OS/2 Shareware BBS: WPS_PM/WPS_PM.zip/blit55us.zip/DISK.ZIP/BLANKER.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1995-11-27 | 21KB | 512 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. About Blanker Lite ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Blanker Lite is an easy to use screen saver with DPMS and multimedia support.
Blanker Lite is easy on system resources such as memory and CPU time. The
Settings notebook lets you easily configure Blanker Lite.

Blanker Lite saves your screen from damage and saves energy if you have a
monitor that supports DPMS or APMS. Blanker Lite also features a password
lockup that covers your entire screen for security reasons. You can also choose
to lock the screen without blanking. Blanker Lite monitors your mouse and
keyboard and if you do not make any inputs for a certain time (blank time) the
screen is blanked. You can change the blank time and enable modules in the
Settings notebook. When the screen is blanked Blanker Lite chooses one of the
enabled modules. Blanker Lite also supports multimedia. If you have MMPM/2
installed you can assign sound files (WAV files) to external modules or play an
audio cd when an external module is active. If no module is selected the screen
will be just blanked. If you start Blanker Lite with the parameter '-' (minus
sign) the Blanker Lite window is automatically hidden. It is a good idea to
start Blanker Lite automatically when booting your system (e.g. from the
Startup folder). If you want to blank your screen immediately move the mouse
pointer to the corresponding blank corner of your screen or press the blank key
combination.

Blanker Lite supports full screen DOS sessions using a DOS client program
called DBLANKER.COM. DBLANKER.COM is copied to your MDOS directory during
installation and the line @DBLANKER X is appended to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (X
stands for the blank time in minutes in DOS sessions). To disable DBLANKER in a
DOS session, type DBLANKER 0 at the command prompt. To re-enable DBLANKER type
DBLANKER X (where X is the blank time) at the DOS prompt. Due to the
limitations of DOS and the way some DOS programs are written, DBLANKER might
not work with some DOS programs. DBLANKER also monitors only your keyboard in
DOS sessions.

Blanker Lite also supports full screen WIN-OS/2 sessions by means of a Windows
screen saver module (WBLANKER.SCR) that activates Blanker Lite. When you work
in seamless WIN-OS/2 sessions or if you run DOS programs in a Window on your
desktop Blanker Lite becomes active.

Blanker Lite supports a variety of external screen saver modules. You can use
Deskpic modules (.DSS), Blanker modules (.BSS) and Screen Saver modules (.SSM).
Blanker Lite has a built-in watchdog funtion to detect errors in external
Deskpic screen saver modules. If the desktop freezes just wait 5 seconds while
Screen Blanker Lite tries to terminate the faulty module.

To change the color or the font of the Blanker Lite status line drag the
desired color or font from the color palette or from the font palette to the
corresponding window. To change the settings of the information window display
the information window pop-up menu by clicking the right mouse button over the
information window.

Related information:

Button bar
Copyright
Registration
Removing Blanker Lite


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Button bar ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose a button on the button bar to execute one of the following commands.

 This button displays the modules and sounds settings.

 This button displays the events and sounds settings.

 This button displays the options.

 This button displays the hot corner settings.

 This button displays the password settings.

 This button displays the power management settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Copyright ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Blanker Lite 5.5
The essential screen saver for OS/2.
All rights reserved.
Copyright (C) Peter Wansch, 1995

September 8, 1995
Vienna, Austria

MMPM/2, OS/2, Operating System/2, WIN-OS/2 and Workplace Shell are trademarks of IBM Corp.
DPMS.EXE is copyright of Siegfried Hanisch and Peter Wansch.
ScreenSaver is copyright of Siegfried Hanisch.
Deskpic is copyright of John Ridges.
DBLANKER is copyright of Larry Board and Peter Wansch.

The modules AQUARIUM, CLOCK, EYES, FIRE, MELT, PUZZLE, SPHERES, STRING and WALL are copyright of John Ridges.
The module RAIN is copyright by T. Alex Beamish.
The modules SMARTIES, OS2BOUNC and OS22BOUN are copyright by Delboy.
The modules ACIDRAIN, BLOCKS and KALSCOPE are copyright by Keith Agee.
The modules SPLINES and BUSYBEES are copyright by Eduard Kappel.
The modules NEWPOLY and POLYGONS are copyright by Barry E. King.
The modules PUZZLE2 and SHRINK are copyright by Derek Howell.
The module CRAZY is copyright by K. Baran.
The module WORM is copyright by Robert and Del.
The module SWARM is copyright by Patrick J. Naughton and John W. Cocula.
The modules BLANK, FLAME, HOPALONG, IMAGE, LIFE, PYRO, QIX, ROTOR, SWARM and WORM are copyright of Patrick J. Naughton and Michael Lenzen.
The modules EXTERNAL, STICKS, TV, RAUPE are copyright of Olaf Koch.
The module HOPOK is copyright of Michael Peters and Olaf Koch.
The poem 'raupe' on which the module RAUPE is based is copyright 1985, 1990 by Luchterhand Literaturverlag. All rights reserved.
The module BOUNCE is copyright of John Ridges and Peter Wansch.
The module TREK1 is copyright of D. Howell.
The modules 4COLPROB, BOUNCE, GOLIFE, NUMLOCK and SPACE are copyright of Nicole Greiber.
All other modules are copyright of Peter Wansch.

All modules are distributed in this package free of charge.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Registration ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This version of Blanker Lite is provided with a limited evaluation license not
exceeding 21 days in duration from first use. Unregistered use beyond this
evaluation period is in violation of this license.

If you find Blanker Lite useful and would like to register your copy there are
several forms of registration possible. When you register Blanker Lite you
receive a registration key that entitles you to use this and all future
versions of Blanker Lite and Blanker. As a registered user your questions
regarding Blanker Lite will be answered via mail or e-mail (preferred) and any
suggestions you might have on how to improve Blanker Lite will be considered to
be implemented in upcoming versions.

(1)
You can register Blanker Lite via CompuServe. Type GO SWREG and register
product 7232. The registration fee charged over CompuServe is 30$.

(2)
You can register Blanker Lite by contacting BMT Micro.
 By Mail
  BMT Micro
  452 Horn Rd
  Wilmington, NC 28412-2411
  USA
 By Phone
  [phone]   Voice (technical support)
  [phone]   Orders Only
  Please note that all technical support calls must be made to [phone]
with no exceptions.
 By Fax
  [phone]
 By BBS
  [phone]  (10 lines, all 14.4)
  [phone]  (28.8 Line)

BMT Micro accepts American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Cashiers
Checks, Money Orders, Personal Checks.  Payment must be in US Currency.  No
cash please! No charge for 1st Class shipping anywhere in the world.  Priority
shipping extra and will be explained when the order is placed. The registration
fee charged by BMT Micro is 28$.

(3)
You can send the registration fee in cash (registered or unregistered mail). If
you send cash, the registration fee is also 28$. My mail address is:

Peter Wansch
Hagenbachgasse 37
A-3423 St. Andrae-Woerdern
AUSTRIA
e-mail: [e-mail]
phone: [phone] fax: [phone]

This is only convenient when you are from Austria, Germany or any other
European country. Please make sure to give your full return address and if
available e-mail address to get the registration key. Instead of sending cash
you can also send a Eurocheque in Austrian Schilling. Please don't send
Eurocheques in any currency other than Austrian Schilling. Please note that
Eurocheques in other currencies e. g. German Mark are treated like foreign
cheques and cannot be accepted because the fees to cash in such a check almost
amount to the equivalent of the check.

(4)
If you live in Austria you can remit 290 Austrian Schilling to my bank account
at the Creditanstalt Bankverein, Bankleitzahl 11000, Konto-Nummer: 10361050700.
Please contact me to get the registration key.

Users in Austria or Germany can also pay their registration fee in Austrian
Schillings or German Mark (290 Austrian Schilling or 42 German Mark). Please
read the notes regarding Eurocheques.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Help for Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Options menu to change the Blanker Lite settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Help for Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose the Settings command to change the screen saving settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.1. Help for Settings dialog ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialogs lets you change Blanker Lite settings such as blank time, mouse
sensing and the selected blanking actions as well as password and power
management settings.

Related information:

Help for Modules and sounds
Help for Events and sounds
Help for Options
Help for Hot corners
Help for Password
Help for Power management


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.2. Help for Modules and sounds ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Modules list box contains the names of all available external modules.

The Sounds list box contains the filenames of all available sound files and an
item to plays an audio cd. To play a sound file or a CD when an external module
is active select the corresponding external module, select a sound file or Play
CD and choose the Set button.

The Configure button lets you configure the currently selected external module.

The Test button lets you test the currently selected external module.

The Enable or Disable button lets you enable or disable external modules.
Deskpic and external Blanker modules cannot be enabled or disabled with this
button.

The Play (>) button plays the currently selected sound file.

Select Selected module only to enable only the currently selected module for
screen blanking.

Select Change modules if you want the modules to be changed when the screen is
blanked.

The Seconds spin button lets you select the time how long a module is displayed
before a new one is selected.

Select Enable sounds if you want to enable sound support for the external
modules.

Select Shuffle CD to play the tracks on the CD in Shuffle mode.

Use the Volume slider to set the sound volume.

The Set button activates the changed settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.3. Help for Events and sounds ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Enable sounds for events if you want to enable sound support for events.

The Events list box contains a list of events to which you can assign sounds.

The Sounds list box contains the filenames of all available sound files that
can be assigned to events. To assign a sound file to an event select the event,
select the sound file and choose the Set button.

Use the Volume slider to set the sound volume.

The Play (>) button plays the currently selected sound file.

If you want to list the sound files from a directory other than the Blanker
directory, enter the name of the corresponding directory in the Sound file
directory entry field. Then close the settings notebook and open it again to
update the sound file lists.

The Set button activates the changed settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.4. Help for Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Minutes spin button to set the blank time (minutes).

Use the Seconds button to set the blank time (seconds).

Select Mouse sensing if you want Blanker Lite to sense mouse movements while
the screen is blanked.

Select Low priority if you want Blanker Lite to run on low CPU priority while a
module is played. This might be necessary if you use background communication
programs. However screen animation will become less smooth if this option is
selected and you run CPU intensive background programs.

Select Blank Full Screen sessions if you want to extend screen blanking to Full
Screen OS/2, DOS and WIN-OS/2 sessions. When you work in a Full Screen OS/2,
DOS or WIN-OS/2 session and the blank time elapses Blanker Lite switches back
to the Desktop and activates one of the enabled blanking actions. To activate
Blanker Lite in full screen WIN-OS/2 sessions the Blanker WIN-OS/2 screen saver
module WBLANKER.SCR has to be installed and selected in the WIN-OS/2 control
panel. Blanker Lite uses a DOS client program called DBLANKER.COM to activate
Blanker Lite in full screen DOS sessions. DBLANKER.COM is copied to your MDOS
directory during installation and the line @DBLANKER X is appended to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file (X stands for the blank time in minutes in DOS sessions). To
disable DBLANKER in a DOS session, type DBLANKER 0 at the command prompt. To
re-enable DBLANKER type DBLANKER X (where X is the blank time) at the DOS
prompt. Due to the limitations of DOS and the way some DOS programs are
written, DBLANKER might not work with some DOS programs. DBLANKER also monitors
only your keyboard in DOS sessions.

Use the Blank key combination spin button to set the function key you want to
use to blank the screen from any application on the desktop. If you choose F10
and you press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+F10 in any application on your desktop the screen
will be blanked immediately. Choose None to disable screen blanking with a key
combination.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.5. Help for Hot corners ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Hot corners if you want to activate hot corners. If this box is checked
and you move your mouse pointer to the blank hot corner of the screen, the
screen will be blanked immediately. If this box is checked the screen will not
be blanked if your mouse pointer is in the don't blank corner of your screen.

Select Corner delay if you want to delay screen blanking when the mouse pointer
is moved to a hot corner. This avoids unintended blanking of the screen.

The Corner size slider lets you select the size of the hot corners.

Select a Blank corner button to choose the corresponding blank corner on the
screen.

Select a Don't blank corner button to choose the corresponding don't blank
corner on the screen.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.6. Help for Password ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Password if you want to have password protection. The default password
is PASSWORD. The default supervisor password is SUPERVISOR. A password may be
up to 12 characters long. Passwords are case-sensitive.

Select Lock at program start if you want to lock Blanker Lite at program start.

Enter a password of your choice in the User Password entry field and in the
confirmation field. When the screen is unblanked and Password is selected, you
have to enter the correct password and press Enter.

You can also enter a supervisor password of your choice in the Supervisor
Password entry field and in the confirmation field. The supervisor password can
be used if the user forgets his or her password. The supervisor can change both
the user and the supervisor password.

Use the Unlock attempts spin button to set the maximum number of allowed unlock
attempts. If the password has not been typed correctly for the corresponding
number of times you have to switch off or reset the computer because
Ctrl+Alt+Del is unavailable for security reasons. If you set the number of
unlock attempts to 255 you have an unlimited number of attempts.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1.7. Help for Power management ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Power down screen if you want to use the power down feature of your
monitor. After the time set with the Minutes spin button the screen will go
completely blank and your monitor will be powered down provided it supports
DPMS.

Select APMS if your monitor supports APMS. Monitors that support APMS switch
off their power supply automatically when the screen is completely blanked for
some time.

Use the Minutes spin button to set the time after which the screen goes
completely blank to power down your monitor.

Use the Power down message (s) spin button to determine how long the power off
message is displayed before the monitor is actually powered off.

Select Beep before powering down monitor to enable a beep signal while the
power down message is displayed.

Choose VGA if you have a VGA compatible or XGA compatible graphics adapter
installed. Choose 8514/A if you have a 8514/A compatible graphics adapter
installed and use the 8514/A display driver.

Choose VESA if you have a VESA compatible graphics adapter installed and the
VGA setting does not work. Don't use this setting if the VGA setting works.

Use the Suspend time spin button to set the time how long the monitor remains
in suspend mode before it is switched off.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Help for Active ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this option if you want to activate screen blanking.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. Help for Input lock ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose Input lock the screen without blanking. This is useful when Blanker Lite
is used on a server where the administrator wants to monitor the screen while
making sure that nobody can make any input without entering the password.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Help for Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Help menu to obtain help information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. Help for Help index ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose Help index to display the help index. The help index lists the titles of
the help information that is available.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Help for General help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose General help to get general help for the program. General help provides
general information about Blanker Lite.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.3. Help for Keys help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose Keys help to see a list of keys and a description of the function of the
keys.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.3.1. Keys help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

CONTROL KEYS

Ctrl+A
          Activates/Deactivates screen blanking.

Ctrl+L
          Locks the desktop without blanking the screen.

Ctrl+S
          Views the settings notebook.

F1
          Gets help

Esc
          Views previous help panel or ends help if only one panel has been
          viewed.

Alt+F4
          Ends help or ends program.

SYSTEM KEYS

Alt+Esc
          Switches to the next program.

Ctrl+Esc
          Switches to the Window List.

WINDOW KEYS

Underlined letter
          Moves among the choices on the action bar and pull-downs submenu or
          executes the function chosen.

Alt+Underlined letter
          Executes the function chosen immediately.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4. Help for Using help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose Using help to obtain information on how to use the Help facility.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.5. Help for Registration help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose Registration help to obtain information on how to register your copy of
Blanker Lite.

Related information:
Registration


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6. Help for Product information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Choose Product information to view a dialog that displays information about
Blanker Lite, such as version number and copyright and registration
information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6.1. Help for Product information dialog ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialog displays information about Blanker Lite, such as version number and
copyright and registration information.

The OK button closes the product information dialog.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Removing Blanker Lite ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Follow these steps to remove Blanker Lite from your system:

Close Blanker Lite and delete all the files from the Blanker Lite directory.
Then remove the Blanker Lite directory.

Delete the Blanker Lite program object in the startup folder and the Clipchar
program object on your desktop.

If WIN-OS/2 full screen support was installed remove the file WBLANKER.SCR from
your Windows directory and change the screen saver settings in a WIN-OS/2 full
screen session in the Control Panels Desktop settings.

If DOS full screen support was installed remove the file DBLANKER.COM from your
\OS2\MDOS directory and delete the line @DBLANKER.COM X in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file.

Also remove the entries for the Blanker Lite directory from the PATH and
LIBPATH statements of your CONFIG.SYS file.

If you are familiar with INI file maintenance editors, you can also delete the
entire application sections for Blanker Lite and ScreenSaver from the user INI
file (OS2.INI).