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Note: This website is using CSS and other modern web techniques. Just as you migrated from DOS to a more modern operating system, perhaps it is time to use a newer browser. Anyway, we have tested this site with a variety of old browsers (even a 1.0 browser) and all of them will display the site's content, but it may not be very pretty.
The winter has been rather mild so far this year, not causing any problems for folks driving to the meetings. If the mild weather holds up for the February meeting date, no further driving problems should be encountered for the rest of the year.
A very fine meeting was held in January, featuring a networking demo by the two Davids.
A small gift item was donated to Episcopal Academy as a token of our appreciation (described below under January Meeting). Copies of Aviar's Oz of Prevention CMMS and IBM DB2 were also received and have been successfully installed on my Warp 4 system. Arrangements are currently being made to prepare relevant sample database data in order to demonstrate the Oz CMMS to Episcopal Academy in the near future.
We have also continued to investigate the feasibility of submitting a bid for hosting Warpstock '99. Preliminary discussions with Episcopal Academy raised some hopes that the EA facilities might be available, but this turned out not to be possible. At this point, a suitable facility hasn't yet been found for the October timeframe, and a bid seems highly unlikely for the 1999 event.
Rumors still float around in regard to a Warp 5 client, but nothing of substance has been heard. Keep your fingers crossed.
Another special treat is in store for the February 24th meeting: Our OS/2 SIG Webmaster John Davey will present the basics of website authoring. Don't miss it!
JANUARY MEETING REPORT
The January meeting started off with the customary announcements of news of interest to OS/2 users, new products, etc.
The membership was advised that a gift had been presented to Episcopal Academy, using funds previously contributed by members. After almost two months of waiting, the vendor had still not received a supply of Imation Superdrives from the manufacturer. Most recently, Bill Daniels, the EA Technology Director, had also expressed a new interest in a Landware Gotype! keyboard for the Palm Pilot. The Superdrive order was therefore cancelled, and a new order placed for the Landware Gotype! device plus a hotsync cable. Happily, the new order was received the following morning via UPS, and delivered to Bill Daniels. Bill was so pleased with the new "toy" that he demonstrated it to the Headmaster and other faculty members. I wasn't too very surprised to learn that the Headmaster now has Bill's new Gotype!, and EA has ordered several additional units.
Larry Finkelstein, president of the Warpstock Board, was also in attendance at the January meeting. Larry gave us a very brief rundown of the events at the recent Lotusphere event which he attended (see below). He also commented briefly on Warpstock '99 bid plans.
A new agenda item was initiated: Each month, some member will be given 5 to 10 minutes for a brief "how-to" or "neat feature" presentation to the group. In January, Murray Weismer demonstrated a web page prepared by Duane Chamblee of Indelible Blue entitled "WarpUP - OS/2 Warp4 Update Depot." Among other things, Duane's website provides listings and downloads for all current Warp 4 updates and fixes.
Following Murray's demo, David Moskowitz conducted our usual Q&A session, which was somewhat abbreviated due to some earlier delays. Several good questions and problems were addressed to David and the group, with lots of interactive discussions.
Intermission followed, with refreshments, 50/50 raffle and a raffle of several good donated products including Lotus eSuite, Object Desktop, Partition Magic 4.0, Visual Age for Java Professional, a Don Hawkinson shareware selection, and others.
The feature presentation of small simple networking by the 2 Davids was most interesting and informative. David & David took us through a description of network hardware configurations, OS/2 installation, interchange of data between 2 OS/2 systems and OS/2 to Windows 95.
Meeting was finally adjourned, the room cleaned up and lights turned off around 10:45.
OS/2 NEWS
The highly publicized Lotusphere event was held in Orlando, FL at the Swan and Dolphin hotels during the week of January 17-21. Larry Finkelstein, one of our well-known OS/2 SIG members as well as the current president of the Warpstock Board, was a Lotusphere attendee and provided the following report of Lotusphere highlights:
Lotus and IBM officially launched Notes R5 in front of over 12,000 attendees at this year's Lotusphere.
During the opening session, guest speakers James Lovell, Jr. (Apollo 13 astronaut) and Gene Kranz (Apollo 13 "Tiger Team"). both spoke of what it took to work together as a team, against all odds, where failure was not an option. This is part of the Lotus Notes/Domino R5 strategy for creating what they're calling "Super Human Software".
There are many additional features included in R5 to allow teams to use Domino to collaborate using the world wide web, including RealNetworks G2 Server (built into Domino R5) and Sametime (like AOL IM or ICQ).
It certainly looks like it's going to continue to be a formidable competitor to Microsoft Exchange, and Lotus has promised to capitalize on the delays in releasing the next version of Exchange. Look for the new "I Am" Notes/Domino R5 ads on TV!
Surprise! During January, Symantec's web page posted (for download) a new database update for the IBM AntiVirus program. This supersedes IBM's last update, AV30CU.ZIP, of December 31st. The new update is AV30CV.ZIP.
Even more surprising, Symantec's website also announced the availability of the new Norton AntiVirus v5.0 for OS/2.
Symantec's website is http://www.symantec.com
It wasn't too clear what steps registered users of the IBM AV program, now discontinued and taken over by Symantec, should take to get the new Norton AV for OS/2. It took a few phone calls to find the correct information, as follows:
The IBM AV software will be supported through the end of June 1999. Updates will be posted at intervals for free download from Symantec's website.
Registered owners of the IBM AV program should call the following phone number for Symantec Tech Support to make arrangements to get a free copy of the CD-ROM which includes the new Norton AntiVirus v5.0 for OS/2: Call (800) 742-2493, and then select Option 2 (not Option 1 as previously reported). You can also access the same department by calling (800) 441-7234, and then press the number "8" option key.
The CD-ROM was received here only a few days after ordering it. It's labeled as Release 3.03 of January 1999 and includes Norton AV software products for multiple platforms.
A very recent WarpFM InfoFlash message from IBM reported that a number of refreshes are planned for February via Software Choice.
The following Netscape products for OS/2 Warp are planned for a refresh on Software Choice sometime in mid-February:
Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp
Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp with Strong Encryption
OS/2 Plug-In Pack V.2.1.
The intent of this refresh is to fix many of the non-severe but annoying defects that users have encountered. It will also include support for 16 colors to accommodate older hardware and servers.
The Southern California OS/2 Users Group (SCOUG) posted a recent invitation for OS/2 users interested in the Internet to join a growing group for IRC chat sessions.
Their scheduled IRC session is every Tuesday at 7-8pm PST (that's 10-111pm EST) on the #scoug channel of webbnet.
For additional information, see the following website:
http://users.deltanet.com/users/dwatson/meeting.html
Don't know how many folks may have noticed GammaTech's announcement in mid-December to sell GTIRC to "past customers" at a Christmas special price of $19.95 (50% off the regular price of $39.95), via website ordering until January 4th. I saw the notice in time to take advantage of this sale. I had been using the free demo up to this time. GTIRC seems to be a really great product. I'm impressed.
Since Dan Porter's announcement of January 2nd, published in the January DataBus article, there has been very little activity or news. The J Street Mailer list server has had very few messages. It appears that the 600 or so members of the J Street Mailer Charter Users Group have folded their tents, at least for the time being. I've made several voice calls to InnoVal, but there seems to be nobody there to take a call except an answering service, and no return calls have been received here.
Nevertheless, the InnoVal website is still up, and a listserv message was posted by Dan Porter on January 5th to report that a pre-release of a "soon to be released" maintenance version of JSM was available on the web site for downloading by Charter User members. Build number hasn't changed. It's still 98.6.3, same as the previous release, but with a new date of 12-28-98. Most of us have no idea what the fixes, if any, might be. Performance here has no observable changes.
Dan also announced that the source code is "almost ready" to be released to paid license holders, and that the only delay is a legal matter.
Armin Schwartz, a well-known OS/2 programmer, announced a new software development kit for OS/2, for controlling the AIMS Lab RadioTrack FM radio card. OS/2 users can now listen to their favorite FM radio stations and control the radio right from their OS/2 computers.
This freeware SDK contains: a Royalty-free REXX-callable DLL to control the RadioTrack cards; API documentation in INF and HTML format; and sample REXX script that fully controls the RadioTrack cards.
With this kit, you can include support for these FM radio cards from within your own application or you can design a cool-looking FM radio program with "skins", station scanning, station memory, timer functions, you name it.
The OS/2 community now has the opportunity to create a radio program that is better than the one shipped with the hardware. Take this challenge and make your program available as freeware or shareware. Programming the radio card is easy with this SDK.
Filename is RXRTCTRL.ZIP, at http://home.att.net/~ASchw/homeapps.html. At this site you will also find a comprehensive list of OS/2 FM radio programs for a variety of other computer FM radio cards.
The AIMS RadioTrack card can be found at: http://www.aimslab.com Just follow the AIMS Shop link.
I downloaded Armin's new SDK and ordered the RadioTrack card directly from AIMS Lab. Total cost for the card was $29.95, including S&H. I didn't bother to shop around locally or at shows which might have saved a few dollars.
Installation was a no-brainer. Just plug the card into an unused slot. Then connect the (provided) cable between the output of the radio card and a soundcard input. Finally, connect the FM antenna lead to the antenna input of the radio card and fasten the simple indoor wire dipole antenna to a wall, back of a cabinet, etc.
Armin's sample REXX script was used as a basis for entering data for 10 local FM radio stations, plus the audio from TV Channel 6. It has a simple window display which can be brought up with a double mouse click. Not elegant like the graphics display provided by the Windows 95 software which comes with the card. But my little window provides all the necessities for on-off and station selection. The OS/2 volume control is also a handy adjunct.
Fernando Cassia posted a recent WarpCast message about digital sound without the use of sound cards, and his discovery that IBM has quietly released OS/2 drivers for this. Here's his message, slightly edited:
"After I read a thought-provoking article entitled "Will Digital Sound Speakers Make Sound Boards Obsolete?" I wondered if this type of hardware would ever be supported by OS/2.
Well, it is!. You can now have high-quality sound without a sound card by purchasing a set of USB speakers that convert digital audio data sent over the USB bus to analog sound.
IBM has quietly released drivers for USB "Digital Speakers". The drivers can be downloaded from:
http://service.software.ibm.com/os2ddpak/html/os_2comp/labtec/index.htm
These drivers also require the base usb support, downloadable from:
http://service.software.ibm.com/os2ddpak/html/os_2comp/usbbasic/index.htm"
If any of our Philadelphia OS/2 users have had experience with this, please let us know the results.
Online shopping for computer products seems to be getting more and more competitive, with prices going lower and lower, much to the benefit of consumers.
The Wall Street Journal published a feature story on January 19th, entitled "Web Seller Asks: How Low Can PC Prices Go?"
The gist of the story is that OnSale Inc. of Menlo Park, CA will start selling new PC's and accessories at the same wholesale price it pays. To do this, OnSale has teamed up with Tech Data, a Clearwater, FL distributer.
Here's how: Credit card orders will be placed via OnSale's web site, but shipment will be from one of Tech Data's warehouses. Consumers will be billed for OnSale's wholesale cost, plus standard shipping charges, a 2.6% credit card processing fee and a nominal handling charge.
Nevertheless, it still pays to shop around. For example, other Internet vendors such as Buy.com, LA Computer Center, etc. may often have better bargains for some items.
HINTS & TIPS
If you are attempting to install OS/2 Warp 4 on (an IDE) hard drive greater than 4.3GB, original Warp 4 installation Diskette 1 must first be updated. (There are 3 installation diskettes, labeled as Installation Diskette, Diskette 1 and Diskette 2.
It's also a good idea to update installation diskettes each time a new FixPak is installed. This will insure that these diskettes will be ready for use, if and when needed.
Make a copy of the original Diskette 1 (D1).
Copy new versions of IBM1S506.ADD, IBMIDECD.FLT & OS2DASD.DMD device driver files to the new D1 diskette. These overwrite earlier files of same names. The most recent releases are in your x:\OS2\BOOT directory if the latest FixPak is installed and the FixPak itself. Also at ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ ps/products/os2/os2ddpak/idedasd.exe
Add line: "SET COPYFROMFLOPPY=1" to CONFIG.SYS on the new D1.
Save the changes to the updated Diskette 1. Verify inclusion of new device driver files and added line in CONFIG.SYS.
See OPTIONAL UPDATES below ...
Proceed with the installation, using updated diskette(s).
If connection to the hard disk or CDROM is lost during the installation process or when restarting the system, make sure that the device driver statements are in the CONFIG.SYS file and the new versions of these three device drivers have been copied to the x\OS2\BOOT\ directory. Use the file dates to distinguish the newer versions.
It's highly beneficial, but not absolutely necessary, to also update the Installation Diskette (D0).
Make a copy of the original Installation Diskette (D0).
Copy a new version of the OS2KRNL file as OS2KRNLI to the new Installation Diskette (D0). Then copy new versions of OS2LDR and OS2LDR.MSG files, keeping the same name, to the new D0 diskette. These will all overwrite earlier files of the same names. Save changes to the updated Installation Diskette (D0).
NOTE: You can use "XCOPY [filename] /T" to copy the OS2KRNL and OS2LDR files conveniently from the root directory of your boot drive. Then use the "ATTRIB [filename] -S" command to remove the "S" attribute from these files on the diskette. Or alternatively, first remove the "S" attribute from these two files in the root directory, then copy to the diskette, and then restore the "S" attribute.
If you have a maintenance partition on your system, it may also be beneficial to copy all 6 aforementioned files from your boot partition to the appropriate directories in this maintenance partition. If you don't yet have a maintenance partition, do yourself a big favor and make one now!
An additional device driver, IBMATAPI.FLT, isn't included on the original Diskette 1. It was added by IBM at a later date via FixPak and is now regularly included in the idedasd.exe archive updates mentioned above, along with the other three. This driver supports removable media (eg, ZIP, LS120 drives) If FixPaks have been applied to your system, it's located in the x:\OS2\BOOT directory. Copy this file to the maintenance partition also. Unfortunately, sufficient space doesn't exist on D1 to add this driver to D1.
In addition to IBMATAPI.FLT, several other new device drivers have also been provided by FixPaks in support of various new devices, and there may not be enough unused space to add any such device drivers which may be needed to D1.
Users are advised to determine all the new drivers required for their specific hardware configurations and which are not included on the original Diskette 1. Any such drivers can be beneficially added to D1 and to the maintenance partition.
Additional space on D1 to accomodate new drivers can be made available by deleting device drivers from the original D1 group of files which are not needed for your system.
For example, all AHA* and AIC* files relate only to Adaptec SCSI controllers. All AHA*.ADD and AHA*.SNP can be deleted in systems which don't use Adaptec controllers. Similarly, BT*, FD*, DAC* and DPT* device driver files which support other proprietary hardware products may also be deleted if they aren't needed.
If any of these files are deleted, corresponding statements in the CONFIG.SYS file (on D1) which refer to deleted files must also be REMmed out. Don't neglect this. And conversely, BASEDEV=[driver] statements must be added to the CONFIG.SYS file on D1 for all new added drivers. Also, don't forget to update the driver files and CONFIG.SYS in your maintenance partition.
Return to Step 6 above ...
USEFUL WEB SITES
Each month, we list a few web pages which may be of benefit and/or interest to OS/2 users. This month's selections include ...
NEW SOFTWARE RELEASES
Java v.1.1.7 Updates
ftp://ncc.hursley.ibm.com/pub/java/fixes/os2/11/117/ or
ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/software/java/fixes/os2/11/117/
readme.exe 5546223 1-12-99
samples.exe 1805824 1-12-99
toolkit.exe 3749555 1-12-99
New IDEDASD Files
ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/os2ddpak/
idedasd.exe 131185 1-07-99
Self-extracting archive package includes 4 "new" IDE drivers plus a read.me. Use caution, some or all may not be any newer than the latest FixPaks. IBM1S506.ADD is the only file which appears to be new, other than the read.me.
Y2K Update for TCPIP 3.0 (Warp 3 and Warp Connect)
ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/tcpip/fixes/v3.0os2/year2000/
v30y2k.exe 536KB 1-19-99
Here's a selection of a few new files, released since last month's article, which are thought to be most useful or interesting to many of our OS/2 users. These files can be downloaded from hobbes, BMT, OS/2 Supersite, IBM sites and other of the usual OS/2 Internet and BBS file distribution sources. Many more new software products for OS/2 are being continually released. These are but a small sample. Users should do their own perusals for new releases relevant to their personal interests and needs.
AV30CV.ZIP 585377 1-22-99 IBM AntiVirus database update. Now maintained and posted by Symantec (see AntiVirus section above).
FUTURE MEETING PLANS
Wednesday, February 24th at 7:00pm is the date and time of the February meeting at our meeting site: The Episcopal Academy, 376 N. Latches Lane, Merion, PA. Mark your calendars and plan to attend. And bring an interested friend or associate along to hear all the good news about OS/2 and Java. A system will be on hand for live demos of OS/2 Warp 4, a variety of OS/2 apps, Java, Internet, etc. if time permits.
For the benefit of anyone who may not yet have the recent releases of FixPak-9, Java 1.1.7, Feature Install v.1.2.3, Star Office 5.0, or other recent large files, copies can be made to your ZIP disk (or portable SyQuest drive) on a first come/first serve basis, as time may permit. Please call me prior to the meeting date to make sure that I will have the requested files on my hard drive, ready for copying.
Members without cars can take SEPTA's R-5 (Paoli Local) to Overbrook, or the R-6 to Bala. Call me to make arrangements to be picked up at the RR Station. Since Episcopal Academy is so close to public transportation, why don't you Philadelphia Center City folks who don't have cars call ahead of time to be picked up at the train station.
Everybody should keep up to date by logging in to our OS/2 SIG web site at frequent intervals: www.pasug.org/
Please be on time. The meeting will start promptly at 7:00pm, as per the following agenda and schedule.
Planned February Agenda:
General (7:00 - 7:20pm)
Announcements and news of interest, new OS/2 products, future plans, SIG business,
etc.
"How-to" or "neat feature" (7:20 - 7:30)
Brief presentation by a member (Subject TBA)
Q&A Session (7:30 - 8:30pm):
If you have questions, this is the place to bring them up. Someone is sure to have
the answers. Or if you have something of interest to contribute, please don't hesitate
to share it with the others.
Intermission and Raffles (8:30 - 8:50pm)
In addition to our regular 50/50 raffle, there will also be some additional software
products for raffle.
Feature Presentation (8:50 - 10:00pm)
February's main presentation will focus on web site creation.
John Davey, Webmaster of the Philadelphia OS/2 SIG, will discuss the basics of web authoring and will demonstrate the use of HomePage Publisher Version 2.1 for OS/2 to create and publish web sites.
HomePage Publisher is the premier WYSIWYG web editor for OS/2 and is used by many of the major OS/2 sites on the web, including our own Philadelphia area site. John will highlight new functions added to HPP since we last demonstrated it two years ago, such as the Smart Publishing feature which makes on the fly changes to a site fast and easy.
John will also discuss how to get a web site up and running inexpensively based on his recent "Frugal Webmaster" series of articles in the PACS DataBus.
If you have ever wondered how a web site gets started and developed, be sure to join us on February 24.
Looking forward to a great February meeting. Please make an effort to attend.
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