Author Topic: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver  (Read 4602 times)

Martin Iturbide

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Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« on: February 07, 2025, 03:48:15 am »
Hello

Currently my Win-OS2 full screen session (1920x1080) has a "slow-choppy" mouse and you can not move the mouse pointer down from the middle of the screen. (ArcaOS 5.1 BIOS running on a VirtualBox host. )

On the "OS/2, EComStation & ArcaOS Discussion group" facebook page, it was posted something about this new video driver for Windows 3.1:
- https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv?tab=readme-ov-file

It has some instructions on how to install it, but if I follow the procedure and it gives me an error when I load Windows 3.1.
Quote
Unsuitable settings for current driver / hardware
Press any key to about booting Windows...

If I only remove from the modified system.ini all the [VBESVGA.DRV] part...
Quote
[VBESVGA.DRV]
PMIDcheck=sanity
Width=1920
Height=1080
Depth=16
DoubleBufRefreshRate=75
...Win-OS2 full screen runs with the newer vbesvga.drv and vddvbe.386. But the screen resolution is smaller (1024 × 768), mouse now works fine and I can go to the bottom part of the screen with the pointer.

Do you think this drivers can be useful for our Win-OS2? Can we benefit in some way from this driver? Any other suggestion on how to make this drivers work at 1920x1080?

Regards
« Last Edit: February 07, 2025, 03:54:35 am by Martin Iturbide »
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Lars

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2025, 01:15:56 pm »
I would set PMIDCheck = disable and DoubleBufRefreshRate = 0.
In particular for PMIDCheck I doubt that the direct protected mode interface would be properly supported in Virtualbox.
If you disable it, the driver will use real mode int x calls which I would expect to work ok.
For the double buffering, start without and later you could try a sensible refresh rate where for a Virtual machine you might get by with a lower rate.

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2025, 02:56:27 pm »
Thanks for the feedback Lars.

I tried:
Quote
[VBESVGA.DRV]
PMIDcheck=disable
Width=1920
Height=1080
Depth=16
DoubleBufRefreshRate=0

and I get the same error while loading Win-OS2 Full Screen.
I played with DoubleBufRefreshRate=20 and other and got the same results.

If I set it.
Quote
[VBESVGA.DRV]
PMIDcheck=sanity
Width=800
Height=600
Depth=16
DoubleBufRefreshRate=75

It loads in 800x600, 1024 also works.

Regards
Martin Iturbide
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Lars

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2025, 06:26:34 pm »
It might be a virtualbox BIOS emulation issue in that it does not report your desired screen size as being available.
I remember that there was a Virtualbox manager command to add a custom screen size but I forgot what it was.

Lars

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« Last Edit: February 07, 2025, 06:32:39 pm by Lars »

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2025, 11:06:52 pm »
Hi

This VM already has "1920x1080" resolution with the vboxmanage command line. The ArcaOS desktop is already on that resolution.

- VBoxManage.exe setextradata "ArcaOS 5.1" "CustomVideoMode1" "1920x1080x32"

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Roderick Klein

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2025, 09:47:27 pm »
Hello

Currently my Win-OS2 full screen session (1920x1080) has a "slow-choppy" mouse and you can not move the mouse pointer down from the middle of the screen. (ArcaOS 5.1 BIOS running on a VirtualBox host. )

On the "OS/2, EComStation & ArcaOS Discussion group" facebook page, it was posted something about this new video driver for Windows 3.1:
- https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv?tab=readme-ov-file

It has some instructions on how to install it, but if I follow the procedure and it gives me an error when I load Windows 3.1.
Quote
Unsuitable settings for current driver / hardware
Press any key to about booting Windows...

If I only remove from the modified system.ini all the [VBESVGA.DRV] part...
Quote
[VBESVGA.DRV]
PMIDcheck=sanity
Width=1920
Height=1080
Depth=16
DoubleBufRefreshRate=75
...Win-OS2 full screen runs with the newer vbesvga.drv and vddvbe.386. But the screen resolution is smaller (1024 × 768), mouse now works fine and I can go to the bottom part of the screen with the pointer.

Do you think this drivers can be useful for our Win-OS2? Can we benefit in some way from this driver? Any other suggestion on how to make this drivers work at 1920x1080?

Regards

I am not certain but I think what is being overlooked is that the WIN/OS2 driver uses I think a special GRADD driver that deals with the WIN/OS2 screen resolution. I think this bypasses the normal DOS video support. This alternative Windows 3.1 video driver looks nice. However you might be out of luck with this driver as I think (based on the file name) this is a VESA driver. And this alternative Windows 3.1 driver then depends on the VESA bios in the DOS session.

But I could be wrng.

Roderick

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2025, 03:44:12 pm »
Hello.

Running this driver at "1024 × 768" in Win-OS/2, I found an extra random problem, when I drag some windows like the Control Panel. Some lines render in the screen and it shows an error.

I contacted the author, just to let him know that there is some kind of interest for Win-OS/2 and let him know that.
- https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv/issues/34

Remember that I just testing this to see if it can be of some use to us. It is just an experiment.

Regards

Martin Iturbide
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Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2025, 07:09:38 pm »
Hello

Currently my Win-OS2 full screen session (1920x1080) has a "slow-choppy" mouse and you can not move the mouse pointer down from the middle of the screen. (ArcaOS 5.1 BIOS running on a VirtualBox host. )

Hello again.

The author of "vbesvga.drv and vddvbe.386" wrote me back since he made some new releases of the driver, so I tried it all over again.

My issues of a Win-OS2 Full Screen session (1920x1080) with "slow-choppy mouse" and "middle screen limitation" are now gone. If someone on ArcaOS 5.1.1 (BIOS) (On VirtualBox host) experience that I would like you to try this driver and provide feedback.

The instruccions that I follow was:
- Download 0.6.0 versions of  "vbesvga.drv and vddvbe.386" - https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv/releases
- Follow the install instrucions:
Quote
The following changes are needed to your C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI file:

- In the [boot] section, change the display.drv= line to point to vbesvga.drv. You should specify the full path, or else copy the file to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM. (Note that if the path is too long, it can cause the CodeView debugger to crash on startup!)
- In the [386Enh] section, change the display= line to point to vddvbe.386. Again, you should specify the full path, or else copy the file to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.

- Added the following on SYSTEM.INI
Quote
[VBESVGA.DRV]
Width=1920
Height=1080
Depth=24

Remember that on SYSTEM.INI the comments the semicolon ( ; ) in case you want to revert things.
Here it is my System.INI
Code: [Select]
[boot]
useos2shield=1
os2shield=winsheld.exe
shell=progman.exe
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
network.drv=
language.dll=langeng.dll
comm.drv=comm.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
system.drv=atmsys.drv
;386grabber=vga.3gr
;286grabber=vgacolor.2gr
drivers=mmsystem.dll
WAVDMAPPS=
atm.system.drv=system.drv
;display.drv=ifgdi2vm.drv
display.drv=vbesvga.drv
sdisplay.drv=isgdi2vm.drv
fonts.fon=vgasys.fon
fixedfon.fon=vgafix.fon
oemfonts.fon=vgaoem.fon
os2user=user.exe
os2gdi.exe=GDI.EXE
os2user.exe=user.exe

[keyboard]
subtype=
type=4
keyboard.dll=kbdla.dll
oemansi.bin=
typeofswitch=2
secondkeyb.dll=kbdusx.dll

[boot.description]
keyboard.typ=Enhanced 101 or 102 key US and Non US keyboards
mouse.drv=Microsoft, or IBM PS/2
network.drv=No Network Installed
language.dll=English (American)
system.drv=MS-DOS System
codepage=437
woafont.fon=English (437)
aspect=100,96,96
display.drv=Full Screen GDI 2 VMAN
sdisplay.drv=Seamless GDI 2 VMAN

[386Enh]
mouse=*vmd
network=*dosnet,*vnetbios
ebios=*ebios
woafont=dosapp.fon
;display=*vddvga
display=vddvbe.386
EGA80WOA.FON=EGA80WOA.FON
EGA40WOA.FON=EGA40WOA.FON
CGA80WOA.FON=CGA80WOA.FON
CGA40WOA.FON=CGA40WOA.FON
keyboard=*vkd
device=vtdapi.386
device=*vpicd
device=*vtd
device=*reboot
device=*vdmad
device=*vsd
device=*v86mmgr
device=*pageswap
device=*dosmgr
device=*vmpoll
device=*wshell
device=*BLOCKDEV
device=*PAGEFILE
device=*vfd
device=*parity
device=*biosxlat
device=*vcd
device=*vmcpd
device=*combuff
device=*cdpscsi
local=CON
FileSysChange=off
PagingFile=D:\WIN386.SWP
MaxPagingFileSize=20480

[standard]

[NonWindowsApp]
localtsrs=dosedit,ced

[mci]
WaveAudio=mciwave.drv
Sequencer=mciseq.drv
CDAudio=mcicda.drv

[drivers]
timer=timer.drv
midimapper=midimap.drv


[Desktop]
IconSpacing=75

[VBESVGA.DRV]
Width=1920
Height=1080
Depth=24

Please let me know any issues or feedback.

Regards
« Last Edit: May 16, 2025, 07:45:40 pm by Martin Iturbide »
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David McKenna

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2025, 12:22:01 am »
Hey Martin!

  Wow! It really works! I tried it with my new 2560x1080 monitor in full screen WinOS2 on VirtualBox (which showed the jumpy mouse and can't get to bottom problem) and everything is normal! This thing needs to become part of ArcaOS I think...

Regards,

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2025, 12:27:43 am »
Hi
This thing needs to become part of ArcaOS I think...
I also think the same thing. I'm very happy to finally know that I can use the Win-OS2 full screen sessions :)

Regards
Martin Iturbide
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Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2025, 03:03:55 am »
Hello

The author just released version 0.6.2.
- https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv/releases

I will check it out.

Regards
Martin Iturbide
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Martin Iturbide

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2025, 03:45:17 am »
Martin Iturbide
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KO Myung-Hun

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2025, 03:07:13 pm »
Oh, it works here, too!

Edit: Here is DBCS, Korean.

David McKenna

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Re: Win-OS/2 - Open vbesvga.drv video driver
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2025, 05:13:31 pm »
 One thing I just noticed: on my 2560x1080 monitor the mouse pointer will not go all the way to the right side of the screen - it stops about 150 pixels from the edge. So any maximized window I have to move it to the left to get to the min/max arrows. Anyone else seeing this? I made a comment on the OS/2 thread at the developer's github site...

Regards,