Recent Posts

21

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« Last post by Dave Yeo on September 12, 2024, 02:05:48 am »

  The priority change is definitely what helps here - without it I get the usual hangs and silent exits regularly.  Much rarer with the priority change - any idea why that might be? Related to the processor optimization maybe? Or an interaction between that and the processor I'm using? Wish I knew more about the settings too - maybe it can be tweaked even more....

I think it's some issue with thread priorities - perhaps how they're mapped to the OS/2 API results in too low a priority and timing issues. Some of the silent exits Steven and I investigated a while back appeared to be due to variables having been freed whilst another thread was still expecting them to be valid.

I'll have to ask Steven for his thoughts. It's a fantastic discovery - we just need to work out *why* it's required and see if we can fix it in the codebase.

I tried adding PRIORITY=ABSOLUTE to config.sys to see if it helped not giving the foreground app a boost. Didn't help.

22

Article Discussions / Re: Asking OS/2 things to OpenAI - Fun and maybe Insightful.

« Last post by Martin Iturbide on September 11, 2024, 11:36:04 pm »

    Highlight Career Potential: Show how working on OS/2 or similar systems programming can be a path to becoming a sought-after expert in legacy systems or even cybersecurity.

I think that "Highlight Career Potential" may be AI hallucinations 

23

Article Discussions / Re: Asking OS/2 things to OpenAI - Fun and maybe Insightful.

« Last post by Martin Iturbide on September 11, 2024, 11:35:24 pm »

How can I get more young people to code for OS/2 and became part of the community

Getting young people interested in coding for OS/2 and becoming part of the community involves a blend of outreach, education, and creating opportunities that resonate with their interests. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Promote OS/2's Unique Value:

    Highlight the Niche Appeal: OS/2 is a legacy system with unique strengths, such as its stability, and it provides an opportunity to work on low-level systems programming or legacy systems that are rare to find.
    Connect with Retro Computing Enthusiasts: Many young people are drawn to retro computing as a hobby. Position OS/2 within this niche to attract those who have an interest in preserving or reviving older systems.
    Showcase Its Relevance: Emphasize how skills gained in OS/2 development can translate to modern systems programming, driver development, or even embedded systems.

2. Make Learning Accessible:

    Provide Learning Resources: Create beginner-friendly tutorials, guides, and resources that introduce OS/2 programming in a fun, engaging way. Consider creating video tutorials or interactive workshops.
    Leverage Modern Tools: Use modern platforms (YouTube, GitHub, Discord, etc.) to share code, collaborate, and teach OS/2 development. Make sure OS/2 development environments are easy to set up, possibly using virtualization or emulation.
    Hackathons and Coding Competitions: Organize online or in-person events where participants can work on OS/2-related projects. This could be a good way to engage young programmers and show the excitement of building for this platform.

3. Engage with Schools and Universities:

    Collaborate with Computer Science Programs: Offer guest lectures, workshops, or projects related to OS/2. If possible, provide internships or mentorship opportunities where students can gain real-world experience.
    Open-Source Contributions: Encourage students to contribute to open-source OS/2 projects. This can serve as a great entry point for them to get involved with the community and learn.

4. Modernize the Image of the OS/2 Community:

    Be Active on Social Media: Engage with younger audiences on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, or YouTube. Share OS/2’s history, its strengths, and what the community is working on today.
    Create a Vibrant Online Community: A supportive, welcoming environment is key. Consider using platforms like Discord or GitHub to host discussions, share projects, and mentor new developers.
    Highlight Career Potential: Show how working on OS/2 or similar systems programming can be a path to becoming a sought-after expert in legacy systems or even cybersecurity.

5. Offer Mentorship and Guidance:

    Mentorship Programs: Pair young developers with experienced OS/2 developers to provide guidance, encouragement, and advice as they navigate the system.
    Contribute to Meaningful Projects: Allow younger programmers to contribute to projects that have real-world impact, making them feel like they're part of something significant.

6. Gamification and Rewards:

    Create Challenges: Offer challenges or competitions where developers can solve real-world OS/2 problems or develop new features.
    Offer Incentives: You could offer prizes, community recognition, or even financial incentives for significant contributions to OS/2 projects.

By creating an engaging, accessible, and rewarding environment, you can inspire young people to explore OS/2 and become a part of its development community.

24

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« Last post by Paul Smedley on September 11, 2024, 11:31:59 pm »

It looks like something goes wrong between OS/2 audio and Dooble !  (how will ffmpeg chromium work with pthread disabled ?)     

As Dave and I have both mentioned, ffmpeg has native OS/2 code for threads - the lack of pthreads is not the issue here.

25

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« Last post by Paul Smedley on September 11, 2024, 11:29:48 pm »

No TRP file - don't get these when the system locks solid, no popuplog.os2 entry either. Yes, I have the Silent Exit version of libcn0.dll installed but it has not produced any TRP files for silent exits so far.

You will *only* get TRP files if you have set 'set EXCEPT=Z' before starting dooble.exe The TRP will be in the directory where dooble is run from.

26

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« Last post by Paul Smedley on September 11, 2024, 11:28:41 pm »

  The priority change is definitely what helps here - without it I get the usual hangs and silent exits regularly.  Much rarer with the priority change - any idea why that might be? Related to the processor optimization maybe? Or an interaction between that and the processor I'm using? Wish I knew more about the settings too - maybe it can be tweaked even more....

I think it's some issue with thread priorities - perhaps how they're mapped to the OS/2 API results in too low a priority and timing issues. Some of the silent exits Steven and I investigated a while back appeared to be due to variables having been freed whilst another thread was still expecting them to be valid.

I'll have to ask Steven for his thoughts. It's a fantastic discovery - we just need to work out *why* it's required and see if we can fix it in the codebase.

27

Programming / Re: Qt6 Application Testing

« Last post by Paul Smedley on September 11, 2024, 11:25:26 pm »

That's from Paul's system and perfectly normal.

Dmitry's in this case as it's from crt0.s which is part of libc

28

Events / Re: Warpstock 2024: Coming? Not Coming? Why?

« Last post by Lewis Rosenthal on September 11, 2024, 08:29:59 pm »

Thanks to everyone who has already posted.

My initial question - and the one which is still not fully answered - is why are people coming or not coming to Warpstock?

I get that Arca Noae still has work to do, that there is currently no latest-Chrome-equivalent browser for the platform (and that many think that it is Arca Noae's responsibility to "grow one"), that there are 64-bit platforms which can virtualize the OS, that our only modern office suite is OpenOffice and not LibreOffice...

However, if all these things existed, would you come to Warpstock this year? If not, would sessions on browser functionality make the difference? Would sessions on how to use the platform for daily computing make the difference?

This thread is specific to coming to Warpstock or not. If people here aren't using the platform, and Warpstock content is irrelevant, I get that. But people here are (still) using OS/2 in one form or another for one thing or another. So, what would make the trip worthwhile vs watching a live stream? What topics aren't getting covered which would pique interest? What locations (other than "in my home town," please - we get that one all the time) or venues (other than hotels) would be better suited to attracting attendees?

I haven't heard yet that the registration fee is out of reason or that - for those who have attended in the past - the experience wasn't worthwhile, so I'm curious as to why some still hold back. I get that travel is a hassle, particularly from Europe, but we used to get a whole "European contingent" (as I was wont to call them). Perhaps they came because IBM picked up the tab for most of them.

We can have a different thread regarding Arca Noae's priorities and why Arca Noae can't bring every application to the platform (including a browser), and why NLVs for ArcaOS have taken so long to get to market, and yes, there still is a list, and yes, we are still working our way down that list. (Unlike Alphabet, Microsoft, and the global Linux developer community, we do not have thousands of coders at our beckon call; we prioritize driver development and maintenance to at least get the OS booting on newer hardware.) All of that having been said, this thread is about the Warpstock event, its location, its content, its cost, and the experience.

I'll have some more specific responses in the coming days. (Gordon: Swag is coming; I need to find another hour or two to update the shop. It's truly a pain to make that happen, as it's not just swapping one logo for another, but resizing for the best fit for every single product in the store, checking available colors against colors in the logo, and so forth.)

29

Events / Re: Warpstock 2024: Coming? Not Coming? Why?

« Last post by Sigurd Fastenrath on September 11, 2024, 08:04:55 pm »

Well, America is long way, I did not even attend Warpstock Europe this year, even when it took place in Germany.
During the last 2 or 3 Years I did only watch part of the Videos, it was nice to have a crross meeting Warptock US /Europe last year.
Most of the German users faded out.

Even though ArcaOS is for at least 5 years out, every important thing for me did not came, even if there was allways and anytime told
"It is on our List", "We are very close".

- WLAN support (I guees this is not even on the List anymore)
- German NLS
- Browser
- ...
I really appriciate was has been done to ArcaOS, thats why I still experiment with it, GPT, UEFI Support, Panorama, USB 3, these are all really big effort, considering the few developers and the long time outclassed Kernel.

But on the other hand together with others we spent a reasonalbe amount of money for the browser, the ongoing subscriptions, but did never get, what we wanted. ArcaOS did never really commit to the Browser Initiative, as far as I know.

And more important to me: the RAM problem on modern hardware will prevent ArcaOS to use a new browser, even if it will ever see the light of day.

So, for me instead of having GPT, UEFI and this stuff, I would have been more happy having a browser on older hardware, like an Thinkpad X250, but where I can access the full 4 GB and do not need UEFI nor GPT.

ArcaOS is focussed on industrial customers, that is understandable for money reasons, but the death to the private comunity.

In the end - who cares?

Attracting young users is a kind of, well "Nice dream" when one look at generation Z. I do really not know anyone new to OS/2 since the last 15 Years, and if, as mentioned, in cas of using it as a retro plattform. But even this is some kind of false, if you want to have a really good retro platform, you take Linux free of charge, use DOSBOX, SCUMVM and Virtualbox to operate what you want.

I wish all a good Warpstock but expect nothing new from it, besides what I have heard for years regarding my targets. "It is on the List, We hear you." I do not listen that much anymore.

All the Best!

30

Events / Re: Warpstock 2024: Coming? Not Coming? Why?

« Last post by Doug Bissett on September 11, 2024, 07:26:07 pm »

So, if you are coming to Warpstock this year, please mention why. If not, please go into some detail as to your reasons for not making the trip (travel cost, hassle of getting there, registration cost, bad timing, lack of enthusiasm for the location, etc.). We want to know.

I can't fly, due to ear problems (and other things). I would consider driving, but I neglected to get a passport. I should have gone to Calgary, a few years ago, but something came up, and I didn't get there. Oh well...

I see the biggest problem as nobody is actually writing new software for OS/2. All efforts seem to be put into porting software written for other platforms. Since most of them have 64 bit support, there is little (or no) thought put into writing efficient code (and that shows, on other platforms, but modern computer are fast enough to make up for it). Then there are the restrictions, put in place to stop the bad guys, that are mostly useless, but still stop our platform because we cannot possibly keep up to what they are doing.

Getting post secondary software classes involved would seem to be one answer, but I don't have any contacts.

Looking forward to the results of the meeting.