
                  General OS/2 Discussion          (Fidonet)

                 Saturday, 11-Sep-1999 to Friday, 17-Sep-1999

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From: Will Honea                                        11-Sep-99 01:35:00
  To: paul marwick                                      11-Sep-99 01:35:00
Subj: Staroffice

paul marwick wrote to All on 09-10-1999

pm> I don't know how many people in here are aware of it, but 
pm> Sun has (or is in the process of) buying Stardivision.
pm> 
pm> As a result of the takeover, Sun are offering a CD with all 
pm> versions of StarOffice on it for a very nominal $US9.95 
pm> plus freight. StarOffice has bcome free for any use.
pm> 
pm> I've just got my new CD - to get it to Australia cost more 
pm> than the CD, but delivery was prety prompt. 
pm> 
pm> The CD contains StarOffice for Windows, OS/2, Linux, Solaris and 
pm> Solaris/Intel. Plus a number of extra fonts and clipart. 
pm> Seems like a pretty good deal all up.
pm> 
pm> I found the information at: http://www.sun.com/staroffice

Of special note to users of the Star Division versions: the OS/2
version (68 meg d/l) now includes all the import filters including the
WordPerfect filters.  That was the only real stopper for me with the
Star Division version since I had so much in WP format.  It's still a
beast and slow to load but the 5.1a version appears to be more stable
that the previous versions.  No registration keys, restriction against
commercial use is removed.

Will Honea <whonea@codenet.net>
--- Maximus/2 2.02
 * Origin: OS/2 Shareware BBS, telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com (1:109/347)


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From: Roy J. Tellason                                   10-Sep-99 22:09:28
  To: paul marwick                                      11-Sep-99 08:26:04
Subj: File Managers

paul marwick wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 pm> Hi Roy

 pm> Replying to a message of Roy J. Tellason to paul marwick:

 RJT> But that's the whole point -- you _can't_ anticipate things like
 RJT> that,  so a program should be designed to just deal with it somehow, 
 RJT> and in a sensible manner,  and not get weird over it.

 pm> :) Well, I know of all too many programs that fail in the area 
 pm> of anticipation or handling things that weren't anticipated. 
 pm> InspectA is (unfortunately) a long way from being alone in this 
 pm> area.

There _is_ an awful lot of badly written software out there,  but really,  no
program should behave badly,  or erratically,  because of input data if it's
properly designed.  That sort of thing speaks of a flaw in there somewhere...

<...>

 pm>> I use RAR a lot (registered a copy of the OS/2 version two or 
 pm>> three years ago). And, since I find it more effective than many 
 pm>> of the other archivers, I'm not going to be converting away 
 pm>> from it...

 RJT> Effective how,  in terms of space?  Or speed?  I used to worry about
 RJT> space,  but saw a post earlier in another echo about 8.4G drives for
 RJT> $99 (don't know if this is a rebate thingy or what),  so I sure
 RJT> ain't worried about it the way I used to be.

 pm> I often end up having to carry files (sometimes very big files) 
 pm> around on floppy disk. RAR supports mulit-volume archives very 
 pm> well and is (genrally) the most space efficient archive. So I 
 pm> use it a lot - saves me lugging extra floppies... I also use it 
 pm> for small scale backup, since its text-graphic screen provides 
 pm> more information as to what it is doing than is the case with 
 pm> any of the other archives.

I haven't really used it all that much,  and should probably look into it a
bit further...

 pm> My only complaint about it is that the self extrating archives 
 pm> that it generates are platform specific, so I can't generate a 
 pm> single self extractor that I can use on multiple platforms. 
 pm> Still, since I have multiple mplatform versions of RAR, that 
 pm> isn't a major concern.

Since a self-extractor would involve execcutable code,  I don't see how you
can have it _not_ be platform-specific,  with the exception of some bits of
stuff I've heard of that will run on either dos or OS/2 platforms.

 pm>> :-) Time you got an updated editor... I use FED )FED025S.ZIP) 
 pm>> which is free, small enough to go on a floppy and works well... 
 pm>> Can be made to work pretty much like Qedit as well.

 RJT> I'll have to look around for it.  How big is the package it comes in?

 pm> fed025s.zip  (190771 15-06-99) 

 pm> For a small, freeware editor, this one is pretty good. Includes 
 pm> multiple file editing, syntax highlighting, programable 
 pm> keyboard. And its text mode and small enough to install on a 
 pm> boot floppy (:-) I never did get along with Tedit terribly 
 pm> well...)

Hm,  I don't know that it'll work with my email,  but if you wanna give it a
shot...?

 pm>> :-) Can I place an order forr an updated InspectA clone now?

 RJT> You'd definitely be in mind for it,  bringing these discussions 
 RJT> into here,  which I've enjoyed.  To run under Linux?  I sure 
 RJT> don't have OS/2 tools on hand here...  <g>

 pm> Well, I am gradually learning Linux. Though I still keep coming 
 pm> back to OS/2, for any number of reasons.

Yeah,  I can see a need for both,  here.

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From: George Fliger                                     09-Sep-99 06:14:24
  To: Adam Cameron                                      11-Sep-99 08:26:04
Subj: Re: win-os2 and AIM

On 8 Sep 99 02:32pm, Adam Cameron wrote to All:

 AC> I have a Windows 3.1 version of AIM (AOL Instant Messagener).
 AC> But, it crashes all the time and completely locks up the system.

 AC> Warp 4 with FP9. Anything I can change to fix this?

AOL did have a Java version of AIM available.  You might try getting
that.

George


... "Huhuhuh... 2400 baud sucks!" - V-Bis and Baudhead
--- Via Silver Xpress V4.4P [Reg]
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From: Jack Stein                                        08-Sep-99 18:33:21
  To: Paul Marwick                                      11-Sep-99 12:25:02
Subj: File Managers

Paul Marwick wrote in a message to ``Glen Carlzen`` :

 `C>      Not sure what you mean here.  I'm a registered user of OS/2
 `C> Commander.  I have NO problems viewing or reading longfile names. 
 `C> There is a setting in the configuration of OSC-124 that allows the
 `C> display in the lower left corner/line of the actual long file name. 
 `C> As long as the files are or reside on an HPFS formatted drive I have
 `C> had no problems.  FAT formatted drives will not display for ovious
 `C> reasons.

 PM> Maybe I wasn't clear enough. Its the combination of long
 PM> filenames and FILES.BBS entries that causes OS/2 Commander
 PM> problems. Geta a file with a name more than 13 characters
 PM> long. Press CTRL-F10 to add it to the FILES.BBS. OS/2
 PM> Commander fails with an error. The same applies to either
 PM> SHIFT-F5 or SHOFT-F6 when used with a long filename which
 PM> has a FILES.BBS entry (you'll have to add the entry with
 PM> something else to find the problem..)

I reckon thats a point for OS2 Commander, considering it *does* manage files
and their FILES.BBS entries on all but filenames over 13 characters, and no
other file manager even does that, including FC/2.

 `C>      The only thing I don't like or would consider a bug would be *IF*
 `C> you tag (inset key) several different files in the directory.  The
 `C> LFN no longer is displayed in the lower left bottom line, but is
 `C> replaced with the amount of K or MB's in files that are tagged.  I
 `C> wouldn't call that a bug.

 PM> Yesh, that is a bit irritting, but i can't be called a
 PM> bug... 

Hardly a bug, hardly irritating... it would be irritating if it _didn't_ do
that.  

 >> and FILES.BBS entries, failure to read most self-extracting 
 >> archives, 

It reads ZIP, LHZ and ARJ self-extractors, just as it says in the docs.  
That covers ALL the self-extractors I have here other than those that are
archieved compression programs themselves, and I generally convert them to ZIP 
format anyway, as EVERYONE that uses archives should have zip archive
capability.  

 `C>      Failure to read "Self-Extracting Archives", if you mean that it
 `C> runs the files, then I disagree with you.  But to VIEW (F3) an *.exe
 `C> file works fine or as it should.  If you mean placing the curser on
 `C> the file and hitting <enter> key I wouldn't call that a BUG.  I would
 `C> call that "Running the program" as it should.  IF you do the same on
 `C> any other OS it would be expected to do the same thing.

 PM> If you look at the online help or the documentation,
 PM> pressing CTRL-A while the cursor is over a self-extracting
 PM> archive should display the contents of that archive. 99.9%
 PM> of the time, it fails, complaining that the file is not an
 PM> archive or it can't read it. This is simply an advertised
 PM> funtion that does not work even vaguely as it is supposed
 PM> to. FC/2 

This is bogus.  It works exactly as advertised 100% of the time here.  It
works on ZIP ARJ and LHZ self-extracting archives?  Which of those
self-extracters does it NOT work on?

 PM> and InspectA can both handle this (though there are
 PM> a number of self-extracting archives which will cause
 PM> InspectA to fail. FC/2 has handled every sel-extracter that
 PM> I've tried it on so far. 

Too bad, I would rather see self extracting apps banned, completely removed
from the archive capabilities of all compression programs, used only in the
distribution of the archiver itself.  IBM is just one of dumb ass developers
that is so stupid, it archives an archive in a self-extracting archive. 
Sometimes I think the entire computing world is controlled air-heads.  The
internet sure highlights the sad state of computing.

 PM> :-) FC/2 is rapidly going that way. I guess you could say
 PM> that I'm annoyed - I would in some respects at least have
 PM> rather registered OS/2 Commander becuase it does have a few
 PM> functions that don't (yet) exist in FC/2. However, lack of
 PM> support from the author made sure that I didn't do that...

OS2 Commmander was the first excellent NC clone that was really good.  He was, 
and is years ahead of everyone else except FC/2, which he is only a year or so 
ahead of now, mainly I guess because FC/2 is still being worked on.  It is sad 
that he isn't around now to fix a few minor bugs, but those of us that have
been using it for years now have no problem, or very little problems with the
things you have mentioned.  At the moment, there are only two file managers
worth noting, OS2C and FC/2.  The others are not even close.

 `C>      I have to agree with you on the author.  I have recieved no
 `C> replies either.  It is NOT uncommon for authers to NOT answer e-mail
 `C> inquiries.  The Better Authors ususally answer their mail, its to
 `C> their benifit and future registrations to answer inquiries.

He still has his web site last I looked, but thats about it.  Hopefully he is
on to bigger and better things.  Meanwhile, he has contributed greatly to the
OS/2 community with the best file manager made to date.  FC/2 has been
following his lead for years, maybe someday it will catch up, IF the developer 
manages to stay around an OS stomped to death by it's creator.

 PM> :-) If they don't answer their mail, how can you tell
 PM> whether they're still there to even collect registrations...

Very few are, and very, very few OS/2 developers exist at all.  

 PM> I'm afraid that I now have a general policy - if the author
 PM> does not reply to queries, I don't register... 

My policy is not to register anything unless I like it a lot, and feel the
developer deserves my payment for his hard work.  I've registered some stuff
AFTER I no longer used it...  I've never registered anything within the time
frames given by the author, thats for sure (with the exception of 4OS2, which
I registered before I ran OS/2)
                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
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From: Jack Stein                                        08-Sep-99 19:28:11
  To: Stewart Honsberger                                11-Sep-99 12:25:02
Subj: OS/2 Sales

Stewart Honsberger wrote in a message to All:

 SH>    IBM is quietly exceeding its own OS/2 sales expectations.

Not by much I hope, or they will be forced to take even more overt actions to
kill it, and insure earthlings remain with MS crap stuck firmly up you know
where....

 SH>    While IBM always has maintained that it continues to
 SH> actively support    its OS/2 operating system, 

IBM is a pack of liars!

 SH> the general market perception is that the    company is trying 
 SH> to scoop kitty litter over the product, and is    minimizing 
 SH> OS/2 sales.

My general perception is IBM has been pissing in MS pocket for many years,
since they waved their magic wand over GATES. IBM stuck their knife in a
product to save the MS products from being covered with kitty litter, which
from the smell of the MS products, was a naturally occuring event.

 SH>    However, Sm@rt Reseller has learned that IBM's doing much
 SH> better than    even it expected. It just hasn't bothered to
 SH> tell anybody. 

 SH>    According to IBM sources, the IBM OS/2 Warp client has
 SH> sold at 134    percent of plan for the last five quarters,
 SH> accounting for more than    $70 million in revenue, with the
 SH> greatest increase occurring at the    end of 1998.

IBM blew $3 BILLION in one day buying the defunct, or about to be defunct,
LOTUS.  THAT is the deal that smells to high heaven, and that is what is
covered in gooy kitty litter...

 SH>    This growth is being credited to revenue from large
 SH> enterprise license    agreements, additional client upgrade
 SH> protection plans, and--at least    in IBM's eyes--positive
 SH> customer calls on strong e-business    directions.

OS/2's death is attributed to IBM pissing in MS pocket, and, coincidentally
screwing the computing public.  IBM NEVER supported OS/2, not for one day.

 SH>    In addition, the server versions of OS/2, Warp Server and
 SH> Warp Server    for e-business, have generated more than $30
 SH> million in revenue over    the last five quarters, with a
 SH> large increase from 4Q98-1Q99 as well.    Again, say
 SH> sources, IBM has had significant sales increases from large 
 SH>   customers. According to sources, the increase is due, in
 SH> part, to    interest in WorkSpace On-Demand.

 SH>    But those statistics don't necessarily give all OS/2
 SH> resellers or    end-users reason to rejoice. IDC reports
 SH> that OS/2 only held 0.5    percent of the 89 million client
 SH> operating environment market 

The had 15 million using it in '95 when they went from not supporting it to
actively destroying it's marketability.  What percentage is 15 of 89?

 SH> and 3.0%    of the server
 SH> operating environment market in 1998. The OS/2 shipments   
 SH> declined about 40% in both markets.

IBM's next move, if I read them correctly will be to attempt to kill LINUX.

 SH>    Nonetheless, OS/2 can be a successful special purpose
 SH> operating    environment. According to IDC analyst Dan
 SH> Kusnetzky, "As IBM presents    host-managed, server-centric
 SH> computing solutions, it points out that    this approach
 SH> will lower the costs of administration and support. They   
 SH> don't mention that OS/2 just might be running on the desktop
 SH> or on the    workgroup server. Customers who agree with IBM
 SH> purchase the solution    and seem happy. 

About everyone that ever ran OS/2 was pretty damn happy.  That didn't mean
beans to IBM.

 SH>    Copyright (c) 1999 ZDNet. All rights reserved.

Ziff-Davis is a den of thieves, just like IBM, MS, INTEL.  Actually, they are
a lot worse, more like the DOJ.  Those two are "supposed" to act in truth and
the public interest, yet they are crooks...  The above companies are SUPPOSED
to maximise profits, nothing much else.  ZIFF-DAVIS gives the appearance ( to
the lazy eye) of being an un-biased publisher, the DOJ is supposed to keep
IBM, MS, and INTEL from screwing the public too much, they haven't come close.

 SH> Reproduction in whole    or in part in any form or medium
 SH> without express written permission of    ZDNet is
 SH> prohibited. ZDNet and the ZDNet logo are trademarks of   
 SH> Ziff-Davis Inc. if (isIE4PC) {document.write('');}

ZIFF-DAVIS rarely says anything worth repeating, other than in jest... they
are a joke.  

                                              Jack 
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From: Holger Granholm                                   10-Sep-99 22:00:00
  To: Christer Jacobsson                                11-Sep-99 13:14:16
Subj: Netscape Communicator

In a message dated 09-09-99, Christer Jacobsson said to Frits Spieker:

Hello Christer,

CJ>I've compared Communicator 4.06 (16-bit) running under Win-OS/2 to
CJ>Communicator/2 4.04 and Communicator/2 4.61 preview 2, and the
CJ>16-bit (win31) version under win-OS/2 don't freeze up for 10-15
CJ>seconds every 1-2 minutes as it's OS/2 counterpart does, despite
CJ>that the cache settings are the same for the OS/2 and win31 versions
CJ>of my installed communicator software.

Excuse me Christer, but I'm running Navigator/2 2.02 and so far it
has never frozen up on me. It runs better than the Win-OS/2 version.

Yes I know that you are talking about Communicator.

Ha en bra dag,

Holger

___
 * MR/2 2.26 * No, Windows isn't dead . . . it just smells that way.

--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
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From: Bat Lang                                          11-Sep-99 02:52:24
  To: paul marwick                                      11-Sep-99 13:14:16
Subj: Staroffice

 -=> Quoting paul marwick to All, [10 Sep 99  10:20:10] <=-

 pm> The CD contains StarOffice for Windows, OS/2, Linux, Solaris and
 pm> Solaris/Intel. Plus a number of extra fonts and clipart. Seems like a
 pm> pretty good deal all up.

Was it vers 5.1?  Good Modeming!  /\oo/\


... FidoNet-Mail: 1:382/92 or E-mail: Bat.Lang@92.ima.infomail.com

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From: Steve McCrystal                                   10-Sep-99 06:59:29
  To: Jack Stein                                        11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: Kib, Mib, gib: 1024^n ?

;
In a msg of <Tuesday September 07 1999>, Jack Stein writes to Jonathan De
Boyne Pollard:
;
Jack,

 JS> I like k,m and g for the small ones, K,M, and G for the big
 JS> ones...

 JS> Whats so tough about that?

I normally just assume that when I'm talking to computer literate folks,
they'll understand what I ean by each of the above, and those who aren't
computer literate wouldn't understand it even if I explained it to them.

This whole thing sorta reminds me of the switch from BPS to Symbols.  The
entire world could do without it!

-[Steve]-

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1/#
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From: Ian Moote                                         11-Sep-99 11:41:00
  To: ROY J. TELLASON                                   11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: faxworks

RT> I happened to have installed the faxworks stuff from the bonus pack
RT> on to this machine way back when,  and didn't do anything with it
RT> for quite some time...
RT>
RT> Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on complaining about
RT> not getting the proper responses from the modem,  and I wasn't able
RT> to fax anything out.
RT>
RT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,  and
RT> works well to support the bbs here.

Mine's a Sportster and works fine. I got this error once when I changed 
the fax Class from 2.0 to either 1 or 2.

Hope this helps. Take care and TTYL.

---
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From: Ian Moote                                         11-Sep-99 11:41:00
  To: SCOTT JONES                                       11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: Netscape E-Mail aler

SJ> Don't worry, checking 'em wouldn't have helped, as it's one of those
SJ> undocumented things.  I found it, and a few other items, at
SJ> http://www.os2bbs.com/os2news/Communicator.html.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try to remember to stop by there. Take care and 
TTYL.

---
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From: Nick Andre                                        11-Sep-99 06:28:15
  To: All                                               11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: MP3 setup

Hi!

Does anyone know any freeware/open source MP3 recorders for OS/2 I could FREQ?

My current setup is an SBPro, OS/2 Warp 3 redspine (no fixpacks), 32mb ram, 
and stereo/mixer equipment hooked up to the SB's "Line in" port. I *need* 
software that will record from the Line In jack and encode direct to MP3.

I prefer ones that do not use MMOS2, but I'm willing to try anything. :)

*Lord British*

--- Renegade v98-356a Dos
 * Origin: Hidden Obsessions (1:252/501)

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From: Leonard Erickson                                  11-Sep-99 02:41:01
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: File Managers

Where do you get that key for INSPECTA? (and, I assume, INSPECTP?)

--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
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From: Leonard Erickson                                  11-Sep-99 02:51:02
  To: paul marwick                                      11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: InspectA

 -=> Quoting paul marwick to Jonathan de Boyne Pollard <=-

 pm> Hi Jonathan

 pm> Replying to a message of Jonathan de Boyne Pollard to paul marwick:
 
 pm>> The lack of available source code also leaves those who did 
 pm>> register with a dead, unspported product...

 JdBP> Has anyone approached David about obtaining the source ?

 pm> I did when he first dropped support for InspectA. At the time, he was
 pm> quite bitter about the whole thing and was not prepared to consider
 pm> releasing the source. That may have changed with time - I've not asked
 pm> again (indeed, I don't have much contact with him anymore). 
 pm> From memory, a wide range of custom libraries were used, so I suspect
 pm> that the source without them would be of limited value. 

Well, at least one of them needs to be replaced anyway. The one for
"spawning" a new session under DOS (Alt-Z). Running under some software
(Netware Lite or Personal Netware SERVER.EXEs) it wouldn't swap
INSPECTA out, so you'd have 300k of RAM taken up, making it hard to run
a lot of things when you "shelled out" to DOS.


--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
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From: Leonard Erickson                                  11-Sep-99 03:02:03
  To: George White                                      11-Sep-99 15:26:19
Subj: Character sets

 -=> Quoting George White to Murray Lesser <=-

 ML>    Nowadays, the Average Idiot Home User hasn't heard of any character
 ML>code other than ASCII, if even that :-(.  As you well know, the stupid
 ML>collating sequence of ASCII is due to the great desire of AT&T to pack
 ML>everything they thought anybody would ever want into seven bits, while
 ML>letting the presence of a single bit differentiate between lower- and
 ML>upper-case alpha characters (a desirable characteristic only for fully
 ML>mechanical terminals).

ASCII *was* defined in 1963 (or was it 68?) you know. It was originally
intended as a standard for moving data between different brands of
mainframes (which all had their *own* character sets back then)

Also, that uppercase/lower case distinction being on bit was important
for programmers writing *tight* code. I used to use that single bit
trick in programs back when 16k or DRAM cost several hundred dollars.

 ML>Making sense (from a computer-architectural
 ML>standpoint) has never been a requirement for standards committees!  (I
 ML>have a great dislike, based on many years of past participation, of most
 ML>computer-related standardizing activities.  The standards committee
 ML>members seem to be more interested in showing how smart they are than in
 ML>following Euripides' "legacy" law of computer architecture:  "The gods
 ML>visit the sins of the fathers upon the children.")

 GW> I think of the ANSI screen control sequences as a classic example of
 GW> that "cleverness", even though they are really DEC terminal control
 GW> sequences.

They are derived from DEC control sequences for the VT-52. The ESC was
turned into ESC[ so that DEC wouldn't have an unfair advantage in the
market. The VT-100 came *after* the X3.64 standard was defined.  

 ML>    As to why the PC architecture included the use of ASCII as an
 ML>internal character code: since I had nothing to do with the IBM PC
 ML>development, I have only some conjectures.  The PC was developed by a
 ML>semi-independent group in Florida.  The then upper management of IBM
 ML>didn't believe it was ever going to go anywhere, so probably didn't care

 GW> Original estimate was 250,000 units over 5 years according to an
 GW> article in Byte in 1990. It should have been dead, buried, and history
 GW> by now...
 
 ML>that the original perpetrators were using their 8-bit version of ASCII
 ML>instead of EBCDIC!  The character-code choice may have had something to
 ML>do with the fact that the 7-bit version of ASCII (embedded in eight
 ML>bits) was being used in most desktop machines up to that date.  (My CP/M
 ML>machine, vintage 1979, used a so-called ASCII terminal that had no way
 ML>to input the high-order eighth bit.)  Only some word processors of the
 ML>time used that bit for anything.

Excuse me, but you've made the same mistake 3 times so far. There is no
such thing as "8-bit" ASCII nor a "the 7-bit version of ASCII". ASCII
is *defined* as a 7-bit set. Any 8-bit set with the lower 128
characters matching ASCII is an "extended ASCII" and *not* any sort of
official variant of ASCII. 

It *can* be a standard in its own right, such as the various ISO
8859-xx character sets. 

 ML>(to some extent) "upward compatible" from CP/M.  IMO, the PC fathers did
 ML>the best that they could to make ASCII barely usable, supplying both the
 ML>missing "upper" 128 characters and also text-mode graphic symbols for
 ML>the otherwise useless (by then) ASCII control characters.

ASCII *has* no "upper 128". 

And by the time the PC was being designed it was quite clear that the
32-126 range had to be the same as ASCII for a machine to do well in
the market, and that the more common control chars had to be supported.
*Why* they made DEL a printable char I have no idea.


--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
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From: Bryan Schwartz                                    11-Sep-99 08:00:00
  To: Andy Roberts                                      11-Sep-99 19:35:19
Subj: Power Point

I've been told that there's stuff in that free StarOffice package that
will read MS Powerpoint files. StarOffice for OS/2 is free so I'll give
it a try. 

--- DLG v1.27/DLGMail v1.27
 * Origin: Axon Aminet_12-28 cds Online v.34/VFC (204)942-2856 (1:348/704)
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      10-Sep-99 22:20:06
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   11-Sep-99 19:35:19
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 Roy J. Tellason,

10-Sep-99 10:29:44, Roy J. Tellason wrote to Jonathan de Boyne Pollard
 RJT> Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote in a message to Jack Stein:
          Subject: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 RJT> Does this file I have here represent the release version,  then:
 RJT> os2clu02.rar  385756  16-Aug-99 10:39
 RJT> ?

Nope.  That is a pre-release for testers only.

This is the public version:
---
Os2Clu02.Rar  09-01-99  10:46   393,178
Os2Clu02.Zip  09-01-99  10:46   590,770
    JdeBP's OS/2 Command-Line Utilities, version 2.0 .
    A suite of native 32-bit OS/2 command-line utilities for a wide variety of
    tasks, too many to describe individually so I'll just give the names:
    ANACLOCK, ARCDIR, ATTRIB, BCOMP, CALCTZ, COMP, CONVCASE, CPUIDG, CPUIDT,
    DELTREE, DIGCLOCK, DIRSIZE, DUMP, FF, FIND, FINDDUPS, FITSIZE, GREP, HELP,
    MEM, PARTLIST, PLAYTUNE, RESETINI, SAYDATE, SETDATE, SORT, STRINGS, STRIP,
    SUM, TASKLIST, TEE, TEXTCONV, TOUCH, TREE, WC, WHAT, WHICH, WINSIGHT,
    XDEL, XDIR, and Y.  See the enclosed documentation for details.
---

It was Hatched into the FernWood file echo FWUTILS a week ago, so it should be
widely available.  I know it is also on Pete Norloff's OS/2 ShareWare BBS.

And of course you can FREQ it from me.  Warning: if you FREQ OS2CLU02.* then
you will get both the ZIP and RAR versions.

Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who accept the full file in 1
piece.

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
 * Origin: OS/2: penthouse. DOS: poorhouse. Windows: outhouse. (1:109/921.1)
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    10-Sep-99 08:25:06
  To: Dale A Cook                                       11-Sep-99 19:35:19
Subj: help please?

Hallo Dale,

Op 07-09-99 00:06 schreef je aan All :

DAC> Could someone recommend is decent PCI video-accerator card (at
DAC> least 4 megs video memory or more) with high-res drivers for OS/2 ?

Matrox G200 8 MB, in PCI- and AGP-version (AGP is recommended, the PCI-version 
should have no problem)

I've a Matrox G200 8 MB AGP videocard and I'm very pleased with it.

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales  (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    10-Sep-99 08:28:03
  To: Stewart Honsberger                                11-Sep-99 19:35:19
Subj: File Managers

Hallo Stewart,

Op 07-09-99 22:23 schreef je aan Eddy Thilleman:

SH> Ugh! Sucks up far too much of my CPU. I prefer Z!, myself.
SH> http://dink.org, IIRC.

I don't know Z!, is that a MP3 player? I've only seen VIO-programs from Dink.

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales  (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    10-Sep-99 09:16:27
  To: Andy Roberts                                      11-Sep-99 19:35:19
Subj: File Managers

Hallo Andy,

08-09-99 02:04 you wrote to me:

AR> Those suggestions of yours work like a champ.
AR> (Am I forgiven now?)

Yes, I forgive you. :)

AR> I've never seen a *.png file.

So you haven't tried to create/convert one, pmview can create .png files and
convert to png files. I've some, including an Iraqi Scud missile launcher! :-)

AR> OTOH I have not seen 1/2 of these others that were listed in pmview too.

I've seen .bmp, .gif, .ico (icon files), .iff, .jgp, .lgo, .pcx, .png, .tif,
.tga, .wpg files

AR> Anyway the few I tried worked in FC/2.

That's what I expect. :)

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales  (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   11-Sep-99 19:39:28
  To: Ian Moote                                         11-Sep-99 22:36:25
Subj: faxworks

Ian Moote wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

RT> I happened to have installed the faxworks stuff from the bonus pack
RT> on to this machine way back when,  and didn't do anything with it
RT> for quite some time...
RT>
RT> Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on complaining about
RT> not getting the proper responses from the modem,  and I wasn't able
RT> to fax anything out.
RT>
RT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,  and
RT> works well to support the bbs here.

 IM> Mine's a Sportster and works fine. I got this error once
 IM> when I changed  the fax Class from 2.0 to either 1 or 2.

 IM> Hope this helps. Take care and TTYL.

The only place I can remember that sort of thing in there had it set to 2.0,
as I recall,  though I may double-check it to be sure...

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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   11-Sep-99 19:36:11
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  11-Sep-99 22:36:25
Subj: File Managers

Leonard Erickson wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 LE> Where do you get that key for INSPECTA? (and, I assume, 
 LE> INSPECTP?) 

I don't recall offhand,  didn't need it since my copy was registered already
before I heard about this...

On his web site,  maybe?

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: ``Glen Carlzen``                                  11-Sep-99 05:24:11
  To: Bryan Schwartz                                    12-Sep-99 06:23:24
Subj: Power Point

>Is there a program that allows you to read Microsoft Power Point (.AVI) files
>in OS/2?  I just want to read these things on the monitor, not display
>them on the wall.

     YES.  MainActor/2 will diplay/show/run those files and a lot more.  The
bad thing about MainActor/2 is they (Authors) have discontinued (Temp) further
developement/port at this time.  Its still a very good program and its
shareware.

     Here is some of the information about MainActor/2
--------------------------------- snippet ----------------------------------
MainActor/2 - A modular animation package for OS/2 Warp
======================================================
What is MainActor:
------------------
MainActor is a modular multimedia processing package. You can load / edit /
play and save / convert all major animation and and the most common picture
formats. MainActor supports more animation formats for loading / saving than
any other program on any platform!

This release of MainActor supports both English and German, you can change
the language during runtime in the "Settings" menu.

MainActor is available for OS/2 and Windows 95 / NT.

A full featured sequencer with audio and video effects is in preparation.

The shareware version of MainActor is fully functional, you will have to deal
with an annoying requester though.

The requester appears

* at startup for 5 seconds
* when openening the save window for 5 seconds
* after saving every tenth frame for 2 seconds

Please register MainActor if you use it on a regular basis. Use beyond a 31
day evaluation period is prohibited without registration.

---

Currently MainActor ships with the following modules:

Loader modules:
---------------

AVI (Animation)*
BMP (Picture)
DL (Animation)
FLC (Animation)
FLI (Animation)
GIF (Picture)
GIF-Anim (Animation)
IFF (Picture)
IFF-Anim3/5/7/8/J (Animation)
JPEG (Picture)
MPEG-I/II (Animation)*
MPEG-Audio Layer I/II/III (Sound)
PCX (Picture)
PNG (Picture)
PPM/PGM/PBM (Picture)
TGA (Picture)
Quicktime (Animation)*
WAV (Sound)

Saver modules:

AVI (Animation)*
BMP (Picture)
FLC (Animation)
FLI (Animation)
GIF (Picture)
GIF-Anim (Animation)
JPEG (Picture)
MPEG-I/II (Animation)*
MPEG-Audio Layer II (Sound)
Quicktime (Animation)*
MacPICT (Picture)
PNG (Picture)
PPM/PGM/PBM (Picture)
TGA (Picture)
Video Data (Picture)
WAV (Sound)

Animation formats marked with an * support sound.

More modules are on the way ( SGI Movies, .MOD ) etc.

The files in this archive, except dive.zip and timer0.zip, are copyrighted
by MainConcept, GbR and may not be reproduced for commercial use without the
written agreement of MainConcept, GbR.

Otherwise you are permitted and encouraged to distribute this (the shareware)
version of MainActor/2. There are no restrictions with regards to copying,
transferring or otherwise distributing MainActor/2 in its complete and
original
shareware form.
----------------------------------- snippet ----------------------------------

     I registered MainActor/2 and use it for all of my MOVIE Type files and
managing them.  Works for me.  SO far its the only Movie file VIEWER and
Editor
I have found for use with OS2 and has a windows-port/vic-versa that works.

     The program suprised me as I'm use to using "Avid MCExpress" on
Windows-NT
for Video editing.

Hope this helps.

Glen
The Animal

--- WWIVGate 2.00c
 * Origin: * Eagle's Dare * Laurel, MD * (301) 498-1984 (1:109/500)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   11-Sep-99 21:28:16
  To: Andy Roberts                                      12-Sep-99 08:17:29
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 AR> Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who accept the 
 AR> full file in 1 piece.

Let's give that a shot...

Things have changed upstream of me,  so maybe it'll work.

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Mark Ellis                                        11-Sep-99 19:53:15
  To: All                                               12-Sep-99 08:17:29
Subj: Objects

I havent used os/2 for a while and need my memory refreshed on a few
things.


What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as objects as
opposed to just making shadows or running with a program?

What is the use of the start.cmd as opposed to putting things in the startup 
folder?

I'm sure i did this before but cant figure it out now...How do I make global 
setting changes (fonts, colors etc) to the desktop and every window all at the
same time?

Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs of ram would 
be appreciated.

thanx

---
 * Origin: Electric Prayers - Guelph ON - 519-823-8392 (1:221/802)
600

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: George Fliger                                     11-Sep-99 11:09:04
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 08:17:29
Subj: Re: faxworks

On 10 Sep 99 04:02pm, Roy J. Tellason wrote to all:

 RJT> I happened to have installed the faxworks stuff from the bonus
 RJT> pack on to this machine way back when,  and didn't do anything
 RJT> with it for quite some time...

 RJT> Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on complaining
 RJT> about not getting the proper responses from the modem,  and I
 RJT> wasn't able to fax anything out.

 RJT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,
 RJT> and works well to support the bbs here.

 RJT> Is there something special in terms of how I have to set this
 RJT> up?

Nothing special at all.  I use PMFax (commercial upgrade to faxworks
included in the bonus pack).

Start the program the on the toolbar:

        Select Utilities -> Settings -> Port

                Com? = Send/Receive (where ? is your port#)

        Or you can select FMD2 (I/O io addr, irq#) = On

The advantage of the FMD2 port driver is you can share the port with
another communications application UNLESS that application happens to be
a DOS-Based application.  In that case you need to select a specific
COM? port and can only use the port with a single application (manual
intervention).  That's how I have to do it here with BinkleyTerm/Opus in
a DOS box.

Next:

        Select Utilities -> Settings -> Modem

                BPS=14400
                Speaker=Dial
                Line type=Tone and Dial Tone (two radio buttons)
                Answer Rings=1 (default)

        Select Utilities -> Settings -> Modem Type

                Class 2.0
                Use HW Fifo (16550A)
                Special Command = &H2

        Select Utilities -> Settings -> Modem Voice

                US Robotics command set
                Store Messages in wave 8-bit format
                Multimedia microphone
                Multimedia speaker
                5 minutes maximum record time

The Modem Voice settings are not really used since the Courier is not a
voice modem but the first settings under that heading do tell the
program to use US Robotics commands.

Getting back to the Port settings... I've found that defining the
specific port in use is much more stable than using the FMD2 port
driver, even if not using a DOS-based application.  Try setting up
Faxworks both ways and see which works best for you.

Hope that helps.

George


... Hello? Roy Are you there? Earth to Roy ? Hello?
--- Via Silver Xpress V4.4P [Reg]
 * Origin: Chipper Clipper * Bradenton, Fl * 941-745-5677 * (1:137/2)
114/441
292/854

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Kenneth Abrams                                    10-Sep-99 22:45:27
  To: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Kib, Mib, gib: 1024^n ?

Hello Jack,

07 Sep 99 18:28, Jack Stein wrote to Jonathan De Boyne Pollard:

 JS> I like k,m and g for the small ones, K,M, and G for the big ones...

 JS> Whats so tough about that?

Well, there *is* the fact that a lowercase m already means milli- in the
traditional, long accepted system. Yes, I know, a millibyte makes no sense,
but it doesn't change the fact that a lowercase m is already defined.

Kenneth (kabrams@us.hsanet.net)

--- GoldED/2 2.50+
 * Origin: Great Mills, Maryland (1:109/921.67)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bert Sainz                                        28-Aug-99 13:22:09
  To: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Os2 & Dos

What is being described here is not an incremental backup but a differential
backup.

Incremental backups reset the archive bit. Differential backups do not.

Incremental backups backup files that have changed since the most recent
backup, be it a full or another incremental.

Differential backups backup files that have changed since the last full
backup.

The difference is that to do a restore on an incremental you need to restore
the full backup then each of the incremental backups. To restore a
differential backup you restore the full backu and only the latest of the
differential backups. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods,
mostly on the time it takes to do the restores and the backups at the end of
the sequences.

 >  JS> It does if you overwrite the original incremental back up each day.  A
 >  JS> standard back-up routine is to do a full back-up once per week, and an
 >  JS> incremental daily, overwriting the incremenatal each day, so it
 >  JS> contains only files that changed or were created since the last full
 >  JS> back-up.  This is essentially what you are doing, and is what the
 >  JS> archive bit on files is used for.

 >  LE> ARGGHHH! NO!

 > ARGGHHH! YES!

 >  LE> The "standard" scheme you refer to requyires a *seperate*
 >  LE> incremental backup tape for *each day*.

 > Nope, it doesn't.

 >  LE> Doing it the way you just described woud have a file get
 >  LE> created on Monday, included on monday's incremental backup,
 >  LE> and *not* included on Tuesday's backup because it hadn't
 >  LE> changed on Tuesday. So if you were using the same tape for
 >  LE> monday and tuesday, you'd no longer have the file backed up.

 > Note quite.  Doing it the way I discribed does not change the archive
 > bit, which is your choice when you do backups with RAR or PKZIP.  You
 > change the archive bit on full back-ups, on daily incremental backups
 > you don't reset the archive bit, so each day you get all changed files
 > since the last full backup, and files that are no longer on the drive
 > are gone, which is what the original poster wanted to happen, and also
 > how I want it to happen, and is how I've been doing it for years,
 > including when I did tape back-ups.

 >  LE> This is because the archive bits get cleared by *either*
 >  LE> sort of backup.

"Either" implies two types of backup. There are really 3: full, incremental
and differential. Full and incremental clear the archive bits. Differential
does not. Full backups all files. Incremental and differential backup only
files that have the archive bit set.

Bert

---
 * Origin:  (1:135/55)
292/854

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 10:49:12
  To: George Fliger                                     12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: faxworks

George Fliger wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 GF>         Select Utilities -> Settings -> Modem Voice

 GF>                 US Robotics command set
 GF>                 Store Messages in wave 8-bit format
 GF>                 Multimedia microphone
 GF>                 Multimedia speaker
 GF>                 5 minutes maximum record time

 GF> The Modem Voice settings are not really used since the Courier 
 GF> is not a voice modem but the first settings under that heading 
 GF> do tell the program to use US Robotics commands.

Hm,  I *do* have this Maxtech 56k here which is supposed to be a voice modem
(there are mike and speaker jacks in the back),  I wonder if that would work?
I don't have the software that was supposed to come with it,  so I have no
idea what it's capable of.  I'll have to try this.

 GF> Getting back to the Port settings... I've found that defining 
 GF> the specific port in use is much more stable than using the 
 GF> FMD2 port driver, even if not using a DOS-based application.  
 GF> Try setting up Faxworks both ways and see which works best for 
 GF> you.

 GF> Hope that helps.

 GF> George

I guess we shall see...

 GF> ... Hello? Roy Are you there? Earth to Roy ? Hello?

Gimme a chance to get some more coffee into me,  willya! :-)

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      11-Sep-99 22:25:26
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: faxworks

 Roy J. Tellason,

10-Sep-99 16:02:36, Roy J. Tellason wrote to all
          Subject: faxworks

 RJT> I happened to have installed the faxworks stuff from the bonus
 RJT> pack on to this machine way back when,  and didn't do anything
 RJT> with it for quite some time..

 RJT> Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on complaining
 RJT> about not getting the proper responses from the modem,  and I
 RJT> wasn't able to fax anything out

 RJT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier, and
 RJT> works well to support the bbs here

 RJT> Is there something special in terms of how I have to set this up?

Depends on which SDL you have on that Courier.  AFAIK all the V.90 SDLs work
with FAX.  IIRC the last previous V.34 SDL worked with FAX.  But prior to that
none of the SDL worked well with FAX until all the way back to a 1994 SDL.

Also remember USR is class 1 and class 2.0 but not class 2.

--- Excerpt Config.Sys ---
DEVICE=G:\FAXWORKS\FMD.SYS (4,2E8,5)
---

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
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3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      11-Sep-99 22:37:24
  To: paul marwick                                      12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: File Managers

 paul marwick,

10-Sep-99 09:41:32, paul marwick wrote to Roy J. Tellason
 pm> Replying to a message of Roy J. Tellason to paul marwick:
          Subject: File Managers

 pm>>> I use RAR

 pm> My only complaint about it is that the self extrating archives
 pm> that it generates are platform specific, so I can't generate a
 pm> single self extractor that I can use on multiple platforms. Still,
 pm> since I have multiple mplatform versions of RAR, that isn't a
 pm> major concern

Try using the DOS version of RAR to create the Self-extracting.  Then it will
extract under OS/2 and Windows.  Otherwise what you said about files created
with the Windows or OS/2 versions of RAR being platform specific, is correct.

BTW, in spite of the fact I registered RAR, and it is slightly better at
compression in some situations, I don't recommend using RAR for a lot of
reasons I don't want to go into here.

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
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3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      11-Sep-99 23:26:10
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: File Managers

 Leonard Erickson,

11-Sep-99 02:41:03, Leonard Erickson wrote to Roy J. Tellason
          Subject: File Managers

 LE> Where do you get that key for INSPECTA? (and, I assume, INSPECTP?)

---
I110-Key.Zip                    08-02-97          37,314
    Free key for InspectA INSP110D.ZIP INSPECTP.ZIP File manager
---

Available for FREQ or I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail.

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Kees Wiegel                                       11-Sep-99 15:46:12
  To: Eddy Thilleman                                    12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: getting files from internet

Hello Eddy,

Thursday September 09 1999 00:56, Eddy Thilleman wrote to All:

 ET> I'm starting to use wget to grab files from internet, I list the
 ET> wanted files in a text file and I've set it up so that wget
 ET> automatically gets the listed files or mirror parts of sites.

Look for AutoGet/2; it will save you a lot of work!! ;-))

That way I can drop a URL of a file on my desktop and AutoGet will fetch it in 
the background...

If you wish I can put it on hold for you.


Best Regards,

Kees Wiegel, Berkel en Rodenrijs, The Netherlands
SysOp APBCWgl-BronNet

... IJskoud als je op ijs kauwt.
--- EndOfMsg
 * Origin: Time to check out the GoldRand.Cfg...! (CheckItOut! 2:286/207)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Stewart Honsberger                                12-Sep-99 10:38:29
  To: Eddy Thilleman                                    12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: File Managers

10 Sep 99 08:28, Eddy Thilleman wrote to Stewart Honsberger:

 SH>> Ugh! Sucks up far too much of my CPU. I prefer Z!, myself.
 SH>> http://dink.org, IIRC.

 ET> I don't know Z!, is that a MP3 player?

Yep.

 ET> I've only seen VIO-programs from Dink.

Z! is a VIO MP3 player.

Stewart Honsberger,
  blackdeath@tinys.oix.com

... No...we don't worship Barney! That's worse than Satan!
-!- GOPGP/2 v1.23

--- Msged/2 TE 05
 * Origin: Blackdeath BBS - Private (1:229/604)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      12-Sep-99 10:48:15
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 Roy J. Tellason,

11-Sep-99 21:28:33, Roy J. Tellason wrote to Andy Roberts
 RJT> Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:
          Subject: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 AR>> Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who can accept the
 AR>> full file in 1 piece.

 RJT> Let's give that a shot...

 RJT> Things have changed upstream of me,  so maybe it'll work.

I sent it to: roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com
which was my last known address for you.  Hope it makes its.

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Adam Cameron                                      11-Sep-99 19:03:09
  To: George Fliger                                     12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Re: win-os2 and AIM

 .x%X[Quoting George Fliger from a message to Adam Cameron]X%x.

 GF> On 8 Sep 99 02:32pm, Adam Cameron wrote to All:

 AC> I have a Windows 3.1 version of AIM (AOL Instant Messagener).
 AC> But, it crashes all the time and completely locks up the system.

 AC> Warp 4 with FP9. Anything I can change to fix this?

 GF> AOL did have a Java version of AIM available.  You might try getting 
 GF> that.

yes, I have the java version, but it is a bad cpu hog.

+(cheba:cheba@bytespeed.com:icq4201056)+

---
 * Origin: +(absoluteZERO::telnet://cheba.darktech.org)+ (1:116/71)
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Leonard Erickson                                  12-Sep-99 01:43:00
  To: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: A BIG sort...

 -=> Quoting Jack Stein to Peter Knapper <=-

 JS> The only annoying thing I found was that IBM and MS would foist such a
 JS> lame, incompetant SORT utility on the public.  I'd be ashamed to have
 JS> something that limited associated with my name, let alone a giant
 JS> computer mega-company.  In fact, a brief look at command.com and
 JS> cmd.exe, compared to 4DOS, 4OS/2 and Unix shells clearly shows that
 JS> IBM and MS have had their collective heads deeply placed where the sun
 JS> don't shine for what, 15-20 years now?   

Actually, MS *tried* to cut a deal to let them include 4dos as the
command processor with DOS (back around DOS 5.0). But they tried to
offer JPSoft the same deal they offered Central Point Software. "Let us
include your program without us paying you any royalties, and we'll
leave your copyright notice in there."

JPSoft told them what they could do with the offer. CP said "Sure!" and
let MS include a less than current version of some of the stuff in
PCTools. 

You'll notice which company is still around. :-)

JPSoft *did* make a counter offer of sorts. It was along the lines of
"Why don't we sit down and negotiate a royalty. We aren't greedy, but
we want *something* per copy." MS wasn't interested. 


--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Shadowshack (1:105/51)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: LEE ARONER                                        11-Sep-99 08:41:00
  To: ROY J. TELLASON                                   12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: faxworks

RJT> I happened to have installed the faxworks stuff from the bonus pack on to 
this
   > machine way back when,  and didn't do anything with it for quite some
time...

RJT> Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on complaining about not
getting
   > the proper responses from the modem,  and I wasn't able to fax anything
out.

RJT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,  and works
well to
   > support the bbs here.

RJT> Is there something special in terms of how I have to set this up?


   The readme explains how to setup the Courier for Faxworks...


                                       LRA


 -- SPEED 2.01 #2720: ... think of a goat, it's like that only different...
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0
 * Origin: Memory Alpha - (253) 859-6200 (1:343/311)
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    11-Sep-99 12:37:14
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: DOS program "fix"

Hallo Leonard,

Op 09-09-99 01:04 you wrote to All :

LE> But I've got the source, and I'd like to make it more multi-tassking
LE> friendly. It looks like it's in a polling loop when it's hogging the
LE> CPU (basicly it's waiting for me to hit a key). 

LE> I seem to recall that there's a DOS INT I can call that'll free up the
LE> rest of the timeslice. IE. change the code like this:

LE> But I don't recall what the Int is.

Int 28h

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales  (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    12-Sep-99 11:18:02
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: 2 Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Hallo Roy,

Op 10-09-99 10:26 schreef je aan Eddy Thilleman:

JdBP>> Identification strings embedded into files that are maintained by an
JdBP>> SCCS utility.  

ET>> What is "SCCS" ?

RJT> "Source Code Control System"?  Probably the same thing I've seen
RJT> referred to elsewhere as a "Revision Control System" (RCS),  a good
RJT> thing to have when programming projects get fairly large and
RJT> complicated,  and especially when there's a group of programmers
RJT> rather than one individual.

O, you mean a Version Control System

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales  (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    12-Sep-99 11:33:11
  To: Christer Jacobsson                                12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Win31 plugins in Communicator/2 4.61?

Hallo Christer,

Op 10-09-99 01:09 schreef je aan All :

CJ> Have somebody out there managed to install Shockwave plugin in
CJ> Communicator/2 4.61, got it to work properly and can describe what
CJ> steps are necessary to successfully install (and perhaps configure)
CJ> the win31 Shockwave plugin?

I don't have Netscape Communicator/2 v4.61, just Netscape Communicator/2
v4.04. I've 16-bit w** shockwave installed and it worked the last time I
looked at a shockwave file. I don't run it often and I don't care much about
it.

CJ> The same question goes for the win31 version of the Sizzler plugin in
CJ> Communicator/2 4.61.

Never heard of Sizzler plugin.

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales  (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Gord Hannah                                       12-Sep-99 06:14:00
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: File Managers

Hi Leonard, hope you are having a nice day! :-)

11-Sep-99 02:41:03, Leonard Erickson wrote to Roy J. Tellason
          Subject: File Managers

 LE> Where do you get that key for INSPECTA? (and, I assume, INSPECTP?)

Provide me with an email address and I will send it to you.

Hope this helps.  Keep us posted.

We are a fine board trying to make it better.

http://www.pris.bc.ca/ghannah
ghannah@pris.bc.ca 
Cheers!
Gord Hannah 
-=Team OS/2=-

--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at Test and Support Site
 * Origin: Marsh BBS (c) Dawson Creek BC Canada 1-250-786-7921 (1:17/23.1)
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 00:18:11
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: faxworks

Hi Roy

Replying to a message of Roy J. Tellason to all:

 RJT> Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on complaining about
 RJT> not getting the proper responses from the modem,  and I wasn't able
 RJT> to fax anything out.

 RJT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,  and
 RJT> works well to support the bbs here.

From memory, Faxworks supports Class 1 or Class 2 Fax modems. The Courier is a 
Class 2.0. I don't know much about FAX modems, but I suspect that your problem 
is there. You might try setting the modem as a Class 1 and see if that works.
I've got an Acer modem here (based on a Texas Instruments chipset) which
supports Class 2.0, but runs under FAXWorks when set for Class 1. The Courier
runs on the BBS box and I've never tried to use it for FAX...

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      12-Sep-99 23:52:01
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: File Managers

Hi Roy

Replying to a message of Roy J. Tellason to paul marwick:

 RJT> There _is_ an awful lot of badly written software out there,  but
 RJT> really,  no program should behave badly,  or erratically,  because
 RJT> of input data if it's properly designed.  That sort of thing speaks
 RJT> of a flaw in there somewhere...

I won't disagree, just observe that there seem to be few people who have
managed to get that ideal situation to work...

 pm>> around on floppy disk. RAR supports mulit-volume archives very 
 pm>> well and is (genrally) the most space efficient archive. So I 
 pm>> use it a lot - saves me lugging extra floppies... I also use it 
 pm>> for small scale backup, since its text-graphic screen provides 
 pm>> more information as to what it is doing than is the case with 
 pm>> any of the other archives.

 RJT> I haven't really used it all that much,  and should probably look
 RJT> into it a bit further...

I first started using RAR when I needed multi-volume archives under OS/2 and
didn't want to use ARJ in a DOS box to generate them. I've been using it ever
since..

 pm>> My only complaint about it is that the self extrating archives 
 pm>> that it generates are platform specific, so I can't generate a 
 pm>> single self extractor that I can use on multiple platforms. 
 pm>> Still, since I have multiple mplatform versions of RAR, that 
 pm>> isn't a major concern.

 RJT> Since a self-extractor would involve execcutable code,  I don't see
 RJT> how you can have it _not_ be platform-specific,  with the exception
 RJT> of some bits of stuff I've heard of that will run on either dos or
 RJT> OS/2 platforms.

Well, as another exmple, DSX (which generates a self-executing disk image)
produces family mode code which will execute under DOS or OS/2. I'd love to
have that functionallity in RAR self-extractors. While I don't like self
extractors a lot, there are times when they can be very convinient (no having
to worry about taking a suitable archive extractor with you on  ajob, not a
lot of overhead in terms of space and, at least in the case of RAR, the
ability to generate multi-voluje selfextractors).

 pm>> For a small, freeware editor, this one is pretty good. Includes 
 pm>> multiple file editing, syntax highlighting, programable 
 pm>> keyboard. And its text mode and small enough to install on a 
 pm>> boot floppy (:-) I never did get along with Tedit terribly 
 pm>> well...)

 RJT> Hm,  I don't know that it'll work with my email,  but if you wanna
 RJT> give it a shot...?

Ok. Only, what's your email address? And can you handle mime-encoded stuff?

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 00:21:16
  To: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: File Managers

Hi Jack

Replying to a message of Jack Stein to Paul Marwick:

 JS> I reckon thats a point for OS2 Commander, considering it *does* manage
 JS> files and their FILES.BBS entries on all but filenames over 13
 JS> characters, and no other file manager even does that, including FC/2.

Not true, I'm afraid. InspectA handles FILES.BBS entries, and will add such
entries to files with long names...

 JS>  `C>      The only thing I don't like or would consider a bug would be
 JS> *IF*  `C> you tag (inset key) several different files in the
 JS> directory.  The  `C> LFN no longer is displayed in the lower left
 JS> bottom line, but is  `C> replaced with the amount of K or MB's in
 JS> files that are tagged.  I  `C> wouldn't call that a bug.

 PM>> Yesh, that is a bit irritting, but i can't be called a
 PM>> bug... 

 JS> Hardly a bug, hardly irritating... it would be irritating if it
 JS> _didn't_ do that.  

Well no. Because the display which is switched off when files are tagged can
be very useful, especially in the case of long filenames. But, I'm not sure
how else it could be done, so I certainly don't consider it a bug, just
something that might better be done another way (so that both the number and
size of tagged files is show, but the display of the file under the cursor is
also preserved).

 >>> and FILES.BBS entries, failure to read most self-extracting 
 >>> archives, 

 JS> It reads ZIP, LHZ and ARJ self-extractors, just as it says in the
 JS> docs.   That covers ALL the self-extractors I have here other than
 JS> those that are archieved compression programs themselves, and I
 JS> generally convert them to ZIP format anyway, as EVERYONE that uses
 JS> archives should have zip archive capability.  

If it did acctually do as advertised (ie, read ZIP, LZH and ARJ
self-extractors) I wouldn't have much to complain about. However, in my
experience, it handles only around 50% of such files. A poor record, given its 
claims. FC/2 works _much_ better in this area. Not to mention having the
ability to read RAR slef-extractors as well.

 PM>> If you look at the online help or the documentation,
 PM>> pressing CTRL-A while the cursor is over a self-extracting
 PM>> archive should display the contents of that archive. 99.9%
 PM>> of the time, it fails, complaining that the file is not an
 PM>> archive or it can't read it. This is simply an advertised
 PM>> funtion that does not work even vaguely as it is supposed
 PM>> to. FC/2 

 JS> This is bogus.  It works exactly as advertised 100% of the time here. 
 JS> It works on ZIP ARJ and LHZ self-extracting archives?  Which of those
 JS> self-extracters does it NOT work on?

It is NOT bogus. Nor am I the only one having problems with its inability to
do as advertised. I repeat - on any one of three machines here, not to mention 
a number of others that I have tried it on, it is lucky if it can read 50% of
ZIP self-extractors, let alone anything else.

 JS> Too bad, I would rather see self extracting apps banned, completely
 JS> removed from the archive capabilities of all compression programs,
 JS> used only in the distribution of the archiver itself.  IBM is just
 JS> one of dumb ass developers that is so stupid, it archives an archive
 JS> in a self-extracting archive.  Sometimes I think the entire computing
 JS> world is controlled air-heads.  The internet sure highlights the sad
 JS> state of computing.

There are a number of quite legitimate uses for self-extracting archives. The
only problem is that you need to be able to trust the source. It should
require little thought to see why companies like IBM (who are only one of many 
who distribute things in self-extracting archives) do so. It means that they
can distrubte code in a compreessed bundle _without_ having to worry about
whether the end-user has the necessary extractor, can obtain it if they don't
alredy have it, or knows how to use it. I don't like them, but I can see a
number of reasons why they are attractive to people who have to distrubite
code without losing parts of it.

 JS> My policy is not to register anything unless I like it a lot, and feel
 JS> the developer deserves my payment for his hard work.  I've registered
 JS> some stuff AFTER I no longer used it...  I've never registered
 JS> anything within the time frames given by the author, thats for sure
 JS> (with the exception of 4OS2, which I registered before I ran OS/2)

:( Well, I certainly intend to register only programs which I have some hope
of seeing continue under develpment. I'm tired of spending money (and effort)
on software only to find that ithas ben abandoned by the author.

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 00:12:09
  To: Will Honea                                        12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Staroffice

Hi Will

Replying to a message of Will Honea to paul marwick:

 pm>> The CD contains StarOffice for Windows, OS/2, Linux, Solaris and 
 pm>> Solaris/Intel. Plus a number of extra fonts and clipart.  Seems like
 pm>> a pretty good deal all up.  I found the information at:
 pm>> http://www.sun.com/staroffice

 WH> Of special note to users of the Star Division versions: the OS/2
 WH> version (68 meg d/l) now includes all the import filters including the
 WH> WordPerfect filters.  That was the only real stopper for me with the
 WH> Star Division version since I had so much in WP format.  

Ah, I hadn't realised that the full set of filters was now included. While its 
lack didn't worry me too much, its a nice addtions.

 WH> It's still a
 WH> beast and slow to load but the 5.1a version appears to be more stable
 WH> that the previous versions.  No registration keys, restriction
 WH> against commercial use is removed.

Its certainly a memory hog. Though I can't say I've had too many stability
problems with it. Generally I've been quite happy with it - it does most of
the things I need, though I find some of its layout fairly strange...

Sun will have to update the installaiton documentation, since it still talks
about the registration via the Internet.

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 00:15:00
  To: Bat Lang                                          12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: Staroffice

Hi Bat

Replying to a message of Bat Lang to paul marwick:

 pm>> The CD contains StarOffice for Windows, OS/2, Linux, Solaris and
 pm>> Solaris/Intel. Plus a number of extra fonts and clipart. Seems like a
 pm>> pretty good deal all up.

 BL> Was it vers 5.1?  Good Modeming!  /\oo/\

No, 5.1a. I haven't yet installed the new version (CD arrived late last week), 
so I don't yet know exactly what has changed between 5.1 and 5.1a (unless its
only the lack of registration..)

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 00:16:17
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  12-Sep-99 22:02:13
Subj: InspectA

Hi Leonard

Replying to a message of Leonard Erickson to paul marwick:

 pm>> From memory, a wide range of custom libraries were used, so I
 pm>> suspect that the source without them would be of limited value. 

 LE> Well, at least one of them needs to be replaced anyway. The one for
 LE> "spawning" a new session under DOS (Alt-Z). Running under some
 LE> software (Netware Lite or Personal Netware SERVER.EXEs) it wouldn't
 LE> swap INSPECTA out, so you'd have 300k of RAM taken up, making it hard
 LE> to run a lot of things when you "shelled out" to DOS.

Interesting. I must admit that I haven't used the DOS version of InspectA for
years. Didn't know about that problem...

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Lars Abrahamsson                                  12-Sep-99 12:05:08
  To: Eddy Thilleman                                    12-Sep-99 22:30:13
Subj: Z (Was: File Managers)

 SH>> Ugh! Sucks up far too much of my CPU. I prefer Z!, myself.
 SH>> http://dink.org, IIRC.

 ET> I don't know Z!, is that a MP3 player? I've only seen VIO-programs
 ET> from Dink.

Z is a very nive VIO-MP3-player. Does anybody know if there will be any DOS or 
Win32 conversions in the future?


--- FMail/2 1.42/g
 * Origin: If speed kills, then Windows-users may live forever. (2:205/624.1)
280/801

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   12-Sep-99 17:53:16
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 02:29:08
Subj: faxworks

Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 RJT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier, and
 RJT> works well to support the bbs here

 RJT> Is there something special in terms of how I have to set this up?

 AR> Depends on which SDL you have on that Courier.  AFAIK all the 
 AR> V.90 SDLs work with FAX.  IIRC the last previous V.34 SDL 
 AR> worked with FAX.  But prior to that none of the SDL worked well 
 AR> with FAX until all the way back to a 1994 SDL.

It's whatever the one is that took a 28.8 to 33.6...

 AR> Also remember USR is class 1 and class 2.0 but not class 2.

 AR> --- Excerpt Config.Sys ---
 AR> DEVICE=G:\FAXWORKS\FMD.SYS (4,2E8,5)
 AR> ---

I'll have to take a look at that,  though I can't at the moment because I'm
booted to the dos/dv side of things,  and that stuff is sitting on an HPFS
partition...

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        11-Sep-99 08:59:10
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 02:29:08
Subj: File Managers

Roy J. Tellason wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS> I never used that facility myself, since I run OPUS and it 
 JS> doesn't use a Files.bbs 

 RJT> What does it use instead?

OPUS uses a filesbbs.dat file, not a text file.  I create a files.bbs from it
though for my own personal use with other utilities,  my own REXX scripts for
example.

 RJT> An awful lot of stuff out there breaks with other than 8.3.

Yes, so I generally stay away from long filenames as much as possible.  I use
them for things that will stay on my system, like config.sys.99.01.22  for
backups of stuff, but that's about it.

 JS> I blame the whole mess on IBM, MS, INTEL, ZIFF-DAVIS and the 
 JS> DOJ.  A clear  case of a giant cartel run amuck, screwing the 
 JS> public at will, and the DOJ too corrupt to do anything about it.

 RJT> That's one of the reasons I'm getting into Linux here...   
 RJT> :-) 

I think thats a good move, but since IBM is buying into RedHat, I expect them
to (try) and find a way to keep it from hurting MS, just as they insured OS/2
would not kill WIN.  This is pure paranoia I know, but it's _my_ paranoia, and 
based on substantial historical data.

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        11-Sep-99 09:10:29
  To: Gord Hannah                                       13-Sep-99 02:29:08
Subj: File Managers

Gord Hannah wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS> own in it's config file.  I personally detest self-extracting
 JS> archives, and they should be banned totally for most everything
 JS> other than distributing the compression program itself, IMO

 GH> I use them if I am going to go to some one elses machine and
 GH> am not sure if they have any archiving software to
 GH> decompress the program. 

I would aways install ZIP on any machine ai worked on that didn't have it
already, which was very rare. I don't work on anyones machines anymore, they
are either WIN machines, and I won't touch them, or OS/2 machines and they
don't need my help.  One of the nice things about all the non-computer people
using WIN crap, is I always state immediatly that "I don't know nothing about
WIN"  Saves me a ton of aggravation.  

 GH> Thanks Jack, was touch and go about a month ago another
 GH> damned hd crash, Fujitsu drives do not like me.  Bought a
 GH> Seagate and am trying it out, I prefer Quantum but not any
 GH> available in my area when I needed it.

I've had Western Digital drives  on this thing since day one, and have never
had a crash let alone a loss of a drive (other than my new computer in 91, the 
WD drive blew up the first month). I've had 3 WD running for years, and a year 
or two ago replaced 2 of them with a used Quantum and a used Seagate.  All 3
are running fine.  A 5 gig WD, a 2.1 Seagate, and an 875 meg Quantum.  I paid
$50 for the last 2 drives a couple of years ago. My PC hasn't been shut off
since 1991 other than maintenance either.  I might add I never lost even one
file under OS/2 in all this time. I still have the 400meg and 200 meg drives
sitting here beside me, full of files, can't figure out what to do with them.

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        11-Sep-99 09:35:24
  To: Bat Lang                                          13-Sep-99 02:29:08
Subj: File Managers

Bat Lang wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS> OS2C claims to handle ZIP, ARJ and LHZ self-extracting archives, and
 JS> it does, perfectly.

 BL> What have you been smoking in your pipe, JS? I will concede
 BL> that it will sometimes handle selfex archives, but just like
 BL> PM, I have many more instances of it's annoying 'Oops, this
 BL> seems to be an archive that I don't recognize'. I'd estimate
 BL> about an 8/9 "Oops" for every one it handled properly. PM's
 BL> experience is similar. That's pretty far removed from
 BL> "perfectly". }^: Might be better described as "barely". {^; 

I guess it depends on what made the self-exe archive.

 BL> I examined their innards with a viewer, these are their
 BL> parentage: Unzipsfx, PKSfx or PE32E.SFX (one).

I reckon OS2C does not support these brands.  BTW, it does support RAR
self-extractors also, even though not mentioned in the docs, unless my RAR
files are made with some other self-exe program.

 BL> These files represent the current upgrade path for Warp, and
 BL> they are only available as selfex's. The two primary (if I
 BL> may) ZIP archivers for OS/2 have been (are) Infozips and the
 BL> PKZ25? for OS/2. This is also reflected in the parentage of
 BL> those files above, coming from IBM. Any util that calls
 BL> itself an OS/2 file manager, with a claimed selfex feature,
 BL> but fails on the above group of files crafted specifically
 BL> for OS/2, is misleading its public at best. IMHO. YMMV. {^;
 BL> To qualify that statement, I am a registered user of OS2C.

You have a point there, but to me the problem is not with that anyway, the
problem is the stuped people using self-exe's to begin with, they should be
tarred and feathered.

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Peter Knapper                                     13-Sep-99 08:53:12
  To: Mark Ellis                                        13-Sep-99 06:13:00
Subj: Objects

Hi Mark,

 ME> I havent used os/2 for a while and need my memory refreshed on a few
 ME> things.

Welcome Home.........;-)

 ME> What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as objects
as
 ME> opposed to just making shadows or running with a program?

A Shadow of an Object is really a ALTERNATIVE REFERENCE to the original
object, it is not a COPY of the original. The prime advantage of this is that
any changes made to the Object using a SHADOW reference, makes changes to the
original Object itself. Its just a handy way of allowing the user to have
access to a resource from different places within their system, without the
need for the user to keep all those references in order, a SHADOW takes care
of that for him automatically. A classic example of this is that the the Warp
4 Taskbar uses shadows for everything.

 ME> What is the use of the start.cmd as opposed to putting 
 ME> things in the startup folder?

You will probably receive a few different comments on this one. I use both of
them here, the STARTUP Folder contains those items I ALWAYS want started, and
that dont have dependences with other items being started. 

My STARTUP.CMD contains items that I want Started in a particular order, and
only when other items exist first! Examples of this include drive mappings
across the Network and functions that MUST be performed in strict sequence at
system startup. I also have the option of stopping STARTUP.CMD at any point if 
I wish. 

EG, on the BBS machine, the STARTUP Folder runs all the utilies that are
always loaded regardless. STARTUP.CMD cleans out my FLAGS directory (I use
flags to control various BBS backgrou tasks) and tidies up after any system
crashes. It also checks that certain files exist before then staring each of
the BBS lines. 


 ME> I'm sure i did this before but cant figure it out now...
 ME> How do I make global setting changes (fonts, colors etc)
 ME> to the desktop and every window all at the same time?

Go to the System Setup Folder, Scheme Palette, and make your changes. Once you 
have the layout you want, then drag that layout to the desktop while holding
down the ALT key. This makes the Pallette change system wide rather than just
to the object it was dropped on.

 ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 
 ME> with 20megs of ram would be appreciated.

Thats probably going to be a bit tight depending on what you wish to do with
the system, however I would start by using HPFS partitions with no more than
512KB Cache, probably better off with 256KB. You system is going to do a lot
of swapping with any decent sized applications running so too much cache may
actualyl slow it down. Start with 256 and then try 512 and see how that
affects it.

Dont run too many applications at the same time, try and close the ones you
dont need before opening up new ones. 

If you have the chance, place your SWAPPATH on the MOST USED PARTITION, of
your LEAST USED DRIVE! This helps to reduce the head movements and optimises
the swap file performance.

Thats about it I think. I hope it helps..........pk.


--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Another Good Point About OS/2 (3:772/1.10)
280/801

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Peter Knapper                                     13-Sep-99 09:58:18
  To: Mark Ellis                                        13-Sep-99 06:13:00
Subj: Objects

Hi Mark,

 ME> I havent used os/2 for a while and need my memory refreshed on a few
 ME> things.

Welcome Home.........;-)

 ME> What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as objects
as
 ME> opposed to just making shadows or running with a program?

A Shadow of an Object is really a ALTERNATIVE REFERENCE to the original
object, it is not a COPY of the original. The prime advantage of this is that
any changes made to the Object using a SHADOW reference, makes changes to the
original Object itself. Its just a handy way of allowing the user to have
access to a resource from different places within their system, without the
need for the user to keep all those references in order manually, a SHADOW
takes care of all that for him automatically. A classic example of this is
that the the Warp 4 Taskbar uses shadows for everything, and you can change an 
object from the taskbar without going back to the original object or folder.


 ME> What is the use of the start.cmd as opposed to putting 
 ME> things in the startup folder?

I assume yu mean STARTUP.CMD. You will probably receive a few different
comments on this one. I use both of them here, the STARTUP Folder contains
those items I ALWAYS want started, and that DONT have dependences with other
items being started or actions that MUST be performed before those items can
run. 

My STARTUP.CMD file contains items that I want Started in a particular order,
and ONLY when other actions have taken place first! Examples of this include
drive mappings across the Network and functions that MUST be performed in
strict sequence at system startup. Another reason for using STARTUP.CMD is
that you have the option of stopping it (CTRL-C) at any point if I wish. 

EG, on the BBS machine, the STARTUP Folder runs all the utilies that are
always loaded regardless. STARTUP.CMD cleans out certain files are can beleft
during processing that might affect subsequent processing and tidies things up 
after hard failures, such as power loss. It also checks that certain files
exist before staring each of the BBS lines. 


 ME> I'm sure i did this before but cant figure it out now...
 ME> How do I make global setting changes (fonts, colors etc)
 ME> to the desktop and every window all at the same time?

Go to the System Setup Folder, Scheme Palette, and make your changes. Once you 
have the layout you want, then drag that layout to the desktop while holding
down the ALT key. This makes the Pallette change system wide rather than just
to the object it was dropped on.

 ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 
 ME> with 20megs of ram would be appreciated.

Hmmm.......;-) Thats probably going to be a bit tight depending on what you
wish to do with the system, however I would start by using HPFS partitions
with no more than 512KB Cache, probably better off with only 256KB. Your
system is going to do a lot of swapping with any decent sized applications
running so too much cache may actually slow it down and get in the way. Start
with 256KB and then try 512KB and see how that affects it.

Dont run too many applications at the same time, try and close the ones you
dont need before opening up new ones. 

If you have the chance, place your SWAPPATH on the MOST USED PARTITION, of
your LEAST USED DRIVE! This helps to reduce the head movement and optimises
the swap file performance.

Lastly, if you get the chance, add more memory. Increasing it to 32Mb should
be quite noticeable on your machine........;-)

Thats about it I think. I hope it helps..........pk.


--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Another Good Point About OS/2 (3:772/1.10)
280/801

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jeffrey J. Counsil                                12-Sep-99 15:24:14
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 06:13:00
Subj: Re: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Uti

On Stardate 10 Sep 99  22:20:13, Andy Roberts Communicated the Following
To Roy J. Tellason, Regarding Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utiliti...

AR> Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who accept the full file
i
AR> piece.

You know where to send it.. ;-)

--- Renegade v10-05 Exp
 * Origin: Way Out There!...The StarPort 1-717-753-8120 (1:268/402)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jonathan de Boyne Pollard                         11-Sep-99 00:30:03
  To: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 06:13:00
Subj: Kib, Mib, gib: 1024^n ?

 JDBP>> The basic idea runs as follows:  The metric prefixes
 JDBP>> "kilo-", "mega-", "giga-", "tera-" and so forth represent
 JDBP>> powers of 10.  For powers of 2 one adds "binary", producing
 JDBP>> "kilobinary-", "megabinary-", "gigabinary-", "terabinary-",
 JDBP>> and so forth.  These are then shortened to "kibi-", "mebi-",
 JDBP>> "gibi-", and "tebi-", and the abbreviations for them are
 JDBP>> "Ki", "Me", "Gi", and "Te".
 JDBP>>
 JDBP>> I've been trying the terms on "for size" for the past few
 JDBP>> months, and I quite like them.  My FITSIZE utility (part of
 JDBP>> OS2CLU version 2.0) already supports "kB"/"MB"/"GB" for
 JDBP>> powers of 10 and "KiB"/"MeB"/"GiB" for powers of 2.   

 JS> I like k,m and g for the small ones, K,M, and G for the big ones...
 JS>
 JS> Whats so tough about that?

Two things:  It redefines existing abbreviations in a non-standard way that
*no-one* else uses, and it's unworkable because it's wrong in any case.

The SI abbreviations for the prefixes for powers of 10 have definite cases. 
"kilo-" is abbreviated to lowercase 'k', but "mega-" and "giga-" are
abbreviated to uppercase 'M' and 'G'.  In the SI system lower case 'm' is
actually "milli-", whereas the above scheme would redefine it to be "mega-" -- 
a significant change in meaning (a factor of 10 to the power 9).  The existing 
power of 10 abbreviations also already use four out of those six letters,
leaving just 'K' and 'g', so there aren't enough letters to go around to make
use of the case symmetry.

I used a similar scheme in early versions of FITSIZE, with 'k', 'M', and 'G'
for the powers of 10, and 'K', 'm', and 'g' for the powers of 2.  (I
rationalised re-using the SI 'm' abbreviation for the binary prefix by noting
that there's no such thing as a "millibyte".)  But as a command-line interface 
it was not very intuitive.  For one thing, it is case-sensitive, whereas
option and command line processing is generally case-insensitive.  For
another, it was always difficult to remember which case meant what, both when
reading a command line and when typing a new command.

Changing FITSIZE to follow the IEEE/IEC proposed standard resulted in two
immediate gains.  First, the processing can now be case-insensitive like all
other option processing.  It doesn't matter if someone mistypes the
abbreviation for "kilo-" as uppercase 'K' (a mistake that is unfortunately all 
too common).  Second, it is easier to distinguish when reading, and to
remember when typing, one set of abbreviations from the other.  Irrespective
of case, the one-letter abbreviations are the powers of 10 and the two-letter
abbreviations are the powers of 2.

  JdeBP 

--- FleetStreet 1.22 NR
 * Origin: JdeBP's point, using Squish <yuk!> (2:257/609.3)
114/441

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 00:33:06
  To: Eddy Thilleman                                    13-Sep-99 09:18:25
Subj: 2 Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Eddy Thilleman wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

JdBP>> Identification strings embedded into files that are maintained by an
JdBP>> SCCS utility.  

ET>> What is "SCCS" ?

RJT> "Source Code Control System"?  Probably the same thing I've seen
RJT> referred to elsewhere as a "Revision Control System" (RCS),  a good
RJT> thing to have when programming projects get fairly large and
RJT> complicated,  and especially when there's a group of programmers
RJT> rather than one individual.

 ET> O, you mean a Version Control System

Probably.

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 00:32:09
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 09:18:25
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 AR>> Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who can accept the
 AR>> full file in 1 piece.

 RJT> Let's give that a shot...

 RJT> Things have changed upstream of me,  so maybe it'll work.

 AR> I sent it to: roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com
 AR> which was my last known address for you.  Hope it makes its.

Yep,  it got here.  I was surprised to see four parts,  and then realized that 
it was _my gateway software_ (GIGO) that did it.  This is the version that's
okay to put in the public files section,  right?

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 00:31:03
  To: LEE ARONER                                        13-Sep-99 09:18:25
Subj: faxworks

LEE ARONER wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

RJT> Is there something special in terms of how I have to set this up?

 LA>    The readme explains how to setup the Courier for
 LA> Faxworks... 

I'll look into it...

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Adam Cameron                                      12-Sep-99 19:00:15
  To: David Noon                                        13-Sep-99 09:18:25
Subj: Re: win-os2 and AIM

 .x%X[Quoting David Noon from a message to Adam Cameron]X%x.

 DN> In a message dated 09-08-99, Adam Cameron said to All about "win-os2 
 DN> and AIM"

 DN> Hi Adam,

 AC> I have a Windows 3.1 version of AIM (AOL Instant Messagener). But, it
 AC> crashes all the time and completely locks up the system.

 AC> Warp 4 with FP9. Anything I can change to fix this?

 DN> When it crashes, press Alt+Esc [no, not Ctl+Esc] to get back to the 
 DN> WPS.

The crash causes the entire computer to lock up, mouse locks up, display locks 

up, everything.

+(cheba:cheba@bytespeed.com:icq4201056)+

---
 * Origin: +(absoluteZERO::telnet://cheba.darktech.org)+ (1:116/71)
2433/225

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Dave Davidson                                     12-Sep-99 16:12:08
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 09:18:25
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Hiya Andy,

12-Sep-99 10:48:31, Andy Roberts wrote to Roy J. Tellason
          Subject: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0
 AR> 11-Sep-99 21:28:33, Roy J. Tellason wrote to Andy Roberts
 RJT>> Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:
 AR> Subject: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 AR>>> Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who can accept
 AR>>> the full file in 1 piece.

 Wanna shoot it my way as well?

 Thanks..


 Have a GREAT one!

 Dave Davidson                        dad50@primary.net
                                      ICQ: 37076334


--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at : _Registered_ _User_ : since 03/93!
 * Origin: A.P.C. * Collinsville, IL * (618) 345-3663 * USR V90 (1:11/107)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Herbert Bushong                                   12-Sep-99 06:41:00
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: faxworks

::> RT> The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,  and
::> RT> works well to support the bbs here.

::> The only place I can remember that sort of thing in there had it set to 2.
::> I recall,  though I may double-check it to be sure...

Roy,

   I have a Courier, and FaxWorks works fine for me. Here are my Settings:

Modem Tab:
   BPS - 14400
   Speaker - Dial & Medium checked
   Line Type - Tone and DialTone checked

Modem Type Tab:
   Class 2.0  checked
   Use HW FIFO (16550A) checked  
   No BPS Stepdown Unchecked
   Special Command checked   
   special command box: +FCLASS=2.0

Port Tab:
   COM2 - Send/Receive

Double check that you have the special command above as it IS required for 
fax class 2.0 to work.  Hope that helps!

 Herbert Bushong    harchon@centuryinter.net       [TEAM OS/2]    
 Blackbeard's BBS   herb@intelec.com               Intelec: 239:600/0
 Fido: 1:19/19      http://www.intelec.com/software/

---
  RM 1.31 2508  Develop the skill of cutting people down to size.
 * Origin: Blackbeard's BBS - Ville Platte, LA - 318-468-3385 (1:19/19)
102

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Herbert Bushong                                   12-Sep-99 06:41:00
  To: Mark Ellis                                        13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: Objects

::> I'm sure i did this before but cant figure it out now...How do I make glob
::> setting changes (fonts, colors etc) to the desktop and every window all at
::> same time?

Hold the ALT key down while dragging a color or font from the color or font 
palette, or create a scheme, then drag the scheme to the desktop while holding 

the ALT key, and it will make the change to everything.

 Herbert Bushong    harchon@centuryinter.net       [TEAM OS/2]    
 Blackbeard's BBS   herb@intelec.com               Intelec: 239:600/0
 Fido: 1:19/19      http://www.intelec.com/software/

---
  RM 1.31 2508  Honeymoon: The time between 'I do' and 'You'd better!'
 * Origin: Blackbeard's BBS - Ville Platte, LA - 318-468-3385 (1:19/19)
102

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Herbert Bushong                                   12-Sep-99 06:41:00
  To: Adam Cameron                                      13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: win-os2 and AIM

::>  AC> I have a Windows 3.1 version of AIM (AOL Instant Messagener).
::>  AC> But, it crashes all the time and completely locks up the system.

::>  AC> Warp 4 with FP9. Anything I can change to fix this?

::> AOL did have a Java version of AIM available.  You might try getting
::> that.

As George said, they have a (now unsupported) Java version which I do use
without problems (I've used it with JRT's 1.1.6 through 1.1.8).  It can be
FREQ'd here, filename AIMJAVA.ZIP, by anyone who wants it. 

 Herbert Bushong    harchon@centuryinter.net       [TEAM OS/2]    
 Blackbeard's BBS   herb@intelec.com               Intelec: 239:600/0
 Fido: 1:19/19      http://www.intelec.com/software/

---
  RM 1.31 2508  Never feed your cat anything that clashes with the carpet!
 * Origin: Blackbeard's BBS - Ville Platte, LA - 318-468-3385 (1:19/19)
102

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 08:05:12
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: File Managers

Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS>> Which file manager handles more self-extracting archives?  Most
 JS>> file managers don't handle them at all, in fact most don't handle
 JS>> regular archives let alone self-extracting ones.

 PM>> In this day and age, I would reject _any_ file manager which
 PM>> doesn't handle archived files.

 JS> Me too.

 JS> OS2C claims to handle ZIP, ARJ and LHZ self-extracting archives,
 JS> and it does, perfectly.  Which other ones does FC/2 handle

 AR> --- Extract FC.INF --- 
 AR> File Commander/2 provides support for archive files (ZIP,
 AR> ARJ, LZH, RAR and ACE types are currently supported) that
 AR> makes these files behave in a similar way to normal
 AR> subdirectories.  

OS2C supports ALL archive file types, and does all the things you listed, but
it doesn't support ALL _self-extracting_ archive types, only ZIP (some
versions) arj, lhz and rar.

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)
140/1

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 08:17:25
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: File Managers

Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Bat Lang:

 AR> 09-Sep-99 01:13:12, Bat Lang wrote to Jack Stein
 -=>> Quoting Jack Stein to Paul Marwick, [07 Sep 99  07:45:37] <=-
 AR>           Subject: File Managers

 PM>> As to which handle self-extracting archives, FC/2 does a good job,

 AR> It's not too late to switch to FC/2. <gd&r>

Before I consider that, does FC/2 handle full REXX support in it's menu
command yet?  For example, can I assign the following to my F12 key in the
menu:
F12: Create WPS-Object
     /* Create Object */
     Call RxFuncAdd 'SysLoadFuncs', 'REXXUTIL', 'SysLoadFuncs'
     Call SysLoadFuncs
     Folder = '<WP_DESKTOP>'
     Type = 'WPProgram'
     Title = '[%F]'
     Parms = 
'MINWIN=DESKTOP;MAXIMIZED=YES;PROGTYPE=WP;EXENAME=[%P]\[%F];STARTUPDIR=[%P];;
OBJECTID=<OS2C_[%F]>;NOPRINT=YES;'
     Result = SysCreateObject( Type, Title, Folder, Parms, 'ReplaceIfExists' )

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)
140/1

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        12-Sep-99 08:35:23
  To: Steve Mccrystal                                   13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: Kib, Mib, gib: 1024^n ?

Steve Mccrystal wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS> I like k,m and g for the small ones, K,M, and G for the big
 JS> ones...

 JS> Whats so tough about that?

 SM> I normally just assume that when I'm talking to computer
 SM> literate folks, they'll understand what I ean by each of the
 SM> above, and those who aren't computer literate wouldn't
 SM> understand it even if I explained it to them. 

I agree 99%.  The only computer literate folks that don't do this are hard
drive manufacturers it seems.  Today, it doesn't really matter a lot, unless
you're trying to figure out exactly what your drive space is vs supposed to
be.

 SM> This whole thing sorta reminds me of the switch from BPS to
 SM> Symbols.  The entire world could do without it!

I dunno what BPS is, but I think I can safely agree with you:-)

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)
140/1

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bob Wright                                        12-Sep-99 15:03:27
  To: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 13:22:09
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Greetings, Andy...

 Andy Roberts hastily said to Roy J. Tellason:


 AR> This is the public version:
 AR> -+-
 AR> Os2Clu02.Rar  09-01-99  10:46   393,178
 AR> Os2Clu02.Zip  09-01-99  10:46   590,770

Is there some small difference in a text file or something?? The one I found
on Hobbes looked like this:
        Os2Clu02.Zip    99-09-02        589,012

I thought maybe I had an older/incomplete one, so I went and double-checked..


        -- Bob

--- GoldED 2.41
 * Origin: Merlin's Tower - Surrey, BC (1:153/944)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Steve McCrystal                                   12-Sep-99 08:06:01
  To: Stewart Honsberger                                13-Sep-99 16:18:11
Subj: OS/2 Sales

;
In a msg of <Tuesday September 07 1999>, Stewart Honsberger writes to All:
;
Stewart,

 SH> In addition, the server versions of OS/2, Warp Server and Warp
 SH> Server for e-business, have generated more than $30 million in
 SH> revenue over the last five quarters, with a large increase from
 SH> 4Q98-1Q99 as well.

At current pricing, that what... <2000 copies?

-[Steve]-

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1/#
 * Origin: -[Steve's Place]- New Berlin, WI (FidoNet 1:154/731.2)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Cyrill Vakhneyev                                  13-Sep-99 12:34:09
  To: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 16:18:11
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Hello Jack!

08 Sep 99 10:19, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote to Jack Stein:

    JFYI: Your clocks, both digital and analog, shows me time in China I think
:) TZ is set correctly.

Bye!
Cyrill                                [Team OS/2 CV004]

... Program call to load Windows- "Here_piggy_piggy_piggy"
---
 * Origin: I feel like Popeye!  (2:5053/7.1)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Holger Granholm                                   12-Sep-99 18:36:00
  To: Eddy Thilleman                                    13-Sep-99 16:18:11
Subj: help please?

In a message dated 09-10-99, Eddy Thilleman said to Dale A Cook:

Hi Eddy,

DAC> Could someone recommend is decent PCI video-accerator card (at
DAC> least 4 megs video memory or more) with high-res drivers for OS/2 ?

ET>Matrox G200 8 MB, in PCI- and AGP-version (AGP is recommended, the
ET>PCI-version should have no problem)

So, is it the G200 AGP card drivers/BIOS everybody has been discussing
here fore a while?

Have a nice day,

Holger

___
 * MR/2 2.26 * You're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.


--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
 * Origin: Coming to you from the Sunny Aland Islands. (2:20/228)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 11:42:16
  To: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: File Managers

Jack Stein wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 RJT> That's one of the reasons I'm getting into Linux here...   
 RJT> :-) 

 JS> I think thats a good move, but since IBM is buying into RedHat, 
 JS> I expect them to (try) and find a way to keep it from hurting 
 JS> MS, just as they insured OS/2 would not kill WIN.  This is pure 
 JS> paranoia I know, but it's _my_ paranoia, and based on 
 JS> substantial historical data.

They may just try,  but I don't think they'll succeed.

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 11:43:22
  To: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: File Managers

Jack Stein wrote in a message to Gord Hannah:

 JS> I still have the 400meg and 200 meg drives sitting here beside 
 JS> me, full of files, can't figure out what to do with them. 

Mail them to me,  I'll put them to good use!  :-)

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 11:45:13
  To: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: File Managers

paul marwick wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 pm>> For a small, freeware editor, this one is pretty good. Includes 
 pm>> multiple file editing, syntax highlighting, programable 
 pm>> keyboard. And its text mode and small enough to install on a 
 pm>> boot floppy (:-) I never did get along with Tedit terribly 
 pm>> well...)

 RJT> Hm,  I don't know that it'll work with my email,  but if you wanna
 RJT> give it a shot...?

 pm> Ok. Only, what's your email address? 

Whoops!  I'm at roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com.

 pm> And can you handle mime-encoded stuff? 

Sure.

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Stewart Honsberger                                13-Sep-99 11:14:09
  To: Lars Abrahamsson                                  13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: Z (Was: File Managers)

12 Sep 99 12:05, Lars Abrahamsson wrote to Eddy Thilleman:

 ET>> I don't know Z!, is that a MP3 player? I've only seen VIO-programs
 ET>> from Dink.

 LA> Z is a very nive VIO-MP3-player. Does anybody know if there will be 
 LA> any DOS or Win32 conversions in the future?

Not until someone ports mpg123.dll to those OSs.

Stewart Honsberger,
  blackdeath@tinys.oix.com

... A "lotus?"  I thought that was a Grasshopper.
-!- GOPGP/2 v1.23

--- Msged/2 TE 05
 * Origin: Blackdeath BBS - Private (1:229/604)
600

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Mark Ellis                                        13-Sep-99 12:06:10
  To: Peter Knapper                                     13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: Re: Objects

PK>  ME> What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as
object
ME> opposed to just making shadows or running with a program?
PK> 
PK> A Shadow of an Object is really a ALTERNATIVE REFERENCE to the original
obj
PK> it is not a COPY of the original. The prime advantage of this is that any 
PK> changes made to the Object using a SHADOW reference, makes changes to the 
PK> original Object itself. Its just a handy way of allowing the user to have 
PK> access to a resource from different places within their system, without
the
PK> need for the user to keep all those references in order, a SHADOW takes
car
PK> that for him automatically. A classic example of this is that the the Warp 

PK> Taskbar uses shadows for everything.

I'm not sure if this answers me or not since the way i phrased it may be 
unclear. I know when i make a shadow and then rename it, the original name
gets changed, I learned that the hardway :).  But if i create an object, can
i rename it (or create it) as any name i want?

here is likely what i should have asked....

In my zip shell program I use, I can open things in a file viewer or open
using object association.  so what is the difference between opening say a
text file with my text viewer (specified as an EXE) or creating my text file
viewer as an object? It seems to me an object is sort of like system wide, 
where as my text viewer will have to be specified in every program where i 
want to use it.

PK> You will probably receive a few different comments on this one. I use both 

PK> them here, the STARTUP Folder contains those items I ALWAYS want started,
a
PK> that dont have dependences with other items being started. 
PK> My STARTUP.CMD contains items that I want Started in a particular order,
an
PK> only when other items exist first! Examples of this include drive mappings 

PK> across the Network and functions that MUST be performed in strict sequence 

PK> system startup. I also have the option of stopping STARTUP.CMD at any
point
PK> I wish. 

I getcha. What is the format of the startup.cmd file? just plain text similar 
to a batch file?

PK> EG, on the BBS machine, the STARTUP Folder runs all the utilies that are
al
PK> loaded regardless. STARTUP.CMD cleans out my FLAGS directory (I use flags
t
PK> control various BBS backgrou tasks) and tidies up after any system
crashes.
PK> also checks that certain files exist before then staring each of the BBS
li

Any tips for running a dos bbs? thats pretty much all i will be doing on this 
machine....maybe i should ask you in the os2 bbs echo....

PK> Go to the System Setup Folder, Scheme Palette, and make your changes. Once 

PK> have the layout you want, then drag that layout to the desktop while
holdin
PK> down the ALT key. This makes the Pallette change system wide rather than
ju
PK> to the object it was dropped on.

so i can do this for fonts as well?

PK> Thats probably going to be a bit tight depending on what you wish to do
wit
PK> the system, however I would start by using HPFS partitions with no more
tha
PK> 512KB Cache, probably better off with 256KB. You system is going to do a
lo
PK> swapping with any decent sized applications running so too much cache may 
PK> actualyl slow it down. Start with 256 and then try 512 and see how that
aff
PK> it.

yes, I'm using only HPFS partitions. is this cache the line that starts:

IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:2048

or the one that is:

DISKCACHE=D,LW


PK> Dont run too many applications at the same time, try and close the ones
you
PK> dont need before opening up new ones. 

90% of the time it will be the bbs only as a single node. the other 10% will 
be the bbs and me locally at the same time


PK> If you have the chance, place your SWAPPATH on the MOST USED PARTITION, of 

PK> LEAST USED DRIVE! This helps to reduce the head movements and optimises
the
PK> swap file performance.

yes, I remembered this part. I have it on the only partition, on the second 
hard drive. Pretty much nothing will be on this drive except files for d/l'ing
from the bbs. Everything else will be on one of the 2 partitions on the first 
drive. this drive where the swap file is will be 500megs and i set the swap 
file at 16000 16000, so this means it will always leave 16megs free on the 
drive and will always start at 16megs in size, is that correct? I'll adjust
these once i get up and running to match what is actually going on.

thanx for the info

---
 * Origin: Electric Prayers - Guelph ON - 519-823-8392 (1:221/802)
600
1500

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 10:14:27
  To: paul marwick                                      13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: File Managers

 paul marwick,

13-Sep-99 00:21:32, paul marwick wrote to Jack Stein
 pm> Replying to a message of Jack Stein to Paul Marwick:
          Subject: File Managers

 JS>> Too bad, I would rather see self extracting apps banned,

Or at least not abused, as it is 99.99% of the time now.

 pm> There are a number of quite legitimate uses for self-extracting
 pm> archives. The only problem is that you need to be able to trust
 pm> the source. It should require little thought to see why companies
 pm> like IBM (who are only one of many who distribute things in
 pm> self-extracting archives) do so.

Humm.. I wish they were trust worthy.  But...

 pm> It means that they can distrubte code in a compreessed bundle _without_
 pm> having to worry about whether the end-user has the necessary extractor,
 pm> can obtain it if they don't already have it, or knows how to use it.

That part is totally wrong.  Especially for OEMs like Adaptec that has
employees who are so dumb that they use a WinXX self-extracting file to pack
native OS/2 drivers.

Thank god for Info-Zip UnZip, which works on some of those screwy EXE files.

Otherwise the abuse of use of the wrong archiver, not only does cause the very
problem you said they don't have to worry about, but could also cause the user
to have to buy and install another OS just to get at the files.

There is no size benefit and some size loss in using a self-extracting.

DOS and ZIP were very well established standards before self-extracting
archives existed.  So along came RAR and gained 3% on the average over ZIP.
But completely overlooked the platform incompatibility between WinXX and OS/2.
Then add in the self-extracting and you lose more than the 3% gained by RAR.
Forget the DOS standard and you lose compatibility.  Net result is APITA.
We would have been much better off to have stayed with ZIP which is still the
most commonly used standard on all PC platforms and makes a smaller archive
than the self-extracting incompatible crap we have to put up with now.

IMO self-extracting does have a very few valid uses.  And in a few cases RAR
can actually save more than 3%.  But all too often it causes more problems
than it solves.

And with the more common use of M$, this problem will get much worse before it
gets any better.  It isn't the dumb users that are the problem; it is the dumb
OEM employees who only know how to use M$ and don't know when NOT to use M$.

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
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From: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 11:52:02
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 Roy J. Tellason,

13-Sep-99 00:32:18, Roy J. Tellason wrote to Andy Roberts
 RJT> Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:
          Subject: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 AR>>> Also I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail to anyone who can accept
 AR>>> the full file in 1 piece.

 RJT>> Let's give that a shot...

 RJT>> Things have changed upstream of me, so maybe it'll work.

 AR>> I sent it to: roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com which was my
 AR>> last known address for you.  Hope it makes its.

 RJT> Yep, it got here.  I was surprised to see four parts,  and then
 RJT> realized that it was _my gateway software_ (GIGO) that did it.
 RJT> This is the version that's okay to put in the public files
 RJT> section, right

Yes

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
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From: Gord Hannah                                       13-Sep-99 06:31:02
  To: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: File Managers

Hi Jack, hope you are having a nice day! :-)

11-Sep-99 09:10:59, Jack Stein wrote to Gord Hannah
          Subject: File Managers

 JS> WIN crap, is I always state immediatly that "I don't know
 JS> nothing about WIN" Saves me a ton of aggravation.

I can't use that excuse, I personally use OS/2 my wife uses Win95, so
does  my Dad, and I am expected to keep their machines running as they
want to.  Dad never learns he has 3 machines with Win95, he asked me
one time why I never used Windows, I replies: "I wont use inferior
Software, or Operating Systems.."

BTW my Dad's machines are over 500 miles away.  Talk about hard to do
sometimes.  And I can't even use PM2You to fix his wrecks.

 GH>> Seagate and am trying it out, I prefer Quantum but not any
 GH>> available in my area when I needed it.

 JS> I've had Western Digital drives  on this thing since day one,

I had one WD a 40mb with my OLD Tandy it burned up on me with a Mobo,
Tandy's screw up.

 JS> replaced 2 of them with a used Quantum and a used Seagate. All 3

My 730 Quantum was taken out last crash too. Lost 2 HD's in one night,
:-((

 JS> are running fine.  A 5 gig WD, a 2.1 Seagate, and an 875 meg

3.24 Seagate now here Fujitsu replaced the 3.24 with a 4.3G.  Have not
even put an os on it yet..

 JS> ago. My PC hasn't been shut off since 1991 other than
 JS> maintenance either.  I might add I never lost even one file
 JS> under OS/2 in all this time. I still have the 400meg and 200 meg

I had the same success with DOS, my old system.

 JS> drives sitting here beside me, full of files, can't figure out
 JS> what to do with them

If they are oldies, keepem fer posterity, I have over 1500 old
programs on 5 1/4 sitting on a rack behind me.

Hope this helps.  Keep us posted.

We are a fine board trying to make it better.

http://www.pris.bc.ca/ghannah
ghannah@pris.bc.ca
Cheers!
Gord Hannah 
-=Team OS/2=-

--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at Test and Support Site
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From: MIKE RUSKAI                                       12-Sep-99 19:04:00
  To: MARK ELLIS                                        13-Sep-99 19:23:06
Subj: Objects

Some senseless babbling from Mark Ellis to All
on 09-11-99  19:53 about Objects...

 ME> I havent used os/2 for a while and need my memory refreshed on a few
 ME> things.

 ME> What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as
 ME> objects as opposed to just making shadows or running with a program?

For one thing, you can give it any title you want, without renaming the 
executable (which can break a few programs, which use their executable's 
name for data files, particular INI files).  Also, you can create multiple 
program objects for the same program, with different parameters, or (for 
DOS sessions) with different settings.  

 ME> What is the use of the start.cmd as opposed to putting things in the
 ME> startup  folder?

start.cmd runs at the same time as the WPS starts up.  The startup folder 
runs after.  For many programs, it doesn't matter which you use.  There can 
be reasons to use one over the other, however.

 ME> I'm sure i did this before but cant figure it out now...How do I make
 ME> global  setting changes (fonts, colors etc) to the desktop and every
 ME> window all at the same time?

OS/2 System -> System Setup -> Scheme Palette

Edit a scheme, then drag it to the desktop while holding ALT.  That will 
change everything except programs which intercept and ignore color changes.

 ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs of ram
 ME> would  be appreciated.

More RAM, period.  I ran Warp 4 on just that configuration machine for a 
while, a couple years ago.  I've since then also run it on a Pentium/200 
with 128MB of memory, and currently on a Pentium II/233 with 192MB of 
memory.

Memory is the most important thing, by far (just going from 20MB to 32MB 
made a big difference on the 486).  

Mike Ruskai
thannymeister@yahoo.com


... And the sound we make together is the music to the story in your eyes.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v3.0pr2
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From: Murray Lesser                                     13-Sep-99 20:19:00
  To: George White                                      13-Sep-99 20:19:00
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Comm

(Excerpts from a message dated 09-05-99, George White to Jonathan De
Boyne Pollar)

Hi George--

JDBP>  Ironically, this ability in the TOUCH and XDIR 
JDBP> commands has revealed two
JDBP>  Year 2100 bugs in OS/2's own FAT and HPFS filesystem drivers!

GW>I thought we'd found those long ago... I remember discussions of the
  >date range supported by REXX and the OS/2 API long ago and that dates
  >beyond 31/12/2099 were not handled correctly. I might even have it
  >archived somewhere...

    I've never used Jonathan's set of programs because (among other
reasons) I have a philosophical difference with him as to the time zone
my system clock is to be set at :-).  (Also, I prefer to live with the
idiosyncrasies of the utilities I write myself, rather than trying to
adapt to those written by someone else!)  IIRC, the OS/2
date-manipulation functions don't know that 2100 is not a leap year.
This really doesn't matter much, since the OS/2 system clock end-of-time
is midnight 31 December 2079; the end-of-time for all file directories
compatible with the DOS convention (including both FAT and HPFS OS/2
files) is 31 December 2107 ("years since 1980" is carried as a seven-bit
variable; see the definition of FDATE).  Thus, the fact that OS/2
doesn't know that 2100 is not a leap year isn't important to most of us:
the "system" can't write a file with a date after 2079 unless aided by
an expanded "touch" utility.  AFAIK, programmers are the only ones who
use a "touch" utility, and programmers are supposed to know enough to
test their assumptions as to how the system operates under unusual
circumstances before they write their programs.

    As I understand it, Jonathan's original TOUCH utility used the
"system" to correct the user-provided file date (if invalid) to what the
system thinks the next valid date might be, so the fact that the system
thinks 2100 is a leap year could have a deleterious effect if you are
counting on that program to do your thinking for you that far in
advance!  (I gather, from his announcement, that this has been corrected
in his latest edition.)  Since I never liked living with decisions the
system makes for me that I should have made for myself, my TOUCHIT
utility (written in 1994 in REXX plus an "external function" DLL)
includes my programmed checks for the validity of all input dates and
times and rejects invalid ones, so I have to re-enter them.  Since I
wrote the date and time checks, rather than depending on those provided
by the system, I never knew, nor cared, that some OS/2 programmer made
the assumption that it didn't matter whether or not OS/2 knew that 2100
was not a leap year.

    Pardon the late response, but I have been (literally) at sea for the
past week, so haven't had an internet connection :-(.

    Regards,

        --Murray
<Team PL/I>
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #120 * An assumption is simply a bug waiting to bite  (David
Noon)

--- Maximus/2 2.02
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Stewart Honsberger                                13-Sep-99 18:11:09
  To: Gord Hannah                                       14-Sep-99 00:17:15
Subj: File Managers

13 Sep 99 06:31, Gord Hannah wrote to Jack Stein:

 GH> I can't use that excuse, I personally use OS/2 my wife uses Win95, so
 GH> does  my Dad, and I am expected to keep their machines running as 
 GH> they want to.

I'm in the same boat. My parents use Win'95, and occasionally I'll have
to go over there to fix their system or install software. I also help
out at a friend's computer business every now and again, and of course,
9/10 systems (or more) that come in are Doze based. I've re-installed
all flavours of Doze several dozen times.

I finally threw a FAT partition on my machine for Win'98 (a friend of
mine wanted me to play a game with her that seems to only work under
Doze..) so I do deal with it. Installed it 4 times before it was stable.
{sigh}

I'm just glad I've got OS/2 and Linux to boot back to when I'm done
banging my head on the desk. I love Doze's security - when a browser
locks up running Java, the whole OS goes down. What a great feature!

Stewart Honsberger,
  blackdeath@tinys.oix.com

... Against stupidity, the very gods contend in vain
-!- GOPGP/2 v1.23

--- Msged/2 TE 05
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From: Darren Hamilton                                   13-Sep-99 19:56:00
  To: Jonathan de Boyne Pollar                          14-Sep-99 00:57:25
Subj: Os2clu02 & Utc

Hello Jonathan;

Here is the section of your INF documentation file that is relevant to
my problem:

<Begin quote>
 
Commands such as DIGCLOCK, SAYDATE, and TOUCH obtain the current date
and time from the OS/2 kernel using  its DosQuerySysInfo API function,
which yields a number giving the number of seconds since the start of
the year 1970.  This is a 64-bit number that can potentially last up to
the year 584 thousand million.  (The OS/2 kernel has no Year 2038
problem in this area.) 

The OS/2 kernel requires that the PC hardware real-time clock (RTC) be
set to Universal Time (UTC) for this to operate correctly.  The
hardware RTC must not be set to local time, and daylight savings time
changes must not be applied to it. 

Note:  Many OS/2 users set the hardware RTC to local time, and the
OS/2 kernel calculates UTC time incorrectly as a result.  Many OS/2
programs read the RTC directly and assume that it runs in local time
with daylight savings changes applied, rather than calling
DosQuerySysInfo for the time as they should.  (Such programs are
generally poor, however, since they also all too often ignore timezones
and the TZ environment variable as well.  All too often this is a
result of programmers thinking that they are still writing DOS
programs.)  But the correct configuration for OS/2, nonetheless, is for
the hardware RTC to run in UTC, the same as for PC UNIX, and linux,
systems. 

<text edited>

All commands will calculate the local time from the UTC time by
applying the timezone offsets and daylight savings time rules supplied
in the TZ environment variable.   

<End quote>

I set my RTC to UTC time.

I set my TZ as: SET TZ=PST8PDT7,M10.5,M4.1

Your utilities work flawlessly. All time queries report the correct
local time.

BUT:

Every other software on this system reports or displays UTC time as
the "local" time. This includes OS/2 Warp v3.0 (FP 40) time and date
functions, Filestar/2, KWQ Mail/2, ZOC/Pro v3.13, etc.

I find it hard to believe that *every* programmer is querying the RTC
rather than using the DosQuerySysInfo API function.

Is there something I have missed?

Regards,

Darren

Internet e-mail: darrenah@interchange.ubc.ca

 * KWQ/2 1.2i * AMD Athlon: Proof that Intel isn't working hard enough.

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From: Rob Basler                                        13-Sep-99 11:46:00
  To: Lee Aroner                                        14-Sep-99 00:57:25
Subj: Solution Developer Prgm

LA>LA>RB> Look into IBM's solution developer program, it allows free access to
LA>LA>  > pretty much everything on all the Devcon CD's including OS/2 Warp
LA>LA>  > Server for e-Business.

LA>   I have a guest membership already, but it don't seem to get you
LA>   much. Maybe they've changed what you can access since my last
LA>   visit...I'll give it a looksee tomorrow.

You're confusing the Developer Connection with the Solution Developer
Program, they are two different things.  The first is where you can get
a guest membership, and you're right you don't get much.  The second is
a developer program that gives you full access to the devcon website at
the advanced level when you sign up, and signing up is free.
Although they have recently changed the program's name, I'm pretty
sure it is still free.  Look for it at www.developer.ibm.com

Rob.
___
 X SLMR 2.1a X We've replaced the Dilithium with new Folgers Crystals!

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From: Rob Basler                                        13-Sep-99 11:48:01
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   14-Sep-99 00:57:25
Subj: faxworks

RJT>I happened to have installed the faxworks stuff from the
RJT>bonus pack on to this machine way back when,  and didn't do
RJT>anything with it for quite some time...

RJT>Today I tried to use it,  and the package kept on
RJT>complaining about not getting the proper responses from the
RJT>modem,  and I wasn't able to fax anything out.

RJT>The modem isn't anything terribly unusual,  it's a Courier,
RJT> and works well to support the bbs here.

RJT>Is there something special in terms of how I have to set this up?

Have a look at www.kellergroup.com (might be keller-group.com) there is
an extensive readme file in their support section that lists settings
for a ton of modems.

Rob.
___
 X SLMR 2.1a X Windws is ine for bckgroun comunicaions

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From: Rob Basler                                        13-Sep-99 11:51:02
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   14-Sep-99 00:57:25
Subj: faxworks

RJT>Hm,  I *do* have this Maxtech 56k here which is supposed to
RJT>be a voice modem (there are mike and speaker jacks in the
RJT>back),  I wonder if that would work? I don't have the
RJT>software that was supposed to come with it,  so I have no
RJT>idea what it's capable of.  I'll have to try this.

Might work, Rockwell chipset modems work better than the US Robotics
ones, but give it a try.  I use PMFax (Faxworks) to do fax on demand,
take messages, and split billing for calls for my business.  It runs
24x7.

Rob.
___
 X SLMR 2.1a X Ratings: G:Guns/PG-Plenty of guns/PG-13:more than 12 guns

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From: Rob Basler                                        13-Sep-99 11:54:03
  To: Nick Andre                                        14-Sep-99 00:57:25
Subj: MP3 setup

NA>Does anyone know any freeware/open source MP3 recorders for OS/2 I could
FRE

NA>My current setup is an SBPro, OS/2 Warp 3 redspine (no fixpacks), 32mb ram,
NA>and stereo/mixer equipment hooked up to the SB's "Line in" port. I *need*
NA>software that will record from the Line In jack and encode direct to MP3.

NA>I prefer ones that do not use MMOS2, but I'm willing to try anything. :)

I have only heard of one program that will do MP3 encoding for
OS/2. I believe it is a standalone program that has been ported from
UNIX. Sorry I don't know more about it.  I doubt it will record from
line-in, more likely it converts prerecorded WAV files.

Rob.
___
 X SLMR 2.1a X WinError020: Error recording error codes. Errors lost.

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From: Will Honea                                        14-Sep-99 01:05:00
  To: Mark Ellis                                        14-Sep-99 01:05:00
Subj: Objects

Peter Knapper wrote to Mark Ellis on 09-13-1999

PK> Thats probably going to be a bit tight depending on what you wish
PK> to do with  the system, however I would start by using HPFS
PK> partitions  with no more than 512KB Cache, probably better off with 
PK> 256KB. You system is going to do a lot of swapping with any  decent
PK> sized applications running so too much cache may  actualyl slow it
PK> down. Start with 256 and then try 512 and  see how that affects it. 

If I can butt in, there's one sneaky thing about cache sizes.  You
(may) have 2 separate caches: HPFS and FAT.  The cache size for HPFS is
right out front and obvious but the FAT cache size is set by the
installer to a default size that is (for memory over 8 meg) 10% of the
total memory up to a max of 4 meg.  In your case, that comes to 2 meg. 
If you use mostly HPFS - as Peter recommends - that's way too much very
precious RAM.  Edit the DISKCACHE line in config.sys at the earliest
opportunity and specify a small number.  I find that 128(k) is fine no
more than I use FAT, but you'll have to tune for your system.

Will Honea <whonea@codenet.net>
--- Maximus/2 2.02
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 22:32:10
  To: Jack Stein                                        14-Sep-99 11:39:26
Subj: File Managers

 Jack Stein,

12-Sep-99 08:17:50, Jack Stein wrote to Andy Roberts
 JS> Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Bat Lang:
 AR>> 09-Sep-99 01:13:12, Bat Lang wrote to Jack Stein
 -=>>> Quoting Jack Stein to Paul Marwick, [07 Sep 99  07:45:37] <=-
 AR>>           Subject: File Managers

 PM>>> As to which handle self-extracting archives, FC/2 does a good job,

 AR>> It's not too late to switch to FC/2. <gd&r>

 JS> Before I consider that, does FC/2 handle full REXX support in it's menu
 JS> command yet?

That sounds like a useless feature to me, but I don't know.

 JS> For example, can I assign the following to my F12 key in the menu

 JS> F12: Create WPS-Object
 JS>      /* Create Object */
 JS>      Call RxFuncAdd 'SysLoadFuncs', 'REXXUTIL', 'SysLoadFuncs'
 JS>      Call SysLoadFuncs
 JS>      Folder = '<WP_DESKTOP>'
 JS>      Type = 'WPProgram'
 JS>      Title = '[%F]'
 JS>      Parms = 
 JS> 
 JS> 'MINWIN=DESKTOP;MAXIMIZED=YES;PROGTYPE=WP;EXENAME=[%P]\[%F];STARTUPDIR=
 JS> [%P];;
 JS> OBJECTID=<OS2C_[%F]>;NOPRINT=YES;'
 JS>      Result = SysCreateObject( Type, Title, Folder, Parms, 
 JS> 'ReplaceIfExists' )

Why clutter up a simple menu with all that stuff.  Instead just stick it all
in a *.CMD file where it belongs and then use the FC/2 function key to run the
*.CMD file.

Oh wait a moment, I see what you are trying to do.  You want it to Create a
DeskTop Object of some highlighted file.  Yes that is already hard coded into
FC/2 Alt-F6.

Sheesh.. You mean you have to put all that stuff in a menu.  You've been
working too hard.  You better get FC/2 quick. <gd&r>(again)

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
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From: Andy Roberts                                      13-Sep-99 22:48:28
  To: Bob Wright                                        14-Sep-99 11:39:26
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 Bob Wright,

12-Sep-99 15:03:54, Bob Wright wrote to Andy Roberts
 BW> Andy Roberts hastily said to Roy J. Tellason:
          Subject: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 AR> This is the public version:
 AR> -+-
 AR> Os2Clu02.Rar  09-01-99  10:46 393,178
 AR> Os2Clu02.Zip  09-01-99  10:46 590,770

 BW> Is there some small difference in a text file or something??

Probably the difference in the size of the ZIP comment required by the IFDC to
Hatch it in the file distribution networks.  The above size is what I got from
FWUTILS file echo.  Some SysOps change the ZIP comment, which does not effect
the contents of the archive at all.

 BW> The one I found on Hobbes looked like this
 BW> Os2Clu02.Zip  99-09-02 589,012

That probably got date touched somewhere.  You can reset that with Info-Zip or
PKZDATE3.ZIP.

 BW> I thought maybe I had an older/incomplete one, so I went and
 BW> double-checked..

I think you probably have a good version.  But you can verify the contents
with the Manifest.

     Thanks and Good Luck,        Andy Roberts
                                  andy@shentel.net
--- Terminate 5.00/Pro*at 
 * Origin: OS/2: penthouse. DOS: poorhouse. Windows: outhouse. (1:109/921.1)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: LEE ARONER                                        12-Sep-99 22:21:00
  To: ANDY ROBERTS                                      14-Sep-99 11:39:26
Subj: File Managers

 LE> Where do you get that key for INSPECTA? (and, I assume, INSPECTP?)

AR> ===
  > I110-Key.Zip                    08-02-97          37,314
  >     Free key for InspectA INSP110D.ZIP INSPECTP.ZIP File manager

AR> Available for FREQ or I'll gladly File Attach to E-Mail.


   How bout a copy to:  leea@psynet.net

   Thanks Andy!

                                     LRA


 -- SPEED 2.01 #2720: ... I'm fascinated by the way memory diffuses fact.
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0
 * Origin: Memory Alpha - (253) 859-6200 (1:343/311)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 08:04:13
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  14-Sep-99 11:39:26
Subj: A BIG sort...

Leonard Erickson wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 -=> Quoting Jack Stein to Peter Knapper <=-

 JS> The only annoying thing I found was that IBM and MS would foist such a
 JS> lame, incompetant SORT utility on the public.  I'd be ashamed to have
 JS> something that limited associated with my name, let alone a giant
 JS> computer mega-company.  In fact, a brief look at command.com and
 JS> cmd.exe, compared to 4DOS, 4OS/2 and Unix shells clearly shows that
 JS> IBM and MS have had their collective heads deeply placed where the sun
 JS> don't shine for what, 15-20 years now?   

 LE> Actually, MS *tried* to cut a deal to let them include 4dos
 LE> as the command processor with DOS (back around DOS 5.0). But
 LE> they tried to offer JPSoft the same deal they offered
 LE> Central Point Software. "Let us include your program without
 LE> us paying you any royalties, and we'll leave your copyright
 LE> notice in there."

You would think wonderful companies like MS and IBM could write their own?
You would think wonderful companies like MS and IBM would spend a few of the
BILLIONS they rip from the public on a decent shell.  IBM for example paid $3
BILLION for LOTUS, a DEAD company.  I'm certain I could have bought Rex Cons
soul for a little less than that...

 LE> JPSoft told them what they could do with the offer. CP said
 LE> "Sure!" and let MS include a less than current version of
 LE> some of the stuff in PCTools. 

 LE> You'll notice which company is still around. :-)

Yeah, the one that IBM spoon fed.

 LE> JPSoft *did* make a counter offer of sorts. It was along the
 LE> lines of "Why don't we sit down and negotiate a royalty. We
 LE> aren't greedy, but we want *something* per copy." MS wasn't
 LE> interested. 

No, MS is greedy, not JPSoft.  IBM is greedy, not JPSoft.  The public gives
them all their money, and get little in return.  Thats why I say giant cartels 
like IBM, MS, INTEL and ZIFF-DAVIS are bad business for the public.  Thats why 
anti-trust laws were invented.  Too bad our government is too corrupt to do
anything about it for us.

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)
140/1

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        13-Sep-99 08:23:29
  To: Paul Marwick                                      14-Sep-99 11:39:26
Subj: File Managers

Paul Marwick wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 PM> Replying to a message of Jack Stein to Paul Marwick:

 JS> I reckon thats a point for OS2 Commander, considering it *does* manage
 JS> files and their FILES.BBS entries on all but filenames over 13
 JS> characters, and no other file manager even does that, including FC/2.

 PM> Not true, I'm afraid. InspectA handles FILES.BBS entries,
 PM> and will add such entries to files with long names...

I thought InspectA did not handle long filenames at all, nor large partitions? 
At least that's what Roy was saying a while back, and he uses InspectA,
although IIRC it is the DOS version he uses.

 >>> and FILES.BBS entries, failure to read most self-extracting 
 >>> archives, 

 JS> It reads ZIP, LHZ and ARJ self-extractors, just as it says in the
 JS> docs.   That covers ALL the self-extractors I have here other than
 JS> those that are archieved compression programs themselves, and I
 JS> generally convert them to ZIP format anyway, as EVERYONE that uses
 JS> archives should have zip archive capability.  

 PM> If it did acctually do as advertised (ie, read ZIP, LZH and
 PM> ARJ self-extractors) I wouldn't have much to complain about.
 PM> However, in my experience, it handles only around 50% of
 PM> such files. A poor record, given its claims. 

I'll concede that point since it doesn't work on all the different brands of
zip archivers.  Stating it doesn't work on 50% of the files is only because
50% of your files use a ZIP archiver that is not supported.  I'm not sure
which it supports, PKZIP I know it supports, if not the newer PKZIP/2.

 PM> FC/2 works _much_ better in this area. Not to mention having the
 PM> ability to read RAR slef-extractors as well.

OS2C works on all the RAR self-extracters I have here, RAR206P.EXE
RAR250P.EXE

 JS> Too bad, I would rather see self extracting apps banned, completely
 JS> removed from the archive capabilities of all compression programs,
 JS> used only in the distribution of the archiver itself.  IBM is just
 JS> one of dumb ass developers that is so stupid, it archives an archive
 JS> in a self-extracting archive.  Sometimes I think the entire computing
 JS> world is controlled air-heads.  The internet sure highlights the sad
 JS> state of computing.

 PM> There are a number of quite legitimate uses for
 PM> self-extracting archives. 

Name one legitimate use for placing a zip file inside a self-extracting zip
file?  I've seen them on IBM's sites.  

 PM> The only problem is that you need to be able to trust the 
 PM> source. 

Something no one should do unless they are the source.

 PM> It should require little thought to see why companies like IBM 
 PM> (who are only one of many who distribute things in 
 PM> self-extracting archives) do so. It means that they can 
 PM> distrubte code in a compreessed bundle _without_ having to 
 PM> worry about whether the end-user has the necessary extractor, 
 PM> can obtain it if they don't alredy have it, or knows how to use 
 PM> it. 

Yeah, but that is weak.  People have to get all sorts of programs and install
them themselves, no reason at all they couldn't do the same with an archive
program.

 PM> :( Well, I certainly intend to register only programs which
 PM> I have some hope of seeing continue under develpment. I'm
 PM> tired of spending money (and effort) on software only to
 PM> find that ithas ben abandoned by the author. 

What I don't like most is paying for an app, then having it upgraded shortly
after so you must up-grade again.  I think 90% of my software has been
abandoned by the authors, including OS/2 itself.

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR 56k Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171)
140/1

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    13-Sep-99 12:45:28
  To: Kees Wiegel                                       14-Sep-99 15:31:09
Subj: getting files from internet

Hallo Kees,

Op 11-09-99 15:46 schreef je aan Eddy Thilleman:

KW> Look for AutoGet/2; it will save you a lot of work!! ;-))

KW> If you wish I can put it on hold for you.

I can get it from my fido boss. :)

  Groeten   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

---
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Lee Lawson                                        14-Sep-99 07:45:22
  To: John Hicks                                        14-Sep-99 20:30:17
Subj: Compaq + OS2

Hello John!

Tuesday August 24 1999 16:22, John Hicks wrote to All:

 JH> Hi, Can someone tell me how to install os/2 warp 3 onto a compaq
 JH> presario 4506 with a phoenix bios? Can it be done?

FWIW,
I am currently running running Warp 4 on a Compaq 4508.  No problems.

Take care,

Lee

... Welcome to the BATF, here's your ski mask.
--- GoldED/386 v3.00.Beta5+16LM3
 * Origin: The Politically Incorrect - Houston, TX  (1:106/1010)
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Leonard Erickson                                  14-Sep-99 03:10:01
  To: paul marwick                                      14-Sep-99 20:30:17
Subj: InspectA

 -=> Quoting paul marwick to Leonard Erickson <=-

 pm> Hi Leonard

 pm> Replying to a message of Leonard Erickson to paul marwick:
 
 pm>> From memory, a wide range of custom libraries were used, so I
 pm>> suspect that the source without them would be of limited value. 
 
 LE> Well, at least one of them needs to be replaced anyway. The one for
 LE> "spawning" a new session under DOS (Alt-Z). Running under some
 LE> software (Netware Lite or Personal Netware SERVER.EXEs) it wouldn't
 LE> swap INSPECTA out, so you'd have 300k of RAM taken up, making it hard
 LE> to run a lot of things when you "shelled out" to DOS.

 pm> Interesting. I must admit that I haven't used the DOS version of
 pm> InspectA for years. Didn't know about that problem... 
 pm> regards, paul

I only stumbled across it by accident. That's the only environment I've
encountered the problem in. "peer-to-peer" *clients* don't have the
problem, only the servers. Weird.


--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Shadowshack (1:105/51)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Leonard Erickson                                  14-Sep-99 03:53:03
  To: Christer Jacobsson                                14-Sep-99 20:30:17
Subj: Netscape Communicator

 CJ> A last-ditch prayer: Can *someone* outside US show me ECACTLY what a
 CJ> VALID international telephone number & an international accepted ZIP
 CJ> code should be constructed so that non-US telephone customer can
 CJ> access the download sites?

I can help some on the phone number. International format for phone
numbers is:

<+><country code><space><area code or city code><space><local number>

So, for me, being in the US (country code 1), Oregon (area code 503),
with a local number of 287-1003:

+1 503 287 1003

The only allowed seperator is a space. The "+" indicates "place
international access code here". That's the prefix you have to dial to
tell your phone exchange that what follows is an international number.

I've got a list of country codes if you don't know what yours is.

The US/Canada are sort of tricky in that they use a leading "1"
internally on long distance calls. The trick is that this is an "access
vode" and it's a *coincidence* that it's the same as the country code.

The other problem is that many countries have one or moore digits that
have to be dialed before the areacode/citycode when dialing from
*inside* the country. to find out about that if you are in such a
country, you need to ask the telephone people *there*.


As for zip codes, there *isn't* an "international" format. What you
have to do is make sure that your *country* is listed as the *last*
item in the address block. The "zip code" goes *before that *usually on
the previous line along with the city and state/province/region.

Joe User
17 Roue Morgue
Paris, ??? ?????
France


--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Shadowshack (1:105/51)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   14-Sep-99 17:10:15
  To: Rob Basler                                        14-Sep-99 20:30:17
Subj: faxworks

Rob Basler wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 RB> Have a look at www.kellergroup.com (might be keller-group.com) 
 RB> there is an extensive readme file in their support section that 
 RB> lists settings for a ton of modems.

I haven't got web access at this point in time,  just email...

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Herbert Rosenau                                   13-Sep-99 23:15:11
  To: Mark Ellis                                        14-Sep-99 20:30:17
Subj: Objects

 ME> What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as
 ME> objects as opposed to just making shadows or running with a
 ME> program?

Eh, this is a little complex. Let us show what kind of objects we mean:

shadow is a pointer to its parent. Anythig done with it is really done with
its parent (except location and deletion).

For executeable we have to differ:

a) program file object is the binary data itself. It my be directly started
but any change is made directly on that file (blubber.exe). E.g.: changing the 
name changes the file name on disk of the binary.

b) program object is an abstraction of an executeabele object but has NO file. 
Any change made is don only on this program object but not on the file it is
pointing to. E.g.: Changing the name changes the anme of the program object
the binary file it points to is NOT changed.

To have a program elsewhere on your desktop or in different folder (with or
without differen setting) creat program objects from your program file object
but don't never use shadows from Program file objects.

The most significant visible difference between program and program file
objects is: in settins notebook only program file objects have a page named
file.

Using shadows for data objects is a good idea to have the objects anyway
present you search for. Using shadows for program file objects is not only
ugly it my be risky (change it and your program file is changed! Use program
objects - you can handle them without any risk (move, delete, copy, rename).
Your program file is never touched.

The best way to encapsulate your program files (the binaries/command files)
from your handling is to make program objects of them (you my assign different 
settings to different program objects again without attaching the file on
disk).

 ME> What is the use of the start.cmd as opposed to putting things in
 ME> the startup folder?

The startup.cmd is started while the desktop (WPS) is NOT reday. So no access
to WPS objects is possible.

The startup folder is a special folder class on WPS. It can handle any kind of 
other WPS classes. It will open all objects it contains.

You should only put shadows of your eal objects (folders, program (file)
objects, files (to indirectly oben theiyr associated program (defaultview).
Because the WPS does not directly differ between a view to an object and
starting a program. You can only OPEN vies (a special form of a view is to run 
the program the object points to/visualises it.

 ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs
 ME> of ram would be appreciated.

- Dont use the WARP Center (disable it in your config sys)
  remove WARPCENTER from AUTOSTART (The WARP Center eats a lot of memory)
  insert LAUNCHPAD instead (less memory intensive)
- disable voice type (deinstall if installed) (it's a true memory monster even 
you don't use your microphone.)

Then if you don't like the WPS change
RUNWORKPLACE to x:\os2\cmd.exe

But the most practicabe way is: inser more RAM (a total of 32 MB is
recommendet, a total of 64MB is sufficient)

If you have more than 1 physical disk drive
set swappath to that physical drive with at least lowest usage and there on
the MOST used logical drive. This will increase the swapping performance
significally.

If you don't use any DOS or Windows programs set
PRTECTONLY=YES

--- Sqed/32 1.14/development
 * Origin: Schont die Umwelt: Vermeidet DOSen (2:2476/493)
280/801

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   14-Sep-99 19:52:04
  To: Jack Stein                                        15-Sep-99 00:48:05
Subj: File Managers

Jack Stein wrote in a message to Paul Marwick:

 JS> I thought InspectA did not handle long filenames at all, nor 
 JS> large partitions? At least that's what Roy was saying a while 
 JS> back, and he uses InspectA, although IIRC it is the DOS version 
 JS> he uses.

Actually I have both versions running here.  And yes,  even the OS/2 version
is a little rough when it comes to long filenames,  it doesn't display the
whole name.  And it barfs on bigger than 2G partitions,  as well.

What a shame,  really.

--- 
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Mark Ellis                                        14-Sep-99 07:47:12
  To: Herbert Bushong                                   15-Sep-99 00:48:05
Subj: Re: Objects

HB> Hold the ALT key down while dragging a color or font from the color or
font
HB> palette, or create a scheme, then drag the scheme to the desktop while
hold
HB> the ALT key, and it will make the change to everything.

okay, i got this. whenever i do it though i have to re-do the icon and shadow 
text colors on the desktop to get them back where i had them. I guess i better
look around in there a bit more.

---
 * Origin: Electric Prayers - Guelph ON - 519-823-8392 (1:221/802)
600
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Mark Ellis                                        14-Sep-99 07:54:07
  To: Mike Ruskai                                       15-Sep-99 00:48:05
Subj: Re: Objects

MR> name for data files, particular INI files).  Also, you can create multiple 

MR> program objects for the same program, with different parameters, or (for 
MR> DOS sessions) with different settings.  

ah, okay, this is good. so a simple  example would be a file viewer that i 
want to always view a certain file, i can just make an object of the file
viewer and have it load the file I want?

MR>  ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs of
ram
MR>  ME> would  be appreciated.
MR> 
MR> More RAM, period.  I ran Warp 4 on just that configuration machine for a 
MR> while, a couple years ago.  I've since then also run it on a Pentium/200 
MR> with 128MB of memory, and currently on a Pentium II/233 with 192MB of 
MR> memory.
MR> 
MR> Memory is the most important thing, by far (just going from 20MB to 32MB 
MR> made a big difference on the 486).  

I figured this would be one of the main factors. I'm hoping I can get up to 32
megs without spending money :) As it is, this system was just made from extra
parts and I cant justify spending money when I already have 2 other pentiums
running here.

---
 * Origin: Electric Prayers - Guelph ON - 519-823-8392 (1:221/802)
600
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Murray Lesser                                     14-Sep-99 11:59:00
  To: Leonard Erickson                                  14-Sep-99 11:59:00
Subj: Character sets

(Excerpts from a message dated 09-11-99, Leonard Erickson to George
White)

Hi Leonard--

 ML>    Nowadays, the Average Idiot Home User hasn't heard of any character
 ML>code other than ASCII, if even that :-(.  As you well know, the stupid
 ML>collating sequence of ASCII is due to the great desire of AT&T to pack
 ML>everything they thought anybody would ever want into seven bits, while
 ML>letting the presence of a single bit differentiate between lower- and
 ML>upper-case alpha characters (a desirable characteristic only for fully
 ML>mechanical terminals).

LE>ASCII *was* defined in 1963 (or was it 68?) you know. It was
  >originally intended as a standard for moving data between different
  >brands of mainframes (which all had their *own* character sets back
  >then)

     ASCII was defined as (and still is) a 7-bit code in the early
1960's.  ASCII was designed primarily for the benefit of the "new" AT&T
TTY service, and had nothing whatsoever to do with transmitting data
between mainframes.  At the time, all announced mainframes (big iron) in
existence used a 6-bit character set; the upcoming machines, that the
perpetrators weren't talking about yet, all used 8-bit codes.  So the
manufacturers couldn't care less about a 7-bit standard, and all went
along with AT&T.  (In retrospect, this was a very poor decision because
ASCII was, and still is, a very poor character-set code for computers.
Unfortunately, those of us who are not programming for mainframes still
live with that mistake!)

    If you read my original post to George, rather than his excerpts
from it in his post to me, you would know that I stated that ASCII was
(and is) a seven-bit code.  It was embedded in 8-bit media (primarily
mag tape) in an additional ANSI Standard in (IIRC) 1965, after IBM had
announced its family of 8-bit machines: S/360.  The first desktop
computers used ASCII as a 7-bit code embedded in an 8-bit character set,
for reasons I have never understood.  As I said in my original post, the
"upper 128" (heretofore unused) character codes were added by the IBM PC
designers in 1981, who called it "extended ASCII."  AFAIK, there is no
official standard for an 8-bit code based on ASCII.

LE>Also, that uppercase/lower case distinction being on bit was
  >important for programmers writing *tight* code. I used to use that
  >single bit trick in programs back when 16k or DRAM cost several
  >hundred dollars.

    I wouldn't know.  My first "ASCII" computer was a fully-populated
CP/M machine (64K RAM), vintage 1979.  All my previous programming
experience was on either 6-bit or 8-bit machines, none of which used any
version of ASCII.  AFAIAC, the convenience of one-bit differentiation
between upper- and lower-case characters doesn't make up for the
inconvenience of dealing with the stupid ASCII collating sequence (that
interspersed the special characters within the alphabetic characters.)

    Regards,

        --Murray
<Team PL/I>
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #120 * Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future

--- Maximus/2 2.02
 * Origin: OS/2 Shareware BBS, telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com (1:109/347)


+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Murray Lesser                                     14-Sep-99 16:10:01
  To: Kenneth Abrams                                    14-Sep-99 16:10:01
Subj: Backup

(Excerpts from a message dated 09-07-99, Kenneth Abrams to Murray
Lesser)

HiKen--

 ML>     Not true.  I use OS/2's BACKUP and RESTORE utilities for backup to
 ML> Zip diskettes.  I can restore part or all of the backed-up partition
 ML> to any partition by properly specifying the RESTORE command.  The only
 ML> restriction is that the restored files(s) must be placed in a
 ML> directory having the same name as the original directory.

KA>And heaven help you if you forget what that original directory name
  >was, because those utilities certainly aren't. The one and only
  >time I've ever used them, was to place some game archives larger
  >than a single floppy on disks. A year or two later, I was going to
  >restore them on a friends machine (took along OS/2 boot floppies as
  >well) that I was working on, except I couldn't get them to restore.
  >After I got back home, I tried again. Several times. Until I finally
  >got lucky. I immediately relegated them to the same place I put
  >DOS's pair, in the "never use" category.

    I think you are confusing "backup" with "archive."  In my lexicon, a
"backup" is a copy of my current system (or part of it) for use in case
of system failure.  An "archive" is a record of some past system content
that I wished to save for possible later use.  I would never consider
using a backup utility to produce an archive record, and I wonder what
ever gave you the idea to try, especially since BACKUP does not compress
records.  The only virtue of BACKUP/RESTORE is that they will read all
the files to be backed up (including hidden/system files) and when
restored, all the original attributes (except the archive bit) will be
restored.  Unlike my backup files, my "archive" records (some of which
date from 1983) are kept either in "clear text" or (at most) as ZIP or
ARC files with a copy of the corresponding UNZIP (or UNARC) file on the
same diskette.  It doesn't matter what directory they came from.

    Since the backups are records of current contents of my hard drive,
there is no problem in knowing which directory the original was stored
on, since it still exists.  The "oldest" backup ZIP diskette I have was
written about three months ago: it was made the last time I wrote to the
partition that contains my compilers (I added a fixpak to the PL/I
compiler).  Thus, my backup diskettes represent current hard-drive
partitions, more-or-less as they currently exist.  They are replaced by
a new backup of the same partition whenever it seems to be a good idea
to do so.  (Copies of data files are updated as a portion of every
session in which those files are modified.  I suppose they can be
considered to be a form of backup in which I use XCOPY, rather than
BACKUP, to a diskette used only for that set of files,)

    Regards,

        --Murray
<Team PL/I>
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #120 * Stay alive!  Learn something new every day.

--- Maximus/2 2.02
 * Origin: OS/2 Shareware BBS, telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com (1:109/347)


+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Mark Ellis                                        14-Sep-99 20:07:25
  To: Will Honea                                        15-Sep-99 12:25:20
Subj: Re: Objects

WH> If I can butt in, there's one sneaky thing about cache sizes.  You
WH> (may) have 2 separate caches: HPFS and FAT.  The cache size for HPFS is
WH> right out front and obvious but the FAT cache size is set by the
WH> installer to a default size that is (for memory over 8 meg) 10% of the
WH> total memory up to a max of 4 meg.  In your case, that comes to 2 meg. 
WH> If you use mostly HPFS - as Peter recommends - that's way too much very
WH> precious RAM.  Edit the DISKCACHE line in config.sys at the earliest
WH> opportunity and specify a small number.  I find that 128(k) is fine no
WH> more than I use FAT, but you'll have to tune for your system.

Okay, this line i rem'd out on the advice of CNFGINFO (dat os2cfg15) and the
fact that I use all HPFS.

Does anyone know if the DAT file for CNFGINFO has been updated past 15 
(09-07-98)?

---
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jonathan de Boyne Pollard                         12-Sep-99 08:45:18
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   15-Sep-99 12:25:20
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

 RJT> Does this file I have here represent the release version,  then:

 RJT> os2clu02.rar  385756  16-Aug-99 10:39

 RJT> ?

No.  The release was in September, for a start.  I sent the release version of 
OS2CLU02.RAR through the usual channels to the OS2CLU pre-release testers.

For reference, here are the sizes and last write dates and times of all of the 
official distribution archives for version 2.0:

1999-09-01 10:46:52     393052         92 R____A OS2CLU02.RAR
1999-09-01 10:46:54     589012         92 R____A OS2CLU02.ZIP
1999-09-01 10:46:36     519230         92 R____A OS2CLU02.TAR.GZ
1999-09-01 10:46:42     419723         92 R____A OS2CLU02.TAR.BZ2

And here, just for interest, are their MD5 fingerprints (from OS2CLU's SUM
command):

CRC  CRC32    Sum1 Sum2 MD5                              (name)
---- -------- ---- ---- --------------------------------
d0b8 5cac5fb6 c7f4 fa11 0a8acb7f3f33afeeccec25cae8136265 OS2CLU02.RAR
8f56 0b90e439 b32b b93f 4e8acbf25b0ec5b286b02cbd868e81d5 OS2CLU02.ZIP
1b7d 992bce1a 6cd1 c27d 92c4989d753141f355917ff44f8d8582 OS2CLU02.TAR.GZ
29d4 de2ef562 ac8d 2232 6d94629022e06aee3ed1a635086f762f OS2CLU02.TAR.BZ2
---- -------- ---- ---- --------------------------------
         4 files found, 4 files scanned.

  JdeBP 

--- FleetStreet 1.22 NR
 * Origin: JdeBP's point, using Squish <yuk!> (2:257/609.3)
114/441

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: David Noon                                        13-Sep-99 18:44:00
  To: Mark Ellis                                        15-Sep-99 12:25:20
Subj: Objects

In a message dated 09-11-99, Mark Ellis said to All about "Objects"

Hi Mark,

ME>What is the advantage to creating objects and running things as objects
ME>as opposed to just making shadows or running with a program?

When you change the settings on a program reference object you do not
corrupt the underlying program file. When you change a shadow you DO alter
the underlying program file.

ME>What is the use of the start.cmd as opposed to putting things in the
ME>startup folder?

The Startup folder is processed when the WPS starts. On systems that don't
use the WPS (e.g. TSHELL based ones) it is not processed at all.

STARTUP.CMD is executed before the WPS starts. It is executed even on
systems that don't use the WPS.

ME>I'm sure i did this before but cant figure it out now...How do I make
ME>global setting changes (fonts, colors etc) to the desktop and every
ME>window all at the same time?

Edit a scheme in the scheme palette, then drag-and-drop the scheme onto the
WPS while holding down the Ctl key.

ME>Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs of ram
ME>would be appreciated.

   1) An extra 12MB of RAM

   2) An extra hard drive so that your paging can be on a separate physical
      disk from your system DLL loading.

Ideally, both.

Regards

Dave
<Team PL/I>
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #353 * No Windows, no cry

--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Air Applewood, OS/2 Gateway to Essex 44-1279-792300 (2:257/609)
114/441

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Paul Hildebrandt                                  14-Sep-99 19:51:28
  To: All                                               15-Sep-99 12:25:20
Subj: BGFAX reg

Hello All!

I've tried to register BGFAX by internet but haven't recieved a reply. Does
anyone know how to get a reg code for this program?

Paul

--- GoldED/2 2.42.G1219+
 * Origin: The Paintballers' BBS ----* (1:153/870)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Peter Knapper                                     15-Sep-99 19:45:19
  To: Mark Ellis                                        15-Sep-99 12:25:20
Subj: Re: Objects

Hi Mark,

 ME> I'm not sure if this answers me or not since the way i phrased it may be 
 ME> unclear. I know when i make a shadow and then rename it, the original
name
 ME> gets changed, I learned that the hardway :).  But if i  create an 
 ME> object, can i rename it (or create it) as any name i want?

Sure you can.


 ME> here is likely what i should have asked....

 ME> In my zip shell program I use, I can open things in a file viewer or open
 ME> using object association.  so what is the difference between opening say
a
 ME> text file with my text viewer (specified as an EXE) or creating my 
 ME> text file viewer as an object? It seems to me an object is sort 
 ME> of like system wide,  where as my text viewer will have to be specified 
ME> in every program where i want to use it.

Its hard to say without more detail on how your shell invokes these services.
Does it try and "launch" the file to be viewed and thus uses the systems
association for the file, or does it launch the viewer executable directly and 
pass it the name of the file to be viewed? We would need a lot mroe details
about your shell program to be able to accurately answer this.


PK> I also have the option of stopping STARTUP.CMD at any point I wish. 

 ME> I getcha. What is the format of the startup.cmd file? 

Its just a conventinal .CMD file, similar to a BATCH file.


 ME> Any tips for running a dos bbs? thats pretty much all i 
 ME> will be doing on this machine....maybe i should ask you 
 ME> in the os2 bbs echo...

I have only ever run an OS/2 BBS under OS/2 (since OS/2 1.3) so I can't
comment on DOS ones. I doubt there would be much different to real DOS except
for the events you can run in parallel on the OS/2 environment, rather than as 
a serial sequence (EG exiting after a Mail seesion so that incoming mail can
be processed).


PK> This makes the Pallette change system wide rather than just
PK> to the object it was dropped on.

 ME> so i can do this for fonts as well?

Yes.


PK> so too much cache may actualyl slow it down. Start with 256 
PK> and then try 512 and see how that affects it.

 ME> yes, I'm using only HPFS partitions. is this cache the line that starts:

 ME> IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:2048

Thats the one, 2048 is just a waste of memory in your case, change it to
something MUCH less. See Wills message about this, start small and only grow
if absolutely necessary. 

One of the most common traps that a lot of DOS people get into with OS/2 is to 
try and apply DOS concepts to what they are doing. Most of these plans dont
take into account the way OS/2 uses resources such as memory, and that on a
system that is constrained for memory (such as yours is), items such as LARGE
cache values can be real killers.


PK> Dont run too many applications at the same time, 
PK> try and close the ones you dont need before opening up new ones. 

 ME> 90% of the time it will be the bbs only as a single 
 ME> node. the other 10% will be the bbs and me locally at the same time

I ran a 3 line BBS under OS/2 2.1 in 8Mb memory, then 3 lines under Warp 3 in
16Mb that increased to 4 lines, but in these cases the system was tuned to
handle it. Now its back to 2 lines with 32Mb so its easy street, but in each
state I needed to consider what I was trying to do with the system to make
sure a shortage of resources were not causing conflicts. Even on the 16MB
system, user performance was not impacted, except in areas that MUSt be
affected, such as offline mail opacking time.


PK> If you have the chance, place your SWAPPATH on the 
PK> MOST USED PARTITION, of LEAST USED DRIVE! This helps to 
PK> reduce the head movements and optimises the
PK> swap file performance.

 ME> yes, I remembered this part. I have it on the only 
 ME> partition, on the second 
 ME> hard drive. Pretty much nothing will be on this drive 
 ME> except files for d/l'ing
 ME> from the bbs.

Sounds perfect.

 ME> Everything else will be on one of the 2 partitions on the first 
 ME> drive. this drive where the swap file is will be 
 ME> 500megs and i set the swap  file at 16000 16000, so this 
 ME> means it will always leave 16megs free on the 
 ME> drive and will always start at 16megs in size, is that correct?

Yep. Should be ok, unless you fill the drive up and it decides it needs more
than 16Mb for swap........;-)

Cheers............pk.


--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Another Good Point About OS/2 (3:772/1.10)
280/801

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Leonard Erickson                                  15-Sep-99 00:44:01
  To: Jack Stein                                        15-Sep-99 12:25:20
Subj: File Managers

 -=> Quoting Jack Stein to Paul Marwick <=-

 JS> I thought InspectA did not handle long filenames at all, nor large
 JS> partitions? At least that's what Roy was saying a while back, and he
 JS> uses InspectA, although IIRC it is the DOS version he uses. 

I use both the DOS and OS/2 versions. The DOS version *can't* handle
long file names. Neither can any other DOS program dealing with an HPFS
volume.

The OS/2 version "sort of" supports long file names. It won't display
*all* of one more than about 20 odd characters long (at least I can't
make it do so). It will copy, move and delete them ok. It has trouble
with passing them to programs if they need to be enclosed in quotes.

If a volume is too big, both versions report nonsense for the drive
size. Copying/moving files to a volume can get an "insufficient space"
response. On my Netware Volumes, I can just retry and it usually goes
thru the second time. 


--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Shadowshack (1:105/51)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Steve McCrystal                                   14-Sep-99 06:38:05
  To: Jack Stein                                        15-Sep-99 14:23:21
Subj: Kib, Mib, gib: 1024^n ?

;
In a msg of <Sunday September 12 1999>, Jack Stein writes to Steve Mccrystal:
;
Jack,

 JS> I agree 99%.  The only computer literate folks that don't do this
 JS> are hard drive manufacturers it seems.  Today, it doesn't really
 JS> matter a lot, unless you're trying to figure out exactly what
 JS> your drive space is supposed to be.

And the literate are, for the most part, well equipped to figure that out,
too, if they remember that formatted capacity is all that really matters.

 SM>> This whole thing sorta reminds me of the switch from BPS to
 SM>> Symbols.  The entire world could do without it!

 JS> I dunno what BPS is, but I think I can safely agree with you:-)

Bits Per Second, the (once) proper terminology that replaced BAUD (or should
have) when protocols were developed by which the bit rate exceeded the
baudrate.

For the purists, I realize that this is not completely correct, but it makes
the point, I think.

When we had BPS, many modem manufacturers, and almost all modem resellers,
were the ones confused, intentionally IMHO, due to either laziness or
ignorance.

Now we have 'symbols', and almost nobody knows what it means, or uses it. And
Symbols Per Second would be either redundant or acceleration, depending on
perspective.

That sure cleared things up for the masses! :^)

-[Steve]-

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1/#
 * Origin: -[Steve's Place]- New Berlin, WI (FidoNet 1:154/731.2)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Holger Granholm                                   14-Sep-99 20:58:00
  To: Mike Ruskai                                       15-Sep-99 16:48:00
Subj: Objects

In a message dated 09-12-99, Mike Ruskai said to Mark Ellis:

Hi Mike,

MR>start.cmd runs at the same time as the WPS starts up.  The startup
MR>folder runs after.

Thanks for the explanation, I've wondered about that a long time.

 ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs of
 ME> ram would  be appreciated.

MR>Memory is the most important thing, by far (just going from 20MB to
MR>32MB made a big difference on the 486).  

Just going from 16 to 32 Mb here was a big disappointment.
While Netscape loads in 32 seconds with 16 Mb RAM it takes 70 seconds
with 32 Mb RAM.

I also increased the L2 cache from 128 kb to 256 kb. While that made the
loading times shorter in both instances, it still took twice as long
with 32 Mb as compared to 16 Mb.

Have a nice day,

Holger

___
 * MR/2 2.26 * DOOR (n.), Open to kick Windows out.

--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
 * Origin: Coming to you from the Sunny Aland Islands. (2:20/228)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    14-Sep-99 12:02:06
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   15-Sep-99 20:05:06
Subj: 2 Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Hello Roy.

13 Sep 99 00:33, you wrote to me:

ET>>> What is "SCCS" ?

RJT>> "Source Code Control System"?  Probably the same thing I've seen
RJT>> referred to elsewhere as a "Revision Control System" (RCS),  a
....snip....

ET>> O, you mean a Version Control System

RT> Probably.

IMHO, they are different names for the same thing.

Eddy

... Fuzzy logic - a Vulcan contemplating a Tribble.
--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
 * Origin: Speedy Gonzales (2:500/143.7)
280/801

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Stewart Honsberger                                15-Sep-99 15:47:02
  To: All                                               15-Sep-99 22:14:15
Subj: ASF Player?

Hullo, all.

I've got some video files in "ASF" format (A MicroSoft proprietary
format), which appears to have better compression than MPEG (by about
2X, it seems). The unfortunate part is - the only thing that'll play
them is Microsoft Media Player! UGH!

I'm looking for something for either Linux, OS/2, or FreeBSD (OpenSource
preferred for the former and the latter, compiled binaries for OS/2 -
Freeware would also be great, and Shareware would be acceptable (as long
as it's not limited in such a way as to prevent me from watching the
video(s) end to end).

Thanks in advance!

                                      -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Stewart Honsberger (AKA Blackdeath)   Version 3.12
 @ blackdeath@tinys.oix.com           GCS d-(--) s++:-- a--- C++>$ UL++
 @ http://sprk.com/blackdeath/        P+ L+ W++ N++ w--- O+++ PS+ PGP+ t+
 @ ICQ:3484915                        tv+ b+ DI+++ G e- h++ r* y+ PE Y+
                                      ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

... Don't use no double negatives.
-!- GOPGP/2 v1.23

--- Msged/2 TE 05
 * Origin: Blackdeath BBS - Private (1:229/604)
600

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: paul marwick                                      15-Sep-99 09:24:08
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   15-Sep-99 22:14:16
Subj: File Managers

Hi Roy

Replying to a message of Roy J. Tellason to paul marwick:

 pm>> Ok. Only, what's your email address? 

 RJT> Whoops!  I'm at roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com.

:-) Ok, on its way... Let me know if you have any problems getting it.

regards, paul

--- FleetStreet 1.24.1
 * Origin: madHouse Inc  -  Brisbane,  QLD (3:640/820)
280/801
2433/225

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   15-Sep-99 19:24:02
  To: Murray Lesser                                     15-Sep-99 22:14:16
Subj: Character sets

Murray Lesser wrote in a message to Leonard Erickson:

 ML> My first "ASCII" computer was a fully-populated CP/M machine 
 ML> (64K RAM), vintage 1979.

Wow.  In those days that was a lot of ram!  <g>

 ML> All my previous programming experience was on either 6-bit or 
 ML> 8-bit machines, none of which used any version of ASCII.

What used six bits?

 ML> AFAIAC, the convenience of one-bit differentiation between 
 ML> upper- and lower-case characters doesn't make up for the 
 ML> inconvenience of dealing with the stupid ASCII collating 
 ML> sequence (that interspersed the special characters within the 
 ML> alphabetic characters.) 

If you were going to specify a collating sequence,  how would _you_ do it?

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)
278/111
2433/225

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: MIKE RUSKAI                                       15-Sep-99 12:41:00
  To: MARK ELLIS                                        16-Sep-99 00:17:28
Subj: Re: Objects

Some senseless babbling from Mark Ellis to Mike Ruskai
on 09-14-99  07:54 about Re: Objects...

 MR> name for data files, particular INI files).  Also, you can create
multiple 
 MR> program objects for the same program, with different parameters, or (for 
 MR> DOS sessions) with different settings.  

 ME> ah, okay, this is good. so a simple  example would be a file viewer
 ME> that i  want to always view a certain file, i can just make an object
 ME> of the file viewer and have it load the file I want?

Provided that the program in question accepts a command line argument 
specifying the file, yes.  However, for such cases, OS/2 already has a 
better alternative, which is file associations.

Opening the data file itself will load the program it's associated with, 
with it as a parameter.  

If you dislike right-clicking and choosing from the Open menu, when 
multiple associations exist, then you can make it easier by using multiple 
program objects that load the same data file with different programs (for 
example, an image file that you either look at or edit).
 
 MR>  ME> Also, any tips on speeding up warp 4 on a 486dx2/66 with 20megs of
ram
 MR>  ME> would  be appreciated.
 MR> 
 MR> More RAM, period.  I ran Warp 4 on just that configuration machine for a 
 MR> while, a couple years ago.  I've since then also run it on a Pentium/200 
 MR> with 128MB of memory, and currently on a Pentium II/233 with 192MB of 
 MR> memory.
 MR> 
 MR> Memory is the most important thing, by far (just going from 20MB to 32MB 
 MR> made a big difference on the 486).  

 ME> I figured this would be one of the main factors. I'm hoping I can get
 ME> up to 32 megs without spending money :) As it is, this system was just
 ME> made from extra parts and I cant justify spending money when I already
 ME> have 2 other pentiums running here.

Memory is quite cheap these days.  I spent over $1200 on the 32MB I put in 
that 486, but I recently spent less than $100 for an additional 128MB for 
this machine.

Though you need to be careful, you can also get older memory for peanuts at 
http://www.ebay.com/

I bought a MAU for $1 there (I've yet to see a new one less than $200).

Mike Ruskai
thannymeister@yahoo.com


... Are there any lawyers here? <BLAM> Any more?

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v3.0pr2
 * Origin: FIDO QWK MAIL & MORE!  WWW.DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:3603/140)
114/441

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Will Honea                                        16-Sep-99 00:33:01
  To: Mark Ellis                                        16-Sep-99 00:33:01
Subj: Re: Objects

Mark Ellis wrote to Will Honea on 09-14-1999

ME> Okay, this line i rem'd out on the advice of CNFGINFO (dat
ME> os2cfg15) and the fact that I use all HPFS. 

No, you don't use all HPFS; you have FAT support by default.  I'm
pretty sure that there is a default cache - but I may be wrong since I
haven't looked at cache sizes with OS2MEMU lately.  Anyway, you have
FAT support whether you want it or not and you may have to use the
diskcache line to set the minimum amount of memory cache possible. 
There was a thread about this a long time ago but I can't remember
exactly what the conclusion - if any - was.

Will Honea <whonea@codenet.net>
--- Maximus/2 2.02
 * Origin: OS/2 Shareware BBS, telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com (1:109/347)


+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 00:51:05
  To: paul marwick                                      16-Sep-99 07:56:21
Subj: File Managers

paul marwick wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 pm>> Ok. Only, what's your email address? 

 RJT> Whoops!  I'm at roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com.

 pm> :-) Ok, on its way... Let me know if you have any problems
 pm> getting it. 

No problem,  it got here and is now in the files section:

FED025S.ZIP   190771 09-15-99* [    ] Fast Editor Lite - written as a
                               replacement for Qedit, includes source

Anybody want it?  Feel free...

--- 
 * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-838-8539 (1:270/615)
278/111
2433/225

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Scott Jones                                       15-Sep-99 09:39:07
  To: Mark Ellis                                        16-Sep-99 07:56:21
Subj: Re: Objects

-=> Mark Ellis wrote to Will Honea <=-

 ME> Okay, this line i rem'd out on the advice of CNFGINFO (dat os2cfg15)
 ME> and the fact that I use all HPFS.

 ME> Does anyone know if the DAT file for CNFGINFO has been updated past 15
 ME> (09-07-98)?

No, it hasn't.  In fact, Rick Meigs apparently no longer supports it.
There is a replacement, however, called ConfigMaint.  If you have i'net
access, you can find it at http://www.s.netic.de/kevers/warp_eng.html .

                              Scott Jones
                        (sjones@crosswinds.net)


... "Bother!", said Pooh, as he formatted yet another pre-installed copy of 
... Windows.
 
--- MultiMail/OS/2 v0.29
 * Origin: COMM Port OS/2 juge.com 204.89.247.1 (281) 980-9671 (1:106/2000)
114/441

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bat Lang                                          16-Sep-99 00:14:10
  To: Jack Stein                                        16-Sep-99 11:17:06
Subj: File Managers

 -=> Quoting Jack Stein to Bat Lang, [11 Sep 99  09:35:49] <=-

 BL> I examined their innards with a viewer, these are their
 BL> parentage: Unzipsfx, PKSfx or PE32E.SFX (one).

 JS> I reckon OS2C does not support these brands.  BTW, it does support RAR
 JS> self-extractors also, even though not mentioned in the docs, unless my
 JS> RAR files are made with some other self-exe program.

I did try it on the distributed RAR*.EXE of the archiver itself, and
noted also that it worked, tho this was my =only= RAR selfex.

 BL> These files represent the current upgrade path for Warp, and
 BL> they are only available as selfex's. The two primary (if I
 BL> may) ZIP archivers for OS/2 have been (are) Infozips and the
 BL> PKZ25? for OS/2. This is also reflected in the parentage of
 BL> those files above, coming from IBM. Any util that calls
 BL> itself an OS/2 file manager, with a claimed selfex feature,
 BL> but fails on the above group of files crafted specifically
 BL> for OS/2, is misleading its public at best. IMHO. YMMV. {^;
 BL> To qualify that statement, I am a registered user of OS2C.

 JS> You have a point there, but to me the problem is not with that anyway,
 JS> the problem is the stuped people using self-exe's to begin with, they
 JS> should be tarred and feathered.

I am inclined to agree with you. It certainly makes for a potentially
sticky wicket on the receiving end. }^: Why can't we all put it to
those IBM sites, and implore them to use .ZIP as their standard files
distribution format, just as Hobbes and most of the free world. {^;

Anyone have any idea of who is the best contact point in IBM for
broaching this topic???  Good Modeming!  /\oo/\


... FidoNet-Mail: 1:382/92 or E-mail: Bat.Lang@92.ima.infomail.com

--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Rendezvous!! 8gigs_20000files_500echoareas 512-303-1324 (1:382/92)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bat Lang                                          16-Sep-99 00:46:00
  To: Jack Stein                                        16-Sep-99 11:17:06
Subj: File Managers

 -=> Quoting Jack Stein to Gord Hannah, [11 Sep 99  09:10:59] <=-

 JS> I still have the 400meg and 200 meg drives sitting here beside me,
 JS> full of files, can't figure out what to do with them.

If I may be so bold, use the heavier one for a dandy door stop, and the
other would make a good trot-line sinker. {^;  Good Modeming!  /\oo/\


... FidoNet-Mail: 1:382/92 or E-mail: Bat.Lang@92.ima.infomail.com

--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Rendezvous!! 8gigs_20000files_500echoareas 512-303-1324 (1:382/92)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Coridon Henshaw                                   15-Sep-99 13:39:13
  To: Darren Hamilton                                   16-Sep-99 11:17:06
Subj: Os2clu02 & Utc

On Monday September 13 1999 at 19:56, Darren Hamilton wrote to Jonathan de
Boyne Pollar:

 DH> Every other software on this system reports or displays UTC time as
 DH> the "local" time. This includes OS/2 Warp v3.0 (FP 40) time and date
 DH> functions, Filestar/2, KWQ Mail/2, ZOC/Pro v3.13, etc.

 DH> I find it hard to believe that *every* programmer is querying the RTC
 DH> rather than using the DosQuerySysInfo API function.

The only ways to make OS2CLU's time-related commands get along with every
other piece of time-related OS/2 software ever written is to either SET
TZ=AAA1 (during DST), or launch OS2CLU's time programs with the /U option.

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
 * Origin: Life sucks and then you croak. (1:250/820)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Herbert Bushong                                   15-Sep-99 10:35:00
  To: Mark Ellis                                        16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: Objects

::> HB> Hold the ALT key down while dragging a color or font from the color or
::> HB> palette, or create a scheme, then drag the scheme to the desktop while

::> okay, i got this. whenever i do it though i have to re-do the icon and sha
::> text colors on the desktop to get them back where i had them. I guess i be
::> look around in there a bit more.

Go with a scheme,  then you can set those colors as well to what you want.

 Herbert Bushong    harchon@centuryinter.net       [TEAM OS/2]    
 Blackbeard's BBS   herb@intelec.com               Intelec: 239:600/0
 Fido: 1:19/19      http://www.intelec.com/software/

---
  RM 1.31 2508  Cataclysm: Bible study classes for cats.
 * Origin: Blackbeard's BBS - Ville Platte, LA - 318-468-3385 (1:19/19)
600
1500

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bob Wright                                        15-Sep-99 21:36:24
  To: Jack Stein                                        16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: File Managers

Greetings, Jack...

 Jack Stein hastily said to Paul Marwick:

 PM>> It should require little thought to see why companies like IBM
 PM>> (who are only one of many who distribute things in
 PM>> self-extracting archives) do so. It means that they can
 PM>> distrubte code in a compreessed bundle _without_ having to
 PM>> worry about whether the end-user has the necessary extractor,
 PM>> can obtain it if they don't alredy have it, or knows how to use
 PM>> it.

 JS> Yeah, but that is weak.  People have to get all sorts of programs and
 JS> install them themselves, no reason at all they couldn't do the same with
 JS> an archive program.

You seem to be giving the AIHU quite a lot of credit for
intelligence/literacy/common sense....

Most of them don't know how to go about installing ANYTHING without using some 
form of "Wizard"..  (in fact, I might go so far as to say that if it ISN'T
named "setup.exe" they wouldn't know what to do with it..)

I doubt if that type would know what a compressed file is, let alone what an
archiver is, or that there are more than one type.

Yes, ignorance is cureable (I was one of those a few years ago), but
recognition of the condition and a willingness to "take the cure" are both
necessary... ;-)

Neither of which is encouraged by the masters in Redmond..



        -- Bob

--- GoldED 2.41
 * Origin: Merlin's Tower - Surrey, BC (1:153/944)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Gord Hannah                                       15-Sep-99 10:57:08
  To: Paul Hildebrandt                                  16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: BGFAX reg

Hi Paul, hope you are having a nice day! :-)

14-Sep-99 19:51:56, Paul Hildebrandt wrote to All
          Subject: BGFAX reg

 PH> I've tried to register BGFAX by internet but haven't recieved a
 PH> reply. Does anyone know how to get a reg code for this program?

I received email from B.J. about 2 days after registering, I too
registered online but had no problems, you might want to send him an
email asking what happened, it may not have got to him.

bgfax@blkbox.com

Hope this helps.  Keep us posted.

We are a fine board trying to make it better.

http://www.pris.bc.ca/ghannah
ghannah@pris.bc.ca 
Cheers!
Gord Hannah 
-=Team OS/2=-

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From: Jack Stein                                        14-Sep-99 18:26:23
  To: Cyrill Vakhneyev                                  16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: Announcing the OS/2 Command Line Utilities version 2.0

Cyrill Vakhneyev wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 CV> 08 Sep 99 10:19, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote to Jack
 CV> Stein: 

 CV>     JFYI: Your clocks, both digital and analog, shows me
 CV> time in China I think :) TZ is set correctly.

My clocks all show current time as Eastern Daylight Savings time... I think
you meant JdBP's clocks.  He has explained all this so many times, and in so
much detail, I'd bet he wished he never wrote the clocks... He is a glutton
for punishment though... I won't ask him anything about clocks myself, I've
read so many of his detailed explainations and I still get confused.  I saved
a gig or so of his time messages though, in case I ever feel the need to know
more than what time it is here, and now.  OS2 Commander always shows me the
correct date and time on the status bar, and my 4OS2 prompt also shows me the
correct time, so I'm reasonably happy.  

     
                                         Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
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From: Jack Stein                                        14-Sep-99 18:36:17
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: File Managers

Roy J. Tellason wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 RJT> That's one of the reasons I'm getting into Linux here...   
 RJT> :-) 

 JS> I think thats a good move, but since IBM is buying into RedHat, 
 JS> I expect them to (try) and find a way to keep it from hurting 
 JS> MS, just as they insured OS/2 would not kill WIN.  This is pure 
 JS> paranoia I know, but it's _my_ paranoia, and based on 
 JS> substantial historical data.

 RJT> They may just try,  but I don't think they'll succeed.

I hope you're right, but, I have serious reservations.  The power of MS, IBM,
INTEL and ZIFF-DAVIS cannot easily be under-rated.  Who would ever guess that
25 years after the worlds greatest OS was presented to the world, the world
would be totally dominated by the likes of DOS/WIN, the worlds worst OS's for
at least 15 years running?   It boggles the mind, doesn't it?  

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Jack Stein                                        14-Sep-99 18:53:16
  To: Gord Hannah                                       16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: File Managers

Gord Hannah wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 GH> 11-Sep-99 09:10:59, Jack Stein wrote to Gord Hannah
 GH>           Subject: File Managers

 JS> WIN crap, is I always state immediatly that "I don't know
 JS> nothing about WIN" Saves me a ton of aggravation.

 GH> I can't use that excuse, I personally use OS/2 my wife uses
 GH> Win95, so does  my Dad, and I am expected to keep their
 GH> machines running as they want to.  

I can't use that excuse here either.  I have WIN95 installed and my wife and
kids occasionally use it for some stupid crap that doesn't run on anything but 
WIN.  For example, wife bought a travel guide book for our vacation and it
came with a CD that attempts to tell you the fastest, shortest, most senic
routes to places.  It only runs in WIN95 of course.  Also at work, we run
WIN95, and I have to fool around with that sometimes when the dorks in charge
of our system can't figure out whats wrong.  They have a good handle on WIN I
guess, but don't know jack shit about computers or computing it seems... I
guess thats how it is everywhere today....  At any rate, I'm talking about
"friends and aquantances" that would be driving me nuts if I attempted to
actually help them with anything.  

The last "WIN guy" I helped out was told he needed more memory to solve
problems installing more games.  I agreed to check out his system, which
showed he had used all his multi-gigs of HD, no HD room left, the fool had
installed so damn many games and CD's, things he didn't even know what they
were, let alone use them.  I cleaned it up for him, spent a few HOURS
explaining  the difference between HD space and RAM, and after I felt he had
enough understanding, I left, and as I left he asked if I'd help him install
more RAM when he got it so he wouldn't have the problem again...  What an ass, 
and ALL win users are like that....  Nice people "sometimes" but DON'T EVER
DISCUSS COMPUTING with them, in any form, never help them, unless you get paid 
GOOD MONEY.  It is always a bad experience.

 GH> Dad never learns

He is a WIN guy.  You are stuck I guess, he's your dad.

 GH>  he has 3 machines with Win95, he asked me one time why I never 
 GH> used Windows, I replies: "I wont use inferior Software, or
 GH> Operating Systems.."

Win guys don't know what an OS is, they don't know what a file is, they don't
know jack.  Some of them have MicroSoft diploma's, thats even worse.

 JS> ago. My PC hasn't been shut off since 1991 other than
 JS> maintenance either.  I might add I never lost even one file
 JS> under OS/2 in all this time. I still have the 400meg and 200 meg

 GH> I had the same success with DOS, my old system.

Not me.  I ran DOS for almost 10 years I guess, and it was miserable,
particularly if you pushed it at all with delayed write caches, or let WIN3x
anywhere near the damn thing.  I've lost lots of files under WIN, all
versions, and never push WIN, never use it hardly, except at work.  I've lost
things at work a few times, but not often, but I don't do anything with the
system either.  All you need is a few crashes, and stuff starts to disappear,
drivers blow up, all sorts of crap.  It does this seemingly on it's own too,
just very poor memory management, the hall mark of MS systems.

 JS> drives sitting here beside me, full of files, can't figure out
 JS> what to do with them

 GH> If they are oldies, keepem fer posterity, I have over 1500
 GH> old programs on 5 1/4 sitting on a rack behind me.

I have enough 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 floppies here to pave a road from here to
California in magnetic media.  I have one box of 3 1/2 floppies someone gave
me that must have several thousand disks in it.  I bet I have a few thousand
360 floppies alone with old junk on them.  I seldom through anything worthless 
away...  Yep, still have my 8088 IBM PC sitting here, waiting for me to die so 
some merciful soul will set it on the junk pile...

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
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From: Jack Stein                                        14-Sep-99 19:36:29
  To: Andy Roberts                                      16-Sep-99 14:07:10
Subj: File Managers

Andy Roberts wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 AR>> It's not too late to switch to FC/2. <gd&r>

 JS> Before I consider that, does FC/2 handle full REXX support in it's menu
 JS> command yet?

 AR> That sounds like a useless feature to me, but I don't know.

 JS> For example, can I assign the following to my F12 key in the menu

 JS> F12: Create WPS-Object
 JS>      /* Create Object */
<snip>
 JS> 'MINWIN=DESKTOP;MAXIMIZED=YES;PROGTYPE=WP;EXENAME=[%P]\[%F];STARTUPDIR=
 JS> [%P];;
 JS> OBJECTID=<OS2C_[%F]>;NOPRINT=YES;'
 JS>      Result = SysCreateObject( Type, Title, Folder, Parms, 
 JS> 'ReplaceIfExists' )

 AR> Why clutter up a simple menu with all that stuff.  

All what stuff?  All the menu shows is "Create WPS OBJECT"

 AR> Instead
 AR> just stick it all in a *.CMD file where it belongs and then
 AR> use the FC/2 function key to run the *.CMD file.

 AR> Oh wait a moment, I see what you are trying to do.  You want
 AR> it to Create a DeskTop Object of some highlighted file.  Yes
 AR> that is already hard coded into FC/2 Alt-F6.

OK, I was just giving ONE example.  As for hard coding, nope, no good.  You
notice that in this example, I changed some of the parameters, for example,
any objectid I create has "OS2C_" prefixed the the OBJECTID.  Now maybe you
don't care about this, but I do, and I'm sure there are things you do care
about that you can't do without full REXX support in the menu system.  Does
FC/2 Alt-F6 even create an OBJECTID for the Icon it creates?  That is a BIG
issue with me, since I control lots of things with the OBJECTID?   There are
lots of scripts I use that are perfect for the menu, things I use over and
over, whether REXX is involved or not.  It just gives total flexability,
something I always prefer over limitations.  I don't recall the exact
capabilites of FC/2's menu system, does it even support non-rexx scripts
(batch files)?

 AR> Sheesh.. You mean you have to put all that stuff in a menu. 
 AR> You've been working too hard.  You better get FC/2 quick.
 AR> <gd&r>(again)

You would never believe how many CMD files I have on this system... your right 
though, I spent too much time playing with all that stuff, I'm off to a new
hobby now... billiards....  my new passion... Not a digital bit in sight:-)
Oh, the guy running the league had a computer crash... they sent him to me...
I of course told him I don't know JACK about WIN...  Rack'em!

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 11:10:03
  To: Bat Lang                                          16-Sep-99 14:50:01
Subj: File Managers

Bat Lang wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 JS> You have a point there, but to me the problem is not with that anyway,
 JS> the problem is the stuped people using self-exe's to begin with, they
 JS> should be tarred and feathered.

 BL> I am inclined to agree with you. It certainly makes for a 
 BL> potentially sticky wicket on the receiving end. }^: Why can't 
 BL> we all put it to those IBM sites, and implore them to use .ZIP 
 BL> as their standard files distribution format, just as Hobbes and 
 BL> most of the free world. {^;

<g>

On that subject,  is there any easy way to deal with *.DSK files,  other than
actually making the floppies?

--- 
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From: Kenneth Abrams                                    15-Sep-99 23:15:19
  To: Murray Lesser                                     16-Sep-99 14:50:01
Subj: Backup

Hello Murray,

14 Sep 99 16:10, Murray Lesser wrote to Kenneth Abrams:

 ML>     I think you are confusing "backup" with "archive."

I'm not confusing anything, I just have a broader definition of a backup than
you apparently do, and chose (once) to use the only OS/2 native tools I had
available to accomplish a goal.

 ML>   An "archive" is a record of some past system
 ML> content that I wished to save for possible later use.  I would never

And this was a record of a small portion of my system content that I wished to 
save for possible later use.

 ML> consider using a backup utility to produce an archive record, and I
 ML> wonder what ever gave you the idea to try, especially since BACKUP
 ML> does not compress records.

It does, however, *span* disks, which *no* other native OS/2 utility I had at
the time could do. In hindsight, I could clearly see that I *should* have used 
an old DOS tool such as ARJ to accomplish my goal, but I foolishly chose to
use what I had. Seemed sensible enough at the time, given that I had
previously done precisely the same thing using DOS's backup/restore, only
*without* the same problems. Compression certainly wasn't a factor, since the
files in question were already compressed (zip files).

 ML> or (at most) as ZIP or ARC files with a copy of the corresponding
 ML> UNZIP (or UNARC) file on the same diskette.  It doesn't matter what
 ML> directory they came from.

So, tell me, how do *you* squeeze a 3-4M ZIP file onto a 1.44M floppy, eh?

 ML>     Since the backups are records of current contents of my hard
 ML> drive, there is no problem in knowing which directory the original was
 ML> stored on, since it still exists.

Unless, of course, you foolishly wipe out an entire directory and then wish to 
"restore" it. My experience with my one time use was that until *I* remembered 
what the original path was and specified it, all I got was errors that seemed
to imply the backup was bad.


Kenneth (kabrams@us.hsanet.net)

--- GoldED/2 2.50+
 * Origin: Great Mills, Maryland (1:109/921.67)
3613/666

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: LEE ARONER                                        14-Sep-99 17:18:00
  To: ROB BASLER                                        16-Sep-99 14:50:01
Subj: Solution Developer Prgm

LA>LA>RB> Look into IBM's solution developer program, it allows free access to
LA>LA>  > pretty much everything on all the Devcon CD's including OS/2 Warp
LA>LA>  > Server for e-Business.

LA>   I have a guest membership already, but it don't seem to get you
LA>   much. Maybe they've changed what you can access since my last
LA>   visit...I'll give it a looksee tomorrow.

RB> You're confusing the Developer Connection with the Solution Developer
  > Program, they are two different things.  The first is where you can get
  > a guest membership, and you're right you don't get much.  The second is
  > a developer program that gives you full access to the devcon website at
  > the advanced level when you sign up, and signing up is free.
  > Although they have recently changed the program's name, I'm pretty
  > sure it is still free.  Look for it at www.developer.ibm.com


   Thanks for the tip Rob. I'll have a chance to look tonight.

                                       LRA


 -- SPEED 2.01 #2720: Actually, that *is* a bananna in my pocket...
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From: MIKE RUSKAI                                       15-Sep-99 19:26:00
  To: HOLGER GRANHOLM                                   16-Sep-99 18:53:03
Subj: Objects

Some senseless babbling from Holger Granholm to Mike Ruskai
on 09-14-99  20:58 about Objects...

 MR>Memory is the most important thing, by far (just going from 20MB to
 MR>32MB made a big difference on the 486).  

 HG> Just going from 16 to 32 Mb here was a big disappointment.
 HG> While Netscape loads in 32 seconds with 16 Mb RAM it takes 70 seconds
 HG> with 32 Mb RAM.

 HG> I also increased the L2 cache from 128 kb to 256 kb. While that made
 HG> the loading times shorter in both instances, it still took twice as
 HG> long with 32 Mb as compared to 16 Mb.

The most likely reason I can see for that is that your motherboard will 
only cache 16MB worth of RAM.  OS/2 used memory from the top down, so 
putting 32MB in would make OS/2 use 16MB worth of uncached RAM first.

Mike Ruskai
thannymeister@yahoo.com


... Does that look like a slut to you, Beavis?

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
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From: Stewart Honsberger                                16-Sep-99 11:17:06
  To: Jack Stein                                        16-Sep-99 18:53:03
Subj: OS/2 Sales

08 Sep 99 19:28, Jack Stein wrote to Stewart Honsberger:

 SH>>    IBM is quietly exceeding its own OS/2 sales expectations.

 JS> Not by much I hope, or they will be forced to take even more overt 
 JS> actions to kill it, and insure earthlings remain with MS crap stuck 
 JS> firmly up you know where....

Why are you being so harsh on them? What have they ever done to you?

After their own anti-trust trial, they pulled back. When they found out
that people were more interested in MSs "pretty" interface (without much
structure behind it), and the fact that they could make money hand over
fist with only half the work - they made the obvious choice. Why try to
change market perception, when you can ride the wave?

 SH>>    While IBM always has maintained that it continues to
 SH>> actively support    its OS/2 operating system, 

 JS> IBM is a pack of liars!

You're an uninformed pest.

FixPack 11 for OS/2 Warp 4 - Dated July 1, 1999
Fixpack 41(?) for OS/2 Warp 3 released about the same time.
Latest beta Netscape Communicator for OS/2 Warp - Dated August 9, 1999

 JS> IBM NEVER supported OS/2, not for one day.

I hope you're taken to court for libel.

 JS> IBM's next move, if I read them correctly will be to attempt to kill 
 JS> LINUX.

You know even less about Linux than you do about OS/2. Linux can NOT be
"killed" by any corporation. Not even IBM and Microsoft combined. You
can't kill a product that's source code is available on millions of
sites worldwide.

Take your FUD elsewhere. I don't want the likes of you in an echo for
support of one of my chosen OSs.

                                      -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Stewart Honsberger (AKA Blackdeath)   Version 3.12
 @ blackdeath@tinys.oix.com           GCS d-(--) s++:-- a--- C++>$ UL++
 @ http://sprk.com/blackdeath/        P+ L+ W++ N++ w--- O+++ PS+ PGP+ t+
 @ ICQ:3484915                        tv+ b+ DI+++ G e- h++ r* y+ PE Y+
                                      ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

... A fool & his money are invited everywhere
-!- GOPGP/2 v1.23

--- Msged/2 TE 05
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600

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From: Bryan Schwartz                                    16-Sep-99 09:23:00
  To: Mike Ruskai                                       16-Sep-99 18:53:03
Subj: memory

My Cyrix 486dx2 system had a noticable speed increase when I added more RAM,
so now it has 32 Mb. I also increased the cache to 256K and that seemed to
speed it up even more, but with this old stuff 'speed' is a relative 
word. Anyway, it all helped a lot! 
Before adding RAM or cache check your motherboard manual. Every manufacturer
is different. You usually have to change your jumper settings when changing
the amount of cache. RAM has to be added in the correct sized
chunks in the correct slots according to the motherboard manual.
The old 30 pin memory is getting harder to find, especially in 4 Meg chunks.
It's almost as difficult to find as 72 pin one-sided fast-page memory used
in 486's using 72 pin. And the price for old memory is excessive.
I would not put anymore money into this old system. It's just not worth
the price. I'd buy a new system if more upgrades are necessary.
Probably an iMac. 

--- DLG v1.27/DLGMail v1.27
 * Origin: Axon Aminet_12-28 cds Online v.34/VFC (204)942-2856 (1:348/704)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 13:37:16
  To: Jack Stein                                        16-Sep-99 19:58:17
Subj: File Managers

Jack Stein wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 JS> Roy J. Tellason wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 RJT> That's one of the reasons I'm getting into Linux here...   :-) 

 JS> I think thats a good move, but since IBM is buying into RedHat, 
 JS> I expect them to (try) and find a way to keep it from hurting 
 JS> MS, just as they insured OS/2 would not kill WIN.  This is pure 
 JS> paranoia I know, but it's _my_ paranoia, and based on 
 JS> substantial historical data.

 RJT> They may just try,  but I don't think they'll succeed.

 JS> I hope you're right, but, I have serious reservations.  The 
 JS> power of MS, IBM, INTEL and ZIFF-DAVIS cannot easily be 
 JS> under-rated.

"The power" that those folks may hold,  such as it is,  is a matter of
economics,  and of doing things within some fairly narrowly defined commercial 
channels -- the home and smaller-end business market for M$,  the medium and
larger business market for IBM,  etc.  That's why OS/2 isn't being agressively 
marketed by IBM,  it crosses that boundary.  The whole philosophy behind Linux 
is outside that framework.

 JS> Who would ever guess that 25 years after the worlds greatest OS 
 JS> was presented to the world, 

You talking about unix here?

 JS> the world would be totally dominated by the likes of DOS/WIN,

The world?  The home pc market,  maybe.  Businesses and academia do tend to
run a lot of other stuff besides.

 JS> the worlds worst OS's for at least 15 years running?   It 
 JS> boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Not really.  There are a few factors that tend to account for some of this.
For one,  unix was originally a very proprietary product,  owned by Bell Labs, 
and licensed to a small number of vendors.  I don't know just when that
changed,  but it did.  A variant written for smaller machines called Minix
(also written as a teaching tool) came about,  and growing out of that is how
Linux got started.  It came along,  requires only a 386sx and 4M of ram,  and
proceeded to gain converts,  to the point where a couple of formerly
commercial versions (SCO?) are now available for free if you're a student or
other noncommercial user.

I think it's just starting to gain momentum.  And since I've started paying a
bunch of attention to it the traffic in that echo has grown from moderately
busy to about twice the volume of this one!  While,  sad to see,  the tone of
OS/2 echos in general is starting to remind me of that of CP/M users after
ms-dos had been around a year or two.  Not that I'm ready to dump it,  but...

--- 
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From: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 13:45:23
  To: Jack Stein                                        16-Sep-99 19:58:17
Subj: File Managers

Jack Stein wrote in a message to Gord Hannah:

 JS> I have WIN95 installed and my wife and kids occasionally use it 
 JS> for some stupid crap that doesn't run on anything but WIN.

Same here.  <g>  Though I'm not even gonna consider upgrading the w95 machine
here to 98,  much less that new version that's out there...

 JS> For example, wife bought a travel guide book for our vacation 
 JS> and it came with a CD that attempts to tell you the fastest, 
 JS> shortest, most senic routes to places.  It only runs in WIN95 of
 JS> course.

Typical.  Those folks will learn,  eventually.  If their software is of such
limited appeal that they end up putting it in the back of a book (seems to be
happening to a lot of people these days),  then they may be more approachable
to supporting other formats,  or at least providing source or maybe an API to
let others get to the data.

I was really into the idea of collecting a nontrivial amount of data on cdrom
a while back,  but at this point in time it's not such a hot idea,  since it
looks to me like way too much of it is burdened with that orientation.

 JS> Also at work, we run WIN95, and I have to fool around with that 
 JS> sometimes when the dorks in charge of our system can't figure 
 JS> out whats wrong.  They have a good handle on WIN I guess, but 
 JS> don't know jack shit about computers or computing it seems...

<g>

Reminds me of the guy I used to work with -- 24 years old (I'm now twice that
age) and he considered himself to be "the best technician in there" because
he'd "immersed himself in w98 and now knew it inside and out",  though I did
see him get stumped a couple of times and have absolutely no clue as to how to 
proceed from there.  This guy was the "sales manager" of this retail computer
store,  which is now closed up.

 JS> I guess thats how it is everywhere today....

I'm sure that it seems like "everywhere",  but it's not as bad as all that. 
Only looks that way sometimes because they dominate the personal marketplace
for the most part.

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From: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 13:56:10
  To: Bob Wright                                        16-Sep-99 19:58:17
Subj: File Managers

Bob Wright wrote in a message to Jack Stein:

 BW> Yes, ignorance is cureable (I was one of those a few years 
 BW> ago), but recognition of the condition and a willingness to 
 BW> "take the cure" are both necessary... ;-) 

 BW> Neither of which is encouraged by the masters in Redmond..

:-)

Of course not,  as long as they can continue selling poorly written junk
that's supposed to "take care of that FOR" people...

--- 
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From: Russell Tiedt                                     15-Sep-99 17:52:03
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 19:58:17
Subj: File Managers

Roy J. Tellason wrote in a message to Leonard Erickson:

 RJT> Leonard Erickson wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 LE> Where do you get that key for INSPECTA? (and, I assume, 
 LE> INSPECTP?) 

 RJT> I don't recall offhand,  didn't need it since my copy was
 RJT> registered already before I heard about this...

On the Maximus home page.

Go well, and God bless,

Russell 
--- LoraBBS-OS/2 v2.42B1+
 * Origin: Rusty's BBS - Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa (5:7106/23)

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From: Eddy Thilleman                                    15-Sep-99 17:40:00
  To: Holger Granholm                                   16-Sep-99 19:58:17
Subj: help please?

Hello Holger,

12 Sep 99 18:36, Holger Granholm wrote to Eddy Thilleman:

ET>> Matrox G200 8 MB, in PCI- and AGP-version (AGP is recommended, the
ET>> PCI-version should have no problem)

HG> So, is it the G200 AGP card drivers/BIOS everybody has been discussing
HG> here fore a while?

I don't know what you mean by this remark. There has been discussion about
Matrox G200 AGP- and about Matrox G200 PCI-cards.

  Greetings   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

... He who laughs last uses OS/2.
--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
 * Origin: Windows95 is a graphic DOS extender (2:500/143.7)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Mike Roark                                        15-Sep-99 21:12:19
  To: Stewart Honsberger                                17-Sep-99 06:53:28
Subj: File Managers

Hello Stewart!

Monday September 13 1999 18:11, Stewart Honsberger wrote to Gord Hannah:

 SH> stable. {sigh}

 SH> I'm just glad I've got OS/2 and Linux to boot back to when I'm done
 SH> banging my head on the desk. I love Doze's security - when a browser
 SH> locks up running Java, the whole OS goes down. What a great feature!

But think of it in a positive light.. At least when the entire OS goes down,
no one can attack your system.. ;-) Pretty smart of them to do this..


Have a good day!!
Mike
Internet bcomber@cave.fido.de
This OS/2 system uptime is 1d 23h 25m 54s 281ms (en).

---
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From: Gord Hannah                                       16-Sep-99 20:11:09
  To: Jack Stein                                        17-Sep-99 07:49:05
Subj: File Managers

Hi Jack, hope you are having a nice day! :-)

14-Sep-99 18:53:33, Jack Stein wrote to Gord Hannah
          Subject: File Managers

 GH>> I can't use that excuse, I personally use OS/2 my wife uses

 JS> everywhere today....  At any rate, I'm talking about "friends
 JS> and aquantances" that would be driving me nuts if I attempted to
 JS> actually help them with anything.

I am the oddball out here, I am the only one that I know of in my area
that is running OS/2..  WinX folks I tell them simply I am too rusty
with your type of OS and system perhaps you had best find someone
else.

 JS> The last "WIN guy" I helped out was told he needed more memory
 JS> them.  I cleaned it up for him, spent a few HOURS explaining
 JS> the difference between HD space and RAM, and after I felt he had
 JS> enough understanding, I left, and as I left he asked if I'd help

Some people are very dense, I explain HD space in an easy term, HD's
are like land how much land you got, you put too much on it and then
you run out of real estate.  Memory and and that HD and RAM have no
bearing on each other.

 JS> problem again...  What an ass, and ALL win users are like
 JS> that....  Nice people "sometimes" but DON'T EVER DISCUSS
 JS> COMPUTING with them, in any form, never help them, unless you
 JS> get paid GOOD MONEY.  It is always a bad experience

Most of these folks expect help for free.

 GH>> Dad never learns

 JS> He is a WIN guy.  You are stuck I guess, he's your dad.

He did not have a chance, he  got Win95 with his first puter, so he
was hooped from the start, BTW I have to hand it to him he was 67
years old when he got his first puter.

 GH>> Operating Systems.."

 JS> Win guys don't know what an OS is, they don't know what a file

Or their directory structure.

 JS> is, they don't know jack.  Some of them have MicroSoft
 JS> diploma's, thats even worse

Brain washed brain deads.


 GH>> I had the same success with DOS, my old system.

 JS> Not me.  I ran DOS for almost 10 years I guess, and it was
 JS> miserable, particularly if you pushed it at all with delayed
 JS> write caches, or let WIN3x anywhere near the damn thing.  I've

I never said I used Win3x much I did for a time, but never lost
anything.  I used DOS6.2 DV/QEMM to run my board and it ran
flawlessly.

 JS> seemingly on it's own too, just very poor memory management, the
 JS> hall mark of MS systems

Ahh they never stole QEMM's method of memory management..

 JS>> drives sitting here beside me, full of files, can't figure out
 JS>> what to do with them

Send them to me I will figger out a use for them, might even fire up
my old 386dx/40 with DOS/DV/QEMM and run my board under DOS just fer
fun, I would even add my old 730 to the pile that should do the trick.

 GH>> If they are oldies, keepem fer posterity, I have over 1500
 GH>> old programs on 5 1/4 sitting on a rack behind me.

 JS> I have enough 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 floppies here to pave a road from
 JS> here to California in magnetic media.  I have one box of 3 1/2
 JS> floppies someone gave me that must have several thousand disks
 JS> in it.  I bet I have a few thousand 360 floppies alone with old
 JS> junk on them.  I seldom through anything worthless away...  Yep,
 JS> still have my 8088 IBM PC sitting here, waiting for me to die so
 JS> some merciful soul will set it on the junk pile..

Maybe we should think about starting another net called oldfarts net
and use our old files and systems to run it. :-))


Hope this helps.  Keep us posted.

We are a fine board trying to make it better.

http://www.pris.bc.ca/ghannah
ghannah@pris.bc.ca
Cheers!
Gord Hannah
-=Team OS/2=-

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From: Dan Egli                                          16-Sep-99 06:51:00
  To: Will Honea                                        17-Sep-99 07:49:05
Subj: Beware of shoddy dea

 -=> Quoting Will Honea to Rich Wonneberger <=-

 WH> Rich Wonneberger wrote to Jeffrey J. Counsil on 08-29-1999
 
 RW> *** Quoting Jeffrey J. Counsil to Ian Singer dated 08-28-99 ***
 RW> > IS> Not true at all.  Some software is provided in such a way that the
 RW> > IS> licence fee is paid, and its installed on the hard drive by the 
 RW> > dealer
 RW> > IS> but that there are no original CDs or floppies.
 RW> > 
 RW> > Does Packard Smell ring a bell? ;-)
 RW> 
 RW> Even they provided a restore CD which install'd the orig apps..  
 RW> 
 RW> Rich

 WH> Not the ones I saw from Walmart - all they provided was a program to
 WH> copy the install data from the hard drive to floppies:  Too cheap to
 WH> even supply a CD!


Having worked for PB, I can say that those were OLD Computers. ANY
new computer from PB will have a Master Restore CD w/ all the software on it.
It may not WORK, but It's there :>


... I call things as I see them; If I didn't see them, I make them up!

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From: Murray Lesser                                     16-Sep-99 16:57:00
  To: Will Honea                                        16-Sep-99 16:57:00
Subj: Cache

(Excerpts from a message dated 09-16-99, Will Honea to Mark Ellis,
original topic: Objects):  

Hi Will--

ME> Okay, this line i rem'd out on the advice of CNFGINFO (dat
ME> os2cfg15) and the fact that I use all HPFS. 

WH>No, you don't use all HPFS; you have FAT support by default.  I'm
  >pretty sure that there is a default cache - but I may be wrong since
  >I haven't looked at cache sizes with OS2MEMU lately.  Anyway, you
  >have FAT support whether you want it or not and you may have to use
  >the diskcache line to set the minimum amount of memory cache
  >possible. There was a thread about this a long time ago but I can't
  >remember exactly what the conclusion - if any - was.

    As you imply, all "floppies" are FAT.  I also use an Iomega Zip
drive and I keep all Zip diskettes formatted FAT, for convenience.  But,
my usage of both is such that I don't consider it reasonable to waste
real memory on a cache for them.

    According to the on-line manual ("help diskcache"), when you have as
much installed memory as I do, the default amount of diskcache is 10% of
that installed memory.  Also, according to that source, if you have no
memory allocated for diskcache, none is assigned to it.  (BTW, it is not
apparent from the on-line help discussion that allocated space for
DISKCACHE is used only with FAT files, even though we know that is the
case.)  So, I have 512 KB of memory allocated to the HPFS cache (in the
first IFS line in CONFIG.SYS) and have REMmed out the DISKCACHE line.

    After reading your post, I decided to test my assumption with
OS20MEMU.  Obviously, the following data apply to my system only: I am
running Warp 4 plus FixPak 5 in a system supposedly containing 40 MB of
RAM.  As normally configured with the DISKCACHE line REMmed out,
OS20MEMU says that I have 40560 KB of installed memory, 3200 KB
allocated to "resident system" and 512 KB of disk cache.

     Deleting the leading "rem " from the line in CONFIG.SYS (leaving
the install-provided: "DISKCACHE=D,LW") and rebooting, I get 3204 KB
resident system space and 512 KB of disk cache.  As you will recognize,
the additional 4KB (one page) for resident system is in the noise, and
can be ignored.  This data led me to believe that there was no default
assignment of "DISKCACHE" memory in my system, in spite of what it said
in on-line help!

     Next, I changed the line to "DISKCACHE=2048,LW" and rebooted.  Now,
OS20MEMU showed 5616 KB allocated to the resident system, and 2560 KB
allocated to disk cache.

    This exercise increases my tendency to disbelieve much of what I
read in "help" files unless corroborated by test!  I have gone back to
my original version of CONFIG.SYS with the DISKCACHE line REMmed out.

    Your (or anyone else's) comments would be appreciated.

    Regards,

        --Murray
<Team PL/I>]
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #120 * One printed manual is worth a thousand INF files

--- Maximus/2 2.02
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From: Murray Lesser                                     16-Sep-99 16:59:01
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   16-Sep-99 16:59:01
Subj: Character sets

(Excerpts from a message dated 09-15-99, Roy J. Tellason to Murray
Lesser)

Hi Roy--

 ML> All my previous programming experience was on either 6-bit or 
 ML> 8-bit machines, none of which used any version of ASCII.

RT>What used six bits?

    The early 6-bit IBM machines I am most familiar with are the 650,
the 305 (I was the system architect on this system, announced in 1956),
the 700 series, the 1400 series, and the 7000 series.  In general, all
"mainframes" introduced prior to 1964, by all manufacturers, used a
6-bit character set.  For most "scientific" computers, addressing was by
36-bit word containing six characters; the "commercial" computers
addressed to the character.

 ML> AFAIAC, the convenience of one-bit differentiation between 
 ML> upper- and lower-case characters doesn't make up for the 
 ML> inconvenience of dealing with the stupid ASCII collating 
 ML> sequence (that interspersed the special characters within the 
 ML> alphabetic characters.) 

RT>If you were going to specify a collating sequence,  how would _you_
  >do it?

     More or less the same as the IBM 8-bit character set EBCDIC
(Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) has done it since the
S/360 family in 1964.  All alpha characters are contiguous, with the
special characters having a grouping of their own, rather than being in
several groups scattered between portions of the alphabet.

    Regards,

        --Murray
<Team PL/I>
___
 * MR/2 2.25 #120 * Computers eliminate spare time.

--- Maximus/2 2.02
 * Origin: OS/2 Shareware BBS, telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com (1:109/347)


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From: Bat Lang                                          17-Sep-99 01:14:13
  To: Roy J. Tellason                                   17-Sep-99 12:09:04
Subj: File Managers

 -=> Quoting Roy J. Tellason to Bat Lang, [16 Sep 99  11:10:07] <=-

 BL> Why can't we all put it to those IBM sites, and implore them to
 BL> use .ZIP as their standard files distribution format, just as
 BL> Hobbes and most of the free world. {^;

 <g>

 RJT> On that subject,  is there any easy way to deal with *.DSK files,
 RJT> other than actually making the floppies?

There is no 'easy' way TTBOMK if you are talking about just one. But if
you are talking about multiples, then there are a couple of
alternatives, the best of which IMHO is =not= to get them in the first
place. Eg, there are sites and then there are sites. If you find the
right sites, you can get the same files in .ZIP vice .DSK. Next time
you need a new FixPak installed, try this site (which carries with it
the need to have certain files on your system updated, but they will
detect that need, and supply the updates). This is part of the RSU
(Remote Software Update) system of IBM's:

http://ps.boulder.ibm.com/pbin-usa-ps/getobj.pl?/pdocs-usa/softupd.html#warp34


I've done all of my FixPak updates there, and haven't even needed to
unzip any of them, other than saying 'Yes'. {^;  YMMV.
Good Modeming!  /\oo/\


... FidoNet-Mail: 1:382/92 or E-mail: Bat.Lang@92.ima.infomail.com

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 07:59:13
  To: Herbert Rosenau                                   17-Sep-99 20:11:10
Subj: Re: Objects

HR> - Dont use the WARP Center (disable it in your config sys)
HR>   remove WARPCENTER from AUTOSTART (The WARP Center eats a lot of memory)
HR>   insert LAUNCHPAD instead (less memory intensive)
HR> - disable voice type (deinstall if installed) (it's a true memory monster
e
HR> you don't use your microphone.)

This was my next question. I never use the warpcenter so I was wondering if i 
could safely turn it off. I dont want the launchpad either.It seems i do
everything off the desktop. I fit lots there by making the icons invisible so 
i just have text showing.

HR> Then if you don't like the WPS change
HR> RUNWORKPLACE to x:\os2\cmd.exe

Will I be able to open multiple windows if I do this? Dos and os/2 ones?
I was originally thinking of going to do/desqview, but i figured i should 
try and learn os/2 a bit more. All I need is text based windows and the
ability to jump between them.


HR> But the most practicabe way is: inser more RAM (a total of 32 MB is 
HR> recommendet, a total of 64MB is sufficient)

drats, I keep hearing this  :)

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 08:01:08
  To: David Noon                                        17-Sep-99 20:11:11
Subj: Re: Objects

DN>    2) An extra hard drive so that your paging can be on a separate
physical
DN>       disk from your system DLL loading.

Yes, I have this. nothing on it right now but the swap file and some files for
strage only.

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 08:11:25
  To: Peter Knapper                                     17-Sep-99 20:11:11
Subj: Re: Objects

PK> Its hard to say without more detail on how your shell invokes these
service
PK> Does it try and "launch" the file to be viewed and thus uses the systems 
PK> association for the file, or does it launch the viewer executable directly 

PK> pass it the name of the file to be viewed? We would need a lot mroe
details
PK> about your shell program to be able to accurately answer this.

If I assign a viewer to it (list.com) i have to fill in a path. if i tell the 
zip shell to use object association, it will open the prgram automatically? 
The Viewer I would guess it just passes the filename to list.com

PK> I have only ever run an OS/2 BBS under OS/2 (since OS/2 1.3) so I can't
com
PK> on DOS ones. I doubt there would be much different to real DOS except for
t
PK> events you can run in parallel on the OS/2 environment, rather than as a
se
PK> sequence (EG exiting after a Mail seesion so that incoming mail can be 
PK> processed).

right now (w95) I just do everything in series in one window. mail processing
only takes a few seconds so i dont mind the bbs being off-line for that
little while. I'll likely just keep on doing this.

PK>  ME> IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:2048
PK> 
PK> Thats the one, 2048 is just a waste of memory in your case, change it to 
PK> something MUCH less. See Wills message about this, start small and only
gro
PK> absolutely necessary. 

Okay, I shall do this.


PK> Yep. Should be ok, unless you fill the drive up and it decides it needs
mor
PK> than 16Mb for swap........;-)

I'll keep an eye on it  when i'm at usual running pace and see where it lies 
then

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 08:19:07
  To: Mike Ruskai                                       17-Sep-99 20:11:11
Subj: Re: Objects

MR> Provided that the program in question accepts a command line argument 
MR> specifying the file, yes.  However, for such cases, OS/2 already has a 
MR> better alternative, which is file associations.
MR> 
MR> Opening the data file itself will load the program it's associated with, 
MR> with it as a parameter.  

I do this now. Once I found an association editor it made it easy enuff for me
to do.

MR> If you dislike right-clicking and choosing from the Open menu, when 
MR> multiple associations exist, then you can make it easier by using multiple 

MR> program objects that load the same data file with different programs (for 
MR> example, an image file that you either look at or edit).

Force of habit from when the kids were all little was to make a viewer the 
default because they were forever calling up and editing the wrong type of 
files. then of course they would save the things.....:)

MR> Memory is quite cheap these days.  I spent over $1200 on the 32MB I put in 

MR> that 486, but I recently spent less than $100 for an additional 128MB for 
MR> this machine.

You must live in a good area :) It would cost me $100 for (4) 4meg 30 pin 
simms around these parts.

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 08:25:19
  To: Scott Jones                                       17-Sep-99 20:11:11
Subj: Re: Objects

SJ> No, it hasn't.  In fact, Rick Meigs apparently no longer supports it.
SJ> There is a replacement, however, called ConfigMaint.  If you have i'net
SJ> access, you can find it at http://www.s.netic.de/kevers/warp_eng.html .

thanx. I'm getting it right now along with a couple other useful looking 
utils.

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 08:27:06
  To: Herbert Bushong                                   17-Sep-99 20:11:11
Subj: Re: Objects

HB> Go with a scheme,  then you can set those colors as well to what you want.

I've pretty much got it down now after a bit of practicing. Though I find it 
pretty hard to get "all" the thing to look right in all the right places. 
Black text on a black background can be a bit hard on the eyes sometimes :)

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From: Mark Ellis                                        17-Sep-99 08:30:15
  To: Will Honea                                        17-Sep-99 20:11:11
Subj: Re: Objects

WH> No, you don't use all HPFS; you have FAT support by default.  I'm
WH> pretty sure that there is a default cache - but I may be wrong since I
WH> haven't looked at cache sizes with OS2MEMU lately.  Anyway, you have
WH> FAT support whether you want it or not and you may have to use the
WH> diskcache line to set the minimum amount of memory cache possible. 
WH> There was a thread about this a long time ago but I can't remember
WH> exactly what the conclusion - if any - was.

You know that makes sense. how else would i be able to read all these 
floppies I'm sticking into the thing. I'll re-examine that section of the info
and give it another shot.

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From: Holger Granholm                                   16-Sep-99 19:50:00
  To: Paul Hildebrandt                                  17-Sep-99 21:57:14
Subj: BGFAX reg

In a message dated 09-14-99, Paul Hildebrandt said to All:

PH>I've tried to register BGFAX by internet but haven't recieved a
PH>reply. Does anyone know how to get a reg code for this program?

Hello Paul,

If you find out, please let us know the result.

Have a nice day,

Holger

___
 * MR/2 2.26 * - Hiroshima '45  Chernobyl '86  Windows '95 -

--- PCBoard (R) v15.22 (OS/2) 2
 * Origin: Coming to you from the Sunny Aland Islands. (2:20/228)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Eddy Thilleman                                    17-Sep-99 00:07:12
  To: Holger Granholm                                   17-Sep-99 21:57:14
Subj: Objects

Hello Holger,

14 Sep 99 20:58, Holger Granholm wrote to Mike Ruskai:

HG> Just going from 16 to 32 Mb here was a big disappointment.
HG> While Netscape loads in 32 seconds with 16 Mb RAM it takes 70 seconds
HG> with 32 Mb RAM.

I recognize this only as a symptom of an ISA card, some old ISA cards can't
address more than 16 MB RAM, especially old ISA SCSI-cards.

I've 128 MB RAM and my Netscape v4.04 loads in 7 seconds (I timed it).

      Greetings   -=Eddy=-        email: eddy.thilleman@net.hcc.nl

... "...we believe that OS/2 is the OS of the 90's" - Bill Gates, Comdex
--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
 * Origin: Windows98 is a graphic DOS extender (2:500/143.7)

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From: MIKE RUSKAI                                       16-Sep-99 12:36:00
  To: STEWART HONSBERGER                                17-Sep-99 21:57:14
Subj: ASF Player?

Some senseless babbling from Stewart Honsberger to All
on 09-15-99  15:47 about ASF Player?...

 SH> Hullo, all.

 SH> I've got some video files in "ASF" format (A MicroSoft proprietary
 SH> format), which appears to have better compression than MPEG (by about
 SH> 2X, it seems). The unfortunate part is - the only thing that'll play
 SH> them is Microsoft Media Player! UGH!

ASF doesn't have a compression level approaching MPEG.  Don't confuse less 
information with more compressed information.

 SH> I'm looking for something for either Linux, OS/2, or FreeBSD
 SH> (OpenSource preferred for the former and the latter, compiled binaries
 SH> for OS/2 - Freeware would also be great, and Shareware would be
 SH> acceptable (as long as it's not limited in such a way as to prevent me
 SH> from watching the video(s) end to end).

 SH> Thanks in advance!

I very much doubt there is any way to play those files except on MS's media 
player.

Mike Ruskai
thannymeister@yahoo.com


... Cats know how we feel ... They just don't give a damn.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v3.0pr2
 * Origin: FIDO QWK MAIL & MORE!  WWW.DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:3603/140)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Will Honea                                        17-Sep-99 23:03:00
  To: Murray Lesser                                     17-Sep-99 23:03:00
Subj: Cache

Murray Lesser wrote to Will Honea on 09-16-1999

ML>     After reading your post, I decided to test my assumption with
ML> OS20MEMU.  Obviously, the following data apply to my system only:
ML> I am running Warp 4 plus FixPak 5 in a system supposedly containing
ML> 40 MB of RAM.  As normally configured with the DISKCACHE line REMmed
ML> out, OS20MEMU says that I have 40560 KB of installed memory, 3200 KB
ML> allocated to "resident system" and 512 KB of disk cache.

This was the case I had no clue about.  So there is no
default-unless-otherwise-defined amount. Makes sense, in a way.

ML>      Deleting the leading "rem " from the line in CONFIG.SYS (leaving
ML> the install-provided: "DISKCACHE=D,LW") and rebooting, I get 3204
ML> KB resident system space and 512 KB of disk cache.  As you will
ML> recognize, the additional 4KB (one page) for resident system is in
ML> the noise, and can be ignored.  This data led me to believe that
ML> there was no default assignment of "DISKCACHE" memory in my system,
ML> in spite of what it said in on-line help!

Last time I had OS2MEMU up, the D parameter was working as advertised
- but I also have a couple of FAT partitions.  That may impact the
assignment as opposed to floppy-only systems.
 
ML>      Next, I changed the line to "DISKCACHE=2048,LW" and rebooted.  Now,
ML> OS20MEMU showed 5616 KB allocated to the resident system, and 2560
ML> KB allocated to disk cache. 

As expected.

Thanks for the info, Murray.  I've been too busy to get around to
re-booting to check for myself.

Will Honea <whonea@codenet.net>
--- Maximus/2 2.02
 * Origin: OS/2 Shareware BBS, telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com (1:109/347)


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