed on PCs which only have DOS (or no
operating system at all, since OS/2 Warp DOES NOT REQUIRE DOS! Once installed,
either system looks identical. You could use OS/2's SYSLEVEL command, but an
easier way is to run the Windows Program Manager, and select the HELP - ABOUT
pulldown menu. This will tell you if you have Windows or WIN-OS/2. Both
versions include the complete set of BonusPak applications.
18) Although IBM has also announced future plans for an "OS/2 Warp LAN Client",
that doesn't mean that today's "OS/2 Warp" (with or without WIN-OS/2) can't
operate on a LAN! The LAN Client version merely will have a number of popular
LAN Client programs (Netware, IBM LAN Server, etc.) packaged with OS/2 Warp.
If you want to add the Netware Requester for OS/2 to an OS/2 Warp system today,
go right ahead!
19) Resellers who are IBM BESTeam members will find all of the files mentioned
in this article on the second edition of their BESTeam OS/2 & LAN Server CD-ROM
(release date 2/28/95).
Credits
Some of this information was contributed by Joel Kruse, IBM Dallas.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. TechNotes Article #2 (March 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #2 (March 1995)
Well, it's time for some more useful bits of information about OS/2 Warp.
Hopefully there's something in here for everyone. Keep those electronic cards
and letters coming!
1) As mentioned last time (Volume 1/Issue 1, Tip #17), there are two 'flavors'
of OS/2 Warp. The one with the RED spine on the box requires Windows (or W4W)
3.1x to run Windows applications on OS/2 Warp. And the flavor with the BLUE
spine on the box contains everything you need to run DOS, Windows, and OS/2
applications. BOTH varieties also include the capability of running WIN32s
applications!
2) Some interesting news for you OEMs who resell Computer System Units under
your own logo: in addition to single-unit OS/2 Warp shrink-wrap, IBM now offers
OS/2 WARP Version 3 MultiPaks. Announced to IBM's Authorized Distributors on
December 20, 1994, these are a less-costly means of pre-loading OS/2 Warp onto
systems you ship. Each Preload MultiPak contains everything you need to
preload five computer system units, including the media and concise users
guide. The OS/2 offering also includes end-user service free from IBM for 60
days. Please ask your favorite distributor about pricing and availability.
IBM part number 83G8673 is for OS/2 Warp (RED spine) Preload MultiPak (you'll
also need to pre-load DOS and Windows for Windows application support).
83G8713 is for OS/2 Warp w/ WINOS2 (BLUE spine) Preload MultiPak (you don't
need to pre-load anything else, since this product contains DOS emulation and
Windows (WINOS2) application support, along with OS/2 and the BonusPak).
IBM also offers PC DOS Version 7 MultiPaks featuring its new PC-DOS 7, that
provides more memory, space, performance and value than MS-DOS 6.22. Announced
February 28, 1995, PC DOS 7 includes Stacker 4.0 disk compression for DOS and
Windows, IBM AntiVirus for DOS and Windows, extensive on-line documentation,
REXX programming language support, the ability to load DOS device drivers from
a batch (*.BAT) file, and much much more! Order IBM part number 83G9318 for the
PC DOS Version 7 Preload MultiPak (with media), and 83G9317 for the PC DOS
Version 7 Distribution MultiPak (without media).
3) Artisoft has shipped LANtastic for OS/2, giving OS/2 Warp users the ability
to share information with other LANtastic or Windows for Workgroups peers.
Contact Artisoft at 1-800-846-9726 for more information.
4) Stac Electronics has shipped Stacker 4.0 for OS/2 and DOS. This product
will convert existing DoubleSpace, DriveSpace, and SuperStor/DS compressed
drives into Stacker drives compatible with OS/2 Warp. Contact Stac at
619-431-7474 for more information.
5) Some folks are hesitant about installing a new operating system on a
production machine, for fear that something will happen to take that machine
out of production. IBM designed OS/2 Warp's dual-boot with you in mind.
Dual-Boot means that while OS/2 Warp has been added to your system, your
original DOS/Windows environment has been completely preserved! For you
techies, this means that OS/2 Warp has saved your DOS hidden files and the disk
boot sector which points to them, along with CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT in the
\OS2\SYSTEM directory. Inside the Command Prompts folder, you'll find a
Dual-Boot icon which will restore these files (while saving the OS/2 Warp
counterparts), and boot your machine exactly as it was prior to installing OS/2
Warp (with the exception of the 40-50MB of disk space OS/2 Warp requires). New
users find this to be quite a relief, as they can switch back to the old
environment while they're still getting used to the new one (and then switch
back again to OS/2 Warp as desired). Dual-boot should be standard equipment
with EVERY operating system upgrade!
6) If your OS/2 Warp system should ever crash due to a power loss, or
inadvertent CTRL-ALT-DEL, the default is for the system to not only start back
up again, but also to re-start any applications which were running at the time
of the crash. Sometimes, however, OS/2 Warp re-creates this a little too
perfectly, since when you Dual-Boot back from DOS to OS/2 Warp, one of the
applications re-started is a Dual-Boot from OS/2 Warp to DOS! By adding the
following to OS/2 Warp's CONFIG.SYS file: SET
RESTARTOBJECTS=STARTUPFOLDERSONLY, OS/2 Warp will NOT restart any running
applications unless they are specified in the system's STARTUP folder group.
7) Should anything really bad happen to your working OS/2 Warp system, such as
a corrupted system file, or a bad display device driver, OS/2 Warp allows you
to easily recover to a prior, stable system. When OS/2 Warp first starts up,
in the upper left corner of your display you'll see a white block and "OS/2"
displayed. While this is being displayed, press the ALT-F1 keys, and you'll be
taken to a menu allowing you to choose a previous configuration or display
driver known to be good.
8) Per Tip #7 above, if you press ALT-F2 while the 'white block' and "OS/2" are
displayed, OS/2 Warp will display the names of all the device drivers being
loaded while booting. This can be helpful in diagnosing drivers which may be
causing problems, or which are not being loaded properly. NOTE: The 'white
block' "OS/2" will display very quickly on faster systems, so be ready to press
ALT-Fx just after your system beeps at boot time.
9) OS/2 Warp is designed to be a very flexible and open system in which users
have the complete ability to change whatever suits them. Sometimes, however,
you may not want users to change much (for example store demo machines, or
where several users share one system). Well, there's an UNDOCUMENTED parameter
in OS/2 Warp which allows you to restrict all pop-up menu options except Open
and Help. Add: SET MENUSTYLE=SHORT to your CONFIG.SYS file to implement this.
10) OS/2 Warp has some very good on-line documentation available with
application compatibility tips and other 'how-to' information. In addition to
this, there are (IMHO) two other excellent (and on-line and FREE!) compilations
of information about OS/2 available. Tim Sipples (now of IBM) has just
released an updated OS/2 FAQ file (FAQ is Internetese for Frequently Asked
Questions) for OS/2 Warp. The other good reference is OS/2 Tricks by Melissa
Woo of the Champaign-Urbana OS/2 Users Group. Well worth the download time!
(see Tip #11 for details).
11) IBM offers a BBS with lots of OS/2 drivers, fixes, files, and other good
stuff at 1-919-517-0001. It's also accessible via the Internet at
FTP.PCCO.IBM.COM (for WebExplorer users, that's ftp://FTP.PCCO.IBM.COM). That
means if you have Internet access, you can get to our BBS via a LOCAL phone
call! The on-line books referenced in Tip #10 are available as WARPFAQ.INF and
TRICKS4.ZIP in /pub/os2_text_files.
12) In addition to #11, there's also WARPTIPS.ZIP which contains OS/2 Warp
installation tips and tricks, along with the README files for the product.
OS2AWARD.ZIP contains a list of awards IBM's OS/2 products have received, along
with press clippings and other comments. Retrieve from the FTP (BBS) directory
mentioned in Tip #11.
13) Internet users whose service provider supported PPP instead of SLIP have
had a problem until recently: PPP service was not yet available in the RED
spine Warp for Windows box, and they couldn't use "Retrieve Software Updates"
to download the PPP gamma (now gold) software. This suPPPort (!) was declared
gold in January, and is shipped as part of (BLUE spine) OS/2 Warp w/WINOS2
(along with WebExplorer) in the refreshed Internet Access Kit. Users who need
it can either download it via the IAK's "Retrieve Software Updates" option, or
use FTP to access: "FTP.IBM.NET", directory /pub/ppp, and download PPP.ZIP and
README.PPP. NOTE: PPP support may be listed as 'gamma', but has been declared
'gold'; the on-line text hasn't been updated yet.
14) If you're interested in helping IBM spread the word about OS/2 Warp via
user group presentations, you might check out the Team OS/2 newsletters also
available (per Tip #11, as TNEWxx.ZIP). Or, send e-mail to IBM's User Group
Support organization at IBMPCUG@VNET.IBM.COM.
15) Lots of folks like IBM's OS/2 Warp TV ad campaign. Now these commercials
are available for you to use in demonstrating OS/2 Warp's multimedia
capabilities. You'll need PKUNZIP (or equivalent) to decompress the files (size
before compression was about 5MB). There are 18 commercials available IN
MULTIPLE LANGUAGES (yes, this includes the CZECH nuns!). Use the Internet
Connection's WebExplorer for address "gopher://www.austin.ibm.com/PSPINFO". Or
you can use Gopher to access "OS2INFO.AUSTIN.IBM.COM" and go to directory
"/OS2/OS2_AVI/OS2_AVI.70".
16) Finally, a tip (especially for those with High Performance File System
drives): do yourself a favor and run Shutdown instead of just turning your
system off or pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL. Shutdown ensures that all applications
with open files (including ones you may have forgotten were open and active)
are closed and completed safely.
Credits
Thanks to David Barnes, Mary Cipriani, Karl Lawall, and Tim Sipples (all with
IBM) for some of the material included in this column.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. TechNotes Article #3 (April/May 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #3 (April/May 1995)
Hello again. This article's focus is the BonusPak which comes free with each
copy of OS/2 Warp. I think you'll find some valuable information here. If you
have any additional BonusPak tips, please send them in (address to follow). I
strive to have at least one useful tip for everyone in these articles. If
you're not finding anything of value, please let me know. A collection of all
TechNotes articles is available from IBM BBS (address to follow).
1) IBM has released FixPack5 for OS/2 Warp. This supersedes FixPacks 1 and 3,
and contains a total of 52 fixes for OS/2 Warp for Windows. (FYI, FixPack5 does
NOT include BonusPak updates, such as CompuServe Information Manager,
HyperAccess Lite, and WebExplorer). FixPack5 is now available on-line for
downloading at your convenience. It consists of three 3.5" 1.44MB diskette
images, and can be obtained from CompuServe (GO IBMSERV), IBM's PCC BBS (Public
Area), from the Internet (via Anonymous FTP from "software.watson.ibm.com",
directory "/pub/os2"), and from Prodigy and 'America On Line'. To apply any
FixPack (this is the third released), you'll also need the following files:
WKICKER.ZIP (which contains two additional 'boot' diskette images to prepare
your system for service), and LDF.COM (which contains the utility for unpacking
the diskette image files onto diskettes for use). BESTeam members will find
the WKICKER.ZIP diskette images, as well as the LDF diskette utility
(LOADDSKF.EXE) in the \FIXES and \BESTINST directories of their 2nd Edition
OS/2 & LAN Server CD-ROM.
2) Previous versions of OS/2 contained limited-function "applets". Many of
these applets have been replaced by BonusPak programs which are full-function
32-bit OS/2 applications. Some offer upgrades to "professional" versions with
added function, but all offer many capabilities immediately useful to OS/2 Warp
users. Also, whereas the applets (such as Seek and Scan and PM Terminal) were
considered "as is" (regarding defects), BonusPak applications are fully
defect-supported. Any remaining applets (not replaced by a BonusPak
application) are still "as is".
3) OS/2 Warp supports drag and drop printing and faxing of plain text and
printer specific (eg. Postscript) files. Many 32-bit OS/2 applications (such
as BonusPak's IBM Works, OS/2 Warp's Enhanced Editor, and DeScribe word
processing) also support drag and drop printing/faxing of files created by
these applications. If after dragging and dropping you get a prompt asking if
the file is "Plain Text or Printer Specific", that application doesn't support
drag 'n drop faxing or printing. The exceptions are text editor files (for
which you should check "Plain Text") or PostScript files (dropped onto a
PostScript printer object for which you should check "Printer specific").
FxPrint (from FAXWorks) emulates a 24-wire dot-matrix printer (IBM Proprinter
X24e), and cannot understand PostScript files. For applications which don't
support drag/drop printing/faxing (including all Windows 3.1 apps), just
"print" to the fax/modem (default installed as LPT3:). NOTE: Upgrading to
FaxWorks Pro will gain you a number of additional features including HP
LaserJet PCL emulation, OCR (FAX image to ASCII text), Fax distribution lists
and more. Upgrades cost $49.95, call SofNet at 1-800-370-8965 for information.
4) BonusPak's IBM Works applications are highly integrated for drag and drop
operations. When sending a fax, you can use the phone directory of FaxWorks to
select one or more recipients to send to. If you wish to FAX output from one
of the IBM Works applications (word processing, spreadsheet, database, report
writer, etc.), you can drag/drop one or more entries from the BonusPak PIM
(Personal Information Manager) Address/Phone Book (FAX phone numbers are
identified with "FAX:") onto the IBM Works file icon (not the open file,
sorry), and then drag/drop the 'addressed' icon (it'll now have a little
postcard icon attached to the original) onto the FAX printer object for
automatic faxing without further intervention. To view the "attached data",
display the "settings" of the IBM Works data object. Make sure the "action on
drop" button is set to "none", otherwise the file will "open" or "print" when
dropping PIM address book information onto it.
5) If you're having a hard time figuring out how to do certain things in IBM
Works, there are a couple of resources you can use for information. First,
there's online help (F1) within each IBM Works app which can answer many
questions. Second, is a Works ReadMe document which contains a summary of a
number of features of the product. If these aren't sufficient, there are two
printed guides about the previous version of the product (which was sold only
outside of the US). These are very inexpensive (about $8 for the pair) and can
be ordered from IBM by calling 1-800-879-2755. Order Part Numbers 93G7202 and
93G7203, or IBM Publication Numbers S93G-7202 and S93G-7203 to get the "IBM
Works Installing and Learning Guide" and the "IBM Works User's Guide". These
books are written in U.K. English, and were written for both the OS/2 and
Windows version of IBM Works Classic.
6) One of the greatest strengths of the IBM Works applications, is the ability
to exchange data with their office suite cousins. Here is a summary of the
different file formats which can be exchanged with various IBM Works
applications. Text files which can be imported into the IBM Works Word
Processor and Database include: DOC (Word for Windows 1.x/2.x), TXT (plain
ASCII text), LWP (IBM Works Word Processor), WP5 (WordPerfect for DOS and
Windows 5.x), RTF (Microsoft Rich Text Format), WPD (WordPerfect for DOS and
Windows 6.0), and SAM (AMI Pro for Windows 1.x/2.0/3.0). Picture files which
can be imported into the IBM Works Word Processor, Chart, and Database include:
BMP (Both Windows & OS/2 bitmaps), MAC (MacPaint), CGM (Computer Graphics
Metafiles), MET (OS/2 Metafile), CLP (Windows clipboard bitmap), MSP (Microsoft
Paint), DRW (Micrografx Designer), PCT (Macintosh PICT), DXF (AutoCAD), PCX
(Z-Soft PC Paintbrush), EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), PIC (IBM Storyboard),
GIF (Graphic Interchange Format), PIC (Micrografx Draw), GRF (Micrografx
Charisma), PIF (IBM Picture Interchange Format), HGL (HP Graphics Language),
TIF (Tagged Image File Format), IMG (GEM Bitmap), and WMF (Windows Metafile).
Database files which can be exchanged to/from the IBM Works Database include:
CSV (Comma Separated Values), DBF (dBASE IV), LDB (IBM Works database content),
LDF (IBM Works database format), TSV (Tab Separated Values), and DEL (IBM DB2/2
Delimited files.) Files which can be exchanged to/from the IBM Works
Spreadsheet include: CSV (Comma Separated Values), LSS (IBM Works spreadsheet),
TSV (Tab Separated Values), WKS (Lotus 1-2-3 1A), WK1 (Lotus 1-2-3 2.x). In
addition, XLS (MS Excel 1.0, 2.0) can be imported. You won't find an "Export"
option in the Files menus. Instead, choose "Save As", and select the file type
here. All files created with PM Chart (OS/2 2.x applet) are saved in either
.DRW or .GRF format, and so can be easily imported into IBM Works applications.
By the way, altho the manuals say that 32KB is the largest file which can be
pasted into the database module, bitmaps as large as 787KB (1024x768x256
colors) have been successfully pasted into all three programs. Even the
dimensions of the image may not be a serious problem, as the picture borders
can be dragged to the appropriate size and shape once dropped onto the
document, chart, or database.
7) IBM Works (and the other OS/2 Warp BonusPak applications) are not installed
via "Selective Install" (in the System Setup folder). BonusPak has it's own
INSTALL program on the BonusPak CD-ROM. Look in the subdirectory which
corresponds to your language version of the BonusPak (US = U.S.-English, BR =
Brazil, CF = Canadian French, DK = Denmark, FR = France, GR = Germany, IT =
Italy, LA = Latin America, NL = Netherlands, NO = Norway, PO = Portugal, SP =
Spain, SU = Finland, SV = Sweden, UK = United Kingdom), and execute the INSTALL
program from there.
8) If you accidentally delete the IBM Works folder, you don't have to
reinstall IBM Works to recreate it. Just run the IBMWDESK.CMD command from the
\IBMWORKS directory, and you'll be back in business. If you really want to
delete IBM Works, use the BonusPak INSTALL program's "Uninstall" feature to
remove all traces (including program templates) of the application, and the
cancel out of the BonusPak Installation program.
9) If when starting IBM Works you get a TRAP error in PMMERGE.DLL, you've
probably accidentally deleted a font called MARKSYM (PFB & OFM). Without this
font, IBM Works will not open. Either restore the font from backup (and then
reinstall via the Font Palette in System Setup), or reinstall IBM Works to fix
the problem.
Credits
Much of the above information comes from Mark Chapman's PS Assistant, the OS/2
Warp BonusPak Q&A section. The complete PS Assistant (updated about every two
weeks), as well as the on-line collection of these TechNotes can be downloaded
from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. TechNotes Article #4 (June 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #4 (June 1995)
Hello again. LOTS of interesting items and announcements to write about, and I
hope everyone finds at least one item of value here (if you don't, send me a
note!).
1) If you've never used IBM's Faxback service and/or haven't yet seen an
announcement letter or spec sheet on IBM's new "OS/2 Warp Connect" product,
now's a good time to try it. Call 1-800-IBM-4FAX (that's 1-800-426-4329) and
request document number 295199. Or, you can hop on the Internet and use a web
browser (like IBM's WebExplorer) to access
"http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/warpconnect.html". While in either place,
you might also request an index of all the information available to you about
OS/2 Warp and other IBM software products. Starting with item #8 below, I'll
have some specific OS/2 Warp Connect information for you.
2) Some folks asked about using BonusPak applications such as IBM Works on
older OS/2 for Windows and OS/2 2.1x systems. Even if you obeyed the licensing
issues (ie bought a copy of OS/2 Warp just to get the BonusPak programs), many
of the BonusPak applications have system-level dependencies specifically for
version 3 (ie OS/2 Warp) and are not backward compatible. IBM Works had been
upgraded from previous versions (not available in the United States) to
implement some advanced drag and drop features made possible by the SOM II
(System Object Model Version 2) APIs newly available in OS/2 Warp (earlier
versions of OS/2 2.x only supported the original "SOM/SOM I" specification,
with less-sophisticated drag and drop capabilities). (upgrading to SOM II also
significantly reduced the size of IBM Works DLL file (Dynamic Link Libraries,
program code shared among multiple programs) which reduces disk and memory
requirements and allows IBM Works to load and run faster. Other BonusPak
applications may have other dependencies. For example, you can use IBM's
Internet WebExplorer (FTP'able from "FTP.IBM.NET/pub/webexplorer") with IBM's
standard TCP/IP 2.0 for OS/2, but only if the TCP/IP product has been updated
to fix level UN64092, dated 8/30/94. If you are unsure of your current fix
levels, type "syslevel" at any OS/2 command prompt, or run BonusPak's System
Information Tool and view the "Operating System" section.
3) I found a typo in Issue #2, Item 15, about where on the Internet you can
"Gopher" to download IBM's OS/2 Warp commercials. Part of the Gopher address
was incorrectly printed as "OS@INFO"; it should be "OS2INFO". So, to restate:
use Gopher to access "OS2INFO.AUSTIN.IBM.COM" and go to directory
"/OS2/OS2_AVI/OS2_AVI.70".
4) IBM has released version 1.01 of the Internet WebExplorer. If you are an
IBM Global Network subscriber, you can use the "Retrieve Software Updates" icon
in your Internet Connection folder to download and automatically install this
new version. Or, you can use anonymous FTP to access ftp.ibm.net and download
the file WEB101.ZIP. Unzip this file in a temporary directory, then run
WEBINST.EXE to install (ignore the message to "Reboot after Installation"). If
you have any questions, you are encouraged to make use of the Internet
Newsgroup "comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip" for problem determination, frequently
asked questions, and bug reports. In addition to the 1.01, you'll also find a
WebExplorer beta which is testing enhancements such as a) Mailto tags support
for short messages via SMTP, b) Hierarchical Tree display of News Reader
Articles, c) Posting to appropriate News Groups while viewing news, and d)
Disable/Enable Proxy and Socks Servers configuration on the fly. Other IBM
Internet Connection applications which have updates are UltiMail Lite (both
updates to 2.00 - 99KB, and the new 2.10 version - 1.9MB), SLIP and PPP access,
and NewsReader/2 (ver 1.09), as well a an "Archie" beta.
5) Several of you have asked about an Internet application known as IRC or
Internet Relay Chat. While not part of IBM's Internet Connection (or TCP/IP)
software, you can download a text version from the Hobbes OS/2 Shareware
archives. Use FTP, and download "irc2_035.zip"
from:"hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/network/tcpip". If the Hobbes archive is too
busy, try "ftp-os2.cdrom.com"; this is Walnut Creek's copy of the Hobbes OS/2
archives (from whence they publish complete CD-ROMs full of OS/2 and other
Shareware). Use WebExplorer to access "http://www.cdrom.com" for more details.
If you're interested in a PM (GUI) version of IRC, SofTouch Systems has just
released GammaTech IRC for OS/2. Promotional pricing is $39.95, call SofTouch
at 405-947-8080 for more details.
6) Access IBM's Personal Software Service and Support "home page" at
"http://ps.boulder.ibm.com/www/usa/ps/services". This web server contains tips
and techniques, closed APARs (IBMese for product bug fixes), service offerings,
and marketing information. You can browse the items and search for
information. IBM will keep the Hints and Tips information up-to-date for
products such as AnyNet/2, OS/2 Warp, CSet++, DB2/2, LAN Server, LAN Distance,
VisualAge, TCP/IP, and MANY others!
7) IBM's Raleigh NC facility is the home of our Enterprise LAN Integration
Test & Evaluation (ELITE) Center. Their mission includes integration testing
for IBM software products. Their reports on compatibility results give many
helpful hints and tips for using the products in an integrated environment,
including corrective service fixes required, remote installation procedures,
and samples. All of their current reports are accessible via the Internet.
Access IBM's Networking Home Page (http:\\www.raleigh.ibm.com), click on
"Resources" and look for the ELITE reports entry. There are currently thirty
seven test reports and three books available, including: OS/2 WARP Version 3
(Report #29), OS/2 WARP with WINOS2 (#33), OS/2 for SMP (Symmetrical
Multi-Processing) Version 2.11 (#28), PC DOS V6.3 (#16), CICS OS/2 V2.0
(transaction processing) (#14), DB2 (Database 2) Version 1.2 for OS/2 (#22),
NetView Distribution Manager 2.1 for OS/2, (LAN software distribution) (#31),
LAN Distance V1.1 (remote LAN access) (#19), DCAF V1.3 for OS/2 (remote PC
control) (#34), and NetView for OS/2 (#37).
8) OS/2 Warp Connect was just announced by IBM on May 16th. It does NOT
replace existing OS/2 Warp, rather, it is a version designed for users who need
workgroup to enterprise connectivity, in addition to robust stand-alone
computing. Of course, you can add just about any connection package you wish
to existing OS/2 Warp systems, but OS/2 Warp Connect has the most popular
capabilities all in one box, integrated and tested, with simplified
installation, and very attractive pricing. Like OS/2 Warp, there will be "red"
and "blue" flavors ("red" requires Windows 3.1x and "blue" includes WINOS2).
Existing OS/2 2.1 and OS/2 Warp w/WINOS2 licensees qualify for $25 and $50
(respectively) rebates from IBM when upgrading to OS/2 Warp Connect w/WINOS2.
See IBM's announcement letter (Item #1) for more details. IBM will also offer
"Pre-load MultiPaks" so that you can preload OS/2 Warp Connect at a lower cost.
Check with your favorite software distributor for details.
9) So what's included in OS/2 Warp Connect? Remember the phrase "Something
old, something new, something borrowed, something BLUE"? Well, for "old",
there's IBM's Network Signon Coordinator, and IBM's LAN Distance Remote Access
requester. For "new", there's IBM's Peer for OS/2. For "borrowed", there's
the Netware Requester 2.11 for OS/2 and a Lotus Notes Express requester
license. For "blue" we have IBM's TCP/IP 3.0 for OS/2, as well as IBM's LAN
Requester 4.0 for OS/2. In addition to all of these, there's a copy of IBM's
self-help Q&A tool called AskPSP (updates available via IBM's Technical
Connection subscription CD-ROM), as well as an all-new "converged" version of
IBM's LAN adapter interface MPTS/2 software, and other goodies.
10) With all these connectivity options, OS/2 Warp Connect ships ONLY on THREE
CD-ROMs. One contains the much acclaimed BonusPak, another has the Lotus Notes
Express software, and the third contains everything else. OS/2 Warp Connect
can be installed from the CD-ROMs OR via a very flexible LAN installation
utility. If you really need to install from diskettes, image files (70-90 of
them) and an unpacker utility are provided so you can build the (3.5")
diskettes yourself. OS/2 Warp Connect's system requirements are: a supported
LAN adapter (see the announcement letter for a list), at least 8MB RAM, up to
90MB free hard disk space (for the 'easy' install), and up to 30MB additional
free space for BonusPak selections. You may not use all the install options;
for example TCP/IP 3.0 is a superset of BonusPak's Internet Connection, so you
wouldn't install both. Also, IBM Peer contains everything most folks need to
access IBM's LAN Servers, so you don't also need to install the LAN Requester
code. Like OS/2 Warp, there's both an Easy Install, and an Advanced Install.
Easy Install installs on drive C:, and prompts you for the most popular
connections, such as IBM Peer, NetWare Client, and Internet via modem.
Advanced Install allows you to choose among all products and options. With
both installations, new Selective Install options will be added to your OS/2
System Folder to allow you to add or remove features later on.
11) In addition to CD-ROM or (homemade) diskette installs, any OS/2 Warp
Connect system with a CD-ROM drive may act as a host to install other systems
across a NetBIOS LAN (but not across a TCP/IP router). There's a special
utility to create two 'boot' diskettes for each workstation type (3.5" only,
based upon LAN adapter type). Just make sure the main CD-ROM is inserted in
the host system, and boot one or more PCs with the special diskettes to
initiate easy or advanced install across the network. Products on the BonusPak
and Lotus Notes Express CD-ROMs are installed separately. So much for
installation, let's take a closer look at some of OS/2 Warp Connect's new
features and capabilities.
12) IBM's all-new "Peer for OS/2" (not sold separately) allows your PC to
"talk" to other OS/2 Warp Connect users, IBM's LAN Server and PC LAN Program
1.3 servers, Artisoft's LANtastic 6.0 DOS or OS/2 peers, Microsoft's Windows
for Workgroups peers, LAN Manager 2.x and NT Advanced Servers (note:Microsoft
may require NTAS users to pay an additional connection fee). IBM Peer for OS/2
not only utilizes existing network adapters, but can also operate via parallel
port connections (with a LapLink-style parallel transfer cable) or via infrared
wireless connections! IBM Peer offers drag and drop sharing of your computer's
resources, and allows you to establish multiple levels of security. Since IBM
Peer for OS/2 uses SMB protocols, existing LANTASTIC peers must not be using
SNB. Further, while LANTASTIC peers may use IBM Peer resources, IBM Peers
cannot (today) use LANTASTIC resources. Lastly, while you can use IBM Peer to
access IBM LAN Servers, you cannot use it to administer an IBM LAN Server, LAN
Requester for OS/2 (included in OS/2 Warp Connect) is still required for that
function (and you can't have both IBM Peer and LAN Requester installed on the
same system). IBM's LAN Requester version 4 allows LAN Administrators to
graphically drag-and-drop administer a LAN Server network (the domain
controller, and all the servers, resources, and users in it), even if you're
still using LAN Server version 3!
13) For you TCP/IP fans, IBM's TCP/IP 3.0 for OS/2 (also not sold separately)
is a complete upgrade for TCP/IP 2.0 for OS/2. Unlike the async-only TCP/IP in
OS/2 Warp's BonusPak, you get a complete set of TCP/IP LAN transports as well
as dial-up (SLIP or PPP) access. Included is the ability to talk to two
different TCP/IP domains at once, for example, an internal TCP/IP LAN network
and a connection (async or router) to the "real" external Internet. You'll
find all of your favorite TCP/IP and Internet applications and capabilities
including IBM WebExplorer (1.01), an upgraded MIME compliant UltiMail Lite
(2.10), Gopher Client, NewsReader/2 (1.09), Telnet, PMANT, FTP (client AND
server), LPR/LPD (distributed printing), SNMP, remote command client and server
(RSH/RSHD, REXEC/REXECD) and more. Note: Internet users should install TCP/IP
3.0 for OS/2 and NOT the Internet Connection software included with the
BonusPak CD-ROM. Otherwise you won't get the full benefit of the application
upgrades included in TCP/IP 3.0. Users of TCP/IP 2.0 for OS/2 will find kits
such as the DOS/Windows Access (including WINSOCK support) and TCP/IP over
NetBIOS are included in OS/2 Warp Connect. Other IBM kits such as NFS and
X-Windows client/server are compatible with OS/2 Warp Connect, and may be
purchased separately.
14) The included NetWare Client version 2.11 for OS/2 gives OS/2 Warp Connect
users native Novell NetWare 4.x and 3.x connectivity. Note: Novell has
released a "field test" maintenance package for this client. It is NOT
included with OS/2 Warp Connect, but you can download R211FT.EXE (last updated
approx 3/24/95), from NetWire (on CompuServe) and other services.
15) IBM's Network SignON Coordinator is a client utility which handles via a
single userid and password logon, access to multiple IBM Lan Server, Novell
Netware server, and 3270/5250 systems, coordinating the use (and changing when
necessary) of all the different userids and passwords required.
16) IBM's LAN Distance Remote for OS/2 gives a remote PC the same access to
LAN resources as a locally-attached device. This is a "remote node" product,
not a "remote control" product (for remote control, check out IBM's DCAF
product -- see Item #7 above for more information). LAN Distance Remote can
also allow two PCs to connect together asynchronously to share resources
between themselves. To become a remote LAN node, you'll also need LAN Distance
Connection server software on your network. This doesn't have to be a separate
machine, but can exist together with IBM LAN Server, TCP/IP 3.0 services, and
even NetWare 4.x servers (with NetWare for OS/2 software).
17) There are also a number of utilities bundled with OS/2 Warp Connect. a)
AskPSP is your personal help desk which uses a natural language interface to
assist you discovering answers to questions about OS/2 Warp, LAN Requester, LAN
Distance and NetWare Client. b) On-line publications for connectivity products
may be viewed and/or printed. c) Single Component Installs allow connectivity
products to be installed via the CD-ROM, OR removed individually. d) Finally,
there are diskette image files for all of the connectivity products which
enables them to be installed separately from diskettes (these are 3.5" diskette
images only!).
18) For those of you not familiar with Lotus's Notes groupware, it's
essentially a communication and collaboration platform which allows workgroups
(local or remote) to work together. The included Notes Express Requester
features an easy to use graphical user interface based on forms and views, and
comes with SEVEN ready to use application templates: a) Discussion, b)
Client/server e-mail, c) Phone directory, d) Reference database outline, e)
News databases, f) Customer tracking, and g) Service and Support (these last
two are extra applications for OS/2 Warp Connect users which are not normally
included in Lotus' Notes Express product). If you wish to use any additional
Lotus Notes applications, you'll need to upgrade this "Notes Express" license
to a full "Notes Requester".
19) All in all, OS/2 Warp Connect is a terrific CLIENT operating system which
can interoperate with other clients and servers in your local area networks.
With the capabilities of IBM Peer and TCP/IP 3.0, file/print server
capabilities are yours to command, right out of the box. If you don't already
have a server in place, you might also checkout IBM's Advanced Server for
Workgroups. Coupled with IBM's LAN Distance Connection server, you can have
(in a single machine) remote LAN access, a Lotus Notes Server, and a
full-function IBM ADVANCED LAN Server (including fault tolerance, disk
mirroring, and other advanced capabilities) to satisfy the needs of your
workgroup and enterprise users.
Credits
Some of the information above comes from Mark Chapman's (IBM Raleigh NC) PS
Assistant. Other contributors were Lori Sackowitz (IBM San Francisco), Jerry
Stegenga (IBM Boca), and Paul Braren (Mind Share, Layton UT). The on-line
collection of these TechNotes can be downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. TechNotes Article #5 (July 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #5 (July 1995)
Summer's here (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway!), and I've got lots of
sizzling tips for you OS/2 Warp folks out there!
1) First some errata from previous articles. Last time I reported that IBM is
offering upgrade pricing from OS/2 and OS/2 Warp to OS/2 Warp Connect. In order
to simply the quantity of part numbers, this was changed at the last minute to
be 'rebates', not separate upgrade offerings. The information in IBM's
announcement letter is correct; you can get this from 1-800-IBM-4FAX, document
number 295199.
2) There was also a typo last issue on where to get a complete collection of
all of these TechNotes articles. The correct electronic addresses may be found
at the end of THIS article! So much for these, now on to the GOOD STUFF !
3) Officially you can't upgrade from OS/2 Warp for Windows to OS/2 Warp
w/WINOS2 or OS/2 Warp Connect w/WINOS2. However, if you REALLY want to try
this, (after backing everything up!) DELETE \OS2\INSTALL\SYSLEVEL.* and you
should now be able to install the blue box versions of OS/2 Warp and OS/2 Warp
Connect. This is an UNSUPPORTED technique, but it appears to work.
4) Want to squeeze a little more performance out of your disk drives? If you're
using the default FAT file system, change your DISKCACHE line to read
DISKCACHE=D,LW,32. This configures the maximum record size cached (32K) and
lets OS/2 default to the correct size cache for the amount of memory you have
installed (10% of available RAM). HPFS users should increase the /CRECL: value
on the HPFS.IFS line to 32 or 64. This allows the HPFS file system to cache a
larger record size (32K or 64K) instead of the default of 4K. Depending on the
mix of applications you are running, this change may provide a performance
boost. Some users may have BOTH HPFS and FAT file systems, if you have multiple
disk partitions or multiple disk drives.
5) Mixing the latest software with the latest hardware can be a problem,
especially if updated device drivers aren't available for that ultra-speed
CD-ROM drive or other shiny new hardware device. You can check PCMTAB.ZIP
(available from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com/os2_text_files/PCMTAB.ZIP"); this is
IBM's latest list of supported systems, CD-ROM drives, SCSI, video, tape,
another other devices which have OS/2 Warp support. If your device isn't on
this list, ask the manufacturer when you'll be able to get OS/2 Warp drivers.
If they're not interested in supporting OS/2 Warp, vote with your dollars,
return the device, and get another one which is listed as having OS/2 Warp
support.
6) Does your machine have a really new or a very old CD-ROM drive? Or do you
have a CD-ROM on the network, but not on the machine you wish to install OS/2?
If you have enough disk space on the 'target' machine, you should be able to
use DOS to "XCOPY" the files from CD and install from your hard disk instead.
From the root directory of your OS/2 CD-ROM key: "TYPE OS2SE20.SRC" and press
ENTER. This will display the directory name on the CD-ROM where the OS/2 files
are stored. In the following example, "OS2IMAGE" is the name of the CD-ROM
directory where the OS/2 files are. Use "XCOPY d:\OS2IMAGE\ c:\OS2IMAGE /s/v"
(where "d:" is the CD-ROM drive letter and "c:" is your hard disk drive letter)
to copy 45MB of files from the OS/2 Warp CD-ROM to your hard disk. Also "COPY
d:\OS2SE20.SRC c:\ /v" (from your CD-ROM to your hard disk drive). Next, make
a copy of diskette #1, and edit the copy's CONFIG.SYS file. Modify the line
which says SET OS2_SHELL=CDINST.EXE to read "SET
OS2_SHELL=c:\OS2IMAGE\DISK_1\SYSINST2.EXE" (where "c:" is your hard disk drive
letter), and save the file. Now you're ready to re-boot with the OS/2 Warp
Installation Disk and install OS/2 Warp. After installation, you can erase the
\OS2IMAGE subdirectory (created above on your hard disk) to reclaim the space.
7) Now that IBM has released IBM Peer as part of OS/2 Warp Connect, some of you
have asked why IBM LAN Server 4; why not use IBM Peer for OS/2 for everything?
Well, for smaller sized networks (typically 10 or fewer PCs), or for a
decentralized campus environment (such as a university), IBM Peer for OS/2 is
ideal. However, when your network begins to grow, IBM LAN Server 4 has a number
of advantages. LAN Server 4 resources can be centrally managed, and security
is implemented centrally through the domain controller concept (OS/2 Peer
systems cannot be a domain controller, but do not require a domain controller
to establish connections with other network peers). In addition to central
network management and security, IBM LAN Server will outperform OS/2 Peer as
your network grows in size (especially LAN Server 4 Advanced). IBM LAN Server
4 also has a unique feature for OS/2 Warp clients known as the Network
Applications folder. Without modifying any OS/2 Warp client systems, a network
administrator can create icons for applications stored on the server. These
icons automatically appear in the Network Applications folder on the OS/2 Warp
desktop when an OS/2 user logs in, complete with any special settings required.
This feature makes deploying new network applications much easier. As a rule
of thumb, IBM Peer for OS/2 is best with networks of 10 or fewer PCs. Beyond 8
PCs, start considering IBM LAN Server 4 Entry. Beyond about 40 PCs, start
considering IBM LAN Server 4 Advanced. There's significant overlap in these
rules of thumb, depending on what you need out of your network; there are no
hard and fast rules.
8) Even though OS/2 Warp Connect is primarily for networked computers, you do
NOT necessarily need a network adapter to take advantage of its networking
features! For example, IBM Peer for OS/2 may be implemented between two OS/2
Warp Connect systems with a LinkRight/LinkWiz/LapLink-style parallel-port
cable! Consult the file "\IBMCOM\MACS\PRNANDIS.TXT" for more information on
the IBM Parallel Port driver; this file is included when you install OS/2 Warp
Connect. You may also use IBM's LAN Distance Remote feature (included in OS/2
Warp Connect) to establish a virtual network link from a remote PC to a local
LAN (remote node technology) via IBM's LAN Distance Connection Server. Even if
you don't have a Connection Server, you can connect two OS/2 Warp Connect
machines via their modems and the LAN Distance Remote software included in OS/2
Warp Connect. LAN Distance provides the ability to use ANY network protocol
via your modem. LAN Distance is flexible enough to operate with either a modem
or a LAN adapter! It includes a "shuttle" feature which automatically
reconfigures your PC (such as a notebook computer) for either in-office
(network card attached) or out-of-office (modem attached) operation.
9) IBM's TCP/IP Version 3 (included free with OS/2 Warp Connect) can maintain a
dial-up Internet connection and a LAN TCP/IP connection at the same. It also
can function as a TCP/IP router, AND includes FTP and Telnet SERVER software.
It provides WINSock compatibility so that Windows-based TCP/IP applications can
plug in and use its capabilities. You can even add other OS/2 released and
beta products, such as GOSERVE (available from
"ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com/os2_ews/GOSERVE.ZIP"), which provides a Gopher and
World-Wide-Web SERVER capability.
Credits
Many thanks to Tim Sipples and Kris Kwilas (both with IBM in Chicago) for many
of the items listed here. The on-line collection of these TechNotes can be
downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. TechNotes Article #6 (August/September 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #6 (August/September 1995)
I guess it's difficult to pickup ANY publication this fall and not find an
article about Microsoft's new Windows 95 (version 1.0). Brad Silverberg
(Microsoft's senior VP of personal systems) was quoted in InfoWorld (6/12/95)
as saying "It's clear that the hype for Windows 95 got out of hand...We take
our share of responsibility for creating unreasonable expectations". Well, I
think it's about time someone told you the 'rest of the story'. Despite
Microsoft's wishes, and some misquoting in the press, OS/2 Warp is NOT dead,
IBM will continue to make significant investments in it, and IBM's recent
acquisition of Lotus Development makes for an ever stronger and better
integrated IBM-Lotus product line. IBM's OS/2 product line now includes OS/2
Warp, OS/2 Warp Connect, OS/2 Warp Connect for the PowerPC (currently in second
beta), OS/2 for SMP (up to 16-way Symmetrical Multiprocessing), and OS/2 Warp
Server (first beta now available). All of these platforms run the same
applications on minimal or extremely powerful hardware.
1) Despite all of Microsoft's pronouncements to the contrary, OS/2 Warp is NOT
dead! There's a reason why OS/2 has won almost 70 major awards in the last
three years and has sold over 9 million copies (over 2.5 million since last
November alone). Recent awards include PC Magazine's July 1995 annual reader
survey where OS/2 Warp received the highest rating in "Overall Satisfaction
among Operating Systems". OS/2 Warp also received from InfoWorld's readers
their "Product of the Year" this year, for the THIRD year in a row! In 1995,
OS/2 Warp was also named "Product of the Year" by PC World and Byte magazines.
ComputerWorld got into the act, in April naming OS/2 Warp number one on the
desktop. Also in April, Canada's "The Computer Paper" gave OS/2 Warp (compared
to Windows 95 and Mac OS) awards for Best Multitasking, Best Internet Support,
Best Bundled Applications, and Best Technical Support. IBM has also won the
Software Service Provider Associations STAR award for "Best High Call Volume"
for the SECOND year in a row.
2) Someone asked if you could install OS/2 Warp/Connect and Windows 95 on the
same system. The answer is yes, just be careful how you do it! If your demo
system already has DOS, Windows 3.1, and OS/2 Warp (or Connect) red box
installed in a single disk partition, you may dual-boot back to DOS, load
Windows, and run the Windows 95 setup. Caution: Do NOT install Windows 95 into
the \WINDOWS directory, or you'll disable OS/2 Warp's capability to run Windows
3.1 applications (Windows 95 overwrites Windows 3.1 programs to recycle disk
space). Install Windows 95 into a separate directory.
3) After Windows 95 is installed, it won't normally allow OS/2's default
dual-boot BOOT.COM program to run (since it'll reboot Windows 95). The
solution is to either shutdown Windows 95 into "Single MS-DOS mode" and then
run "\OS2\BOOT /OS2" or to create a PIF file to run BOOT.COM, selecting the
Advanced setting of "Single MS-DOS mode". This will shutdown Windows 95 and
allow OS/2 Warp to startup. A copy of DUALBOOT.PIF has been added to the
TECHNOTE.ZIP compendium of all TechNotes articles; see below for information on
how to get your copy.
4) If your system currently has OS/2's Boot Manager installed with DOS/Windows
on one partition and OS/2 Warp on another, installing Windows 95 will disable
Boot Manager so that its installation may complete normally. Not to worry.
Next time Windows 95 boots with the "Starting Windows 95" message, press F8 and
select a Command Prompt. From the command prompt run the FDISK command. Look
at the partitions, find the non-DOS partition about 1MB in size (that's Boot
Manager!), and use option 2 to mark it as Active. Next boot, Boot Manager will
come up normally, and you'll be able to choose between DOS/Windows/Windows 95
and OS/2 Warp. If you'd like to change the name of the DOS/Windows partition
to Windows 95, you'll need to startup OS/2 Warp, run FDISKPM from an OS/2
Command prompt (or choose "create partition" from the Drives folder popup). Use
the mouse pointer to highlight the partition whose name you wish to change on
the Boot Manager menu, and select from the Options pulldown "Change Partition
Name", and then use F3 to "Save and Exit".
5) If you've already installed Windows 95 into the \WINDOWS directory and you
wish to add OS/2 Warp, you must use the 'blue' box version of OS/2 Warp (this
includes IBM's WINOS2 code to support 16-bit Windows applications). Otherwise,
you must uninstall Windows 95, restore your \WINDOWS directory, and reinstall
Windows 95 into a separate directory so that you can use 'red' box OS/2
Warp/Connect. If uninstalling is not an option, well, officially you can't
upgrade from OS/2 Warp/Connect red box to blue box. However, after backing
everything up, you can try deleting all of the \OS2\INSTALL\SYSLEVEL.* files.
NOW you should be able to install the blue box versions of OS/2 Warp/Connect.
This is NOT SUPPORTED by IBM, but it appears to work.
6) When installing OS/2 Warp on a system which already has Windows 95, be
careful about automatically migrating programs to the Workplace Shell desktop.
While OS/2 Warp is compatible with WIN32S applications (up to Wincode 1.15), it
is not compatible with Windows 95 (Wincode 1.2+) programs. Messages such as
"DOS Error 23" or "You need a new version of WINOS2", mean you're trying to run
a Windows 95 application under OS/2 Warp. When installing OS/2 Warp, instead
of migrating all applications automatically to your OS/2 Workplace Shell
Desktop, choose the "Select New Programs" option. This allows you to
select/deselect which ones to add. Avoid any applications in \PROGRA~1 and the
Windows 95 directory (\WINDOWS, if that's where you installed Windows 95).
7) Well, Microsoft now has TWO desktop operating systems: Windows 95, and NT
Workstation. These two products are part of a family, but do you know what the
differences are? Enquiring minds should want to know, and how to choose
between them. Essentially, Windows 95 (version 1.0) was designed for backwards
compatibility (it's even compatible with General Protection Faults!), and NT
Workstation was designed for robustness, SMP, RISC, and server applications.
Microsoft itself says Windows 95 (version 1.0) does not have: a) power to run
demanding applications, b) the highest level of protection for data and
applications, c) scalability to multiprocessors d) processor independence, and
e) server capability. Microsoft's recommendation for a robust operating system
for mission-critical client/server applications should be NT Workstation (if
not, ask why -- Microsoft has a flyer on this). Since you'll never see Windows
95 on RISC, SMP, or a file/print/application server, support personnel must
gain and maintain Windows 95 & NT Workstation skills. If NT Workstation seems
a better choice, remember that it costs $319 (not $89), and requires 4-8MB more
RAM than OS/2 Warp Connect (at a cost greater than $150 per 4MB). Further,
5-10% of Windows 95 applications (such as those requiring a VxD) won't run on
NT Workstation. NT doesn't support as wide a range of hardware choices as OS/2
Warp, NT requires all-new device drivers (unlike Win95 MS-DOS compatibility),
and is a poor performer running Win16 apps.
8) Windows 95 (version 1.0) is going to cost most users much more than its $89
upgrade price. For example, you get full preemptive multitasking only if ALL
of your applications are new 32-bit versions (and that includes your favorite
shareware programs too)! If you CAN'T get some 32-bit upgrades, you'll be
partially using cooperative multitasking (like Windows 3.1). For those of you
a little fuzzy on the difference, here's an analogy: Cooperative multitasking
is like two toddlers and a toy; the other can play only when the first gives it
up. Preemptive multitasking is like two toddlers, a toy, and a Mom; the Mom
decides when it is the other's turn! Since 16-bit Windows applications use
some critical Windows 95 components which 32-bit applications also use, if they
hangup, your preemptively multitasked 32-bit applications can freeze long
enough to disrupt or abort time-critical applications, such as file transfer,
FAXing, and multimedia. Compare this to OS/2 Warp, which for years has allowed
you to upgrade to an advanced application platform without requiring you to
upgrade your applications. An Office 95 upgrade is over $180 after discounts
and rebates! Microsoft points out that 16-bit Windows applications under OS/2
Warp are by default cooperatively multitasked and it's bad to preemptively
multitask them in separate virtual machines because OLE may not work properly.
Funny, they ADDED the same capability (with the same limitations) to NT
Workstation! Also, 32-bit OS/2 Warp applications do not rely on operating
system modules corruptable by errant 16-bit Windows applications.
9) Be careful of Microsoft's claims that Windows 95 (version 1.0) provides
Internet access. It does provide TCP/IP plumbing, but doesn't provide any GUI
tools such as a Gopher or Web Browser. To get these, you must purchase a
separate package such as Microsoft Plus which costs $45-$50 MORE. Compare this
to OS/2 Warp's BonusPak which includes a free, comprehensive set of Internet
tools. Microsoft says you'll get a free downloadable Web Browser when you
subscribe to their new Microsoft Network offering (for another extra fee, of
course!).
10) There have been a number of comparisons of Windows 95 versus OS/2 Warp,
describing on a feature by feature basis why it would cost hundreds of dollars
to bring OS/2 Warp up to Windows 95's functionality. Well, the rest of the
story is that comparisons which faulted OS/2 Warp on its lack of networking
features conveniently ignored OS/2 Warp Connect and its superior networking
feature set! Those comparisons also ignore OS/2 Warp's free BonusPak of
full-function OS/2 applications because Windows 95 doesn't have comparable
offerings. Finally, while comparisons taunt that OS/2 Warp won't run Windows
95 applications (version 1.0 or not yet available), they fail to mention you
can't run any of the several thousand available OS/2 GUI applications on any
member of the Windows family.
11) There's a new beta version of IBM's Internet Connection WebExplorer
available from "ftp://ftp.ibm.net/pub/WebExplorer/WEB0814.ZIP". This one is
post version 1.02, and adds HTML 3.0 support and enhances Newsgroup functions.
There's a new Newsgroup Manager which monitors all subscriptions and reports
the number of unread items since your last session. Also added is a "Next
Thread" and "Previous Thread" function which allows you to easily follow
Newsgroup 'conversations'.
12) IBM Europe maintains an OS/2 Device Driver Repository available to anyone
with internet access. The repository contains hundreds of megabytes of files,
mostly OS/2 device drivers and information (hints & tips) files. The addresses
for the FTP server are:
"http://www.europe.ibm.com/getdoc/psmemea/progserv/os2drivers/".
13) In the past, some clone NE2000 network cards have caused problems during
OS/2 Warp's installation. OS/2 Warp Connect includes a new device driver,
DETNE2.SYS to detect these network cards. In addition, OS/2 Warp Connect
includes a driver for the Eagle NE2000plus network adapter, which is the most
popular NE2000 adapter. However, many NE2000 adapters are not quite compatible
with the Eagle. A "generic" NE2000 driver package has been created and can be
retrieved from the Internet via anonymous ftp from
"ftp://ftp-os2.nmsu.edu/os2/drivers/ne2000wc.zip".
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying and verifying information
gathered for this article. This time, they include Kris Kwilas (IBM Chicago),
Bill Maloney (IBM ISSC Austin), Ashish Gupta (IBM Austin), and Fred Behning
(IBM Boca). The on-line collection of these TechNotes can be downloaded from
IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. TechNotes Article #7 (October/November 1995) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #7 (October/November 1995)
1) As many of you know, the Internet is a VERY dynamic medium, with things
changing CONSTANTLY! This includes addresses on where to find things. In my
last article, I published IBM Europe's OS/2 Device Driver Repository address,
and by the time the article was published, IBM had changed the address (to make
it easier to use!). The new address is
"http://www.europe.ibm.com/getdoc/psmemea/progserv/device". This will give you
an index of the different kinds of devices from which you may choose. If
you've had trouble accessing this from the US, try in the afternoon. Depending
on your time zone, you're 5-8 hours behind Europe, and your "afternoon" will be
their evening (when local usage is less). If you ever have problems with http
or ftp addresses, you might try what I do, and that is to "back-up" the
directory tree one or more directories, to see if you can find an index
pointing you onto the new path. Hope this tip helps.
2) Speaking of dynamic, there's new stuff all the time. Last time I also told
you about a new beta version of IBM's Internet Connection WebExplorer. Well,
it has gone "gold", and you may now download version 1.03 from
"ftp://ftp.ibm.net/pub/WebExplorer/WEB103.ZIP". This adds HTML 3.0 support and
enhanced Newsgroup functions such as "Next Thread" and "Previous Thread". By
the way, if you're tired of the default WebExplorer animated icon, check out
"http://www.kuwait.net/~morpheus/web-anim.html". You'll find a bunch of new
animations and even instructions on how to integrate them into your own web
pages! Note: Make sure you activate "Customized Animations" from WebExplorer's
"Options" pulldown.
3) In "Other Internet News", IBM has announced a slew of new Internet-related
products, including standard Internet Web Servers, as well as Secure Servers
and Browsers. The "Secure" products are designed to aid commerce across the
Internet by providing encryption of credit card and PIN numbers. Many
companies are embracing external Internet technology internally, by setting up
internal-only Web sites protected by "fire-walls" to prevent external hackers.
Internal-only Web sites are usually referred to as "little i" internet (or
Intranet) as opposed to the external, world-wide "Big I" Internet. If
interested, you may get more information about these product offerings from
IBM's Web site at: "http://www.raleigh.ibm.com/icf/icfprod.html".
4) In Issue number 5, I told you about IBM's OS/2 Warp Connect. IBM announced
two NetBIOS products with it: IBM Peer and LAN Requester 4.0. For those of
you who want to exploit IBM Peer's capabilities at the same time as using the
GUI to administer IBM's LAN Server 4.0 (or OS/2 Warp Server beta), here's how
you can install BOTH LAN Requester 4.0 and IBM Peer for OS/2 on the same
machine at the same time! NOTE: this procedure has not been extensively tested
and is recommended only if you absolutely need the graphical LAN Server
Administration capability. Here are the steps you must follow:
A. Install OS/2 Warp Connect with LAN Requester first.
B. Make a copy of the IBM LAN Services folder and rename
it to Temp LAN Services.
C. Copy the contents of the directories \IBMLAN\NETPROG and
\IBMLAN\NETLIB to \TEMPLAN\NETPROG and \TEMPLAN\NETLIB,
respectively.
D. Install OS/2 Peer on top of LAN Requester (using the PRODINST
program included with OS/2 Warp Connect).
E. Copy the files in \TEMPLAN\NETPROG to \IBMLAN\NETPROG.
You can use the Drives object in your OS/2 System folder. Find and
open the \TEMPLAN\NETPROG folder, select all files in the folder,
and copy them to \IBMLAN\NETPROG. Do NOT replace any duplicate
files in \IBMLAN\NETPROG (click on Cancel when prompted). You
should only copy those files in \TEMPLAN\NETPROG which are not
already in \IBMLAN\NETPROG.
F. Repeat Step E for the \TEMPLAN\NETLIB and \IBMLAN\NETLIB
directories.
G. Rename the Temp LAN Services folder back to IBM LAN Services.
H. Restart your OS/2 Warp PC for changes to take effect.
5) While we're talking about OS/2 Warp Connect, in the "Did You Know"
department, OS/2 Peer users can access directories (folders), drives (including
diskette drives, CD-ROM drives, optical drives, etc.), printers (the actual
print queue), and ports (both parallel and serial). Non-OS/2 Peer users (such
as LANtastic clients) can access printers, drives, and directories only.
The ability to share CD-ROM drives and COM ports (modems, for example) over the
network is rare or even unique to OS/2 Peer. Suppose you have a high speed
modem attached to one OS/2 Warp Connect PC. You can share out that fancy V.34
modem to other PCs running OS/2 Peer so that they can use standard
communications software (not necessarily network-aware communications
software!) to dial-out with that modem and communicate with other systems.
Some communications software (such as HyperAccess/5 for OS/2) can open the COM
port in "shared mode," which means that you can have other communications
software monitoring and displaying the traffic being passed to/from that COM
port, even from somewhere else on the network!
6) And while we're talking about COM ports, here's SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW.
The standard COM.SYS and VCOM.SYS with OS/2 Warp/Connect support speeds up to
57,600. "So what", you may say. Well, a 14.4 modem running V.42bis 4:1
compression EQUALS 57,600. Since 28.8 modems are under $200 by now, if you use
V.34 compression, you've got an effective data rate of 115,200, which OS/2's
standard COM drivers can't handle! The solution is to get a set of shareware
COM drivers known as SIO from Ray Gwinn. SIO.SYS and VSIO.SYS replace IBM's
COM.SYS and VCOM.SYS. Not only do they provide support for up to 115,200 in
OS/2, they also are a GREAT aid to DOS/Windows communications programs
(Prodigy, WinFAX, etc) running under OS/2. If you have older, non-buffered
hardware ports (such as 8250 or 16450), SIO provides virtual 16550 buffered
UARTs (Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter to you uninitiated out
there), which help maintain async connections even when your system is VERY
BUSY multitasking. You can get a shareware copy of SIO (current version is
1.53, request registration $25) by downloading SIO153.ZIP from IBM's BBS
(address at end of article).
7) Halloween's over, and you're STILL feeling tricked by Windows 95? Grab a
treat from IBM's "Just Add OS/2 Warp" Web Page at
"http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/drk95.html". "Just Add OS/2 Warp" includes
a demo of Warp, a utility to allow OS/2 Warp to see and convert Windows 95 long
file-names (BTW, welcome to the club), and the means to test a system for
compatibility with OS/2 Warp. Did I forget to mention it also includes a
"Remove Windows 95" option? Further, it can be installed and used on Windows
3.1, Windows 95, and OS/2 Warp.
8) For those of you used to working with OS/2 Warp or OS/2 Warp Connect, here
are some cool add-ons, (some free, some fee), which you might want to checkout.
There are a number of products which enhance the OS/2 Warp object-oriented
desktop. NPSWPS allows you to add more than twenty other "I didn't know I
needed it until I got it" features. Get your FREE copy from
"ftp://ftp-os2.nmsu.edu/os2/wpsutil/npswp181.zip". In the fee category, there's
Stardock Systems' "Object Desktop" which supercharges OS/2 by adding
performance and productivity enhancements These new features include the
Object Navigator, Control Center, Keyboard LaunchPad, Object Archives,
HyperDrive, and HyperCache. It has neat features, such as allowing you to
manipulate ZIP files as if they were OS/2 folders, and even launch programs
from inside ZIP folders. It allows you to use ZIP's compression capabilities
without the command parameters. See "http://oeonline.com/~stardock/" for more
information.
9) Since the release of OS/2 Warp Connect, IBM has also released "AttachPak for
OS/2 Warp Connect". AttachPak provides advanced connectivity features for
business users above and beyond standard OS/2 Warp Connect features. For
example, it upgrades the Lotus Notes Express client to a full Lotus Notes
Desktop client. Express allows you to utilize only the seven included
application templates. Desktop includes over 20 application templates, as well
as allowing you to use any custom templates your programmers have created. For
IBM mainframe users, there's also IBM's Personal Communications/3270 for OS/2
(Entry Level), IBM's DIALS client (remote dialup to IBM 8235 remote access
ports), Mobile File Synchronization, System Performance Monitor, and much more.
For more information, checkout "http://www.austin.ibm.com/nwsattach.html".
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying and verifying information
gathered for this article. They include Al Kalar (Viking Waters), Mark Neumann
(IBM Milwaukee), Kevin Maier (IBM Boca), and Kris Kwilas (University of
Illinois). The on-line collection of these TechNotes can be downloaded from
IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet via the IBM BESTeam US page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, then
select TechNotes.
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.