The OS/2 Files

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OS/2 Links

Here you can find some basic OS/2 links in no particular order. A far more complete collection can be found at The OS/2 Switchboard, OS2 World.com and OS2.org.

Title Language Description
News Services
OS2.org ger./engl. Once THE informationen center for OS/2 and eComStation with daily news, discussion forums, a help desk, a list of new files at the two most important software archives, a hardware compatibility list, SoftWhere? (a list of available software), tips and links. All sections are searchable. If you have some news yourself you can also send them to other news services from here.
OS2 World.com engl. This web site not only offers news, but also some columns, discussion forums and free web hosting for private homepages with OS/2- or eComStation-related content. If you have some news yourself you can also send them to other news services from here.
OS/2 News and Rumors engl. Another site with news that isn't updated daily though. Nethertheless it is worth visiting as you may find some news and rumours that aren't available elsewhere.
OS/2.cz engl./cz. This Czech site also has an English version. Besides the usual news you can find articles dealing with OS/2- and eComStation-related topics.
VOICE News engl. The English daily news service. VOICE News offers free news sent to you via e-mail. There is also an archive of old WarpCast messages starting in 1997.
Magazines
VOICE Newsletter ger./engl. The monthly VOICE Newsletter is the members' magazine of the international OS/2 user group VOICE, but also freely available to non-members. It covers news, software and hardware reviews, howtos regarding use of complex or complicated packages, comments, tips, etc. An international team of volunteers - coordinated by me - translates articles from English to German and vc. vs. All issues are available online and for download.
OS/2 eZine engl. The oldest OS/2 magazine was closed down a while ago. The archive still offers software and hardware reviews, commments, interviews, introductions to programming and howtos. All issues are available online and for download.
SCOUG engl. The Southern California OS/2 User Group offers several monthly columns and the occasional additional article on their web site. Mr. Know-it-all anwers your questions regarding OS/2-related topics, Ink talks about printing, scanning and graphics manipulation, Download! provides an overview over new software.
EDM/2 engl. The Electronic Developer Magazine is a treasure chest for the OS/2 developer, both for the absolute greenhorn and experienced veteran. Topics range from programming courses for beginners and software reviews to WPS and device driver development. All issues are available online and for download.
Software Archives
Hobbes engl. The largest archive of OS/2 share- and freeware with a size of more than 4GB, operated by the New Mexico State University. Access is possible via both HTTP and FTP. The web interface also offers a search engine.
LEO
(Link Everything Online)
engl. LEO is the European OS/2 archive and also offers access via web interface and FTP. The archive is browsable by FTP structure or topics. LEO is not as large as Hobbes, but also houses less rubbish. The main software area is tools and development. Applications are fewer. You should be able to find the latest versions of emx and Emacs here. In addition, LEO hosts a mirror if the IBM fixpak server.
UnixOS2.org engl. Ex-"The Power Users BBS". Ted Sikora's archive carries loads of OS/2 software as well as information. In both cases the main area of interest is ported Un*x software. Here you will find the largest archive of software ported for XFree86/OS2 on earth. Furthermore this is the home of the UnixOS2 project. It aims at providing a kind of standardized Unix distribution for OS/2 to ease selection, installation and configuration of ported Unix software.
OS/2 Netlabs engl. OS/2 Netlabs is a platform for OS/2 and eComStation OpenSource software and freeware. Here you find projects like the port of The GIMP (a Un*x graphics package similar to Photoshop), Odin (running Win32 programs unter OS/2 and eComStation) or MySQL (port of the Un*x database). There is also a load of information for OS/2 developers.
IBM Software Choice Catalogue engl. Software for OS/2 from IBM, e.g. Netscape browser, Java, TCP/IP, Feature Installer. Some free, some needs Software Choice subscription.
OS/2 On-Line Device Driver Pak engl. IBM's large OS/2 device driver archive. Sorted by products and manufacturers.
Miscellaneous Information
IBM Redbooks engl. IBM Redbooks are documentation written by IBM professionals (often the developers themselves or other practical people) dealing with all kinds of possible areas of IBM software (also in conjunction with third-party products). Topics range from introductions to e.g. OS/2 via network security to highly-specialized optimizations. Many Redbooks are available for download as PDF after you have registered for free.
OS/2 and USB engl. Hints on operating USB devices under OS/2 and eComStation. Besides offering general information the site's purpose is to build a kind of compatibility list.
Warpupdates ger./engl. All about how to make your OS/2 system up to date and which fixpaks and extension to use.
Networking
Jacco's OS/2 page engl. Information on integrating OS/2 machines in networks with Unix/Linux machines using Samba (file and print sharing services), on connecting a machine running plain OS/2 Warp 3 (without networking) to a LAN, as well as on using IPX network software and on using the free Microsoft LAN Manager client for OS/2.
Mike's Notebook engl. OS/2 or eComStation networked with Linux/Samba, OS/2 solutions for Internet Service Providers, solutions for networking problems with OS/2 and eComStation.
Surviving with OS/2 Warp
in a Sea of Windows
engl. Advice regarding the use of OS/2 in mixed networking environments with Windows machines. Also available as PDF.
Development
IBM Online Device Driver Kit engl. Free tools and documentation for device driver development
Timur Tabi's Programming Links (EDM/2) engl. Loads of links to all things important for development.
Private Software Offerings
The SeaHorse Tools engl./fr. Daniel Valot offers a number of interesting, free disk tools and solitaire board games on his homepage. The games ShisenPM (Shisen-sho), MahjonggPM and SamePM are quite addictive and well-designed.
User Groups
POSSI engl. The Phoenix OS/2 Society, Inc. is widely known for their award-winning members magazine "Extended Attributes", probably the last printed OS/2 magazine, and for making WarpTech (a technical conference held in 2000) possible.
SCOUG engl. The Southern California OS/2 User Group offers software reviews, the column "Ink" that deals with scanning and printing on OS/2, links and a calendar on their web site. SCOUG was the organizer of Warp Expo West, an OS/2 conference in 1999.
VOICE ger./engl. Vitual OS/2 International Consumer Education is an international, virtual user association. Meetings are held on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) in the channel #voice of WEBBnet. Besides the online magazine VOICE Newsletter and the news service VOICE News, VOICE also invites developers and other people from the OS/2 world to IRC meetings where you can "talk" with them directly, offers several mailing lists and is in the process of building a support site named Warp Doctor.
User Conferences
Warpstock engl. Warpstock is an annual conference which provides education, information and social opportunities to the entire OS/2 community. There you can attend presentations, have a look at the exhibitors' latest OS/2 products and meet other OS/2 developers and users from all around the world. Starting in 1997, it always has been a success. The event usually takes two or three days and the location changes each year.
Warpstock Europe engl. Warpstock Europe, too, is an annual conference which provides education, information and social opportunities to the entire OS/2 community. There you can attend presentations, have a look at the exhibitors' latest OS/2 products and meet other OS/2 developers and users from all around the world. Though Warpstock Europe started from a slightly different approach, the goals are the same as those of the sister event in North America. The first two conferences in 1999 and 2000 were held in Germany, the 2001 edition takes place in Belgium.