NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #19/NN_1992_19.iso/spool/comp/os/os2/misc/29144

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Subject: [1 of 6] OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions Rel. 2.0e
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From: [e-mail] (Timothy F. Sipples)
Subject: OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions Rel. 2.0e
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Archive-name: os2-faq/user
Version: 2.0e

OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List: User's Edition
Release 2.0e; August 29, 1992
Compiled by Timothy F. Sipples

For changes/suggestions/additions please mail [e-mail].
This List may be freely distributed.  Mention of a product does not
constitute an endorsement.  Customers outside the U.S. should not
necessarily rely on 800 telephone numbers, part numbers, or upgrade
policies contained in this List.  Electronic mail addresses are in
Internet form; use addressing appropriate to your mail system.

This List is available in Rich Text Format, with revision markings, from
shareware/freeware sources (see Question 9), including ftp-os2.nmsu.edu.

Questions addressed herein:

(1)    What is OS/2?
(2)    What are the differences between versions?
(3)    What is Extended Services?
(4)    How good is OS/2 2.0's DOS and Windows compatibility?
(5)    Where can I buy OS/2?
(6)    How much does OS/2 2.0 cost?
(7)    What hardware do I need to run IBM OS/2 2.0?  Do I need a PS/2?
(8)    What applications are available for OS/2?
(9)    Where can I obtain OS/2 shareware and freeware?
(10)    I am having trouble installing OS/2 2.0.  What should I do?
(11)    Will OS/2 2.0 work with my SuperVGA adapter?
(12)    Will OS/2 2.0 work with my printer?
(13)    How do I access HPFS partitions on my hard drive without booting
    from the hard drive?  I'm getting error messages now -- how do I
    "repair" my hard disk?
(14)    I can't install OS/2 from Drive B.  What's wrong?
(15)    Is there a Norton Utilities for OS/2?
(16)    Sometimes OS/2 2.0 will freeze when I run an application.  What do
    I do?
(17)    How can I get answers to my OS/2 questions?
(18)    Why should I use HPFS?  What does it offer me?  Does it work with
    DOS?
(19)    I'm a Unix wizard.  How do I make OS/2 resemble Unix?
(20)    I prefer Windows.  How do I make OS/2 2.0 resemble Windows (or
    OS/2 1.3)?
(21)    I would like to set up an OS/2 BBS.  What is available?
(22)    Can I use COM3 and COM4 in OS/2 2.0?
(23)    How do I start a background process from the OS/2 command line?
(24)    What are CSDs, how do I tell which I have, and where do I get
    them?
(25)    How do I add new Adobe Type Manager typefaces?
(26)    How do I tweak OS/2 2.0 for maximum performance?
(27)    What networking products are available for OS/2 2.0?
(28)    Should I worry about viruses when running OS/2 2.0?
(29)    Are there any clever tricks that apply to OS/2 2.0?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

(1)    What is OS/2?

OS/2 is an advanced operating system for PCs and PS/2s with an 80286
processor or better.  It was codeveloped by Microsoft and IBM and
envisioned as the successor to DOS.

It was designed from the ground up with preemptive multitasking and
multithreading in mind.  It also protects applications from one another
(a single misbehaved program will not typically disrupt the entire
system), supports multimegabytes of physical RAM, and supplies virtual
memory to applications as requested, breaking DOS's 640K barrier.

As shipped, it does not support multiuser operation, although third
parties have grafted multiuser capabilities onto the base operating
system.  Remote-OS (The Software Lifeline, 407-994-4466), OS2YOU
(shareware; see Question 9), Citrix (Citrix Systems, 305-755-0559), and
PolyMod2 (MemSoft) are four such products.

------------------------------

(2)    What are the differences between versions?

IBM OS/2 Version 2.0 (CSD Level 02000, see Question 24) will run only on
machines with an 80386SX processor or better.  IBM is (now) developing
OS/2 (and its Intel and non-Intel-based successors) independently but is
involving third party PC manufacturers in its testing.  Improvements
include the ability to preemptively multitask DOS, Windows 2.x, and
Windows 3.0 (real and standard mode) applications (without purchasing
any of these environments) in separate, robust, protected sessions; an
object-oriented Workplace Shell (WPS); a multiple operating system boot
mechanism; new 32-bit programming interfaces; support for more than 16
MB of physical RAM (on systems with appropriate BIOS support); and more
third party device drivers.  It also provides EMS 4.0 and XMS 2.0/DPMI
0.9 (expanded and extended memory) services to DOS and Windows
applications.  OS/2 1.x applications, unmodified, still run under OS/2
2.0.

IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 is the last release of OS/2 to operate on PCs with
80286 CPUs.  This version introduced built-in Adobe Type Manager (ATM),
providing scalable typefaces for screen and printer.  Procedures
Language/2 (a.k.a. REXX), a powerful batch-oriented programming
language, became a part of Standard Edition with this release.  (A few
OEMs are shipping Microsoft OS/2 Version 1.3, but Microsoft has all but
abandoned OS/2 development.)

OS/2 Version 1.2 was the first to incorporate the High Performance File
System (HPFS).  With this release IBM OS/2 added a dual boot mechanism
and IBM Extended Edition introduced REXX.

OS/2 Version 1.1 was the first to include the Presentation Manager (PM)
GUI/API, now an integral part of the operating system.  Microsoft OEM
versions added a dual boot mechanism with this release.

OS/2 Version 1.0, introduced in 1987, was the first release of OS/2.
Task switching was accomplished through a character-based shell and
limited DOS compatibility was provided.

------------------------------

(3)    What is Extended Services?

Prior to Version 2.0, IBM offered two separate packages with each
release of OS/2: Standard Edition and Extended Edition.  Extended
Edition included extra, bundled software products: the Communications
Manager (for communication with IBM mainframes, minicomputers, and other
hosts), Database Manager (a full, network aware, relational database),
and LAN Requester.

IBM has now unbundled the Extended Edition features, dropped LAN
Requester from the package (now available separately, with IBM's LAN
Server), updated it for OS/2 2.0, and renamed it Extended Services 1.0.
ES, by itself, no longer includes the base operating system as Extended
Edition once did.

This new arrangement makes it easier to update the base operating system
with CSDs (see Question 24).  And now ES 1.0 will run under OS/2 1.3
Standard Edition as well as OS/2 2.0.  Also, ES 1.0, like OS/2 2.0
itself, is designed to operate on both IBM and non-IBM systems (see
Question 7).

------------------------------

(4)    How good is OS/2 2.0's DOS and Windows compatibility?

OS/2 1.x justifiably earned a reputation for poor DOS compatibility.
Since it was hampered by the 80286, it could not run more than one DOS
application at a time.

The situation has changed dramatically with OS/2 2.0.  Version 2.0
preemptively multitasks DOS and Windows (real and standard mode)
applications in separate, protected sessions, without purchasing either
environment.

OS/2 2.0 provides a complete DOS emulation equivalent to DOS 5.0.  The
operating system can provide each DOS application with up to 32 MB of
EMS 4.0 (expanded memory), 16 MB of XMS 2.0 (extended memory), and/or
512 MB of DPMI 0.9 (DOS Protected Mode Interface extended memory), all
from its pool of physical and/or virtual memory (meaning you do not have
to have as much RAM in your system as your applications request).  These
limits are in addition to the up to 730K free conventional memory
supplied to each DOS application, even after mouse and network drivers
are loaded.  As in DOS 5.0, DOS code and device drivers may be loaded
into high memory.  A 386 memory manager like QEMM or 386Max is not
needed -- these features are provided by OS/2 2.0 directly.

The DOS emulation allows customization of device driver sets -- each DOS
application shares a systemwide CONFIG.SYS and the equivalent of its own
CONFIG.SYS.  Also, there is a systemwide AUTOEXEC.BAT file; batch
commands particular to each DOS application can be invoked using
separate, application-specific batch files.  And many DOS Settings are
provided to fine tune each DOS/Windows application's behavior (e.g.
IDLE_SENSITIVITY).  Most of the popular DOS/Windows applications on your
hard disk will be migrated automatically when you install OS/2 2.0.

In addition, OS/2 2.0 will boot one or more specific versions of DOS in
separate sessions, to assist in running particularly difficult
applications (e.g. DOS networks).  So, for example, it is possible to
multitask DOS 3.3, DOS 4.0, DOS 5.0, emulated DOS, and Desqview running
atop DOS, all in separate sessions, either windowed or full screen, all
with the same and/or separate device drivers, TSRs, environment
variables, etc.  These boot images may be stored on a hard disk.
Specific DOS session procedures are described in the online Command
Reference (under VMDISK) and in the Installation Guide, Appendix E.

Standard graphics modes (generally up to the resolution of the desktop;
see Question 11) are supported in DOS windows, as are selectable text
mode fonts.  Cut/paste to/from windowed DOS applications is supported
(to/from other DOS, OS/2, and Windows applications), including graphics
cut/paste.  Theoretically, OS/2 2.0 will run up to 240 simultaneous
DOS/Windows sessions; the practical maximum depends on system resources.

OS/2 2.0 will, in fact, run virtually all DOS applications in existence,
including notorious ones such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Wing