OS2 World Community Forum

OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Setup & Installation => Topic started by: Greggory Shaw on March 13, 2014, 06:10:25 am

Title: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Greggory Shaw on March 13, 2014, 06:10:25 am
I was thinking about a new install of my eCS 2.1 system.

So the question is with eCS 2.2 coming out soon, is there a way to transfer your old desktop ?

I think I remember Object Desktop had that ability.

Thanks,

Greggory
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: dbanet on March 13, 2014, 10:50:09 am
The installer of eCS 2.2, as of every other OS/2 distribution, has the migration (update) feature which lets you install eCS 2.2 over your previous 2.1 installation without losing your files or WPS desktop classes/objects information and configuration.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Andi B. on March 13, 2014, 11:27:54 am
Quote
...has the migration (update) feature ...
And numerous times have been warned not use it. Maybe it works for you satisfactory. But make a good backup before you try it.

Maybe the easier way is to copy over the 2.2 enhancements to you current installation manually. ACPI, OS2AHCI, kernel, USB and ...? Did I forgot something? ;)
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: dbanet on March 13, 2014, 11:39:07 am
OS/2 always had a nice installer... before eCS.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: dbanet on March 13, 2014, 11:47:04 am
copy ... ACPI, OS2AHCI, kernel, USB and ...? Did I forgot something? ;)
Already :)
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: ivan on March 13, 2014, 12:24:03 pm
You could try ROBOSAVE which is an IBM EWS program.  We use it as part of our backup strategy for when we replace a computer and reinstall OS/2. 

I don't know how it would work with eCS that appears to install differently to a standard WSeB install.  Plus we always install programs on a separate partition from the WSeB install to allow easy updates of the hardware.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: dbanet on March 13, 2014, 07:14:26 pm
You could try ROBOSAVE which is an IBM EWS program.  We use it as part of our backup strategy for when we replace a computer and reinstall OS/2. 

I don't know how it would work with eCS that appears to install differently to a standard WSeB install.  Plus we always install programs on a separate partition from the WSeB install to allow easy updates of the hardware.

Could you please tell more about the backup strategy you use? I'm interested.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Dave Yeo on March 13, 2014, 08:49:15 pm
You could try ROBOSAVE which is an IBM EWS program.  We use it as part of our backup strategy for when we replace a computer and reinstall OS/2. 

I don't know how it would work with eCS that appears to install differently to a standard WSeB install.  Plus we always install programs on a separate partition from the WSeB install to allow easy updates of the hardware.

RoboSave is extensible by editing and adding to robosave.pro.  I had it even backing up my bookmarks and various other things. The problem with it is that it wants to restore to the same version of OS/2. Not sure how it would interpret eCS.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Greggory Shaw on March 13, 2014, 11:44:34 pm

RoboSave is extensible by editing and adding to robosave.pro.  I had it even backing up my bookmarks and various other things. The problem with it is that it wants to restore to the same version of OS/2. Not sure how it would interpret eCS.

The same version (eCS 2.0, 2.1 ... etc) or the same install base ???
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Pete on March 14, 2014, 12:23:04 am
Hi All

You could try wps2rexx - http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/wps/wps2rexx.zip

You use wps2rexx to create rexx scripts of the existing Desktop.

You then need to edit those scripts to remove the Desktop bits installed as standard. If installing to a different boot drive you may also need to edit any boot drive references.

There are a few problems with wps2rexx as it can sometimes "choke" on a desktop folder and fail to complete the rexx scripts.

Be nice if it got updated to work properly as it is the best "copy the Desktop" tool I have bumped into that does not require any software - apart from rexx - in order to recreate an existing Desktop on a different boot drive.

You may want to give it try to see if it works for you.


Regards

Pete
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Greggory Shaw on March 14, 2014, 12:40:44 am
Hi All

You could try wps2rexx - http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/wps/wps2rexx.zip

You use wps2rexx to create rexx scripts of the existing Desktop.......

........


Regards

Pete


Ill check it out Pete thanks !

Update - I tried RoboSave and got a lot of errors, UPDATE: works on new install and on my original backup system. And I also tried copying the archive directory over to the new install, but that didn't work either.

I'm going to keep trying with the archive method for a while, any tips ! I have a license for Object Desktop, so I'm going to re-install that next. Ill post everything to my website as soon as I get it working. I'm pretty sure OD will do the job.


Greggory
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Dave Yeo on March 14, 2014, 06:08:29 am

RoboSave is extensible by editing and adding to robosave.pro.  I had it even backing up my bookmarks and various other things. The problem with it is that it wants to restore to the same version of OS/2. Not sure how it would interpret eCS.

The same version (eCS 2.0, 2.1 ... etc) or the same install base ???

Same version and probably consider eCS 2.0 and 2.1 to be the same, it was written before eCS.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: ivan on March 14, 2014, 08:03:26 pm
You could try ROBOSAVE which is an IBM EWS program.  We use it as part of our backup strategy for when we replace a computer and reinstall OS/2. 

I don't know how it would work with eCS that appears to install differently to a standard WSeB install.  Plus we always install programs on a separate partition from the WSeB install to allow easy updates of the hardware.

Could you please tell more about the backup strategy you use? I'm interested.

I will dig out our notes on Monday when I am back in the office and type them up with the reasons for what we do then post them.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Alex Taylor on March 15, 2014, 06:28:45 am
I mostly use my own tool that I wrote. I use it to create REXX scripts to regenerate various individual folder trees; I've never tried it on the entire desktop at once, but it might work.

I never released it publicly before, as it's got significant limitations. It mostly depends on WPTools.DLL to query object properties, and WPTools so far hasn't been updated to recognize certain late additions to WPS setup string syntax. I was meaning to try and tackle that, but I never got around to it. Right now I don't even remember what features are missing, although next time I do a restore I'll probably rediscover them :P.

The source is in the VXApps repository on NetLabs, and I just put a current (very much alpha, not properly tested) build here (http://ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/vxapps/objtool/objtool_04.zip). It's pretty simple: just drag and drop a WPS folder into the window and it'll generate an object tree of all its contents. You can then export the results to a REXX script or a couple of installer-specific formats which I've never really tested.

If you want it to save custom object icons then you need Rich Walsh's OO.EXE installed somewhere (eCS has included this program for years). I just added this feature to the latest version and it hasn't been tested extensively. If you don't have OO, then the program should still work but custom abstract object icons won't be saved.

Provided mainly for the curious and the daring. Absolutely no warranty!
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on March 15, 2014, 02:58:39 pm
> I never released it publicly before, as it's got significant limitations.

Could you be more specific?  objtools.exe and its REXX export facility looks as if it works well.

An option that I added to my own REXX tool to restore objects, is to replace paths. That would allow to recreate objects even if the program path has changed. That's a powerful option.

Why don't you release it now?

Andreas
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Alex Taylor on March 15, 2014, 04:34:54 pm
As I said, its main limitation is that it can't recreate setup string settings that WPTOOLS doesn't recognize. Also, until today it didn't support restoring custom icons, but I added that feature this morning (very experimentally so far) before importing the code. :P

Once I have it tested a bit more I probably will release it more publicly. I want to figure out exactly what things are missing from the setup strings, though.  At least it's now in SVN and on the FTP site for people to play with if they need it.

The thing is that I almost never update it except when I'm doing a migration or reinstall, which is pretty infrequent.  Then I use it, notice something else that needs doing, tweak it a bit more, then forget about it until the next round. :D
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Doug Bissett on March 15, 2014, 04:37:11 pm
Quote
Why don't you release it now?

I think he just did.   :)

I have used a similar REXX program http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/dev/rexx/gbj111.zip (http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/dev/rexx/gbj111.zip) (from 1997) that uses WPTOOLS.DLL. It works pretty well, for most things, but is limited to what WPTOOLS knows about. I have never tried the whole desktop, but it works with most desktop folders. A bit of editing will compensate for drive changes, and some other things. You do need to save the old setup, before you destroy it.

I will note, however, that I usually do a new install, and build the desktop again, fixing things that have been bugging me as I go along (and dropping things that I never use). It is usually faster, and more pleasing, than trying to mess around recreating something that was. GetObj (and probably Alex's new program) is useful for folders that have many objects, that were built by hand. Those that are built by an installer, are better done using the installer (which often does other things).
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on March 15, 2014, 05:07:49 pm
As I said, its main limitation is that it can't recreate setup string settings that WPTOOLS doesn't recognize.

IMO that isn't a limitation. Your app is able to handle specific icons. The only missing thing that comes to my mind is the XCenter setup string.

Also, until today it didn't support restoring custom icons, but I added that feature this morning (very experimentally so far) before importing the code. :P

Icons work as well as with Henk's WPSBKUP.EXE and WPSREST.EXE.

At least it's now in SVN and on the FTP site for people to play with if they need it.

Yes, but the announcement is missing.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on March 18, 2014, 07:07:58 pm
Icons work as well as with Henk's WPSBKUP.EXE and WPSREST.EXE.

Apparently not: Some icons are missing in my test. Sorry, I won't test it further due to lack of time.
Title: Re: How do you transfer your old WPS to eCS 2.2 ?
Post by: Alex Taylor on March 20, 2014, 02:52:48 pm
Quote
As I said, its main limitation is that it can't recreate setup string settings that WPTOOLS doesn't recognize.

IMO that isn't a limitation. Your app is able to handle specific icons. The only missing thing that comes to my mind is the XCenter setup string.

There are definitely some built-in WPS settings that aren't capable of being saved.  I discovered this a couple of years ago when doing a restore.  Unfortunately I can't find my notes so I don't remember what was missing; I just remember that some objects were broken because of it.

Quote
Apparently not: Some icons are missing in my test. Sorry, I won't test it further due to lack of time.

I was fairly restrictive in how it saves and restores icons. It only does so with the icons of abstract objects (not filesystem objects) which are explicitly set as custom in OS2.INI.

This means that custom icons of folders and anything else that exists in the filesystem (e.g. URL objects and certain other things) will always use icon(s) in the Extended Attributes if any, or the class default icon if none. 

That was a deliberate choice.  It seems to me that if you are creating WPS objects from a saved directory/file structure, the icons should already be saved in the EAs.