Messages

1

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: OS/2 Licensing

« on: Today at 12:19:13 am »

The problem as far as I know is not Microsoft but all the other companies IBM used as contractors.
Many of them don't even exist any more so finding out who owns rights might be a nightmare.

When the OS/2 kernel source was leaked (20 years ago?) the people I talked to told me they were able to build and use everything that was there. They also told me that according to text in the code there was a lot of subcontractors that kept their copyright. It was not like a Linux kernel where everything has the same license.

If IBM still have some big customers with OS/2 installations they support then they definitely have the code and the tools to build it. Not that many people know how to build it though.

Yes, the divide between kernel and device drivers makes it easier to support more modern hardware. Less stuff in the kernel makes it easier to expand it from the outside.

But in the end, without open source it will fail, it's quite amazing that modern CPU's still supports 30+ years old code. The only way to save anything imho is to use the Linux kernel and build a "personality" on top. But there are no resources nor business case any more.

I can provide some clarity. IBM and Microsoft jointly development OS/2 and. Later from about OS/2 2.1 IBM continued the development of OS/2 without Microsoft.
I talk to some people who used todo work for IBM (like a company in Latvia that wrote part of the USB stack). Even they did not get certain sources.
At the time I understood Scitech (who worked on Scitech Display Doctor) also did not get some of the GRADD sources they requested.

The gist was that IBM has always been strict on on Intellectual Property. When I worked at Mensys, Serenity Systems had a ASL contract for eComStation. This is effectively a kind of OEM agreement for OS/2 (binary access). It was looked into if we could get access to the source under IBM supervision. Well that was not possible. What might have been possible was a so called TCO contract. Uhuuu that was in my recollection not something the funds where available for. I seem to recall that this was just a copy of the sources for OS/2 within IBM. What other rights
that may have given I have forgotten this is more then 20 years ago :-)

From what I heard over the years is that around 1996 when IBM started reducing OS/2 funding internally it seems somewhere some of the OS/2 sources where leaked. From what I understand however not everything of OS/2 was leaked.   But I have no direct evidence of this leak.

Roderick

2

Applications / Re: Thunderbird - SM email makes system trap in Warp 4.52 but ok in Arcaos5

« on: January 19, 2025, 04:38:53 pm »

made all what suggested, no improve.
Seamonkey.exe opens the browser, if start composing a new message (FILE menu) it let me do it, but goes in system trap as I try to open the Mail & Newsgroup window (WINDOWS menu) see message in the attached picture.
Repeat, it has worked OK since time ago, unfortunately I ignore after which software/installation has stopped to work properly.
I feel something related to QT5 stuff introduced for Dooble installation, but however made same on ArcaOS and no issue there
Thank you

If ANY DLL is marked to load high. ONLY do this on ArcaOS installaitons with recent kernels.
If a program exists when loaded high (by exiting or crashing) the change it high it will take your MCP 4.52 system down.

Another fix in the ArcaOS kernel is that when DLL are loaded high the memory is actually released.

Note to run any QT 5 or QT 6 based browser (dooble). You NEED to load the webskit DLL in high memory. Otherwhise the lower shared kernel memory is exhausted to quickly.

Roderick

3

Setup & Installation / Re: Installing CUPS on MCP

« on: January 16, 2025, 02:05:03 pm »

You may need to add the path to the correct CUPS install as a parameter to cupswiz.exe.

Regarding the trap, the only thing I can think of is the PSPRINT install is broken somehow. 

If you go into PrintMan and choose File -> Manage presentation drivers, what does the entry for PSPRINT report? In particular the Version and Status columns.  Next, if you double-click on the PSPRINT entry, does it pop up its list of supported printers?

Alex is installing CUPS in MCP or ECS even worth the trouble ? As I seem to recall the that the postscript driver in ArcaOS has had extensive updates, this also includes PIN.EXE.
A lot of the postscript PPD files with PIN.EXE would just crash because of bad coding.
Is that correct Alex ?

Roderick

4

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: Best Email Program on ArcaOS

« on: January 12, 2025, 10:20:54 pm »

The problem with PMMail is that it doesn't handle some of the security connections that these big email providers demand. Perhaps if it now supports the correct TLS, an app password would also work.

The new PMMAIL version from OS/2 VOICE can a setup with stunnel to provide encryption.

Roderick

5

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: Best Email Program on ArcaOS

« on: January 11, 2025, 04:56:31 pm »

Are you using the account with gmail ?

Roderick Klein

6

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: OS/2 Licensing

« on: January 05, 2025, 06:39:48 pm »

Changing the subject from Copyright to Trademark

Can we do something evil since IBM let the OS/2 trademark expire ? 
- https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74515112&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch
Maybe something like register the logo again and create own our legal T-Shirts.

Any Trademark lawyers friends around?

A difficult question. This website might provide some of the answers. And it might also depend per country if you can use a trademark that has expired.
There are a lots of shades or grey in this discussion what is legal todo and what not.
https://harperjames.co.uk/article/dead-trade-mark/#section-6

So you want to use the word OS/2 or the logo's from IBM ?
 From the website above:
"If the dead trade mark is a logo, the copyright in the logo could still belong to a third party such as the original designer. Copyright can last for the life of the author plus seventy years and you may have to conduct additional research if you want to use an existing logo and perhaps secure a written assignment of its copyright if you can locate the original owner."

Roderick Klein

7

Setup & Installation / Re: OS/2 Multi-Boot on T42p

« on: January 03, 2025, 01:33:51 pm »

C006 was unfinshed, so without reason to update, probably best not to. You still might want to update to the last available kernel, 104 I think.

A final version was made of fixpak 6. Its was just never made available to SWC members best I can tell. Only for a few companies best I can tell.

Roderick

8

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: OS/2 Licensing

« on: January 02, 2025, 05:09:35 pm »

If someone wants to try OS/2, and downloads a copy from the Internet, I doubt they can get in trouble with IBM, even if they are violating license terms.

It's different for someone who wants to offer OS/2 software. IBM may have issues with someone distributing OS/2 parts and fixpaks. Here on OS/2 World, we don't even give links to unofficial OS/2 media and fixes. But OS/2 has been off the market for 18 years.

Is there some time limit after which OS/2 licensing doesn't matter?

Have we already reached that time?

When can a business or other organization offer OS/2 parts without licensing restrictions?

Just like a book copyright applies to software. Look how long the copyright lasts for a book. That should also apply to software. Which is at least 70 years or in the US, best I can tell.

Roderick

9

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: OS/2 Licensing

« on: January 02, 2025, 12:26:56 pm »

ArcaNoae can't sell eCS as much of it is copyrighted by Mensys or their successor. Look at https://www.arcanoae.com/shop/os2-ecs-drivers-software-subscription-personal-renewal/ for upgrading your eCS and which drivers you can update.

Having worked at Mensys I know what type of contract Arca Noae most likely has. IBM licenses OS/2 via a so called ASL contract. The product can not be named OS/2 and has to have different name.
Even if its an OS/2 product, IBM legal perspective how they understand see it legally as different product. So you can not for example buy a license of ArcaOS and then run for example MCP 4.52.
While Mensys provided an upgrade license, no discount was given by IBM to Mensys for the upgrade licenses sold. Again simply because IBM does not consider eCS as an OS/2 product.
Technically its an OS/2 product, legally not....

As for using the driver package on eCS. I just wonder how much trouble its worth. So many other OS components in ArcaOS have also been updated and getting update install media with eCS
can be done with the new drivers. But its a big headache.  eCS 2.1 was released in 2011. And I can not even to start mentioning how many bugs have been fixed in ArcaOS you miss out on with
eCS or Warp 4 even. I am not saying it can not be done. But its really for the brave solls :-)

Roderick

10

Comments, Suggestions & Questions / Re: OS/2 Licensing

« on: December 30, 2024, 04:47:17 pm »

I hope this helps...

A while back, I suggested OS/2 (and probably most OSes) has Developers and Users, putting myself firmly in the latter class. Since then, I have begun to suspect I should have at least two machines.

One would run normal AOS, currently 5.1 here, and do AOS-type work, including internet (assuming Them As Fix Things can settle the Browser Saga so I need not use my Dell m/c running Win-10).

The other would be the equivalent of the trusty old office typewriter, for writing work, the WP being WordStar-7c. When I ran eCS-2.1, WS-7c ran well. Not so with AOS-5.1's DOS session, which requires me not to invoke certain commands (or the system crashes) and its Win-3.1 session (which is flaky with old reference tools like the Oxford Compendium). So it would be Nice if They could offer a package comprising eCS-2.1 with upgrades of its ability to handle today's disk formats and USB types. Communication with the AOS m/c, as required, would be through intermediate USB storage devices. The AOS m/c, at a pinch, could format those devices. For office work, that's all I need.

What are my chances?

Did you open a ticket for this issue with WS-7C. I worked on eCS 2.1 at Mensys with Joachim. Boy that was a job to get 2.0 and 2.1 gone. I am also on the beta tester list for ArcaOS 5.1.0.
But what I typed before for other people there are not many changes to the code for VDM session. Some VDM drivers where updated as there was no choice.

But please open a ticket with Arca Noae if it can be reproduced the issue.

What do you un a UEFI based ArcaOS or a system with ArcaOS and BIOS boot. Without these details its hard to make any proper judgment if its ArcaOS or eCS 2.1.
generate on an CMD exe command the a testlog generic with this command and attach it to your ticket. Maybe we can make a further analysis to help you out.

Best wishes for 2025.

Roderick Klein
president OS/2 VOICE

11

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« on: December 30, 2024, 12:12:22 am »

@Martin - actually I was using QT6 apps listed here: https://trac.netlabs.org/qtapps, but thanks for the link. I'll try some of Tellie's recent ones from there.

@Dave - if I put SET QT_PM_CP=1208 in CONFIG.SYS, it will effect both QT5 and QT6 (I have both recent hotfixes)?

@Roderick - I was testing with only what runs with the WPS, no other apps. If anything, I am guilty of loading too much into high memory, although I think I have that under control now...

Regards,

When it comes to loading DLL's high there nothing to much you can load to high. However you should never mark OS2 DLL to high. Take for example PMMERGE.DLL or DOSCALL1.DLL.
Only mark data segments to load high. The key is to experiment with this to some extend. But only do this with large DLL's of QT for example.

The real weakspot of OS/2 os the lower shared kernel arena.  If it runs out of memory, well, game over.  Also loading large DLL's high will fragment the lower kernel memory area less.

Roderick Klein

12

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« on: December 29, 2024, 08:43:26 pm »

Thanks Paul and Rich! I went to the Netlabs website where a bunch of QT6 apps are listed, but every one I tried would lock my computer solid, even without SET QT_PM_CP-1208. I'm guessing they were compiled with an older version of QT6, from before Paul changed the DLL names. So does anyone know of working QT6 apps compiled with the most recent QT6 (besides Dooble)? I'm happy to test...

Regards,

This is rather interesting.  What programs have you got loaded ? Lock ups can also occur if all DLL's are not loaded high (marked for the kernel todo so). When testing you run other programs ?

Roderick Klein

13

Applications / Re: PMInSANE :-P

« on: December 26, 2024, 10:45:51 pm »

Hello everyody,

Best wishes for 2025 in advanced.
Just a thought why do we not use:
https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Tame/2
I seem to recall its possible to add scanners to this project ?
Or have I overlooked something ?

Roderick

14

Hardware / Re: The last nail in OS/2's coffin

« on: December 23, 2024, 04:19:32 pm »

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intel-terminates-x86s-initiative-unilateral-quest-to-de-bloat-x86-instruction-set-comes-to-an-end

That is good news! :-)

Roderick

15

Networking / Re: Sharing WSeB Server drives to Win 10/11 Clients

« on: December 12, 2024, 09:58:16 am »

Hey Chris,

later versions of windows have deprecated SMB1 and the legacy NTLM authentication. https://winsides.com/enable-smb-1-0-cifs-file-sharing-support-windows-11/ might help....

I tried that for years after Windows 7 and higher SMB 1 support is complete broken is my experience. I tested with a lot of LAN MAN settings in the registry but gave up.
SMB 1 support from Windows 10/11 seems to be to much broken. Maybe some magic registry setting can get it to work. But I spent long nights on this.

Roderick