Offering an Updated OS/2 distribution - Issues, Modifying UPDCD etc.

[Sigurd Fastenrath]

Hi,

I would like to discuss the problems (legal, drivers etc.) in case I would distribute (may be the wrong term for it) an Updated OS/2 Warp 4.52 DVD.

Please feel free to write every problem etc. that might occur in your opinion - I would really appreciate this!

What I consider to do is:

For users wich do have:

- a vaild license to use the MCP 2 (wich is by the way - as far as I know - included in eCS License)
- a valid license to use the ArcaNoae Drivers

I would offer for free an updated OS/2 Warp 4 DVD, including latest Drivers from Arca Noae, a lot of enhancements, the QSINIT Loader etc. In fact this is what I am trying to achive with my project I am writing about at www.os2.org only for myself so far. I do not want to make money with this, just to spread the idea and may be the DVD.


Important:

- this DVD does not include drivers or parts of ecomstation nor ecomstation.ru (ecosoftware) etc.
- this is just an idea I would like to discuss
- this idea is discussed with no other person so far

So I try to collect:

- with whom I would have to speak in Advance?
- wich files could I use for this, wich not (i.e. wich kernel)?
- what else?

In case the "Delivering of an DVD" is to complicated or impossible I consider to write a "Cookbook" how to achieve this. But this is very time consuming.

Thanks in Advance!

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi

This is the kind of brainstorm that I really like. Thanks for bringing the idea to the table.

If only need a Yes/no answer, the final answer is YES!! YES !! YES!!! Let's do this !!!

There are a few ideas / issues / suggestions that I want to put over the table.

IBM Binaries Issue
Legal Issue: You can not distribute any IBM produced binaries on your distribution. With the exceptions of the ones that IBM clearly made public under an specific license. Even that I think that IBM OS/2 is abandonware, it is better not to have issues with the big guy.

Workaround to distribute IBM Binaries: Sure there is a workarround for the legal issue like, (IDEA, please don't freak out). Why don't you create your "SigurdWarp Distro ISO" and ask permission to the one that have OEM agreement with IBM (XEU) to put it on the "beta files" as an "AS IS" community project ? So people with a license of eComStation can also download your project as ISO file from XEU site as an added value, so you will be sure you are not violating any IBM Binary copyright.

Distributing it as a UpdCD Package
I know that you had been using UpdCD, so you will package all your "files" without any IBM. So, creating a "SigurdWarp Distro" ISO file by requesting the user to put the OS/2 Warp 4.5x CDROM and grab the files from it will give no legal issue. Just be aware of which files you can not make public on that "UpdCD Package".

with whom I would have to speak in Advance?

Maybe you should try to speak to the two commercial forces that we have now, like Arca and XEU. Try to see what you can get from them, their value is obvious.
- XEU has the OEM Agreement to distribute IBM OS/2 Binaries (PM, SOM, CPI, we need all that).
- Arca Noae has the drivers

The other ones to speak to is the community, which you are already doing it

Which files could I use for this, wich not (i.e. wich kernel)?

My taste may be different from you and other users.
- I will put as much as open source software as possible (like eCS does)
- I prefer availability of the source code over functionality/stability. Bad open source code can be fixed, good close source code is dead. (Many will disagree with me on this subject).
- OS/4 Kernel is a difficult decision. I don't know under which license is that product and finally who is charge of that source code (I haven't did my homework on that subject yet).

I have this two references for software:
There goes this: http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Open_Source_Software
and this: http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/XWarp_Programs

- what else?

There is more to discuss.

DON'T GET TROLLED
It is very possible that you may get a call from the "Illuminati Brotherhood" telling you to stop this, that you are going to fail and all that crap. Don't listen to them.

Regards

[ivan]

Sigurd, I like your idea but I think you will be heading for trouble if you try to distribute a DVD that includes copyright material be it IBM or others.

I think, and this is my opinion only, that it would be better to provide the necessary information to allow those with the relevant OS/2 CDs and drivers to build their own DVD.  This would need you to supply the build software/scripts and the 'how to' documentation.  By doing it this way you do not become liable should some copyright holder become upset.

The people to contact should be those that own any copyrights starting with IBM - if you can get their (IBM) blessing then nothing can stand in your way.

While Martin has many good ideas the one thing I would dispute is using XEU 'beta files' because not everyone that uses OS/2 has eCS - we have MCP and ACP via our, now defunct, subscription to the IBM OS/2 updates and see no real reason to subscribe to eCS since nothing of any value has appeared from there in years. Arca Noae is a different situation that we are considering.

[Martin Iturbide]

While Martin has many good ideas the one thing I would dispute is using XEU 'beta files' because not everyone that uses OS/2 has eCS...

Hi Ivan.

I will dispute that one too but I just want to clarify that this suggestions are not binary like "Take it or Leave it" or "Yes or No", it means that a workaround to be able to distribute a complete ISO with IBM binary files will be to include it on XEU beta files. But an approach to have the UpdCD package for people to create their own ISO with their OS/2 CD is also very valid and maybe it is how this project  (if it ever happens) should be delivered at the end.

So, the idea is to brainstorm

Regards

[Martin Iturbide]

- what else?

It can be nice to try to come up for a name for you distro, so I won't call it " "SigurdWarp Distro" in the future.


Regards

[Sigurd Fastenrath]

Thanks for the replies so far!

I would like to state some things more precisely:

The basis of my project will be to update UPDCD to include all the things I have done before. Therefore I contacted Zsolt Kaddar some time ago, but unfortunately he does not have an active OS/2 System anymore. But I will contact him again with some suggestions. Unfortunately as well I do not have programming skills at all, and so as well not with Rexx, that is needed to change/add things in UPDCD.

Besides of ACPI I do know already wich way I have to choose to reach my goal with UPDCD in the "manual" way, that I use in practise till now.

Once I will reach the point that UPDCD is capable of doing the things I want it to do and have the permission of Zsolt Kaddar, I would like to publish this "new" UPDCD version. So that those familiar with this program can do everything they want on their own.

For those not able to use UPDCD I would like to offer the possibility to get an already updated DVD, by following this way:

- proof that there is a valid MCP license
- proof that there is a valid Arca Noae agreement

I want to stress again:

- this DVD does not include parts of ecomstation nor ecosoft (ecomstation.ru, i.e. no ecoruntime etc.)
- UPDCD will not be capable of updating eCS 2.0 , 2.1 ... (at least till someone else try this)

For this there is no need for a name, as it is just an updated MCP 4.52 

And Yes, something will actually come  I would like to show it at the User Meeting in Köln end of November.




 

[Sigurd Fastenrath]

As you can see here

https://translate.google.de/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.os2.org%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ff%3D2%26t%3D744&edit-text=

I started with modifying the UPDCD Program. Help is as allways welcome, but please answer there at os2.org as this keeps things together at one place.
You can answer there in english as well 

[Martin Iturbide]

For those not able to use UPDCD I would like to offer the possibility to get an already updated DVD, by following this way:

- proof that there is a valid MCP license
- proof that there is a valid Arca Noae agreement

Just one things, a valid eComStation license should also count as MCP  
Don't forget that, since it may be people that do not have Warp 4 or MCP and has eCS.


Regards