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Messages - MrJinx

#16
Hardware / Re: LVM and USB flash disk
2009.04.08, 06:39:18
I probably should not have used the word "device" All these sticks and memory cards via a usb reader are typical USB mass storage devices. The issue is fat32 in itself. M$ was only using it for HD support. Then, Drive sizes went over 80gig. USB memory sticks were exceeding the 2gig FAT limit. Over time, M$ added more to FAT32. Large Floppy Format being one of them.

It's a function of the IFS as best as I can tell. Even with the updates to FAT32.IFS last year, It still fails to recognize fat32 unless it resides in a physical partition. I would like to see it fixed as many of the low cost portable media players use fat32 for their storage fs but if you partition or format it as FAT16. It's game over. 

When this tread started, There was talk of this memory stick/card worked in Warp4. Maybe DANI's driver (PreLVM) supported Large floppy format.??
#17
Hardware / Re: LVM and USB flash disk
2009.04.07, 21:19:05
I too suffer the same problem but the answer is probably not what you want to hear.
By default, Memory sticks are not partitioned media but rather a large floppy format device.
I can only use memory sticks up to 2 gig formated with FAT16 if I want both OS/2 and windows to share them.
Fat32 IFS support only works on partitioned media.  With that said, If fat 32 is a requirement, Then you will need to create a partition on the stick and define a fixed drive letter. You may likely need Dfsee to perform this as the memory stick will have to be blanked out to remove any boot sector/MBR code placed there by the manufacture. This is a requirement for larger size sticks or they will not be usable at all. Once a partition is created, They can be formatted as fat32 by windows or JFS/HPFS under OS/2.
I have several working 16gig SD cards using this technique. Including a bootable eCS installation. Do not forget to use eject when removing partitioned removable media or damage will likely occur. If a JFS formatted stick is mounted during OS/2 shutdown, It will come up as a dirty drive on the next reboot/insertion.
#18
Multimedia / Re: mplayer instructions
2009.01.17, 18:56:04
1. Please make sure you are using the latest SMplayer build from ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/smplayer/smplayer-0.5.21-2008-11-24.wpi. Most items are fixed. toggling full screen works from hot keys but clicking the full screen icon acts up.
2. Besides the setup instructions for the web plugin, smplayer has instructions as well.
3. I'm using http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/apps/mmedia/video/players/mplayer-dev-SVN-r27724-OS2-4.3.2.zip
that has the latest version of the firefox plugin included.
4. sites that have java wrappers and protected content tricks in use will not work with the current plugin.
5. firefox 3.05 and later builds don't support the plug-in.
#19
What version of ultra ISO are you using? 9.3 as well as 6.1 load and display with Odin, But when you select an ISO file the app ends. Would like to use it.
#20
Unimixpm is no longer usable in the later builds from Paul. I have to use the unimix command line and manually invoke the mixer changes. once I got everything working again, I saved the unimix dump and reload it from startup CMD .
If you had unimixpm working before a uniaud upgrade, delete the unimixpm.ini and when you launch unimixpm the next time, It is reset, and master volume is the only option. (That doesn't work either.) The MMOS2 volume object will work once you get all the mixer levels set right in unimix.
#21
That's good news!

I think the Acer's issue with the Atheros card is relative to something in their bios power management routines, 30 secs is a strange # as well as no wifi light. the other tip was when I installed the Dell broadcom card, The wifi light comes on bright during bios post and then goes slightly dimmer once the genmac driver hits. The bios doesn't know how to control that card so it keeps power applied and doesn't try to manage it.

Using the atheros is a better option for battery life if we could figure out where in the ACPI table to poke a value to keep the wifi light on. I don't think the Asus machines attempt to manage the card through the bios but in the OS only.

With that said, Let's hope the patched version overcomes the problem.


#22
Hardware / Re: What's up with Panorama?
2008.11.14, 14:41:31
Let me respond to both posts.
I added another partition with eCS just for SNAP festing only.
by default, I was only getting 640x480  and 800x600 as available resolutions.
I tried to add 1024x 600 16bit color mode and the gamode command failed.
I went the other direction and turned the uselcdbios on, So I am going to have to retrace my steps.

On the other SDL apps problems with Scummvm and Dosbox, I have the blue and red colors switched in ScummVM as described. Dosbox isn't giving me as bad of a time if I start a windowed session and jump to full screen. If i start Dosbox in full screen, I get video corruption in some DOS apps.

Many of the SDL apps ship with their own versions of sdl12.dll and fslib.dll. I put the latest SDL dll's in my ecs\dll directory and try the app with the shipped versions first, then rename them if the results are bad so the app will fall back to the "latest version" via dpath. This has worked well until the VirtualBox issue hit me.

i imported an XP harddrive image from another laptop I had VBox on with SNAP. It was working great. When I fired it up on my Acer running Panorama. I only had 16 colors in the windows session. the display properties in the guest OS would only let me choose 4bit color mode. Really weird.

I'm going to try melf's suggestion. I wonder if an external monitor was attached to the vga port when the GAmode command was used in melf's example? I'm favoring snap for a few other reasons besides just SDL..
#23
Hardware / What's up with Panorama?
2008.11.14, 06:11:54
I haven't seen any news on this emerging video driver solution in a while.
I'm currently using it with my Acer Aspire One Netbook with the wide screen drivers but seem to have a few problems with mostly SDL related apps.
The main problem is with VirtualBox. I am only able to get 4bit color in Win XP as a guest. I doesn't matter if I use the latest SDL builds, The one shipped with VBox or the special SDL build for Panorama. Does anyone else have this issue? or found a solution.   
#24
It's great to hear you got a little further. I have tried that version previously. Even a few minutes is better than what we were getting.
I had previously reported the 1.3 version of the Realtek 8169 driver for OS/2 loaded wiith the onboard RTL 810x NIC but failed to communicate. If you add EARLYMEMINIT=TRUE to the config.sys the driver works! eCS 2.0 rc5 ships with the 1.2 version of the driver. Get the 1.3 version from www.os2warp.be, Thanks to the poster in the "Loading Fat32 driver hoses my NIC" posting, for the insight. I had rem'd uniaud to you name it and I never would have tried removing the fat32 driver or adding this entry.
I don't have my Atheros wireless card installed any more. However it would be interesting to see if EARLYMEMINIT=TRUE helps with that as well.
#25
Being able to load and unload at least some .sys & .add type drivers without a reboot would be great.
Refreshing config space changes and snoop. All those things reboots are made of when trying to develop drivers and tweak resources. Since we are asking for the world here. ;D
#26
I just had to post something, All 4 of the netbooks being discussed are now at the top of the OS/2 world forum list!
Mensys should see these are definetly  popular for eCS! Priority support please.  ;D
#27
Paul Smedley has 2 builds of uniaud, Be sure to use the HDA version or you will still have no sound.
The I13 switch has to be removed from config.sys before the 2nd phase. It boots from HD and the USB drivers from eCS can take over at that point. At the end of phase 1, before the reboot, you can choose management console and edit it from there. saving the need to copy the CD contents. Pay attention to my previous posts on this subject. I ended up using a hardware workaround to solve the wireless problems if you don't mind $15 and trading the internal mini pcie card. I'll share private drivers i have working if you go that route. Windows and Mac OSX are happier too. :D 
#28
I received the new Dell 1390 card on Saturday and installed it Sunday. Much to my surprise, The FCC ID said 4318 but in reality it is a 4311 chipset that was not supported by genmac until yesterday when I first got "Unsupported" mode working and now have it working in supported mode! It is so nice to have working internet connectivity!
Putting the card in was not fun, The thin film connectors for the touchpad and the keyboard require tweezers and good vision or you will never get them back in place.
I learned so much from figuring out the genmac structure, I am now working on the RTL 8103E (Wired) driver.
None of the Realtek drivers for OS/2 seem to work with it. The driver loads but never talks through the port.

If I get this going, It is only down to the USB camera. ANd this device is 100% supported by eCS.

I would like to see if SCITECH could be made to work somehow. This device supports dual head and under Panorama can't be switched to the external VGA. I'm sure creating a 1024x600 mode should be easy . It's getting Scitech to understand the TFT display operates at 1024x600 that is the problem. I use a lot of SDL apps and I find Panorama acts up with some of them in some strange ways.
#29
Perhaps you could share instructions with us on installing Lotus Symphony under OS/2?
I have tried it under windows and although it works, I recall a lack of filters for other office products especially "Save as" filters.
If it works, I would love to re-open the book on porting Hanover.....eCS could really use an updated Lotus Notes client especially R8.
#30
I think the whole problem could be easily solved.
Serenity/Mensys needs a new maintenance cost model and version system.
1. Instead of version 2.0 B1It should be 2.01, 2.02, etc.... This would help the products' status. (Who buys year to year maintenance on a beta product?..... Well I do!)

The reality is, eCS 2.0 met their original/Planned specs @ 2.0 A5. The real problem is the evolution of Hardware is driving faster than development can be performed. SATA, Installing from USB mediums, CD-ROM, Memsticks, ACPI / Basic BIOS changing quickly as well.
Network Chipsets, Wireless. Many of these things affect whether an install is going to happen or not.
I buy my yearly subscription renewal to support the effort to keep the OS viable with the constant changing Hardware environment. Mensys has done a good job of managing on a small budget to keep developers working on ACPI, USB, Shell enhancements, Helper apps, device drivers and WPS replacement components.

Every time I see a post about a user "Waiting for eCS 2.0GA" before they are going to try it. I think of another lost opportunity for both Mensys and the User posting. Needs don't get prioritized or brought to light, If you don't contribute by testing/using it on your hardware.

I use 2.0 B3 and later on production desktop devices without any issue. The newer laptops are another story......

Refer to 2.02....,2.05 as maintenance releases.
I would like to see updating of the eCS maintenance tool to better accommodate 2.0 updates and releases. Why reload or migrate a 2.04 machine to 2.05?  The yearly maintenance/ subscription services should include OpenOffice since every linux distro has it as a core application.  Mensys could generate some extra income by releasing a bootable DVD with all 3 eCS cd's merged to run, Also include the iso's to burn the 3 CD's if needed for a non-DVD based machine. I'd buy that as an extra.
$15 us + shipping and a valid eCS subscription.

There are lots of needs for eCS in general, But the only thing really slowing me down currently, Is the inability to install eCS from a USB CD-ROM/DVD.   I know it is being worked on and that's good enough for me.

Will the project ever be complete? Does it really matter? What matters is we are getting a better product with each release.
We are getting the closest thing to commercial support we are going to get for OS/2.
Serenity/Mensys gives more in each release than IBM software choice gave out over 5 years.
Things get done faster with investment, Are you investing in OS/2's future or are you waiting to renew you eCS subscription until the GA comes out?