OS/4 (non technical issues)

[Lars]

I only know one thing: it is easy to prevent a driver to run on OS/4.
The driver just needs to query the KEE version ( of the kernel). If it is 0x10000 then it is an OS/2 or AN kernel. If it is > 0x10000 then it is an OS/4 kernel.

[Igor]

I conducted a study and found out that the new USB3 drivers check the line "Internal revision" and if they find something other than "14.", they refuse to boot without diagnostic messages. In OS / 4 kernel, revision is 15.
The test was conducted as follows: at the IBM core, the revision number was replaced for research purposes. Drivers stopped loading without any diagnostic messages.

It also turned out that this is not the only test that is present in the drivers of version 12.05+, and was missing earlier.

[Lars]

Interesting. I thought they had gone for the KEE version,

By the way: there was a version consistency check among USB drivers also for Versions 11.x.

There was a good technical reason back then:
Things had to be fixed in the drivers that affected the interface between drivers or where there was another other interdependency between drivers where a necessary change in one driver led to a change in another driver.

[Igor]

Interesting. I thought they had gone for the KEE version,

This is also possible. I have yet analyzed their code. My research was done on the lines of text in their driver and their changes from version to version.

[Lars]

Hi Igor,

can you patch the OS/4 kernel to revision 14.x and see if then the USB AN 12.x drivers will work ?

I am aware of the fact that it is not AN's job to support a kernel they don't provide (so: as an OS/4 kernel user, you are on your own, it's all your problem, if it works, then fine, if it does not, too bad) but I still see no technical limitation to use the AN drivers with an OS/4 kernel.

Note: In my own USB drivers (namely: USBD.SYS) I had added some small piece code to do something specific for the OS/4 kernel but keeping compatibility with the OS/2 and AN kernels. As far as I know my USB drivers still work on the OS/2, AN and OS/4 kernels and in fact I normally use the OS/2 kernel but occasionally I boot into the OS/4 kernel, none of either is a problem.

[Igor]

Hi Igor,

can you patch the OS/4 kernel to revision 14.x and see if then the USB AN 12.x drivers will work ?

I am aware of the fact that it is not AN's job to support a kernel they don't provide (so: as an OS/4 kernel user, you are on your own, it's all your problem, if it works, then fine, if it does not, too bad) but I still see no technical limitation to use the AN drivers with an OS/4 kernel.

Note: In my own USB drivers (namely: USBD.SYS) I had added some small piece code to do something specific for the OS/4 kernel but keeping compatibility with the OS/2 and AN kernels. As far as I know my USB drivers still work on the OS/2, AN and OS/4 kernels and in fact I normally use the OS/2 kernel but occasionally I boot into the OS/4 kernel, none of either is a problem.

I already tried it, but did not get a positive result. USB3 drivers check not only this line, but something else. I am not an OS / 4 developer, I do not have source codes and cannot change anything in the kernel except for text strings.

I express my deep gratitude to you for your USB drivers that work perfectly with OS / 2 in OS / 4 kernels.

[Sigurd Fastenrath]

For one point I have to correct myself and apologize: the USB 3 Drivers seem to work quite well, I would guess those are more Beta than Alpha, see my post in the other USB 3 Thread.