OS2 World Community Forum

OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Setup & Installation => Topic started by: Doug Clark on April 04, 2019, 05:26:10 am

Title: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Doug Clark on April 04, 2019, 05:26:10 am
I think it would kind of fun to see other people's desktops - how they have configured their desktop, what apps they run, color and icon schemes, etc.

Anybody up to posting screen shots of their desktops? Maybe with a short description of their system and interesting hardware, along with what they have networked together, e.g.storage, file and/or database servers, what other OSes they are running and connected to, etc.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: David Graser on April 04, 2019, 04:37:06 pm
This is presently my OS/4 partition.  Nothing is permanent since I am always playing around with graphics.

Lenovo Thinkpad 430S.

This is with ArcaOS 5.02, OS/4 kernel, FF SandyBridge.  I primarily use my laptop for internet usage, grpahics, and some testing.

Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: ivan on April 04, 2019, 05:38:46 pm
You might say that I am old fashioned but much of my working desktop originated with Warp 4 back in 1996 and evolved from there.  The screen is from a 28" 1920x1200 Hanns-g monitor driven by the on chip Vega graphics of the Ryzen 3 2200G processor.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: David Graser on April 04, 2019, 07:01:55 pm
Ivan, you prove what I have always thought.  You don't always need the latest and greatest software to be productive.  One on my biggest gripes is that programs such as Microsoft Office are less intuitive with each upgrade.  Same thing with the OS.  What does Windows 10 give people?  Nothing but Microsoft monitoring every thing you do including key strokes.  It is just one big spy program.  I don't use 10 and have attempted to put software in place to keep Microsoft from upgrading the system with undesirable elements.

That is why ArcoOS is a breath of fresh air for me.  I do like a modern looking screen which is why I play around with my doodles.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Eugene Tucker on April 04, 2019, 08:29:27 pm
David I agree with you faster is better. Right. Though I have never seen anyone type faster than a Intel 386. But I gave me a career for a few years. I love your bitmap by the way on your desktop by the way.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: xynixme on April 05, 2019, 11:38:57 am
Nothing special, eCS 1.2, system range Pentium II - Pentium 4. Drop targets can be found in other folders too (i.e. not the desktop), and the GUI also includes objects being linked to apps. A rscriction is a reasonable smallest 1024x768 monitor. Windows range is XP-7, just because OS/2 and eCS 1.x hardware is too old for W10 and W10 hardware is too new for eCS 1.x NL.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Joop on April 05, 2019, 04:11:26 pm
eCS 1.2 Dutch and a hybrid DOS for emulating Psion systems. eCS is my daily system. Everything you can find on my homepage about Java is installed. For the rest of it, the regular programs found on most systems.
I use a Wacom Bamboo Pen, no mouse. Screen size 1024x768. My monitor can show more, but then it is too small for me. Sometimes I don't show the bar above the picture, you then only see the picture. Very nice with W-users around ;-). I still have some Psions around and the computer is backup and more. I usually run the Psion emulator in DOSbox, in that case I can test with several emulations next to each other. I still use very old DOS programs because there is not a real replacement or the replacement is more then 10 times the size without serious more functions or capabilities in the program, as an example PC-Outline. Also use Win16 session with W3 programs for the Psions or for converting files to an other format.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: xynixme on April 05, 2019, 04:30:59 pm
BTW, mine's grey to save a few bytes.

eCS 1.2 Dutch
Is the red X near the top left corner a result of upgrading eCS 1.2's eCenter by installing xCenter? I still have to test how seamless such an upgrade is; hence the question w.r.t. a missing eCenter button.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Joop on April 05, 2019, 06:13:29 pm
BTW, mine's grey to save a few bytes.
No, it did not, sorry.
Your picture: scrprt.png (176.13 kB, 1280x1024)
My picture: desktop.jpg (133.28 kB, 1024x768)
My picture is about 40kB less. The difference is in the format. Your's png and mine jpg.

eCS 1.2 Dutch
Is the red X near the top left corner a result of upgrading eCS 1.2's eCenter by installing xCenter? I still have to test how seamless such an upgrade is; hence the question w.r.t. a missing eCenter button.[/quote]
Long time ago I thought that xCenter had more functionality, it didn't and its far less stable. You have to maintain it more and it does have problems with handles. At a certain point the ini seems to be too polluted and you don't get your desktop up and running. Instead you get a message. Abort and re install an old desktop. Running Checkini doesn't work sufficient at some point if the pollution is severe. Also its a nightmare with installation, never thought that this specific program is nested so wide and deep in the system. So this was my big mistake. For now its stable and running, but with testing Java stuff and other programs it will go wrong at some point. So stick to what's delivered with eCS or ArcaOs.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Doug Clark on April 05, 2019, 09:18:47 pm
AMD FX4350 running ArcaOS 5.01 with SNAP and AceCad AceCat graphics/digitizer tablet. Another FX4350 is running WSeB (on top of ecs 2.2 beta) and DB2/2. Various other Macbooks, Win Xp, Win7 and older ecs for special  circumstances/occasions - all networked to the WSeB server through Netbios when possible or SAMBA.

What is amazing is the latest version of OS/2 - ArcaOS - can still install and run drivers for hardware that is more than 20 years old - for example the AceCat tablet. And I use, on a regular basis, software/applications, both OS/2 and Win16, that dates from the very early 1990s - because it works. The heritage from IBM's mainframe side is a great benefit - quoting from "Introduction to the New Mainframe - zOS Basics"
--------

Mainframe customers tend to have a large financial investment in their
applications and data. Some applications have been developed and refined over
decades. Some applications were written many years ago, while others may
have been written "yesterday." The ability of an application to work in the system
or its ability to work with other devices or programs is called compatibility .

The need to support applications of varying ages imposes a strict compatibility
demand on mainframe hardware and software, which have been upgraded many
times since the first System/360 mainframe computer was shipped in 1964.
Applications must continue to work properly. Thus, much of the design work for
new hardware and system software revolves around this compatibility
requirement.

The overriding need for compatibility is also the primary reason why many
aspects of the system work as they do, for example, the syntax restrictions of the
job control language (JCL) that is used to control job scheduling and execution.
Any new design enhancements made to the JCL must preserve compatibility
with older jobs so that they can continue to run without modification. THE DESIRE
AND NEED FOR CONTINUING COMPATIBILITY IS ONE OF THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF
MAINFRAME COMPUTING.
------
As it has been so far for OS/2
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Ian Manners on April 09, 2019, 06:25:46 pm
My main OS/2 machine has evolved since the mid 90's, it just works and I'm happy with that. The few problems I've had have been of my own making in doing things I probably shouldn't be doing under the hood, or due to hardware failure.

OS/2 allows me to get my work done, and I cant help but notice a lot of people that use other operating systems seem to spend an incredible amount of time updating, restoring, asking for help, mixed with weird and strange things happening after updates. I don't have time to spend fixing base operating system problems.

I do have AN installed on a laptop for traveling, which is about once a year, I do mean to try using it more but my current OS is still comfortable, and working, since the mid 90's..

Added:
Intel Core2Duo 3Ghz, 4Gb DDR3 ram, 500Gb Seagate HD, ATI card, Snap. Network drives to the main server.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: xynixme on April 10, 2019, 01:54:43 am
I cant help but notice a lot of people that use other operating systems seem to spend an incredible amount of time updating, restoring, asking for help, mixed with weird and strange things happening after updates.
FWIW: if people here hardly use Windows and new Windows software, then one of the ways to reduce the duration of the usual harddisk torture sessions is to disable its horrible CompatTelRunner.EXE.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Dave Yeo on April 10, 2019, 02:17:14 am

Your picture: scrprt.png (176.13 kB, 1280x1024)
My picture: desktop.jpg (133.28 kB, 1024x768)
My picture is about 40kB less. The difference is in the format. Your's png and mine jpg.

You should sacrifice the 40kBs and use png as it is lossless and gives a better picture, especially with stuff like text. Exception is if you're starting with a JPEG picture.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: xynixme on April 10, 2019, 03:04:51 pm
BTW, mine's grey to save a few bytes.
No, it did not, sorry.

So stick to what's delivered with eCS or ArcaOs.
It does, compared to the original 24-bit PNG file. The generic comment was no contest compared with others, and I wanted to point out that I'm not using soms B&W system too. Regarding size I've beaten professionals, with text still being readable as the single condition and JPG being the weapon of choice indeed.

Thank you. I'll stick to the eCenter then if a xCenter upgrade not that seamless (including the [e|x]Center button), and sort of accept the rare comments that "we all are using xCenter" (and its shutdown facilities).
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Dave Yeo on April 10, 2019, 04:21:25 pm
Thank you. I'll stick to the eCenter then if a xCenter upgrade not that seamless (including the [e|x]Center button), and sort of accept the rare comments that "we all are using xCenter" (and its shutdown facilities).

An xCenter upgrade should be seamless, especially to the light version. There's been quite a bit of work done to it and the xcenter version is basically the same as what is shipped with ArcaOS except the branding and a couple of plugins missing.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: xynixme on April 11, 2019, 10:59:45 pm
An xCenter upgrade should be seamless, especially to the light version. There's been quite a bit of work done to it and the xcenter version is basically the same as what is shipped with ArcaOS except the branding and a couple of plugins missing.
Alright, I'll consider a test during a rare,  new full install of eCS then, so it won't be that hard to return to the eCenter. Optional extras of the full version may not be a problem, as long as it seems to be seamless. ArcaOS is no issue. By default its standard will be used first then, even if that's a Launchpad.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Doug Clark on April 12, 2019, 09:01:10 pm
Joop,

Your comment about using the Wacom Bamboo pen instead of a mouse intrigued me, so I went looking for how to install tbe bamboo.

(Roderick helped me to get Pen installed)

Could you post your config.sys file so we could see how you have your bamboo configured? And maybe a picture of the tablet?

Thanks
Doug
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: ivan on April 12, 2019, 11:04:21 pm
Although this is getting away from desktop screen shots - could we have more please?

Doug, you need to go over to Wim's page http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/index.html (http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/index.html) and have a look at his OS/2 pen and touch page.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Joop on April 12, 2019, 11:34:02 pm

Your picture: scrprt.png (176.13 kB, 1280x1024)
My picture: desktop.jpg (133.28 kB, 1024x768)
My picture is about 40kB less. The difference is in the format. Your's png and mine jpg.

You should sacrifice the 40kBs and use png as it is lossless and gives a better picture, especially with stuff like text. Exception is if you're starting with a JPEG picture.
In the case of the way the net is going its better to go for a JPEG picture, because you can protect it better then possible with a PNG version. With JPEG I have control over quality and smoothing.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Joop on April 12, 2019, 11:40:24 pm
Although this is getting away from desktop screen shots - could we have more please?

Doug, you need to go over to Wim's page http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/index.html (http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/index.html) and have a look at his OS/2 pen and touch page.
I developed with Wim the driver, Wim did the driver, I did the testing. On his site more basic information, on my site http://joopn.home.xs4all.nl/os2ecs/ecs2e1.htm (http://joopn.home.xs4all.nl/os2ecs/ecs2e1.htm) you can download the driver with a manual how to setup. In the manual also the config.sys setup and why that way.
Title: Re: Desktop screen shots
Post by: Doug Clark on April 13, 2019, 07:22:47 pm
Joop - thanks for the info. He has a number of tablet drivers and some interesting USB stuff too.