OS2 World Community Forum

Public Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Geographer on September 08, 2020, 02:29:21 pm

Title: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Geographer on September 08, 2020, 02:29:21 pm
Hello everyone!  way back in my DOS days i was getting really frustrated with Microsoft Windows 2.  A friend of mine had just purchased an Apple, and gave his IBM desktop with OS/2 to play with.  i loved it, and used it for years until the hardware finally wore out.
I recently rescued a MicroATX motherboard with a Via C7 CPU.  it is a 2005 release, and would have winxp normallly,  The board has IDE, SATA, and USB.  Does anyone have any idea if I could get OS/2 Warp running on this hardware?
I have a small case and 2gb od
f RAM on the way along with a DVD.  I plan to add a 120gb hard drive and an aftermarket video card if possible.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Pete on September 08, 2020, 03:26:54 pm
Hi richard

No experience of the Via C7 cpu myself but it is x86 compatible I understand so it should be possible to install and use OS/2 with this cpu. I suspect later OS/2 releases would work best  ie Warp4.5/eComstation/ArcaOS


Regards

Pete
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Geographer on September 08, 2020, 04:15:21 pm
Will ArcaOS handle USB and SATA?  If so maybe I will go with it!
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Dave Yeo on September 08, 2020, 04:28:35 pm
Will ArcaOS handle USB and SATA?  If so maybe I will go with it!

Yes, there is a very good chance that ArcaOS will just work.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Pete on September 08, 2020, 05:44:52 pm
Hi richard

As it seems you have OS/2 Warp rather than eComStation or ArcaOS it does depend on if you have all the latest updates available.

For USB you will need the 10.162 updates but I do not recall an AHCI (SATA) driver being available. You can work around this by setting the system to use SATA as IDE in the mainboard BIOS and use the DANIS506.ADD  IDE driver.

If you are feeling rich you may want to consider updating to ArcaOS which has updated USB and AHCI (SATA) drivers included amongst others.


Regards

Pete


Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ian Manners on September 08, 2020, 07:28:09 pm
My server use to run on a VIA EPIA800 MiniITX, 800Mhz CPU, 1024Mb SDRAM

Depending on model, drivers etc here:
http://www.os2site.com/sw/hardware/mb/via/index.html (http://www.os2site.com/sw/hardware/mb/via/index.html)

Note, memory can be limited due to number of slots.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 09, 2020, 09:08:29 am
Yes, haven't tried ArcaOS on it but eCS did install and everything just worked.

(https://files.catbox.moe/xmc9xm.jpg)
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Martin Iturbide on September 09, 2020, 03:22:36 pm
Yes, haven't tried ArcaOS on it but eCS did install and everything just worked.
(https://files.catbox.moe/d4p5aj.jpg)

Hi Ben.
I would be awesome if you can share the hardware report of it, so I can include that wyse pc on the Wiki. Here I have some info on how to get the information (https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Extracting_Hardware_Information_from_ArcaOS_and_OS/2).

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 09, 2020, 09:26:19 pm
I would be awesome if you can share the hardware report of it, so I can include that wyse pc on the Wiki.
OK, I'll do a clean install this weekend and see if it still works.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Olafur Gunnlaugsson on September 10, 2020, 03:32:35 am
I recently rescued a MicroATX motherboard with a Via C7 CPU.  it is a 2005 release, and would have winxp normallly,  The board has IDE, SATA, and USB.  Does anyone have any idea if I could get OS/2 Warp running on this hardware?
I run a couple of C7 systems for testing mostly, SNAP handles the graphics of all VIA/S3 graphics released up to VX900 (Ca 2009, a couple of them need to run in SNAP "compatibility mode") and the Via chipsets and ethernet controllers of that era were well supported by DANIS etc since they were the same as used with Intel boards with Via chipsets, the C3 to C7 family uses a Intel 370 bus basically.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 10, 2020, 12:26:34 pm
After a succesful ArcaOS 5.0.4 install on the Wyse thin client I'm unable to use the network for long, can ping and sync the time but starting any browser results in:
Exception in module: SOCKETS
TRAP 000e

Might be the Velocity ethernet driver?
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Lars on September 10, 2020, 01:53:58 pm
Need to load socketsk.sys and afinetk.sys instead of sockets.sys and afinet.sys.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 10, 2020, 02:13:19 pm
Need to load socketsk.sys and afinetk.sys instead of sockets.sys and afinet.sys.
socketsk.sys and afinetk.sys are already the default.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 12, 2020, 10:22:55 am
 ::) The thing completely died on me so I'm guessing it was bad hardware after all - attaching pci.txt anyways.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Olafur Gunnlaugsson on September 12, 2020, 02:49:40 pm
Some of those older Wise Thin Clients are actually crippled terminal or Zero Client devices, sometimes in the BIOS, even is some cases will only allow Wise's own Linux version to run and nothing else. After the Dell takeover things got better and for the last decade Dell and Wise branded TC's have been just re-branded Clientron devices (Which in fairness have some BIOS limitations of their own).

For TC's of that vintage I have had much better results using HP's, TECO's and in particular IGEL hardware to run OS/2 derivatives on.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 12, 2020, 03:06:41 pm
crippled terminals
Besides the übersmall form factor (no space for a real harddrive) the Cx0 was quite capable, got everything to work from Windows 98/2k to Haiku and lighter linux distros. Not bad for €15!
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Martin Iturbide on September 12, 2020, 07:07:22 pm
Thanks Ben

I created this page. https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Wyse_Thin_Client_C90LE (https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Wyse_Thin_Client_C90LE)
Let me know if it is ok.

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Ben Hjelt on September 12, 2020, 08:47:06 pm
Let me know if it is ok.
Yes, very good. The entire Cx0 lineup (C10LE, C30LE etc) is pretty much identical and differs only regarding RAM/flash size and what kind of OS the model comes bundled with. ACPI is not strictly needed as the chipset runs very cool, DaniS506 for the IDE, SNAP/Panorama for video.
Title: Re: OS/2 on a Via C7 desktop?
Post by: Luey123 on June 07, 2021, 02:54:09 am
For TC's of that vintage I have had much better results using HP's, TECO's and in particular IGEL hardware to run OS/2 derivatives on.


Could you specify what models you succeeded with installation ?

I own HP T620 (https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/hp/t620/) and run Windows XP on it for post 2000’s games.

Recently I bought for cheap HP T5720 (https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/hp/t5720/) but without RAM and HDD so it need my attention.
Also I own Fujitsu Futro S400 (https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/Futro/s400/). It have the same specs as T5720. I successfully run Windows 98SE on it. Quake 3 on high details plays nice.

Also I have Wyse V30LE and V90L (https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/wyse/vx0/WyseV90.shtml). They differ only on CPU clock. Both are VIA Eden C7, V30LE has 1,2GHz and V90L 800MHz.
On V30LE I run without any problems Windows Me and 2000. Just swap RAM for those two. For Me I use 512MB RAM and for 2000 swap it with 1GB. HDD is IDE to SD adapter with 32GB card. Like with RAM I just swap them for Me or 2000.

V90L is sitting on a shelf right now. Some plans for it but for now no time to do it.

I also try install ECS 2.1 on both those Wyse via Samsung usb cd/dvd-rom. Unfortunately every time I try to select boot “default values” or “own values” it stops with this error:
CD-ROM sector read error (drive=9F, sector=16, Code=01).
Drive is not faulty because I use it to all the time on those thin clients and my other devices. Also was able to boot ECS 2.1 form it on different computer. No luck with installation but it proves that ECS 2.1 can boot from this Samsung drive.