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OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Setup & Installation => Topic started by: NuggyBuggy on February 01, 2017, 11:32:17 pm

Title: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 01, 2017, 11:32:17 pm
I have a Thinkpad 560 from the 90s that I had in grad school and ran Warp 4 on.  I have the original CDs.  my computer only ever had the floppy drive, and a PCMCIA network card, no USB.  I do not have a PCMCIA CD drive, but I Am positive that i installed it many times over a network, maybe over NFS ?

I recall that i had to edit the boot disk somehow, possibly by dropping a driver onto the disk.  but, i cant seem to find anything on installing over the network.

Can anybody point me to a resource here ? My OS/2 chops are long gone and so is my long term recall.

Thanks!!
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: Pete on February 02, 2017, 12:03:40 am
Hi t Mark

I've never attempted this myself but have seen a webpage about it here http://www.tavi.co.uk/os2pages/reminst.html


Regards

Pete
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 02, 2017, 12:20:14 am
thank you Pete.  Parts of the linked-to page sound familiar, but other parts aren't ringing bells.  looks like I'll have to get another installation running first.  Hopefully I can do that using the CDs, a modern Windows OS and a USB floppy.

Thank you !
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: xynixme on February 02, 2017, 07:26:41 am
looks like I'll have to get another installation running first.  Hopefully I can do that using the CDs, a modern Windows OS and a USB floppy.

At least it's not as challenging as a 560Z. If using your memory's network install is not a goal on its own, then using nothing but floppies, including but not limited to floppies to install a Y2K-proof FixPak (ftp://service.software.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes), may be more efficient than finding out how a less boring  network install used to work.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 02, 2017, 01:42:20 pm


At least it's not as challenging as a 560Z. If using your memory's network install is not a goal on its own, then using nothing but floppies, including but not limited to floppies to install a Y2K-proof FixPak (ftp://service.software.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes), may be more efficient than finding out how a less boring  network install used to work.
That's true... but finding 3.5" floppies is a challenge around here. I've thrown out the ones I had,   Stores no lnger sell them and evn our IT department has only two they could spare me !

Is there a link to where i could download the stack of floppies, or can they can be created from the CDs?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: ivan on February 02, 2017, 03:47:42 pm
If push comes to shove and you have another computer that has a floppy drive it is possible to install Warp 4 with 2 floppies but it is a bit of a fiddle.

I assume you have access to a windows computer that has a CD and a floppy drive.  I say windows because Daniel F. Valot has a windows version of his EMT4PM Tools (floppy disk to/from image writer) so you can write the floppies from the images in 'DISKIMGS\OS2\35' on the CD.  All you then have to do is keep up with the floppy production.

I know this will work because I had to do it for one of our clients when one of their tool controllers HD died (fortunately the main board had provision to run a floppy drive) but it is a PITA to do. 
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: Doug Bissett on February 02, 2017, 08:12:55 pm
If you create a bootable CD, with the contents of the floppies (preferably updated), you can boot that. When it goes to a command line, remove the CD, and put the install CD into the drive. Go to the CD, and start the install program (don't remember what it is called, but it is pretty obvious). With a little imagination, you can make a bootable CD that also has the install stuff on it. I did that many years ago, using the bootAble method to make the bootable CD, and simply added the contents of the install (or DVD if you like). https://hrbaan.home.xs4all.nl/bootAble/ (https://hrbaan.home.xs4all.nl/bootAble/)
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: ivan on February 02, 2017, 09:14:58 pm
The problem is Doug that t Mark is trying to install on a computer with only a floppy drive for input and no USB ports - not an easy thing to do.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: Doug Bissett on February 03, 2017, 12:30:24 am
Quote
The problem is Doug that t Mark is trying to install on a computer with only a floppy drive for input and no USB ports - not an easy thing to do.

Hmmm. Guess I didn't go back far enough in this thread.   :(

Actually installing from floppies is pretty easy, if you have a floppy drive (but it is very slow). Just create ALL of the diskettes from a CD (should be possible on an older windows machine, but one, or more, of them are in XDF format so you may need an XDF driver). There are some batch files, on the CD, that will build the diskettes (of course, you also need good diskettes). Look in MAKEDSKS.BAT (or .CMD) in the root of the CD.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 03, 2017, 02:16:56 am

Actually installing from floppies is pretty easy, if you have a floppy drive (but it is very slow). Just create ALL of the diskettes from a CD (should be possible on an older windows machine, but one, or more, of them are in XDF format so you may need an XDF driver). There are some batch files, on the CD, that will build the diskettes (of course, you also need good diskettes). Look in MAKEDSKS.BAT (or .CMD) in the root of the CD.
Actually, the length of the install is not as big a problem for me as actually finding 3.5" disks !!

@Doug Bissett: You mention I need an "older windows machine"... how old do I need that machine to be ? Will the BAT file run from a Windows 7 Command Prompt ?

The other thing I'm toying with: I have one of those USB3->2.5" IDE adapters. I'm thinking I could attach the laptop drive to a modern computer, running VMware/VirtualBox, and boot the Warp installer into a VM that could then install to the 2.5" drive.... Anyone thing that would work ?
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 03, 2017, 03:28:02 am

Actually installing from floppies is pretty easy, if you have a floppy drive (but it is very slow). Just create ALL of the diskettes from a CD (should be possible on an older windows machine, but one, or more, of them are in XDF format so you may need an XDF driver). There are some batch files, on the CD, that will build the diskettes (of course, you also need good diskettes). Look in MAKEDSKS.BAT (or .CMD) in the root of the CD.
So, I downloaded the CD ZIP file from from https://archive.org/details/IBMOS2Warp4Collection, trying to bypass pulling out my installation CDs.

However, I couldn't mount the ISO corresponding to the actual CD, under OS X.  Should that ISO be mountable or is it something weird about OS X ?


Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 03, 2017, 04:27:24 am
Well, I can answer one of my questions.  It looks like the utilities in the DISKIMGS folder on the CD will NOT run under Windows 7.

Grr.

However, the ISO itself mounts fine under Windows 7, so my prior inability to mount seems to be an OS X thing.  This gets complicated... I'll have to look for a bootable floppy for a version of DOS that can work with the executables on the Warp CD.  Then I guess I will find out whether my USB floppy is bootable from my Windows laptop.

Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: Doug Bissett on February 03, 2017, 08:40:58 am
Quote
Actually, the length of the install is not as big a problem for me as actually finding 3.5" disks !!

I haven't seen any for sale, for many years. One thing that might work, is to create the disks one at a time, use it, then create the next one, and use it. It would seem like "forever", but it should work. You may even get lucky, and not need all of them.

Quote
@Doug Bissett: You mention I need an "older windows machine"... how old do I need that machine to be ? Will the BAT file run from a Windows 7 Command Prompt ?

I suspect that it needs to be a DOS based version. In fact, you may need an IBM DOS, and not a MS DOS, to get the XDF driver.

Quote
However, I couldn't mount the ISO corresponding to the actual CD, under OS X.  Should that ISO be mountable or is it something weird about OS X ?

It is more likely that the ISO is bad, but it may be okay if it mounts in win 7. It may be some stupid permissions thing in OS X.

Quote
This gets complicated...

That is exactly why it isn't done. I did, at one time (25 years ago), try to set up an install over a LAN. I seem to recall getting it to work, but it never did work well. With modern networking, you haven't got a chance. You would need to have OS/2 installed, or some other antique network support, at the other end of the wire, to make it work. Even trying to make the diskettes will probably prove futile, because finding a good diskette is difficult, today. It would probably be easier to find a CD drive for the machine, but most of them would probably be broken, if you do find some.

One thought, is to install OS/2 in  a virtual machine (VirtualBox works well under win 7, and probably with OS X too), then set up the network link for the laptop in that. You should be able to attach the floppy, and CD, images to the virtual machine, and install OS/2 that way. Whether you can convince the network to play nice, to connect the laptop, is a question that I cannot answer. In fact, it might be a better idea to use VirtualBox to run OS/2, rather than than trying to get an old laptop, with no CD drive, to work.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: ivan on February 03, 2017, 11:25:34 am
Regarding the problem of making the floppies from the images on a windows machine.  There is an answer to that - EMT4WIN.  Unfortunately it is a bit too large to attach here and Daniel no longer has it on his site (moved on to win 8 and 10 but the OS/2 programs are still there).

Anyone wanting a copy send an e-mail to ivanjt at free dot fr and I will send it to you.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 04, 2017, 03:06:34 am
Quote
This gets complicated...

That is exactly why it isn't done. I did, at one time (25 years ago), try to set up an install over a LAN. I seem to recall getting it to work, but it never did work well. With modern networking, you haven't got a chance. You would need to have OS/2 installed, or some other antique network support, at the other end of the wire, to make it work. Even trying to make the diskettes will probably prove futile, because finding a good diskette is difficult, today. It would probably be easier to find a CD drive for the machine, but most of them would probably be broken, if you do find some.

One thought, is to install OS/2 in  a virtual machine (VirtualBox works well under win 7, and probably with OS X too), then set up the network link for the laptop in that. You should be able to attach the floppy, and CD, images to the virtual machine, and install OS/2 that way. Whether you can convince the network to play nice, to connect the laptop, is a question that I cannot answer. In fact, it might be a better idea to use VirtualBox to run OS/2, rather than than trying to get an old laptop, with no CD drive, to work.
When I did it in the old days (how exactly, I can't remember) I don't think it was too hard.  I don't remember what was on the other side of the wire - I thought it was an NFS server , but it seems it was probably another OS/2 installation - but I recall it was fairly straightforward.  The only rub I remember is that I had an IBM PCMCIA LAN card and I think I needed to copy drivers to one of the install floppies. 

I am indeed looking at installing OS/2 as a VirtualBox guest and think that's my likeliest route to getting the LAN install working.  I *think* it should work with a crossover cable to my NIC card.  The rub is finding the driver, getting floppies that I can use, and then seeing whether the OS/2 guest will be able to write to a USB floppy drive mounted by the host. 

A few years ago my wife convinced me to toss hundreds of them out, as well as some vintage PCs that would have served this purpose well.  Also threw out some laptops with floppy drives. I will never let her forget that !!
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: Tom on February 04, 2017, 02:04:43 pm
Regarding the problem of making the floppies from the images on a windows machine.  There is an answer to that - EMT4WIN.  Unfortunately it is a bit too large to attach here and Daniel no longer has it on his site (moved on to win 8 and 10 but the OS/2 programs are still there).

Anyone wanting a copy send an e-mail to ivanjt at free dot fr and I will send it to you.

Or go directly to web.archive.org/web/20150731070645/http://dvalot.free.fr/emtcopy.htm (http://web.archive.org/web/20150731070645/http://dvalot.free.fr/emtcopy.htm)
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 05, 2017, 03:20:11 am
My first attempt to create boot disks has failed.

I installed FreeDOS in a VirtualBox guest, and connected a USB floppy drive to my Windows host.  The good news is that Windows was able to format the disk, so it seems good.  Also, the FreeDOS guest was able to read the floppy.

Unfortunately, it was not able to write to the disk: it gives a "FATAL: int13_diskette_function: write error" error when trying to do a FORMAT A:.

I think the next thing I am going to try is to connect a USB-> PATA adapter to my laptop drive, have a VM boot the OS/2 install disks, and see if I can get the installer to install to the laptop drive.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 05, 2017, 03:28:59 am
Actually, I'm going to try the EMT program that I was kindly pointed to.  I'm creating a floppy from one of the .DSK images.  If that works, then I'll weigh which option makes most sense.

My next big problem - if I try to do the install over LAN option - is finding the driver for my IBM "Home and Away" PCMCIA fax/modem/LAN card.  I was certain IBM would have every driver ever created by them easily accessible, but it seems to be lost in Lenovo-land.  I am quite certain it was not supported by the Warp installer out of the box.  I think I had to copy some file off a floppy disk onto one of the install disks.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 05, 2017, 04:01:34 am
Well, I was able to find what I think is the driver floppy for my Fax/LAN combo card: http://www.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=73052&si=e636723c79d8ec9def5934a07b74bb77.

I was also able to use the EMT4WIN app to format a physical floppy from one of the .DSK images.  Then, I was able to use that physical floppy to create a bootable floppy ISO, again using EMT4WIN.

Does anyone know if it is possible to create a bootable image file directly from the .DSK file ? The only source option EMT4WIN seems to give me is the physical disk A.

thanks for reading !

Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: ivan on February 05, 2017, 12:50:52 pm
I don't know if windows has such things as virtual floppies (we have them in OS/2).  If there is such a thing you can use that instead of the real floppy.

When I get to the office this evening I will dig out what we did to make a bootable CD way back in, I think, 2002 and email it to you.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: NuggyBuggy on February 06, 2017, 02:41:38 am
No virtual floppies natively in Windows.  A StackOverflow thread suggested something called ImDisk, but it didn't seem to be able to mount the .DSK files.
Title: Re: Installing Warp 4 on a Thinkpad 560 over network
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on February 06, 2017, 08:53:21 pm
I don't know if windows has such things as virtual floppies
Sure, they have quite some choices.