L40 SX Battery Concerns By Wally McCourt, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 Well, the IBM L40 SX Laptop has been around a few months, and there are a few things that have generated a number of questions. These questions have been in the area of the battery, suspend/resume, and the PS/2 Power Management Program. All three of these areas are very important to any user who wants the most from the L40 SX; each plays a vital part in the longevity of the system on battery power. Hopefully, the following information will help you in answering your customers' questions and concerns. Before I start, I want to clarify that the L40 SX has three batteries. The one everyone is familiar with is the removeable, rechargable battery. This is located at the back of the system behind the center door. The second battery is the "bridge" or standby battery. This is used when the system is in suspend mode. The standby battery stores the state of the system when the rechargeable battery is removed during operation. This allows batteries to be changed without turning off the L40 SX. The standby battery needs a full 48 hour charge when the system is first set up. The third battery is the CMOS battery. This is a five-year lithium battery that stores the system setup information and does not get charged at all. Conditioning/Recharging The first area of concern is with the battery's conditioning, length of usage, and recharging. First, let's talk about Ni-Cad batteries. Rechargable batteries take awhile to be conditioned. The way Ni-Cads are conditioned is by fully charging and discharging them. Ni-Cad batteries do not provide full power after the initial charge. It takes several cycles (charge and discharge) before they reach their optimum performance level. Ni-Cad batteries develop a "memory" of the cycle. In simple terms, if a new battery is charged for one hour and discharged for one hour, they will develop a memory to deliver power for that amount of time. From my experience, it will take six to ten complete cycles to condition the battery for optimum performance. This is done by a full ten hour charge from the A/C adapter or a 2.5 hour charge on the quick charger. Normally, the system has used the battery charge when the low battery alarm sounds and the system enters suspend/resume mode. This should be a sufficient discharge before recharging. HINT: I had a battery that was not giving me more than forty-five minutes. I put a couple of wires on a 12V automobile taillight and used this to do a deep discharge of the battery; next, I recharged it. This procedure was done several times. I now get more than three hours out of this battery using the power management routines discussed below. Suspend/Resume The second area of confusion is the Suspend/Resume feature of the L40 SX laptop. A key player in this function is the "bridge" battery. As mentioned, the "bridge" battery needs a FULL 48 hour charge before its first use. After that, it receives a charge from the A/C adapter or the rechargable battery. This battery is only used when the system goes into Suspend/Resume mode (indicated by the LCD icon to the right of the on/off switch). The way it works is, if you are in the middle of an application such as Lotus 1-2-3, and the system sounds a low-battery warning, all that needs to be done is to shut the cover of the system, remove the dead battery, and replace it with a fully-charged battery, or plug the A/C adapter into it. When the system cover is reopened, the system is restored to the application that was being used. Power Management The third part to the equation is the Power Management program, PS2.EXE. This is found on the reference diskette for the L40 SX and is the heart of this complex power management system. The PS2.EXE program controls the onboard I/O devices and some other functions of the L40 SX, including the speed of the processor. This is the most important part to getting the most usage from the battery. This program gives the user the option to put the hard disk to sleep after a specified number of minutes. In addition, the display can be blanked after a specified time along with suspend/resume being enabled after a specified amount of time. These options can save battery power, but not as much as a few others. The blue switch at the left of the "dashboard" controls the processor speed. It has two settings "A" for Automatic and "M" for Manual. The function of this switch is controlled by PS2.EXE. With PS2.EXE the user can set the processor speeds to use in Automatic mode and Manual mode. In Automatic mode the processor can be set to High Performance (20MHz) or Long Battery Life (5 MHz). In Manual mode the user can define the particular speed that the system is to run, either 5Mhz, 10Mhz or 20MHz. This allows the user to specify that when in Automatic mode to use Long Battery Life, and by pushing the blue switch to Manual mode go to 20Mhz for, say, a spreadsheet recalculation. Set the switches for the way the system is being used. More information can be found in the reference manual for the system, including tips on how to invoke the functions of the PS2.EXE program from BATCH files. Other options can be set to turn on/off the Fax/Modem, the serial port, the parallel port, and select the keyboard speed. All of these settings can shorten or lengthen the life of a battery charge. The PS2.EXE program and the other tips above are the key to the advertised maximum battery life of "up to 3 hours." Please take the time to read the "HINTS & TIPS" supplement enclosed with the system unit. This will help you and your customers get the most from the PS/2 L40SX laptop! DOS Lives! By Doug Pahle, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 June 11, 1991 . . . From the IBM Boca Programming Center in Boca Raton, Florida, as hundreds of fans, well-wishers and reporters awaited, emerged the grand old lady of personal computing, DOS, as 5.0. The crowd went wild. After the cheers subsided, DOS quoted Will Rogers saying, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Again the crowd broke into unbridled applause and acclamation. Shouts of praise like, "We love you, DOS!", "Never leave us!", "Long live DOS!" were heard from her fans. A spontaneous chant then arose from the multitude . . . "DOS LIVES! DOS LIVES! DOS LIVES!" Survivor Yes, DOS lives. The single surviving member of the original IBM Personal Computer team is in her tenth release and is ten years young. But she is smarter, more beautiful and more friendly than she has ever been. And she's faster and smaller than she was in her previous release, 4.0. In fact, on most systems, she is smaller than her college playing weight when she was 2.0! New Tricks Responding to a smart-aleck young reporter who was making wisecracks about her age, DOS said "Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks, dude? I've implemented several radically new ideas." First, a proof of license of a previous version of IBM DOS is no longer required to upgrade to 5.0. You have no paperwork to complete and submit. The DOS 5.0 upgrade package checks your fixed disk for the existence of a previous IBM version. Second, users are provided with defect support directly from IBM. They can and should report any defects they find in DOS 5.0 to IBM via the toll-free number found in the package: 800-237-5511. Customers can also request patches from this same number or can download them from the IBM National Support Center BBS (404-835-6600). Third, the acquisition of additional licenses has been made much easier for you and your customers. You can just order additional licenses, or additional license upgrades, in the form of certificates from the IBM Software and Publications hotline, at 800-327-5711, and remarket them just as you do with regular software packages. No signatures are required. Fourth, the end-user can order a single copy of DOS 5.0, or the upgrade package, directly from IBM at 800-IBM-7699. Those users running IBM DOS from diskette can obtain the regular DOS 5.0 package at the upgrade price (one-time license charge of $85) from this same number. In this case, proof of license is required. And last, for your convenience, included in the upgrade package are updates for IBM PC LAN program, IBM DOS LAN Requester, and NetWare V2.2 and V3.11 to make them run with 5.0. These network fixes/updates are also available from the IBM System Support Center (Defect Support) at 800-237-5511 and from the IBM Technical Advisor BBS. Prettier DOS 5.0 explained that her new interface introduced with 4.0, called DOS Shell, has been significantly improved making her more beautiful and friendlier. It looks and "feels" much like the OS/2 Presentation Manager and the Windows Program Manager. It has a menu bar, title bar, scroll bars, a status bar, dialog boxes, icons, etc. It allows the user to manage programs, view the directory structure of any disk, view the contents of several directories, navigate through files and directories quickly, etc. It runs in one of several text or graphics modes and provides a variety of selectable color schemes. One can define his/her own colors by editing the DOSSHELL.INI file. It also contains an abundance of online help which can be accessed in a variety of ways. A suspend/resume task swapper is also provided, allowing the user to switch from one application to another without closing applications. Friendlier But prior to seeing the DOS Shell the user first experiences DOS 5.0's much friendlier personality during installation. Both packages are very easy to install. Simply boot the first diskette, respond to a couple of very understandable, straightforward prompts (which have default answers), insert the other diskettes when asked and DOS does the rest displaying status, in percent complete, at the bottom of the screen. Again, an abundance of online help is available. The user is instructed to refer to the User's Guide and Reference if customizing is desired. If you are installing to floppy disks, the setup program tells you how many diskettes you'll need and what to label them. Setup formats them for you. The upgrade package setup program gives you the option to save your previous version of DOS on diskettes in case you want to run your previous version. The setup program formats the backup diskettes for you. To restore your previous version, simply boot the first 5.0 upgrade diskette and choose to uninstall 5.0 and follow the prompts. New online help for DOS 5.0 commands also attests to her more amiable nature. This provides a brief description of the command, its syntax and its parameters. There are two ways to invoke this help: 1) type HELP (command name) or, 2) type (command name) /?. Smarter DOS explained that she had to get smarter to provide these ease-of-use additions and enhancements. Her new full screen text editor with its cut/copy/paste, search/change, mouse support and full on-line documentation is another example of her increased intelligence and friendliness. DOSKEY provides command line recall and edit, and keystroke macro capabilities. UNDELETE, UNFORMAT and MIRROR also make 5.0 significantly smarter providing her with file and disk recovery capabilities. The SETVER command allows DOS 5.0 to "lie" to applications about her version. It will tell an application what it wants to hear when asking DOS what version she is. DOS 5.0 includes a new and improved BASIC interpreter, QBasic, which is documented online and includes extensive help. Several other commands have been improved or added making 5.0 smarter and easier to use. Some new hardware support is also included. Slimmer Regarding her new slim, trim figure (or lean and mean physique, if you prefer) DOS 5.0 said on 80286 or greater systems with at least 1MB of RAM her new device driver, HIMEM.SYS allows a large portion of her internals (IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM) to be loaded into the High Memory Area (HMA). This is the almost-64KB of memory (64KB minus 16 bytes) residing just above the 1MB boundary which can be addressed in real mode on 80286 and subsequent processors. HIMEM enables the twenty-first address line on these processors, so when an offset of 10h or greater into segment FFFF is used the 1MB address barrier is broken. Once HIMEM.SYS is loaded, it's actually the DOS=HIGH command that loads portions of DOS into this HMA. With DOS loaded in the HMA, up to 623.8 KB of conventional memory can be free. That's more available conventional memory than you could get with DOS 2.0! Even on an 8088 or 8086 system, DOS 5.0 is smaller than 4.0. EMM386.EXE, the new expanded memory device driver for 80386 systems, also provides access to the Upper Memory Blocks, or Upper Memory Area (UMB or UMA). This is available on 80386 or greater systems with at least 1MB of RAM. UMBs are blocks of extended memory given unused addresses between 640KB and 1MB. You can load programs and/or installable device drivers into this memory. To load a program there, use the LOADHIGH, or LH command. To load a device driver there, use the DEVICEHIGH command. Loading terminate-and-stay-resident programs and installable device drivers in the UMA can free up a lot of conventional memory for application use. The requirements for this are: 1) You must install HIMEM.SYS, 2) You must install EMM386.EXE with either the RAM or the NOEMS parameter, 3) You must specify the UMB parameter on the DOS= command, and 4) You must have available addresses between 640KB and 1MB, i.e. addresses not used by video buffers, adapter cards, BIOS, ROM BASIC and EMS memory. Faster Applications written to the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft (LIM) Expanded Memory Specification 3.2 or 4.0 perform significantly faster on 80386 or greater systems using the EMM386.EXE EMS device driver versus the XMAEM.SYS and XMA2EMS.SYS device drivers that came with 4.0. Most users will realize a six to ten times Expanded Memory Management performance improvement. On 80286 systems, use XMA2EMS.SYS for EMS support. This driver is currently shipped with IBM 80286 memory cards. It is available separately if needed. If you have a non-IBM memory adapter, use the device driver supplied by the manufacturer. To use both EMS memory and the UMA, use the RAM parameter with the EMM386.EXE device driver. NOEMS only provides UMB's. EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS conform to the Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI), and are therefore compatible with other VCPI applications. You've come a long way, baby! DOS has come a long way since her birth in 1981. Now, a decade later, she offers online help and a very friendly menu-based user interface; improved memory management including a High Memory Area into which portions of DOS can be loaded, Upper Memory Blocks into which programs and device drivers can be loaded, Expanded Memory Specification memory and extended memory management; improved performance and additional functions. The slimmer, trimmer, faster, smarter, prettier, friendlier DOS, DOS 5.0, lives! Extended Graphics Array (XGA) By Chris Gaskins, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 What is XGA and how do I use it? This is a very common question at the NSC. Since XGA emerged, there has been much confusion about its installation and functionality. Hopefully, this column will clear the air on XGA installation, and on the technology behind XGA as well. XGA vs. 8514/A First, I want to stress the differences between the XGA card and the 8514/A Display Adapter. The 8514/A card simply provides a high resolution of 1024 X 768 with 16 or 256 colors in this mode, depending on the amount of memory installed on the card. This card works on any Micro Channel system unit that has an adapter slot with the video extension connector. The 8514/A card only functions in that slot because it only has a high resolution processor and not a VGA compatible processor. When the system is running applications in VGA mode (or lesser resolutions) the 8514/A card simply passes the VGA information from the system board VGA controller through the Auxilliary Video Extension (AVE). When applications require high resolution, a TSR program called HDILOAD (provided with the adapter) installs the 8514/A Adapter Interface (AI) code. The 8514/A AI is basically a gateway to the 8514/A adapter. Since IBM never published the hardware register information for the 8514/A, all applications had to write to the AI, which in turn writes directly to the hardware on the card. The 8514/A can not function unless it has a video system to supply VGA mode (and lower) video signals. So much for the review of 8514/A. Now lets get into XGA. The XGA card is an entire graphics subsystem that provides a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 as well as all VGA modes. It does not have to rely on a video subsystem on the motherboard of the machine where it is installed. The XGA card is also a Bus Master, which means it can do its own processing and memory accesses without having to use the main system processor, providing faster video processing and freeing up the main processor for other tasks. The XGA card has a 32-bit Micro Channel connector; but can be placed in a 16-bit slot; however there is a performance penalty if the card is used in a 16-bit slot. Another vast difference in the XGA card is that it only functions in 386SX or higher systems. This is because the drivers and the card itself have been optimized to work with the 386 32-bit instruction set, also increasing the performance of the card. The XGA card comes standard with 512KB of VRAM which provides a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 with 16 colors. If the memory is upgraded to a full 1MB the maximum increases to 1024 x 768 with 256 colors. Installing XGA Installation of the XGA card is much like the installation of any other Micro Channel adapter. First, simply place the card in a Micro Channel expansion slot. A 32-bit slot is preferred, due to the speed advantage mentioned earlier. There is however one slot the XGA card will not fit, and that is the slot with the AVE. The XGA card does have an extension that looks much like the 8514/A extension; however, upon closer inspection you will see the extension on this card is positioned differently. The positioning of the XGA extension tab will prevent it from being inserted into the slot with the auxiliary video extension. What is the extension for on the XGA card, you ask? Currently only one PS/2 has an expansion slot that will accommodate the extension on the XGA card. That system is the PS/2 Model 95. Why? First, lets review the purpose of the 8514/A video extension. Remember that the extension of the 8514/A card allows the applications that run in VGA mode to viewed on the screen. The 8514/A card is simply pulling the VGA signals from the system board through that video extension and out the display port on the back of the adapter card. Now, as you recall, the XGA card has its own video processor that can handle VGA and high resolution modes. The Model 95 is the only PS/2 that does not have a video subsystem integrated onto its system board, but instead is shipped with an XGA adapter already installed. Suppose you wanted to place an adapter in the Model 95 that required VGA signals from the main video subsystem. This could be the IBM PS/2 Image Adapter/A or possibly the IBM PS/2 M-Motion Adapter/A (the 8514/A card is not supported in the Model 95). For an adapter of this type to function in the AVE slot the XGA card must be plugged into the one slot that can accommodate its Base Video Extension (BVE). The reasoning behind this is the BVE takes VGA signals from the XGA card and routes them directly to the Auxiliary Video Extension that the M-Motion or Image Adapter is using. Once the card is configured and a display attached, nothing more needs to be done to get normal operation from the XGA card; normal operation being VGA modes only. The XGA card only occupies 8KB of memory between 640KB and 1MB. Since the XGA card is a Bus Master, it can occupy any 8KB in the "C" or "D" range. To see which part of memory is being used by the XGA card, choose the menu option "Display Memory Map" from the Reference Diskette. Another great feature of the XGA card is that you can have up to six XGA cards installed in one machine (five if the system has XGA already on the system board, like the Model 90). To take advantage of multiple adapters, software must be specifically written to do so. If you have an XGA card in a system that has VGA on the system board and a display attached just to the XGA card, the XGA card will function in VGA and high resolution modes. Now, if you have the same setup as before but a display is attached to the system board VGA port and another to the XGA card, all VGA (and lower modes) will be displayed on the display attached to the system board port. The XGA card will only be used when high resolution is required. You will not get an echo of a VGA image onto the display attached to the XGA port as you would using the 8514/A. Once the card is installed, the appropriate device driver must be installed before the high resolution can be accessed. There are two device driver diskettes that come with the XGA card. The first diskette contains all of the device drivers for DOS, Microsoft Windows 3.0, Microsoft Windows 286 2.1, and AutoCAD Release 10. The second diskette contains support for OS/2 1.2 (OS/2 1.3 ships with an XGA driver). The latest driver diskette is version 1.10.2, which is currently available for downloading from the TA Bulletin Board System. Installing device drivers for the XGA card is a subject all to itself; so I will save that information for a later column. Hopefully this has increased your understanding of the XGA card. For more information, contact the NSC. OS/2 2.0 Update By Mark Chapman, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 By now, those of you who attended the Technical Advisor conference in June should have received the OS/2 2.0 beta code we promised you (if not, contact the NSC). In addition, end-users are also eligible to receive copies under the OS/2 2.0 Early Experience Program. They just have to ask for it via the NSC BBS. In my last column, I described what would be coming in the final ship-level 2.0 package, based on what I had discovered about it so far. Since then I have had a chance to learn more about the final product. To begin with, beta testers should automatically receive two more beta releases before 2.0 ships (but, as with most aspects of beta code, dates are subject to change). Some of the following features are there now, and some will follow in later beta releases: Base Operating System MOST The Multiple Operating System Tool (or multiboot) is installed by 2.0 in a special 1MB disk partition. When the system is booted, the user is greeted with the MOST menu, which lists up to three primary partitions created by the user, each containing an operating system. The user then decides whether to boot from, say DOS 4.0, OS/2 1.3, or OS/2 2.0 (or DOS 5.0, DR DOS 5.0, UNIX, or whatever else). Whichever partition is selected will then boot as the C: drive (and the other primary partitions are hidden; ie. they get no drive letters). If the user makes no selection, after a predetermined amount of time MOST will boot from the default partition (also predetermined by the user). In the version I used when writing this, any of the C: drive primary partitions are bootable. I'm told that by the ship-level, all primary partitions on ANY fixed disk drive (even non-bootable ones) may be booted by MOST. But, again, this is subject to change. MVDM Not only will you be able to boot "real" DOS inside a Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) session, but DR DOS 5.0 and Desqview can also be booted. In comparisons of the available memory in an OS/2 2.0 DOS session versus a system with DOS 5.0 running MS Windows 3.0, the 2.0 DOS session had about 48K more memory available for running DOS programs. V2.0 will include DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) support (a DOS extender technology). Plus, IBM is working with VCPI (Virtual Control Programming Interface) extender product vendors, including Phar Lap, Rationale, and Ergo, to convert their products to support DPMI. (Interleaf Publisher and AutoCAD are examples of applications that use VCPI DOS extenders to access more than 640K of RAM.) By the way, while "regular" DOS apps are limited to "only" 48MB of RAM, DOS apps written to the DPMI spec can access up to 512MB of memory! There is virtual "A20 line" support in each DOS session, for apps that use the A20 line to access the first 64K of "high memory". Each VDM will be able to load it's own drivers and set attributes and tuning parameters for that particular DOS session. So each session can be uniquely configured. V2.0 allows up to 256 sessions to be open at once (but memory and screen space are more likely to be the limiting factors); of which 240 can be windowed (PM, VIO, DOS, or Windows), and 16 are reserved for full-screen apps. DOS and Windows 3270 emulation programs that use EHLLAPI (such as IBM Personal Communications/3270, and IBM Windows Connection) will run in a DOS session. Workplace Shell "Sticky" keys and other features will be added to support OS/2 use by persons with disabilities. (Keys programmed to be sticky can be selected in sequence, rather than requiring simultaneous depression; as Ctrl-Alt-Del, for example, normally does.) Icons will be provided that, when maximized, will make the screen look like DOS 4.0, DOS 5.0, Windows 3.0, and OS/2 1.3. This is for users who are upgrading from these environments but don't want or need the Workplace Shell usability enhancements. For example, a DOS 4.0 user who upgrades purely to multitask DOS apps might feel more comfortable with the DOS 4.0 DOSSHELL screen to work from. As far as he is concerned he is running a multitasking DOS 4.0 system. By saving the Workplace Shell desktop with the 4.0 window maximized, the user would never again have to see any interface but the DOS 4.0 shell, if desired. At PC Expo, in June, in a demonstration of the drag/drop functionality of the 2.0 Workplace Shell, I watched as a document icon was dragged from a LAN Server network drive and dropped on a NetWare LAN network drive; then dragged and dropped on a Banyan Vines network drive. As simple as that to move a file from one bridged network to another! Performance Interestingly, OS/2 2.0 was not developed for the 386 processor, but for the 486. What this means is that, while it will run fine on the various flavors of the 386 (SX/DX), it will also take advantage of the advanced 486 features (things like burst mode, and "TLB flushing"); thus giving 2.0 a little extra boost when running on a 486 system. 2.0 is also optimized to use all (fast) motherboard memory before using any (slow) adapter RAM; in contrast to the way 1.3 worked. Another plus is that because paging will replace segment swapping, not only will "swapping" to disk be faster, but it is also probable that there will be fewer memory chip failures (TRAP 2s) caused by frequent memory compaction, which is no longer needed. By taking advantage of improvments in the file system, the 2.0 print spooler also will be much faster. Finally, our Business Partner Micrografx is ahead of schedule in developing the new 32-bit implementation of the Presentation Manager graphics "engine" that will make PM screen redraws and object handling much faster. It is presently undergoing final testing. Device Drivers OS/2 16-bit drivers will continue to work, but performance will not be as good as 32-bit drivers would be. Also, DOS apps will be able to use all of the built-in drivers included in DOS apps; and Windows 2.x and 3.0 programs will be able to continue using all of the Windows drivers supplied or acquired. SCSI Support Currently, the only SCSI adapter support built into OS/2 is for the IBM controllers. 2.0 will include a generic SCSI driver (in fact it is already included with the 6.149 build), SCSI.SYS in support of the LADDR model. This driver will support the scatter/gather capability of the SCSI specification. Virtual Math Coprocessor Some calculation-intensive software will terminate if it doesn't detect the presence of a floating-point math coprocessor. 2.0 will include a 32-bit 387 emulator. So software that looks for a 387 will find one. Although the performance will not be as high as a real 387 would provide, it saves the customer the cost of buying one, if speed isn't as important as the cost (perhaps in a test environment, or for a program that is used only occasionally). IPC Inter-Process Communications, a feature of OS/2, is being extended to DOS and Windows apps. Any application that uses Named Pipes can communicate with any other app that does so, regardless of the "type" of app it is. In addition, apps can also communicate with other types via DDE. And at the very minimum, cut/copy/paste can be between MVDM, Windows 2.x/3.x, and PM session windows. Applets PM Chart, a subset of Micrografx's Charisma graphics program, will be included as one of the applets shipped with 2.0. 32-bit Applications Many people have expressed a concern that all this 32-bit performance won't do much good unless there are 32-bit apps available to take advantage of it. While there is some merit to this, don't forget that much of OS/2 will be written to use the 32-bit instruction set and flat memory management, which by itself will make not only OS/2 run faster, but DOS, Windows, and OS/2 16-bit apps as well. In addition, more than 30 vendors have announced that they plan to have 32-bit OS/2 apps ready to go about the same time as OS/2 2.0. A list of these will be published when 2.0 is announced. Programmer's Workbench Instead of the current Programming Tools and Information kit, selling for $650, 2.0 will offer the Programmer's Workbench. This toolkit will contain the same kinds of software tools as before, but no manuals. All documentation will be in online books, similar to the OS/2 1.3 Command Reference. Not only will this mean much smaller, lighter packages, but also keyword searches, to make it easier to find the information the developer is looking for. And because the paper and printing costs are eliminated, the cost of the toolkit will be much lower: less than $200. For those who can't live without hard-copy manuals, those will be offered separately as the OS/2 Technical Lbrary, also for under $200. (I know some of you only read manuals in the john; so physical manuals are a must!) Finally, IBM will offer a 32-bit C compiler developed by IBM Canada. This will be in addition to a 32-bit C compiler offered by Borland, and a 32-bit C++ compiler from Zortech. ES/LS Since my last column, a lot more information about the Extended Services and LAN Services products has been made available. Here is what I have learned so far. Installation ES and LS will run on top of either SE 1.30.1, or 2.0 (but not 1.30); for the best performance, 2.0 should be used. The installation process will be much simpler, with ES/LS figuring out much of the hardware configuration by itself. And there will be much more online help to explain what is needed by some of the prompts. ES/LS can be installed to any partition or drive; not just C:. To support the multiboot (MOST) capability of the base operating system, ES/LS will install to whatever partition is booted. Should the need arise, an installation can be aborted, by a Ctrl-Esc, and then restarted from that point at a later time. The installation won't fail if some files are locked (in use); the new files will simply be stored on disk, and then later, when the files are no longer in use (say after a reboot), these files will automatically finish installing. The use of more efficient compression/decompression programs have reduced the diskette storage requirement by 40%, while decreasing the unpacking time by 60%. So standalone installations will be significantly faster. Currently, the only way to install OS/2 across a network is to use a tool called NetView Distribution Manager/2 in association with the NetView DM program product on an MVS host. This is a very expensive proposition today. LS 2.0 will provide this function, in a LAN-only environment. To illustrate the major time-savings this provides the LAN administrator, recently a large IBM customer used NetView DM/2 to install EE 1.3 on 40 workstations on a LAN in under an hour, total. By comparison, in a normal manual installation, EE 1.3 can take as much as 1.5 hours per system. By allowing OS/2 to be installed across a LAN, you are able to keep one copy of the software on the server, and transfer the data at network speeds, rather than diskette transfer rates. Plus it enables you to keep one or more standard configuration setups on the LAN and "broadcast" them to the appropriate systems as they are being setup. CSDs We are all aware of how difficult and time-consuming CSD (patch) installation is; again, installed manually per workstation. 2.0 will change all that forever. Not only can the CSDs be installed across a LAN, much like OS/2 itself, but a new utility, called FIXTOOL, will seek out all files needing updating, automatically, and replace only those files. No longer does the user have to figure out whether there are any files (DOS, for example) or directories that need to be protected on each drive. FIXTOOL does all the work for you. DMA Serial Support The PS/2 Models 57, 90, and 95 contain serial ports that, by using DMA data transfers, are capable of transfer rates up to 345.6 Kbps. OS/2 1.3 only supports speeds of up to 19.2 Kbps, even on the DMA serial ports. But ES will support up to two DMA serial ports, at speeds up to 64 Kbps; and future releases will increase that amount until it reaches the full 345.6 Kbps. Network Adapters In addition to the IBM and OEM network adapters currently supported under 1.3, 2.0 will add support for the IBM Token Ring 16/4 Bus Master Server Adapter/A, and additional OEM adapters; both on IBM systems and clones (using the OEM version of OS/2 SE). During installation, users will be given the option of specifying which adapter they are using. ACDI Redirection In an enhancement over EE 1.3, async apps that are written to use the Asynchronous Communications Device Interface (ACDI) can be redirected across a LAN to a modem on another system. 3174 Peer Communications A LAN composed of 3174 workstations can bridge to an LS 2.0 network via coax attachment. Protocol Support LS 2.0 will support NetBIOS, 802.2, TCP/UDP/IP, IPX/SPX, XNS, and other protocol stacks. It also adds a Media Access Control (MAC) layer interface (NDIS 1.02). Performance Faster, 32-bit, drivers will enable the 16 Mbps Token-Ring and 10 Mbps Ethernet adapters to be driven much closer to their theoretical limits than in the past, resulting in much higher overall throughput across a LAN. A faster NETBEUI, JETBEUI, will be provided (with DIX 2.0 and error logging support). Response time for small-to-medium sized record read/writes (where IBM typically falls behind the competition today) will be greatly improved. Response time for large record read/writes (where IBM typically races ahead of the competition) will also be improved, but not to the same extent. Database/Query Manager The Query Manager will be essentially unchanged; but there is much improvement in DBM. There will be Roll Forward Recovery, which archives transactions as they occur, so they can be reapplied if you lose the file and your backup isn't current. In other words, it will apply the changes made since your last backup. Many of the QM tools have been moved to a new function, called DBTOOLS (Database Tools). Eventualy all of QM will be incorporated into DBTOOLS. Other new tools include a trace facility for DBM, a reorg check, and a user-defined collating sequence. DOS Requester/Client The old term, DOS Requester, is being replaced with a new one, DOS Client, to better reflect the Client/Server strategy of ES. The DOS Client will now operate in a window under Windows 3.0 (but there is no QM front-end for Windows, as there is for PM). UPS Support LS 2.0 will contain support for Uninterruptable Power Source (UPS) programmability. A UPS that has a connection to a serial port can signal OS/2 when it kicks in (due to a loss of external power). This tells LS to signal all users on the LAN that the LAN may come down in X minutes (depending on the capacity of the UPS), and to save their work. Then if power isn't restored before then, another message is sent from the UPS to the Server telling it to shutdown. LS then does an orderly shutdown of all sessions. More! There are already more than 10,000 customers, dealers, and IBMers around the world beta testing OS/2 2.0, pointing out bugs and incompatibilities, and offering suggestions. When it ships 2.0 should be the best PC operating system product ever produced! There is much more I could say, but no more room in which to say it. Remember, what I have told you so far in these last two columns is in reference to beta code, and as such is subject to change. By the next issue of this newsletter, in another two to three months, I should know EXACTLY what is coming in the final shipment. So stay tuned for the next thrilling installment in the 2.0 saga! Understanding PS/2 Model Numbers By Mark Chapman, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 There have been so many different PS/2 models, past and present, that it can be difficult to tell them apart just by the model numbers. The following is an attempt to explain the meaning behind these numbers. Despite appearances, the numbers and letters do have specific meanings (although in a few cases their use is not totally consistent). In an attempt to simplify the process of understanding model differences, IBM recently started using a new system for designating models. So, below you will find two sets of explanations, one for the older scheme, and the other for the new method: Old Convention: (PS/2 Models 25, 25-286, 30, 30-286, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, P70, P75, 80) Models Meaning *2* 20MB Fixed Disk drive *3* 30MB Fixed Disk drive (Except A3*) *4* 45MB Fixed Disk drive *6* 60MB Fixed Disk drive *8* 80MB Fixed Disk drive **0 Medialess (no Fixed Disk, no diskette drives) **1 1 diskette drive **1 Monochrome Display (25 only) **2 2 diskette drives **4 Color Display (25, 25-286 only) **6 10MHz 286; 1 diskette drive (25-286 only) 0** Space-saving keyboard (25-286 only) 12* 120MB Fixed Disk drive @2* 120MB Fixed Disk drive 16* 160MB Fixed Disk drive @16 160MB Fixed Disk drive 32* 320MB Fixed Disk drive 40* 400MB Fixed Disk drive A** 25MHz 386 processor A3* 25MHz 386 processor; 320MB Fixed Disk drive B** 25MHz 486 processor C** Color Display E** 10MHz 286 (30-286 only) E6* 16MHz 386; 60MB Fixed Disk drive (70 only) G** Enhanced Keyboard L0* 4MBps Token-Ring LAN adapter (25 only) LE* Ethernet LAN adapter (55 only) LT* 16/4 Token-Ring LAN adapter (55 only) M** Monochrome Display To illustrate: Models Meaning Model 25-G04 Enhanced keyboard and a built-in color display. Model 25-036 Space-saving keyboard, a 30MB fixed disk drive, and a 10MHz 286 processor. Model 70-A21 25MHz 386 processor, a 120MB fixed disk drive, and one diskette drive. New Convention: (PS/2 Models 35, 40, L40, 57, 90, 95) Models Meaning 0** Standard processor complex design 1** Advanced processor complex design 2** 16/4 Token-Ring LAN Adapter *4* 20MHz 386SX *G* 20MHz 486SX *J* 25MHz 486 *K* 33MHz 486 *M* 50MHz 486 **0 No Fixed Disk, one diskette drive **3 40MB Fixed Disk drive **4 60MB Fixed Disk drive **5 80MB Fixed Disk drive **9 160MB Fixed Disk drive **D 320MB Fixed Disk drive **F 400MB Fixed Disk drive **X Medialess (no Fixed Disk, no diskette drives) For example: Models Meaning Model 35-24X Token-Ring adapter, 20MHz 386SX processor, and no drives. Model 40-040 20MHz 386SX processor, a diskette drive, but not fixed disk drive. Model 90-0J9 25MHz 486 processor, and a 160MB fixed disk drive. Note: * = Any number or letter @ = A or B $ = E OS/2 LAN Server 1.3 Tips By Mike Amerson, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta - Lost password for an OS/2 LAN administrator If by chance the password for the administrator of a LAN is lost and there is no other user with administrator authority, there are two courses that can be taken: 1. You can perform the dreaded reinstall. 2. You can replace your existing NET.ACC file with the original one that comes with the OS/2 package. The original NET.ACC file has the default ADMINISTRATOR ID with the password PASSWORD. The only problem with this is that it will reset your NET.ACC file back to the default and wipe out your other definitions including the users definitions. You would have to re-setup your domain information. The NET.ACC is located in the C:\IBMLAN\ACCOUNTS subdirectory. The original NET.ACC would have to be unpacked from disk 6 of the OS/2 EE package. - Forcing a user to be logged off through administrative functions The only way to force a user to logoff is to disconnect the user's session and then disallow their logon privilege. - How much memory is freed up by using the (1.3 DLR) NET STOP command to unload the network software? All memory including standard, extended and expanded are freed with certain restrictions. The NET START command or the DOSLAN.INI file must contain the /API parameter. The command is not supported on RIPL or diskette IPL machines. If a TSR program is loaded after the NET START and somehow it resides in a memory space surrounded by that required by DLR, the NET STOP won't return the TSR storage so you'll be left with fragmented memory. - Installation Error - SYS1045 When the directory \OS2\INSTALL\DDITEMP is left over from a 1.2 install, usually because of an aborted install, the following error occurs: SYS1045. If the user has this directory containing the file DDITEMP.DDP, and attempts to boot the 1.3 installation diskette for the first time, he will get a SYS1045 error indicating incompatible versions and the installation will be aborted. This is because when the installation program sees the DDITEMP.DDP file, it attempts to run DDINSTAL.EXE from the C:\OS2\INSTALL directory. Since this is still the 1.2 version of DDINSTAL and the user has booted with 1.3, the version error occurs. The solution for users who get this error on their first installation of 1.3 over 1.2 is to boot with the 1.2 installation diskette, which will clean up the DDITEMP directory. If users do not have the 1.2 installation diskette at hand, they can reboot and remove the directory of OS2/INSTALL/DDITEMP and all files under it manually. Once this directory is gone, they should be able to boot with the 1.3 installation diskette and proceed with their 1.3 install. This error can also occur when installing 1.2 over 1.3 if \OS2\ INSTALL\DDITEMP\DDITEMP.DDP exists on the 1.3 machine. If so, the instructions are reversed. Boot with the 1.3 installation diskette to perform the cleanup, then reboot with the 1.2 diskette and go ahead with installation. - Logon and Logoff problem There was a LOGON problem with OS/2 EE V1.30 where a user could not access public applications if the user had more than 10 public applications. Also, the users could not LOGOFF via UPM because they did not show up on the list of logged on users. The workaround for the problem is to limit all OS/2 1.3 LAN users to 10 public applications or less; or to apply CSD 5015, which can be obtained from IBM Defect Support. This problem has been fixed in the OS/2 LAN Server V1.30.1 code. - Dropping sessions when sending 64KB messages across slow bridges. When sending 64KB messages across slow bridges, LAN Server 1.3 will drop the session, but it will re-establish it and set NETBIOS so the new session will use a smaller message (SIZEREQBUF, not 64KB). This is automatic. This problem also exists with LAN Server 1.2 when NETBIOS at the server times out and disconnects the remote user, if the bridge cannot forward data as fast as the server can ship it. The situation can be improved by changing the NETBIOS timer via SRVHEURISTIC digit 15, which determines the OPLOCK timeout as well as the NETBIOS timeout. - DLR users dropped from NET WHO after logging on. The DLRs need to use /NMS:N (where N is 1 or more) in their C:\DOSLAN\DOSLAN.INI FILE. This does use a minimum of 2.7K (4.4K if no HIMEM) for the first mail slot and 144 bytes for each additional mail slot. - OS/2 base and LAN Server at different syslevels. - OS2 Extended Edition and LAN Server are both available at a SYSLEVEL of WR05015. There is a possibility that a server may have a mixed level of code, WR05000 and WR05015. To check the system level of each component, type SYSLEVEL at the command prompt and if the components are at different CURRENT LEVELS, install the WR05015 CSD. 1.30.1 is the same as 1.3 with the CSD installed. - DLR Upgrading to DOS 5.0 If you are planning to upgrade to DOS 5.0, it is easier to first install the DLR on a machine and then upgrade to DOS 5.0 than it is to install DOS 5.0 and then add the DLR. If DOS 5.0 is installed first, the latest DLR diskettes must be 1.30.1, or DLR 1.3 diskettes that have been upgraded with CSD WR05015. If you try to install with DLR 1.3, an error message will state that the hard drive is full and installation will be stopped. Problem starting Messenger If you experience problems starting the MESSENGER (ERROR NET:3062), make sure there is a directory C:\IBMLAN\LOGS. If it doesn't exist, create it with the following command: MD C:\IBMLAN\LOGS - Synchronizing the time on domains In order to synchronize the time on the domain with that of the time on another domain or server, use the following: To synch DOMAINA with DOMAINB: (On DOMAINA) NET TIME /DOMAIN:DOMAINB /SET /YES To synch with any server: NET TIME \\servname /SET /YES - Subdirectory Access Granting permission to use a subdirectory does NOT grant permission to use any lower subdirectory. For example, suppose you have an application ABC in directory C:\APPS\ABCAPP. You create a file alias ALLAPS which is C:\\APPS, with universal Read and Execute permissions. You create an application definition for ABC which uses ALLAPPS as its root, with the Remaining Path To Program = \ABCAPP to get you to the application itself. In this case the user will get an access control violation. You have granted access to C:\APPS, but not to C:\APPS\ABCAPP. However, Lan Server does provide a quick way to grant access to "child" subdirectories. APPLY: Located in the Full Screen Interface, under Definitions-Access Controls-Access. APPLY provides a tool to propagate permissions for a given alias. There are some cautions associated with this command. 1. There is no function to directly undo an APPLY. Suppose you APPLY the profile for D: to all of the D: drive. This action will traverse all the subdirectories of D:, creating individual, independent access profiles for each subdirectory, where all the new profiles are copies of the starting profile. There is no function to automatically delete these profiles, though it can be done manually via Definitions-Access Control-Servers. 2. APPLY can have unintended results. Suppose you attempt to undo an APPLY by setting the universal profile of C: to 'N' (no access) and APPLYing that. Users will now be unable to logon because they now have no access of any of the C: drive (e.g. LAN Server code and files). This is to say that their Access Control Profiles have been replaced. Note: If an apply is done to an OS/2 LAN Server V1.3 directory above the IBMLAN directory, the apply will not propagate down the IBMLAN directory and subdirectories. This was added to prevent the above problem. 3. If you perform an APPLY, you will REPLACE all Access Control Profiles for all lower level subdirectories, and access control work that was previously performed will be overwritten. - How to get data into the FULLNAME and COMMENT fields displayed in the NET WHO command: From the Server: NET WHO userid /FULLNAME:"This is the FULLNAME field" NET WHO userid /COMMENT:"This is the COMMENT field" From a Workstation: NET ADMIN \\servername /C NET USER userid /FULLNAME:"FULLNAME" or NET ADMIN \\servername /C NET USER userid /FULLNAME:\"FULLNAME WITH SPACES\" Note: The use of backslashes is necessary when using embedded blanks. or NET ADMIN \\servername /C NET USER userid /FULLNAME:"FULLNAME WITH SPACES" EXIT Note: No backslashes are necessary when continuing commands on next line. - Accessing removable media There is a way to access removable drives (i.e. CDROM) across the network: On the Server: NET SHARE cdrom=D:\ NET ACCESS D:\ ADD userid:R: On the Requester: NET USE D: \\servname\cdrom - UPM Error Codes If you are running User Profile Management Services (UPMS) out of the Desktop Manager and receive an error, you will be referred to a 'reasoncode'. These are network error codes or OS/2 error codes. For information on the error, use: (If over 2000) HELP NETxxxx (If under 2000) HELP xxxx where: xxxx = reason code number - Domain controller status An easy way to check for the domain controller being started before starting the additional server, add the following statements to the STARTUP.CMD on the additional server: :LOOP NET START SRV IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO LOOP - A quick way to locate an adapter address is: TYPE C:\CMLIB\ACSLAN.LOG This file is created each time the system is started and the network driver is started. - NET3195 Error The following error occurs when there is a problem with a NETBIOS call. A data structure will be displayed. This is the Network Control Block structure used in the NetBIOS function calls. The items of interest are : 1st byte - command name this is the function that failed 2nd byte - return code this is the return code from the failing function. In the example below the function is 0xB6 : NB_ADD_GROUP_NAME And the return code is 0x4F: NB_PERM_RING_STATUS NET3195: An NCB error occurred (NET1). The NCB is the data. B6 4F 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .O............ 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 53 52 56 31 33 20 ..........SRV13 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 00 00 00 36 DD B4 09 ...6. 00 4F 00 00 00 00 40 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 07 00 .O....@....... If you have the API data structures installed with the Communication Manager, these codes are documented in NETB_1_C.H. The information is also available in the Local Area Network Technical Reference Manual. - Error message: "The user ID was not added as a message name." Causes: 1) Both the machine name defined in IBMLAN.INI, and the userid defined in UPM are the same. 2) Occasionally the duplicate name may be on a separate LAN which is connected to yours by a bridge and/or backbone. Solutions: 1) Change UPM userid. 2) Change machine name defined in IBMLAN.INI (DOSLAN.INI for DLR). Qs & As By Mark Chapman, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 Systems Q. When does the configuration program need to be run on the Model 30-286? A. Automatic Configuration needs to be run any time any of the following are added or removed: memory, diskette drive, fixed disk, or math coprocessor. Change Configuration would have to be run if the address of the parallel port is changed, or the serial and/or parallel port needs to be disabled. Q. Why don't I see the token ring adapter show up in the configuration program on the Model 30-286? A. The configuration program on the 30-286 does not need to be run when adapters are installed (unless it is an extended memory adapter - see above explanation.) Therefore, no adapters will be visible when the View Configuration option is executed. The appropriate diagnostic routines need to be run if a suspected problem is encountered with an adapter. Q. Can the new 45MB fixed disk drive announced for the PS/2 Model 30-E41be installed in older Model 25s and 30s (either the 8086 or 286-basedmodels)? A. The Model 30-E41 BIOS adds support for the new drive type 37, first used in the E41. Older Model 25s and 30s do not support a drive type 37. Q. If I have the FAX/Modem installed in a PS/2 Model L40, with the speed turned down to 5 or 10MHz, will this affect the performance or accuracy of the FAX input/output? A. The Fax/Modem is not supported at 5MHz; and for best results in a multitasking environment, such as in the OS/2 DOS box, or under Windows, the 20MHz speed should be used. Q. What is the syntax of the FAX command to use the L40 Fax/Modem? A. The FAX command must be followed by a file name and phone number to dial. There is no "front end" to the program; it is strictly command line driven. The file transmitted must be straight ASCII or a PCX graphics file. You may use a plus (+) sign between files to send them contiguously, without page breaks between (for example, a business letterhead followed by the letter) or just one name after another to send them as separate pages. The phone number uses the standard Hayes (AT) modem command set.. Q. Despite having the A/C adapter plugged into the L40, the battery icons indicate that the battery is still being drained. I checked that the A/C adapter is plugged into both the wall and the L40. Do I have a bad battery? A. It is possible, but before replacing it, there is a third connection to double-check: the plug from the wall to the A/C adapter. It may have worked its way loose. Q. What should I do if I lose the keys to a PS/2 cover lock? A. If you still have the tag that was attached to the keys, write to the address on the tag, and use the accompanying serial number to order replacement keys. If you do not have the tag, you must order a new keylock assembly. The P/N will depend on the particular system. Then follow the directions in the appropriate Hardware Maintenance Reference manual under "Product Description-Security" to force open the old lock. Q. I keep setting the time on my PC, and every morning when I turn it on it is off by one hour. I can't figure out why. A. If your PC is on a network, check the time on the server. If the server is off (perhaps because of Daylight Savings Time), and your system synchronizes its time to that of the server, it will reset it incorrectly each morning, despite the changes you make. OS/2 Q. When I try to install OS/2 1.3 on a PS/2 Model 35, 40, or 57, the system won't even install. What's wrong? A. Those systems require OS/2 1.30.1 (CSD 5015) or higher, and will not boot from earlier versions. Q. I have a copy of OS/2 1.3, but the PS/2 Models 35, 40, and 57 require 1.30.1. Since I can't install 1.3 and the 5015 CSD to bring it up to the required level, is there any way to "trade in" 1.30 for a shrink-wrapped copy of 1.30.1? A. Yes. IBM has instituted a policy allowing users who are in this situation to trade in their 1.30 version for a shrink-wrapped 1.30.1 version which is bootable on those systems that won't boot from 1.30. An IBM Authorized dealer may ask his IBM representative for this trade-in. IBMers can do this by sending a PROFS note to Dave Whiter (WHITER @ BCRVMPC1), who will make arrangements to replace the customer's 1.30 copy with 1.30.1. All copies of OS/2 currently shipping to dealers are at the 1.30.1 level, but some dealers may still have the 1.30 level in stock. Q. Is there an OS/2 1.3x driver available for the HP LaserJet III? A. Yes. It is available for downloading from the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600), in file download area 17. Q. Is there an OS/2 1.3x driver available for the HP PaintJet XL printer? A. There are no drivers available specifically for the PaintJet XL, however the HP Laserjet Classic driver will work (for black-and-white printing only) with the PaintJet printer. Q. Is there an OS/2 1.3x driver available for the HP Deskjet or Deskjet 500 printers? A. There are no drivers available specifically for the Deskjets, however the HP Laserjet Classic driver will work with the Deskjet printers. Q. Is there any way for me to get a beta copy of OS/2 2.0? A. It depends. IBM dealers and end-users who were registered on the IBM National Support Center BBS by April 30, 1991 are eligible for the Early Experience Program (EEP), just by asking (on the BBS). IBMers may obtain a copy for their own use by using the following VM command: REQUEST OS2BETA PACKAGE FROM OPSYS2 AT BCRVMPC1. Q. Is it true that DOS users can upgrade to OS/2 for only $99 through the end of the year? If so, where do I get the upgrade form needed? A. Yes, it is true. The upgrade form is the standard fee software upgrade form included with most software announcements, including the OS/2 SE and EE 1.3 announcement letters (NDD90-461 and -462, respectively, dated October 30, 1990). The new pricing information can be found in the OS/2 price decrease announcement letter NDD91-126, dated April 17, 1991. There is also a separate announcement letter specifically for the DOS to OS/2 upgrade, NDD91-299, dated July 2, 1991. Q. When I try to install OS/2 1.3 on a PS/2 Model 35, 40, or 57, the system won't even install. What's wrong? A. Those systems require OS/2 1.30.1 (CSD 5015) or higher, and will not boot from earlier versions. Q. I already have a copy of OS/2 1.3, and the 5015 CSD to apply to bring it up to the 1.30.1 level. But if I can't even boot from the 1.3 installation diskette on a PS/2 Model 35, 40, or 57, how can I install the CSD to bring it up to the required level? A. You can't. However IBM has instituted a policy allowing users who are in this situation to trade in their 1.30 version for a shrink-wrapped 1.30.1 version which is bootable on those systems that won't boot from 1.30. An IBM Authorized dealer may ask his IBM representative for this trade-in. IBMers can do this by sending a PROFS note to Dave Whiter (WHITER @ BCRVMPC1), who will make arrangements to replace the customer's 1.30 copy with 1.30.1. All copies of OS/2 currently shipping to dealers are at the 1.30.1 level, but some dealers may still have the 1.30 level in stock. Q. When I try to start multiple occurrences of VIEW.EXE (to display online books like the OS/2 Command Reference or the PS/2 Assistant), automatically via STARTUP.CMD, I get a message after the first one that it is unable to open the input file. How can I accomplish this? A. OS/2 1.30 ship-level had a bug that prevented this. But 1.30.1 (CSD level 5015) resolves the problem. Q. What causes TRAP 02/002/0002 errors? A. Usually it is caused by defective, or incompatible memory SIMMs or adapters, but can also be caused by "auto-switching" EGA adapters. If you have such an adapter, make sure the auto-switching feature is disabled. Q. What causes TRAP 0D/00D/000D errors? A. Sometimes it is caused by defective, or incompatible memory SIMMs or adapters, but can also be caused by corrupted or incompatible software. If the error occurs every time you load a particular program, most likely it is the software at fault. Try re-installing from the original diskettes. If the problem doesn't go away, and the program has never worked, most likely the program itself is not compatible with that version of OS/2. Other programs may occasionally fail, but if restarting them usually works, you may have an intermittent memory failure. Q. What's the difference between the 1.30.1 "update" and CSD 5015? A. There is no difference except packaging and the ordering method. 1.30.1 is now being shipped in the same shrink-wrap packaging as 1.30 was (it has bright red lettering on the package identifying the new level), as well as being orderable through the 800# above, for L40 users. CSD 5015 (either WR05015 for EE, or XR05015 for SE) is obtainable through the normal CSD process. It can be used to upgrade the ship-level 1.30 version (XR00000 for SE, or WR05000 for EE) to 1.30.1. Also, the CSD includes a file on the last diskette that lists the changes from 1.30 to 1.30.1. The 1.30.1 shrink-wrapped set does not include this file. Q. What's the minimum OS/2 version required for the L40? A. V1.30.1 is the minimum requirement for the L40. OS/2 1.30 ship-level users should obtain a copy of CSD 5015 or later. The 1.30.1 level contains a number of changes to support L40-specific features and hardware differences. Q. What problems might I encounter if I use ship-level OS/2 1.3 on the L40 (until the 1.30.1 update arrives)? A. The 1.30.1 update fixes problems in several areas: 1) Random read/write errors on the diskette drive, 2) the inability to print, and 3) the inability to display the "key" symbol for the Power-On Password feature. In addition, the update supplies a new driver to enable the Trackpoint to work as a trackball. The IBM PS/2 Mouse driver will only support the Trackpoint as a mouse. Q. When my OS/2 1.3 system boots, I get a SYS1728 error ("The system does not have enough storage to enable disk caching."), but I have plenty of memory and disk space. What's wrong? A. This error means that your DISKCACHE= parameter in CONFIG.SYS is too small. If it is set at the default, 64K, try increasing it to 256K. Then reboot. If the error goes away, you may leave the cache at this size, or change it to something higher or lower, at your discretion, depending upon your available memory. Q. I have a PS/2 with OS/2 1.2 installed on it; but when I try to install OS/2 1.3 I get the following error when I boot from the OS/2 1.3 installation disk: SYS1045: The application program is not compatible with the version of the operating system being used. A. This is the result of a previous aborted installation of 1.2 (or of an EE component of 1.2); it left behind a C:\OS2\INSTALL\DDITEMP directory containing installation files from a previous attempt. Delete the DDITEMP directory and you should be able to reboot from the Installation Diskette and and install 1.3 normally. Q. Is there any way to run 5250 sessions in windows, like the 3270 Emulation sessions? A. Yes. All you need is OS/2 1.30.1 (CSD level 5015). It provides the ability to run 5250 sessions in windows. Q. Does OS/2 1.x have an UNDELETE command? A. No, however at least one software vendor sells an OS/2 utilities package that includes an undelete program. GammaTech can be reached at 405-359-1219; or PO Box 70, Edmund, OK, 73083-0070. Similar products from other vendors may also exist; this is not meant as an endorsement of this particular vendor or product; merely an example. Q. Is there a keyboard password/ screen-saver program program for OS/2? A. Not included with OS/2 1.0-1.2, and not in ship-level 1.3. But beginning with the 1.30.1 version (also called CSD 5015), a keyboard-and-mouse locking utility called LOCKUP .EXE is included. It also provides a screen blanking feature, to protect the screen from "burn-in." To determine whether you are at OS/2 V1.30.1 or later, use the SYSLEVEL command from the command prompt to see the current CSD level For those at earlier versions, there are shareware keyboard locking programs available on public BBSes. Q. When I tried to boot up my system, it wouldn't boot. So I booted from the installation disk, and tried to see what was the matter. But when I try to copy CONFIG.SYS to the C: drive, or even look at the directory, I get an "Invalid media" message. Is my drive trashed? A. Fortunately, "No" in most cases. There are two possible ways to correct the problem. 1) Try CHKDSK C:/F from the A: drive (after booting from the installation diskette. This usually does the trick. If not, 2) Reinstall OS/2 from scratch (just the base operating system, for EE users). DO NOT reformat or repartition the drive. Just reinstall over the old installation; your data should be safe. If this doesn't solve the problem, most likely you have a bad drive or drive controller. Have the system serviced. Q. I just installed V1.30.1 (CSD 5015), and now when I double-click on the DOS box icon, the system locks up. A. This is a known bug in 5015. A simple workaround is to use Ctrl-Esc to bring up the Task List. This will free up the DOS box, and everything will work normally until the next reboot. This bug will be corrected in a future CSD. Q. I just installed V1.30.1 (CSD 5015), and now when I start the Control Panel, it comes up in a window that is too large to fit on the screen, so the title bar and action bar are not visible. So how do I move or resize this window. A. This is a known bug in 5015. Because the Control Panel is a dialog box, not a PM window, there is no way to resize it. But if you press ALT-Leftarrow-Uparrow, the system icon menu will appear, allowing you to move the window. If you move it down far enough to get to the Action Bar, you will be able to use those options normally. Then, by using the Save option from the Desktop Manager (Desktop pulldown), you will save the Control Panel window in that spot, to make it easier to use in the future. The only parts of the window you will not be able to get to this way are the time and cursor blink settings, but you can set the system time from an OS/2 command prompt with the TIME command. This bug will be corrected in a future CSD. Networking Q. Is the new Token Ring 16/4 Busmaster Server Adapter/A (P/N 74F4140) supported by OS/2 LAN Server 1.2 or 1.3? A. OS/2 LAN Server does not currently support the new adapter. IBM does plan to support this adapter via future OS/2 LAN Server releases. In the meantime, the following software vendors have announced support for the adapter with the following products: Banyan Systems, Inc. - Vines V4.0 IBM Corp. - NetWare from IBM Novell, Inc. - NetWare 386 V3.1 Q. I've heard that IBM has a video-tape about NetWare from IBM. How do I get a copy? A. For a copy of "NetWare from IBM: Issues and Answers", dealers may call 201-930-3126. Q. I keep setting the time on my PC, and every morning when I turn it on it is off by one hour. I can't figure out why. A. If your PC is on a network, check the time on the server. If the server is off (perhaps because of Daylight Savings Time), and your system synchronizes its time to that of the server, it will reset it incorrectly each morning, despite the changes you make locally. Q. I get "Insufficient Memory" errors when I try to install NetWare, but I have plenty of memory in my machine. A. If a memory driver has grabbed all of your memory above 1 MB (as HIMEM.SYS does) NetWare will not "see" the memory. Remove any memory drivers from the CONFIG.SYS. NetWare will then load correctly. Q. How do I configure NetWare from IBM V3.11 to use the Token Ring Busmaster? A. First, make a directory on the DOS partition of the server's fixed disk (or on the boot diskette for a server with no DOS partition) called \FIRMLOAD. Next, Copy the FIRMLOAD.COM file from the SYSTEM-2 diskette into the \FIRMLOAD directory and copy MONT400.BIN and WRTRAM.BIN from the options diskette that comes with the Busmaster adapter into the same directory. Create the following AUTOEXEC.BAT which when executed will cause the microcode to be downloaded to the Busmaster Adapter and then start the NetWare Server: CD\FIRMLOAD FIRMLOAD CD\ SERVER In addition, TOKENDMA.LAN which is found on the SYSTEM-2 diskette should be used as the network driver loaded by NetWare. Q. What version of NetWare from IBM is required to run NFS and FTAM? A. NFS and FTAM require NetWare V3.11 (or later) from IBM. Printers Q. Manually switching the IBM 4019 Laser Printer between PostScript, HP, ASCII and Plotter modes via the control panel is awkward. Is there an Automatic Emulation Switching (AES) program available for the 4019, as there is for the IBM 4216? A. IBM recently announced an enhanced PostScript hardware option for the 4019 (P/N 1424017, replacing 1058237) that includes a hardware implementation of AES with software drivers. This is the basic 17-font PS option. The additional PS 22-font card (1038100) remains the same. (The new 39-font Premium package, 1424039, includes both the basic PS AES option with AES, and the 22-font card.) While there is a separate AES software product called the 4019 Supplemental Utilities (P/N 1424000), it requires a PostScript to work. It is only offered as a separate option as a replacement copy, if needed. IBM Personal Communications/3270 and NetWare From IBM Interoperability By Bennett Gaston and Thomas Strength, IBM NDD National Support Center, Atlanta (c) Copyright IBM Advisor Volume II #3 1991 In the past few months several questions have arisen concerning the use of Personal Communications/3270 (PC/3270) with NetWare. The following paragraphs discuss two methods (which have been thoroughly tested) of running both products concurrently on workstations using Expanded memory. 1) A directly attached PC/3270 session and NetWare will operate simultaneously. To accomplish this: load PC/3270 into expanded memory, "Hot Key" to DOS, and start NetWare IPX.COM. This allows the workstation to run applications under PC/3270 and NetWare concurrently. If PC/3270 is not loaded into expanded memory, some NetWare applications will not work due to memory requirements. An alternate way of achieving the same function (as above) is to start PC/3270 from a user defined menu under NetWare. Make sure that the PC/3270 directory on the workstation is mapped to a NetWare search drive in the workstation's user login script. This allows the file server to search for and execute the PC/3270 batch file. (Note: To execute from the menu, all users must recognize the same PC/3270 batch file. When creating the menu, do not change directories when calling the batch file. This will lock-up the workstation.) 2) PC/3270 is the only IBM emulator supported working with NetWare and Token-Ring. (Ethernet testing has not been completed at this time.) The methods for implementing PC/3270 over a Token-Ring Gateway concurrently with NetWare are as follows: PC/3270 requires the IBM LAN Support program to provide a NetBIOS interface. 1) Configure the NetWare workstation for IBM LAN Support rather than Token-Ring. 2) Add parameters to the NetBIOS LAN Support driver as follows: DEVICE=d:\path\DXMT0MOD.SYS ES=2 EST=2 O=Y (It is necessary for LAN Support to open the adapter (O=Y) so that when IPX.COM is loaded, it will not take all of the available resources on the adapter.) After rebooting the system, start IPX.COM and NETx.COM (where x denotes the version of DOS being used) and then PC/3270 or vice versa.