Author Topic: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?  (Read 112223 times)

Dave Yeo

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #105 on: April 24, 2017, 04:40:37 pm »
Yes it seems to handle high memory much better., might be other changes that I haven't heard of.  I'd guess that the license doesn't allow it to be distributed by itself.

ivan

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #106 on: April 24, 2017, 06:10:48 pm »
Doesn't that depend on if IBM supplied the source code or if it is just a patch?  If the latter then I would think the patch file could be distributed on its own but, these things all depend on just how the contract with IBM is worded (if it is like any of the government we have had to work to they not only dot the i and cross the t but give you a list of them as well).

Andreas Schnellbacher

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #107 on: April 24, 2017, 06:34:11 pm »
AFAIK, kernel changes are patches in memory.

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #108 on: April 24, 2017, 08:48:47 pm »
Hi ivan

Doesn't that depend on if IBM supplied the source code or if it is just a patch?  If the latter then I would think the patch file could be distributed on its own but, these things all depend on just how the contract with IBM is worded (if it is like any of the government we have had to work to they not only dot the i and cross the t but give you a list of them as well).

For what I recall on Warpstock 2015 (st Louis) when Lewis announced Blue Lion, he told there was not OS/2's source code involved on the agreement, but that does not mean they can not patch IBM's binaries. Lewis make me understand that they have permission to patch whatever is necessary on IBM's binaries. But it will be better if he can explain that someday, or ask him directly (on chat) on Warpstock Europe that is comming next month.

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Martin Iturbide
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Greg Pringle

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #109 on: April 24, 2017, 08:55:44 pm »
If the team is "patching" the kernel in memory my hat is off to them. I used to do some hacking and patching of binaries and it can be very challenging. I would patch the actual binary file. (for the uninitiated a patch simply over writes a section of the program permanently). Doing this in memory, on the fly is a real trick.

Andreas Schnellbacher

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #110 on: April 24, 2017, 09:09:07 pm »
BTW: I vaguely remember that from a presentation of Steve. He and (probably even more) Holger are responsible for the improvements, AFAIK. They've made loading DLLs into high memory usable. That's the main reason I can't await ArcaOS.

Dave Yeo

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #111 on: April 25, 2017, 12:03:51 am »
Pretty sure it is the binary that is patched,
Code: [Select]
W:\>bldlevel OS2KRNL
Build Level Display Facility Version 6.12.675 Sep 25 2001
(C) Copyright IBM Corporation 1993-2001
Signature:       @#IBM:14.200#@_SMP  IBM OS/2 Kernel
Vendor:          IBM
Revision:        14.200
File Version:    14.200
Description:     _SMP  IBM OS/2 Kernel

There is also a rewritten os2ldr that should help with installing on modern hardware amongst other stuff and a couple of other goodies along the same lines. Apologies for being vague, but I don't want to speak for Arca Noae as I'm just a tester. Hopefully at some point soon Lewis will make some big announcements but I think he is very overworked and just doesn't have time to show up here or do much else.

ivan

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #112 on: April 25, 2017, 12:39:02 am »
Quote
Hopefully at some point soon Lewis will make some big announcements but I think he is very overworked and just doesn't have time to show up here or do much else.

While I agree with you to a certain extent, I do have to say it is not good business strategy to leave potential customers in the dark and frustrated.  I learned that to my cost 40 odd years ago.

Andi B.

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #113 on: April 25, 2017, 08:14:26 am »
While I agree with you to a certain extent, I do have to say it is not good business strategy to leave potential customers in the dark and frustrated.  I learned that to my cost 40 odd years ago.
Sure but at first you have to know who are your customers. Of course we are all here customers but most of us are hobbyist who only buy a few licenses at most. Face the facts, it's perfectly understandable that companies have other priorities than constantly watching newsgroups of hobbyists. Sad but true.

Or is there anyone here who is interested in more than 20 licenses? Martin, maybe worth a poll - "How many licenses will you buy if AN works for you?" I've the strong feeling that all the people here will not even pay one month of development :( Hope I'm wrong though.

Eduardo Vila Echagüe

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #114 on: April 25, 2017, 09:47:47 pm »
As said in a previous reply, running ArcaOS in new laptops is pointless if wireless is not supported. At the same time to write drivers for every possible wireless card is too expensive.

Wouldn't it be better to write a driver for one or two popular USB wireless adapters, which everybody can use?

Eduardo Vila Echagüe
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Doug Bissett

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #115 on: April 25, 2017, 10:31:07 pm »
Quote
Wouldn't it be better to write a driver for one or two popular USB wireless adapters, which everybody can use?

From what I understand, the actual drivers are being developed by simply compiling the BSD drivers for OS/2. That has been done. The "problem" is that there is no interface to XWLAN (or something that does the same thing) to control the radio, and do the wireless logon. That part is still not complete, but, apparently, it is one of the highest priorities on the Arca Noae job list.

Quote
running ArcaOS in new laptops is pointless if wireless is not supported

Not really. There are other options, like using wired connections, or using one, of the many, adapters that connect to the laptop by wired NIC, and to WiFi by radio. Personally I use a D-Link L-506 device, which is useful for other things too (including charging my cell phone, if I need it). However, I am looking forward to having a proper driver, with support, for my WiFi adapters, mostly because the D-Link adapter is also being used as a WiFi extender.

guzzi

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #116 on: April 25, 2017, 11:34:27 pm »
Simple install with default settings works well here.

Neil Waldhauer

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #117 on: April 26, 2017, 02:08:57 am »
As said in a previous reply, running ArcaOS in new laptops is pointless if wireless is not supported. At the same time to write drivers for every possible wireless card is too expensive.

Wouldn't it be better to write a driver for one or two popular USB wireless adapters, which everybody can use?

Eduardo Vila Echagüe
Santiago, Chile

If you're offering to write one, then more power to you. Good luck!

If not, then why not use a WiFi bridge, which only requires Ethernet and a web browser?
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Dariusz Piatkowski

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #118 on: April 26, 2017, 04:33:32 am »
Hi Andi,

...Or is there anyone here who is interested in more than 20 licenses? Martin, maybe worth a poll - "How many licenses will you buy if AN works for you?" I've the strong feeling that all the people here will not even pay one month of development :( Hope I'm wrong though.

Good point...in fact having now purchased the AN Subscription license for 3 years in a row I am curious how many of us in this forum (for example) have chosen to support/fund the on-going development of OS/2 solutions in such a manner?

As I mentioned in another post, I always thought of this subscription fee as enabling some sort of continuous work being done...not sure though since as best as I can tell there has never been a publicly stated "balance sheet" of how many such individual contributors we have and how many "corporate" clients there are that fund the remaining parts.

Andi B.

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Re: Are you getting ready for ArcaOS?
« Reply #119 on: April 26, 2017, 09:09:20 am »
Quote
...has never been a publicly stated "balance sheet" of how many such individual contributors we have and how many "corporate" clients there are that fund the remaining parts.
Such information for some bww projects is available. But of course these are most of the times sensible informations no company will ever open completely. Moreover what does it help anyone when you know how many outstanding depts or funds AN has? Just another feed for the trolls on forums who do nothing real work on improving our platform but blathering (like me in this post ;) , better going back programming now...)