Author Topic: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?  (Read 15468 times)

Eugene Gorbunoff

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OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« on: December 03, 2015, 12:01:05 am »

A.1)
It's necessary include to OS/2 as many utilities and extenders as possible.
We talk about functions: service, disk, file utilities, .. software aimed to maintain the system.
Basic apps for users, any drivers.

Moreover, it's necessary include all demo versions of commercial software.
Those applications which are distributed with OS, have maximal sellings.
The applications which are not included - are used by <1% of users.
(The developer of OS is obligated create special conditions
for the developers of commercial software, because they define the area of OS usage).


A.2)
The users post the requests what functions to include:

* Local system -> System setup -> there should be Device Manager, viewer of PCI devices.

* Desktop, click on picture -> there should be Convert command in popup menu,
new converters can be included to OS without discussions.

* Programs -> Modern picture viewer should be included to the system.

* Templates folder -> template of Address book, cards with personal information should be located there

* System doesn't boot. The users want boot from DVD and start a Doctor to repair system.
This utility should be created (or Safe mode)

* ..
  • Add your requests (we expect to see 50 - 100 offerings)



A.3) By default all new functions and not visible (installed but not running)
and popup by request of users.

Examples:
* No need to create objects for music Converts applications. Convert function
may be (hidden) inserted into object popup menu of audio files (objects)

* No need to create 50 icons (objects) in Programs folder.
There should be 7+-2 (5 .. 9) folders, which contain other sub-folders.
And all dosenz of applications are sorted by this folders (categories)


A.4) Who manages the list of new functions? (modules which should be included to the OS)
The developer of OS or user groups.


A.5)
OS developer is publishing some requirements to new modules:
* the utilities should me multi-language
* quality: some requirements to quality
* License to distribute the module with OS
* (more)


A.6)
Formula: How to detect, is it necessary include the module to OS or not
* This utility / feature is important for all users? then YER
* Is it system utility? YES
* Is it WPS class? YES
* Is it fix / patch for OS? YES
* Is it front-end aimed to setup OS? YES
* Is it must-have feature for any modern OS? YES
* Is it small application popular among users? YES
* SysInfo utility? YES
* (more)





Previous publications:
* OS/2 arrows: 5.1. Banners exchange


Jan-Erik Lärka

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2015, 04:00:38 pm »
My opinion

A.1)
Yes, some of the included applications would benefit from some attention.
Diskinfo HDD S.M.A.R.T. GUI
...

I sure would like to see one application that present Utilities, Extenders etc. targeting the users perspective to add applications and let the actual installers deal with dll's and dependencies...
Kind of eCSoft/2 as application, just a click away to download and/or launch an installer (Yumie/yum/rpm, WarpIn, Rexx...) to try out open source, free and commercial software. There has to be a menu and a toolbar... something else?

I'm sure that would make more users try more of the software that has been developed if the OS contain something more than a list of libraries.

A.2)
Devices
There are several USB device manager applications with various benefits.
a) Include all those functions into one.
b) Integrate into WPS Properties?
c) Move the image db and device db to a developer neutral platform/server.

Image viewers/converters on popup menu
Yes.

Picture Viewer
Is it possible to improve the built in one and add printout, next previous etc. to it?
How about the icon editor?

Template folder
vCards that integrate with PMMail, Thunderbird
etc.

System doesn't boot
The OS installer should be a small part of a "Live CD", so one can boot to a populated Desktop with the possibility to download apps live/online from the "Software Catalogue" in A.1) and fix the problem.

A.3)
Plugin based Multimedia app instead of 50 small separate apps. The plugin based app may very well use those 50 text mode applications under the hood, but...

A.4) - A.6) The text is targeting someone else.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2015, 09:31:10 am by Jan-Erik Lärka »

Pete

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2015, 04:23:35 pm »
Hi Jep

I suspect an updated diskinfo may be required as it does not seem to work with AHCI controlled drives.


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Pete

Pete

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2015, 03:12:16 pm »
Hi All

Having just discovered the potential of eSATA I have also discovered an urgent requirement for a component to go with the eSATA capability: An eSATA aware "Removable Drive Monitor".

Reason: Currently it is not possible to attach and eject eSATA drives in the same manner as USB drives. To use an eSATA drive it has to be attached at boot and cannot be "ejected" until the system is powered down.

This "hot swap" capability should be included in any reasonably modern OS and is - with our exception  :-)


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Pete


Andi B.

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2015, 04:39:30 pm »
I think we do not (only) need a "Removable Drive Monitor" for this but a hotswap capable AHCI driver. Maybe worth to create a ticket for that at Arca Noae?

Pete

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2015, 11:45:29 pm »
Hi Andi B

Yes, pointless having the monitor if we do not have a driver with the necessary capability  :-)

So far I have not been told whether our current driver has the capability although I did not notice anything about hot swapping in the readme file.

My current arca noae os2ahci bug is system cannot boot with eSATA drive attached "OS/2 is unable to operate hard disk or diskette..." so I will probably ask about hot swap in that very related bug. The reason the drive was attached at boot was simply because hot swap does not work .


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Pete

Andi B.

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2015, 09:20:02 am »
Quote
My current arca noae os2ahci bug is system cannot boot with eSATA drive attached "OS/2 is unable to operate hard disk or diskette..." so
To my understanding this are different things. "Unable to operate...." maybe solved rearranging controllers in BIOS. Guss your eSATA drive is numerated before your standard boot drive. Don't know by which OS/2 driver though.

Hot swapping is a new feature our OS does not support except for USB drives or optical medias. No clue which parts of the OS have to be changed to allow removable SATA devices.

Pete

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2015, 10:16:34 pm »
Hi Andi B.

The "cannot boot with eSATA drive attached" bug is specific to the os2ahci.add 1.32 released by Arca Noae. The problem does not exist with the slightly earlier, slightly smaller 1.32 supplied with the eCS2.2beta2 release.

That seems to indicate the drives are enumerated by the os2ahci driver.


I have no idea how hot swapping works on a technical level...

The possibly good news is that eSATA is simply SATA but with hot swap capability, ie there is not another set of drivers involved as there is with a USB drive.

I suspect that the system needs to poll the controller(s) to check if a drive has been newly attached to a port and on finding a new drive attached pass the drive data, size etc, on to the system . The job the Removable Device Monitor does for USB drives is probably a good example of what is needed and, if that code is available, may provide a starting point. Maybe eSATA support could be added to that code rather than developing a separate eSATA Device Monitor.

I also suspect the driver needs to be "hot swap" capable and have no idea if that is the case with the current/recent os2ahci.add releases.


Regards

Pete

Doug Bissett

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2015, 04:12:17 am »
Quote
so I will probably ask about hot swap in that very related bug. The reason the drive was attached at boot was simply because hot swap does not work

Don't report more than one problem per incident, or both problems may be ignored. Hot swap is completely different from your "unable to operate" problem. It is  also not a deadly problem because a simple boot works around it.

Quote
The problem does not exist with the slightly earlier, slightly smaller 1.32 supplied with the eCS2.2beta2 release.

The AHCI driver that comes with eCS 2.2 b2 does have some sort of problem, it is best not to use it, although my understanding is that it either works, or it doesn't. There is a later version, also called 1.32, that was made available after eCS 2.2 b2 was released. It fixes the problem, and it would be very interesting to see if it also has the problem that you see with the Arca Noae driver. If so, it was that change that messed it up. If not, it was whatever Arca Noae did to it. Unfortunately, the eCS betazone seems to be gone, and I think that was where the fixed 1.32 driver was.

Quote
The possibly good news is that eSATA is simply SATA but with hot swap capability

The SATA hardware is hot swap capable. ESATA simply adds a defined cable to do it. I suspect that the only real difference is extra shielding, for longer distances, and possibly a tougher connector.

Quote
I also suspect the driver needs to be "hot swap" capable and have no idea if that is the case with the current/recent os2ahci.add releases.

The "removable" feature needs to be added, otherwise it would work. The other thing that it needs, is a hook to allow an eject, which needs to close out the file system, before telling the user that they can disconnect it. I don't think that ACPI needs to get involved any more than it gets involved in ejecting a USB drive. There is no need to power off the drive before connecting/disconnecting it.

Pete

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2015, 09:26:50 pm »
Hi Doug

I would not mind trying this "post ecS2.2beta2 pre Arca Noae" driver to see if that also has the boot problem.

As you say the problem is finding a copy...

If anyone has a copy of os2ahci.add dated later than

[M:\OS2\BOOT]bldlevel os2ahci.add
Build Level Display Facility Version 6.12.675 Sep 25 2001
(C) Copyright IBM Corporation 1993-2001
Signature:       @#D Azarewicz:1.32#@##1## 10 Nov 2013 07:58:57     DAZAR1    ::
::::@@AHCI Driver (c) 2013 D Azarewicz


and before

Build Level Display Facility Version 6.12.675 Sep 25 2001
(C) Copyright IBM Corporation 1993-2001
Signature:       @#Arca Noae LLC:1.32#@##1## 16 Nov 2014 08:16:06     DAZAR1
::::::@@AHCI Driver (c) 2014 Arca Noae LLC


Please let me know.


Regards

Pete

guzzi

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2015, 07:55:14 pm »
At least one thing was fixed between the 1.32 in the beta and the later Arca Noae one. The older version would not work on my PC.

roberto

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Re: OS/2 arrows: 2.1: What components to include to OS?
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2015, 08:24:54 am »
I excluded when an application fails, the message that if you want to close the application, with one option. And instead to install the system separately or with a call to top.exe killer or similar program.
Saludos