Author Topic: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions  (Read 113277 times)

Pete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1281
  • Karma: +9/-0
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #15 on: March 27, 2013, 12:47:42 am »
Hi Roderick

I have no idea if anything actually uses DOS but I usually delete the \os2\mdos directory and remove all DOS related lines from config.sys. I can tell you that running MPTS and installing/changing nics will definitely result in DOS network related lines reappearing in config.sys. I know that is beyond your control - unless the MPTS application gets replaced  :-)

With regard to java11: I can appreciate that you've decided to standardize on that as the java to use for system configuration tools such as lvmgui and tcpic configuration although I've not had any problems running those tools with java6.


DOH! - Of course, I had not got as far as looking in Install/Remove...


However, the real problem with my 2.2 beta install currently is the lack of network connectivity. It would also be good if we can figure out the cause.


Regards

Pete





melf

  • Guest
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #16 on: March 27, 2013, 12:51:53 am »
1st impression on a T43 (with first DVD version):
Installation was seemingly flawless, (and I like the percentage bar), but I noticed a fast flashing error message when Genmac was installed. This gave me the same problem as Pete had - no connectivity. The nifs never came into the IBMCOM directory and some files wasn't installed at all. I first tried to correct the error with the new Adapters and Protocol but it turned out to be impossible, with several craches of the program. I installed with Genmac wpi and then used the old mpts - this worked. However the new GUI was easy to use, no unnecessary steps.
I like the sharp png icons but apparently the size has been limited to only normal. Furthermore it is confusing with one type of icon on the desktop and another in ecenter for the same folder/program/datafile. I would really like to see these icons in the future, but consistency is needed. I guess this would require an updated ecenter. My drives folder in ecenter shows no drive letter when I press the icon, just "Hard drive" or "Floppy disk", opening the folder shows correct drive letters. Also the order is strange and impossible to order in a  logical way (C,D, A, B, S).
Installing a CUPS printer was really easy with the GUI but I couldn't print with it. I could print from the administration center but not from my print object. I notice some extra "material" like Dragtext, desktop view for Win computers and also possibilities to start up program automatically certain times. This is nice I appreciate it! I also notice that the suspend menu in ebutton now is there - at last.

I feel that eCS 2.2 beta is promising but needs some more work. I will bug report troubles, I promise...

Pete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1281
  • Karma: +9/-0
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #17 on: March 27, 2013, 04:34:01 am »
Hi Melf

Yes, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the new Adapters and Protocols app and resorted to using the older MPTS to Change from the non-working genmac driver to the driver in this package http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/system/drivers/network/m88e8056.zip - which, after a reboot works well. I've filed a bug report about the problems with naps.exe (the new Adapters and Protocols app) but it would probably get a little more attention if other people file reports as well.

I would enter my next eCS bug report: I deselected all things yum/rpm related during install but still got yum/rpm installed regardless. However, it does not seem possible to create a new ticket at the moment as I get this message:-

APPLICATION ERROR #12

This account is protected. You are not allowed to access this until the account protection is lifted.

Please use the "Back" button in your web browser to return to the previous page. There you can correct whatever problems were identified in this error or select another action. You can also click an option from the menu bar to go directly to a new section.


Now to add a few more already installed apps to the 2.2 Desktop and use it for a while  :-)

Regards

Pete

Michaelhz

  • Guest
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2013, 08:21:03 am »
...
One of the problems was that I missed turning off the RPM/YUM junk (well hidden, in a not so obvious place). The installer crapped out in the middle of phase 2, because it couldn't install ODIN. ??????
...

Hi guys,

please stop blaming RPM/YUM! Its one of the best eCS-Invention we ever had! The configuration of all provided unix-apps is very easy. Updating to the latest porting-level also. So much easier to handle than e.g. Paul's build environment.
Recompiling svn-sources like odin runs out of the box. Things like this were a big problem every time before, because everyone had a slightly different configurated build tree.
So finally please accept that we heavily depend on unix-ported software. So lets make the developers (and software distributors) the life as easy as possible. I'd prefer to let them porting additional software instead of trying to comply with every users mood.

Best regards
Michael

melf

  • Guest
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #19 on: March 27, 2013, 10:02:02 am »
Pete, I will add to your ticket on Genmac.

Michael:
i have been very critical to yum/rpm before but have decided to give it a real try. The possibility to make the nix installations to a directory of my own choice was nice. This means it doesn't visually disturb my normal directory layout on the specific drive and I know where I have it. I find the *nix structure a  little hard to appreciate, but I guess I will learn. I must admit that simple update processes are quite nice as long as I can decide if and when I want  to do it. The proposed GUI will probably ease the use a lot.

Pete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1281
  • Karma: +9/-0
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #20 on: March 27, 2013, 02:15:56 pm »
Hi Michael

We all have opinions - and mine is different to yours regarding yum/rpm.

Dougs post simply states that yum/rpm failed to install Odin causing the eCS Installer to fail.

Whether the fault is with yum/rpm or something running in the background needs investigating.


Regards

Pete

Martin Iturbide

  • OS2World NewsMaster
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4710
  • Karma: +41/-1
  • Your Friend Wil Declares...
    • View Profile
    • Martin's Personal Blog
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #21 on: March 27, 2013, 02:20:08 pm »
Hi

We discussed a lot about RPM/YUM in the past. And I'm openly against Linux "Filesystem Hierarchy Standard" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard). It does not mean I'm a "Linux Hater" or "Open Source hater"  :P

Since there seems to be no going back with RPM/YUM, since the important eCS development is being done with Linux ported software, at least it will be interesting to try to keep the eCS File Structure organized.

1) Do not put the Linux FHS in the root directory of the OS/2 drive, give the option to move it, or put it inside another directory.

2) It should be defined completely how the "eComStation Filesystem Hierarchy Standard" is structured, and should be something simple and clean.  I wrote that sometime ago on an User Experience suggestion article.

3) About RPM/YUM. When we get a graphical RPM tools, and can have a RPM graphical application catalog, where you can download the programs and installs it on your machine, that day we call it the RPM/YUM triumph over this platform.

RPM/YUM is good, I had tried it. It is good to see how it install all dependencies of Qt or git, without worrying of having the versions up to date manually, but it requires to be more user friendly, which means GUI. The command line may be easy to use, but users do not get motivated by the "green screen" anymore. I personally want to be able to install and uninstall software with my mouse.

Regards
Martin Iturbide
OS2World NewsMaster
... just share the dream.

Alex Taylor

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 387
  • Karma: +5/-0
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2013, 03:14:58 pm »
First, thanks to everyone who's opened tickets on their issues. 

A particular note about the new Network Adapters and Protocols GUI (of which I am the author, BTW).  IMHO this component needs testing more critically than anything else barring ACPI, AHCI and USB.  I know when you have problems you just want to get a solution ASAP, but it's very important that any bugs get ironed out during the beta cycle.

If you experience any of the following w.r.t. the new NAPS GUI, please open a ticket on it. 
  • No network adapters shown (but MPTS does show them)
  • Unexpected error messages
  • Crashes

In your ticket, please include the following:
  • A copy of PROTOCOL.INI (taken from when the problem was occurring)
  • A copy of CONFIG.SYS (likewise)
  • Also, please try running "NAPS.EXE /D" from the command line (in the \ecs\system\naps directory).  The /D switch will cause debug output to be written to the VX console.  Please copy & paste ALL of the contents of this console into a file and also attach it to the ticket.  (You don't have to make any configuration changes unless asked to; simply starting up NAPS should be enough to begin with.)

I should note that problems with non-working NICs immediately following installation are not related to the new NAPS utility, as that does not get used during eCS install at all.  That appears to be a different problem (and a mysterious one, since neither GenMAC nor its install logic has changed one iota since eCS 2.0).
« Last Edit: March 27, 2013, 03:17:00 pm by Alex Taylor »

djcaetano

  • Guest
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #23 on: March 27, 2013, 04:30:06 pm »
  I´ve only installed it on VirtualPC, but I do have some cents to share... :)

My drives folder in ecenter shows no drive letter when I press the icon, just "Hard drive" or "Floppy disk", opening the folder shows correct drive letters. Also the order is strange and impossible to order in a  logical way (C,D, A, B, S).

   I have noticed that. It is nice the volume name / type of device is shown, helps a lot, but it would be cool if the user could select if he wants drive letter, volume name or both. The sorting criteria seems to be the drive letter (removable media first); it would be interesting to allow the user select if he wants to order by drive letter or volume name.

Installing a CUPS printer was really easy with the GUI but I couldn't print with it. I could print from the administration center but not from my print object.

  It is just me... or really there should be a "Printer" icon shadow on "System Setup"? In fact, I believe the base icon should be moved to "System Setup" and a shadow put on "Local System".

   Regards,

   DJC
« Last Edit: March 27, 2013, 04:38:23 pm by Daniel Caetano »

Zigulec

  • Guest
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #24 on: March 27, 2013, 06:52:32 pm »
First impressions:
on 2 tested laptops (AMD, Intel) there seem to be severe issues with new AHCI driver (DVD boots, but no drives visible). Strange, since older eCS with older AHCI version runs ok.

Also, only 1 successful install attempt yet (on PATA/DANIS):
- Post-installation tasks just starts-up and does nothing
- No eComCenter created on the desktop
- No network available (somehow network interfaces just do not exist)

I will spare some of my time during weekend, wil do some more thorough testing and will raise tickets.
St.

Roderick Klein

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 655
  • Karma: +14/-0
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #25 on: March 27, 2013, 08:27:05 pm »
Thanks all for the testing. Please open tickets. WHile having 2 days off I do monitor things and when have time will answer support tickets opened! Back in the office on friday.

Your feedback in the form of tickets is greatly welcomed and proper processed tickets we can hopefully quickly resolve the bugs!

Roderick Klein
Mensys B.V.

Doug Bissett

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1593
  • Karma: +4/-2
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #26 on: March 27, 2013, 08:59:03 pm »
So far, I have been doing quick installs, mostly to see what has changed. I did post:
Quote
First attempt was on an old machine. I can't get that thing to read the DVD (not sure why, it was working). Abandoned that, for now.

I did not realize, that that machine has a CD drive, not a DVD drive. Since I no longer have an IDE DVD drive (and it appears that my favorite computer store no longer has them either), I guess I cannot install to that machine. It is my main test machine, so I will probably make a modified installer disk that will fit on a CD.

At the moment, I am waiting for my IBM ThinkPad T43 (1871-W8M) to finish verifying the DVD. With this install, I am tracking what I am doing. It is really the first attempt, with the third download of the ISO, so I checked the disk. It just finished, and is  okay. This is also the first machine where I expect it to install properly. More later.

melf

  • Guest
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2013, 11:12:43 pm »
Doug, is there a third version of the DVD? The latest DVD I tried did not install on a T43, with less than deselecting all USB choices. Do we have a new one ? If so..with which version of USB drivers?

Martin Iturbide

  • OS2World NewsMaster
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4710
  • Karma: +41/-1
  • Your Friend Wil Declares...
    • View Profile
    • Martin's Personal Blog
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions
« Reply #28 on: March 28, 2013, 01:26:38 am »
Martin Iturbide
OS2World NewsMaster
... just share the dream.

Pete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1281
  • Karma: +9/-0
    • View Profile
Re: eComStation 2.2 Beta First Impressions - network problem resolved
« Reply #29 on: March 28, 2013, 02:38:56 am »
Hi Alex

Something in the eCS2.2 beta installer is changing what the genmac install logic is trying to do.

I say this because when installing genmac for the Marvel 88e8056 during eCS 2.2 installation I have ended up with no connectivity on both installs -  the earlier dvd with IBM USB drivers and the later release with the 10.189 USB drivers.

With the latest install I used Warpin to uninstall genmac.

I then installed genmac directly from the dvd, rebooted and nic works. So, the genmac logic and actions work - unless it is during an eCS 2.2 install.

Investigation through comparison revealed the following problems when installing genmac during eCS install:-

1] This line was missing from the config.sys file:-

   DEVICE=H:\IBMCOM\MACS\GENM32W.OS2

2] The required NIF file did not exist in \ibmcom\macs - which is why naps.exe did not "see" the nic. I checked this by copying the required NIF into \ibmcom\macs and restarting naps.exe which displayed the nic and protocols.


It seems something in the eCS Install routine(s) screws genmac.


Regards

Pete