OS/2 2.0 Technical Questions and Answers

By Mark Chapman

Compatibility/Installation

 * Q. What's the difference between the "regular" OS/2 2.0 package and the upgrade package.
 * A. The upgrade is identical in all respects except one: The first two diskettes contain "sniffer" code to detect the presence of DOS or Windows.  If found, OS/2 installs normally.  If not, installation is terminated.  The upgrade package is sold as an upgrade from DOS or Windows, so one or both must be present.


 * Q. If DOS must be present on the disk before I can install OS/2 2.0, does this mean I am limited to a FAT partition? And what about Boot Manager for multiple partitions?
 * A. When the sniffer program finds DOS or Windows on the system, installation proceeds normally, offering the same opportunities to partition and format your drives as the "off-the-shelf" package.


 * Q. If the sniffer program has to find DOS or Windows on my system, does this mean that if for some reason I have to format the drive I must install DOS again before reinstalling OS/2?
 * A. No. After the sniffer program finds DOS or Windows the first time, it modifies the installation so that the sniffer program does not operate for future installs.  It is only used until the first successful install.


 * Q. I have installed OS/2 2.0 several times now, but it never prompts me for whether I want to install Boot Manager.
 * A. The installation program doesn't specifically prompt for that. Just make sure you don't accept the default partition setup.  This will put you into FDISK, which will allow you to install Boot Manager.


 * Q. Are there any known problems installing OS/2 2.0 on a PC using the Always IN-2000 SCSI Host adapter?
 * A. Yes. Contact Always Technology to obtain BIOS upgrade VCN:1-02 for the controller.


 * Q. Are there any known problems involving an AOX add-in processor card in a Micro Channel PS/2?
 * A. If you encounter problems installing or booting OS/2 with this configuration, contact AOX for the latest "flash PROM" code update.


 * Q. I have tried installing OS/2 2.0 on my L40, but I get CRC errors and the installation locks up.  I have tried several sets of diskettes with the same results.
 * A. Some early L40s had inadequate shielding around the diskette drive that shows up when installing OS/2. The power supply, which is beside the drive emits more electromagnetic interference when multiple devices are running concurrently, such as when OS/2 is multitasking (while installing diskette 3, for example).  If you have verified that the diskettes themselves are not defective, replace the diskette drive.


 * Q. I have tried installing OS/2 2.0 on my P70, but I get CRC errors and the installation locks up. I have tried several sets of diskettes with the same results.
 * A. Some early P70s had an engineering defect that only shows up with multitasking operating systems (including OS/2 and AIX).  There is an Engineering Change Announcement (ECA) that fixes this problem.  Take your system in to your dealer and have them service the system under warranty.  ECA068 will extend the warranty indefinitely for this particular problem, without charge.


 * Q. Is Super VGA (SVGA) supported by OS/2 2.0?
 * A. Yes, to some extent. The following Super VGA boards have been tested and found to  work with OS/2 2.0 for DOS applications (only) that make use of SVGA modes:


 * Boca Super VGA (Boca Research Inc.)
 * Orchid ProDesigner IIs (Orchid Technology)--ISA and MCA versions
 * STB PowerGraph VGA (STB Systems, Inc.)
 * Trident TVGA (Trident Microsystems, Inc.)--8900b and c levels
 * VGA Wonder XL Series (ATI Technologies, Inc.)
 * Video Seven VRAM II (Video Seven)
 * 8514 Ultra, or 8514 Graphics Ultra (ATI)--Must be installed as an 8514 and as a primary display; it will default to high-resolution mode. Do not install it as VGA.

may also work, but have not been tested. Additional SVGA support, as well as SVGA drivers for Windows and OS/2 applications will be shipping in a free update later information about SVGA support in OS/2 2.0, refer to the README file in the Information folder.
 * Note: Other adapters that use the ATI, Headland, Trident, Tseng, or Western Digital chipsets


 * Q. Is there an easy way to identify the chipset used on my card?
 * A. Yes. Run the SVGA WHO command from within a DOS session, and it will identify the  adapter and chipset types used.


 * Q. What about support for the TI and S3 chipsets?
 * A. Boards which are coprocessor-based are the fastest, but take the longest to develop software for.  No drivers are yet available for these cards, nor have any developers announced dates when drivers will be available.


 * Q. Is there anything special I should do if I have the 8514 Ultra or 8514 Graphics Ultra?
 * A. Yes. You should change the statement in CONFIG.SYS from:

DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VVGA.SYS to DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VSVGA.SYS


 * Q. I'm getting a C000005 error during installation and can't continue.
 * A. The problem results from a conflict with some SVGA cards. There is a replacement BVHSVGA.DLL file available on the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600) that allows installation.


 * Q. Sometimes when going back and forth between DOS and Win-OS2 full-screen sessions the video doesn't resynch correctly.
 * A. The problem results from a conflict with some SVGA cards that use the Tseng ET4000 chipset.  There is a replacement VSVGA.SYS driver available on the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600) that corrects the problem.


 * Q. I'm getting a TRAP 000E whenever I open a DOS or Win-OS2 session.
 * A. This problem occurs on systems with 4MB of RAM and some SVGA adapters. There is a  replacement VSVGA.SYS driver available on the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600) that corrects the problem.


 * Q. My system is hanging during installation (or bootup).
 * A. If you have a SVGA card that uses the Western Digital PVGA1D chipset, there is a replacement BVHSVGA.DLL file available on the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600) that corrects this problem.


 * Q. What SVGA functional support is actually provided with the OS/2 2.0 ship-level code, with no CSDs?
 * A. The only support provided is the ability to switch to and from a full-screen DOS or Win-OS2 session and have the current state of the card saved, assuming you have used the SVGA ON command. (See the README file in the Information Folder for more details).


 * Q. I've heard lots of rumors, but what are the real hardware requirements for OS/2 2.0?
 * A. Any PC with a 386SX (or higher) processor, 4MB or more of RAM, and a 60MB hard drive. In many cases more memory and disk will be needed, depending on the user's needs. The base operating system itself uses about 3.5MB of RAM and 16-29MB of fixed disk (depending on what you choose to install).  The remainder is available for application and data use.  As most users eventually run more programs concurrently than they anticipated at first, make sure your system allows for growth if you are starting with near the minimum.  Currently more than 200 non-IBM PCs have passed IBM's OS/2 compatibility testing, with more coming.  (This list can be found in the OS/2 2.0 Tips section of the Technical Assistant.)  Others are being tested, and the list is updated monthly.

into problems?
 * Q. If I install OS/2 2.0 on a PC that is not on the compatibility list, am I out of luck if I run
 * A. No. Call the IBM Defect Support Center at 800-237-5511 and explain your problem.  They will attempt to resolve your problem.  If they can't step you though a workaround to the problem, or develop a patch to fix it within 90 days, you will be offered your money back for the OS/2 purchase.


 * Q. Can OS/2 2.0 be installed from any drive besides A:?
 * A. Yes, to a degree. The operating system itself, and Extended Services can be installed from a network drive (which can be any letter above C:). As far as physical diskette drives are concerned, it must be the A: drive.  However, on many systems (such as the PS/2 Models 57/90/95), the system can be configured to boot from any internal diskette drive, making that drive the "A:" drive, regardless of cabling or physical position.   Some systems also allow the cables to be swapped (perhaps with other adjustments) to produce a new "A:" drive.  Consult your system vendor for directions.


 * Q. I understand that most DOS and Windows apps should run under OS/2, but what kinds of programs are likely to fail?
 * A. 1) Those that could compromise the integrity of the operating system, such as VCPI memory extenders and certain low-level disk utilities; 2) Those requiring extremely high interrupt rates (typically more than 1,000 interrupts per second), including software to support some fax and sound boards. 3) Those requiring a specific version of DOS.  OS/2 2.0 provides an emulation of DOS 5.0, but some applications may need DOS 3.3, for example, and won't work with anything else.  In this case, start a DOS image of the DOS 3.3 diskette (within a VDM), and run the the application under real DOS 3.3 inside a VDM.

Some other applications may require special DOS Settings, and some may run with limited function. But overall, the large majority of programs will run "as is", and as faster or faster than before, with greater data integrity.

Configuration and Setup
operation. What does this mean?
 * Q. I'm getting messages telling me that I don't have enough memory to perform an
 * A. It means the partition containing the SWAPPER.DAT file is full. When you load more

programs and data files into memory that there is RAM to hold, some of those files are temporarily "swapped" to disk (or "virtual memory"). If the partition fills up because the SWAPPER.DAT file grows you will not be able to swap from memory anymore; thus the "out of memory" type messages.


 * Q. What can I do if my SWAPPER.DAT file can't grow anymore due to lack of disk space?
 * A. There are several solutions to this problem: 1) Move the SWAPPER.DAT file to a partition

containing more room (just change the SWAPPATH=C:\OS2\SYSTEM statement in CONFIG.SYS to something else, such as D:\); 2) Free up some more space on the existing drive by deleting or moving some files or programs to another drive; or 3) Add more RAM, which will reduce the amount of swapping done. To find out how much swapping your system is doing, just type DIR d:\pathname\SWAPPER.DAT. The default size is 2MB. If your SWAPPER.DAT file is, for example 8MB, that is an indication that you probably need more RAM for your particular set of applications. Besides, beyond about 8MB of swapping system performance may degrade noticeably.


 * Q. Does the SWAPPER.DAT file ever shrink in OS/2 2.0?
 * A. Yes. Unlike OS/2 1.3, where SWAPPER.DAT was always as large as the largest block of

data swapped to disk during the day (then reset to 512K at bootup), 2.0 is designed to expand and shrink SWAPPER.DAT as needed, in 512K increments.


 * Q. SWAPPER.DAT doesn't shrink on my system,even after I close all programs.
 * A. There is a temporary fix for this problem available from download from the IBM NSC BBS

(404-835-6600). The file is called OS2KRNL.ZIP. It is also available (under a different name) on CompuServe.

mode?
 * Q. I have a 90/95 with XGA, but no video RAM upgrade kit. Am I limited to medium-res
 * A. No. You may select between either 640x480x256-color mode, or 1024x768x16-color

mode. If you add the upgrade kit later you can change to the hi-res/hi-color combination.

start a program minimized or maximized. Does 2.0?
 * Q. The START command in the OS/2 1.3 STARTUP.CMD batch file didn't provide any way to
 * A. Yes. The / Max and /Min parameters to the START command allow this.  For more details,

and other parameters, refer to the OS/2 Command Reference.

partition, etc.) from the command line, without having to go into FDISKPM?
 * Q. Is there any way to query or change the default Boot Manager settings (timer, bootup
 * A. Yes. Use the SETBOOT command.  For details, refer to the OS/2 Command Reference.


 * Q. I get a SYS3176 error when I try to start a DOS or Win-OS2 command prompt session.
 * A. Try setting the HW_ROM_TO_RAM DOS setting in the VDM to ON. This copies ROM BIOS

to RAM.


 * Q. I'm getting video corruption when returning to Win-OS2 full-screen sessions.
 * A. Try changing the DOS setting for VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION to ON.


 * Q. Some of my games in DOS full-screen sessions are "shakey".
 * A. Try changing the DOS setting for VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION to OFF.

folder), there is reference to a SCSI driver called OS2SCSI.SYS, supposedly in \OS2, yet I can't find it. Where is it?
 * Q. In the README file that comes with OS/2 (in the root directory, viewable in the Information
 * A. This is a typo in the README file. The name is actually OS2SCSI.DMD, not .SYS.

do I "autostart" apps under 2.0?
 * Q. In OS/2 1.3 there was a Program Properties option to start an application on bootup. How
 * A. Two ways: 1) Use Create Shadow from an application pull-down menu to copy the

application icon to the Startup folder; or 2) Leave the application running when you Shutdown the system. All running apps will autostart upon bootup.


 * Q. Is there any way to set different execution priorities for individual DOS applications?
 * A. No. Application priority is set by the application programmer.  Since DOS, unlike OS/2,

doesn't provide for multiple execution priority levels for apps there is no reason or way to build them into DOS apps. Therefore when they are run in a DOS session under OS/2 there is no inherent priority level distinction, and no way for a user to impose unique priority levels externally to the programs.


 * Q. What's the minimum OS/2 version required for the CL57 color laptop?
 * A. OS/2 V2.0 is the minimum requirement for the CL57.

WPS/User Interface
Q. Is there any way to lock the OS2.INI file so that a user can't make any changes to the desktop. (This is for a classroom environment.)

A. No. The OS2.INI file stores all changes to the desktop (colors, window positions and sizes, autostart information, etc.). Locking the OS2.INI file so that no changes could be made would render OS/2 unusable.

Q. Is there any way to prevent OS/2 from saving and autostarting programs, except those expressly put in the Startup folder? A. Yes. Add the following statement to CONFIG.SYS: SET RESTARTOBJECTS=STARTUPFOLDERSONLY

Q. Is there any way to SHUTDOWN the system using cursor keys? I can't seem to get to the Desktop menu. A. To access the Desktop menu without a mouse, first press CTRL-ESC to bring up the Window List. Then cursor to the OS/2 Desktop entry and press Enter. This gets you back to the Desktop from wherever you were. Then press the Spacebar to deselect any icons on the desktop that are highlighted. Finally, press Shift-F10 to bring up the Desktop menu. From there just cursor to whatever option you want.

Q. Is there any way to SHUTDOWN the system from the command line? A. Yes. Use the SETBOOT command. This will shut down and then reboot the system. For details, refer to the OS/2 Command Reference.

Q. I have SVGA ON. Can I use 132-column modes in an OS/2 full-screen session? A. Yes.

Q.I have SVGA ON. Can I window a DOS full-screen session (Alt-Home) to the PM desktop, even if it is Super VGA? A. Yes.

Q. I have SVGA ON. Can I paste a SVGA image into the clipboard? A. Yes.

Q. Is there any way to change the color of the icon text? When I drag/drop a color from the Color Palette it changes the Desktop color, not the icon text. A. Just hold the Ctrl key while dragging/dropping the color. This will change the text color instead of the Desktop.

Q. I'm tired of always using the Sort option on a folder pulldown to arrange the icons the way I want them. Is there any way to make the icons sort automatically? A. Yes. Just Open the Settings for a folder, select the Sort notebook tab, and click on the check-box called "Always maintain sort order." Then close the Settings. This will make the change permanent for that folder, using whichever sort order you select. You can always change the sort order later, and the "auto-sort" will stay in effect, using the new sort order.

Q. I went into the Desktop pulldown to change some settings, including "Minimize to desktop", so that my icons don't disappear when I minimize them. But now only some objects minimize to the desktop, while others still hide. What's wrong. A. By using the Desktop settings you changed only the behavior of icons on the Desktop; not icons contained in other folders. To make global changes to the way objects hide/minimize, go to the OS/2 System folder, then the System Setup folder, then open the System icon. From the Window notebook tab make the changes you want for all folders.

Q. Is there any way to disable the Print Screen function? A. To enable or disable Print Screen, go to the OS/2 System folder, then the System Setup folder, then open the System icon. From the Print Screen notebook tab make your choice.

Q. Why are the titles of some of my icons lighter in color than the others? A. These icons represent "shadows" of the original object. The lighter text is a way of distinguishing between originals and shadows.

Q. What are "Shadow" icons and why would I want them? A. Each folder represents a directory on your disk. Each icon/object represents a file in that directory. If you copy an object from a folder to the Desktop, for example, you are also copying the file associated with that object. By creating a shadow of the original object you can put "pointers" to the file in many different folders or on the Desktop (which is actually a folder itself) for convenience, without also duplicating the file multiple times (and wasting a lot of disk space). In addition, if you duplicate the file, each is a separate copy, and updating one doesn't affect the others. By using shadows you can access the same copy of the file from multiple places, insuring that you are always working with the same version of the file.

Q. If I shred an object (icon), does that delete the data file or program that it represents? A. No. Icons are independent of the physical disk files. There can be multiple icons representing the same files. Therefore there must be a way to delete some of them without also deleting the file they represent.

Q. Is there a difference between deleting a shadow object and the original? A. Yes. If you delete a shadow, it does not affect other shadows of the original, or the original object itself. However if you delete the original, all shadows are deleted with it.

Q. Am I limited to 11 character icon/object names on a FAT system? A. No. Like HPFS partitions, FAT partitions will support up to 254 character object names (however the physical file names on disk are still limited to 11 characters; that is a FAT limitation, not a Workplace Shell limitation).

Q. I would like to get more icons side by side on my Desktop, but some of the icon names are so long that I can only get a few icons on each line. What can I do? A. You have two options 1) Rename the icons to something shorter (such as Windows Apps key) in the name to break the name into multiple short lines of text.
 * 2, instead of Additional Windows Programs); or 2) Insert carriage returns (using the Enter

Q. How do I copy or move an object with the mouse? A. To move, just press and hold the right mouse button over the object you wish to move, while dragging and dropping it elsewhere. To copy, press and hold the Ctrl key while dragging and dropping with the mouse.

Q. I have noticed that different people have the icons on their desktop arranged differently. Some have them all over the screen, others have a single column down the left side of the screen with the icon text to the right (and a scroll bar to see those of the screen), and still others have multiple columns of icons. How do I select which way I want it? A. Press the right mouse button on a blank part of the Desktop to bring up the Desktop menu; then select Open, Settings. Finally, from the Settings screen select "Flowed" for multiple columns, "Non-Flowed" for single-column, or "Non-grid" (the default) for left-to-right, top-to-bottom arrangement all over the screen. Then close the Settings to save.

Q. What is a "work area"? I see that option in a number of Settings notebooks under the File tab. A. A work area is a special kind of folder. The Desktop is a work area. When a work area is minimized or maximized, all active objects within that work area are also minimized or maximized. When a work area is closed, all open objects are also closed. When a work area is opened, all previously open objects are reopened (this is how the Desktop restarts your apps when you boot the system). For more information, open the Settings to the File tab and press the Help button, or search for "work area" in the Master Help Index object.

Q. I see objects across the bottom of my desktop that have "halos" or boxes around them. What are they? A. They are minimized objects. Depending on how the desktop is setup, objects can be minimized on the desktop, minimized inside the Minimized Viewer folder (which can be opened on the desktop to see the minimized icons), or Hidden. Hidden objects can be seen by double-clicking on the original object. To specify which way you would like your objects to appear, go to the Desktop settings (right mouse button, Open, Settings.), go to the Window tab, and make your selection in the "Minimized Window Behavior" box. If you specify one of the Minimized options, make sure to also change the "Button appearance for windows" box to "Minimize button". If you leave it set to "Hide button" the icons will be hidden rather than minimized.

Q. How do I start another copy of a program from an icon without having to duplicate the object? When I click on the icon the already-running session pops up. A. Go to the Desktop settings (right mouse button, Open, Settings.), go to the Window tab, and specify "Create new window" in the "Object open behavior" box. Then close the Settings to save the changes.

Q. Where is the Shutdown option? There is no Desktop Manager, as there was in OS/2 1.x. A. Just press the right mouse button with the pointer over any blank part of the desktop. This will bring up the Desktop menu.

Q. Where is the keyboard Lockup option? There is no Utilities Group, as there was in OS/2 1.x. A. Just press the right mouse button with the pointer over any blank part of the desktop. This will bring up the Desktop menu. From there select Lockup now to initiate it, or open the Settings to the Lockup notebook tab to change the Lockup settings (note that there are three pages of Lockup settings to be changed).

Q. Is there a "screen blanker" program in OS/2 2.0? A. Yes; two in fact. One is the Lockup program, which allows you to specify a timeout value after which to blank out the screen, and replace it with a bitmap image. The program also prompts for a keyboard password to use when locking the keyboard. There is also an autodim feature. There is no way to use this program as a screen blanker without the keyboard password feature, though. The other program, Cat and Mouse, offers a "hide" button that blanks the screen and displays only the icon of a cat running around the screen. This feature does not require a keyboard password, but also doen't offer an auto-timeout feature (unlike the Lockup program). Cat and Mouse must be manually started.

Q. Is there a way to printscreen the entire WPS desktop? A. Yes. Simply use the left mouse button to click on an empty part of the desktop and then use the Print Screen key. Or to print only one window on the desktop, select that window and then use the Print Screen key.

Q. Does OS/2 2.0 require a mouse? A. No, 2.0 is fully enabled for keyboard-only use; however most users will find the mouse more convenient for many tasks.

Q. Is there any way to get to the Selective Install panel from a command prompt? A. Yes. Just type INSTALL.

Q. I understand that OS/2 is supposed to be completely keyboard accessible, but I can't seem to figure out how to select icons without a mouse. A. Use the cursor (arrow) keys to move from icon to icon, then press the Enter key to select the one you want.

Q. Is there an easy to change a DOS or Windows full-screen session into a windowed session, or vice-versa? A. Yes. Just use the Alt-Home key combination to toggle between full-screen and windowed. This procedure does not work for OS/2 sessions; just DOS or Windows apps.

DOS/Windows Sessions (VDMs)
Q. Some of my apps fail to see EMS memory in the VDM, even though it is set up correctly. A. There is a fix, available for download from the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600), called VEMM.ZIP, which corrects the problem of several Lotus and other applications failing to see the EMS memory support provided in a VDM.

Q. I have an IBM Internal Tape Backup Unit. Can I use it with the Internal Tape Backup Program running in a VDM? A. No. The software has been tested and does not work correctly in a VDM. There is, however, a PM version of this program, called PMTape V2.01, that works correctly with the Workplace Shell, supports long filenames, and will correctly restore files backed up with the DOS and 16-bit OS/2 versions of the program.

Q. I understand that most DOS and Windows apps should run under OS/2, but what kinds of programs are likely to fail? A. 1) Those that could compromise the integrity of the operating system, such as VCPI memory extenders and certain low-level disk utilities; 2) Those requiring extremely high interrupt rates (typically more than 1,000 interrupts per second. 3) Those requiring a specific version of DOS. OS/2 2.0 provides an emulation of DOS 5.0, but some applications may need DOS 3.3, for example, and won't work with anything else. In this case, start a DOS image of the DOS 3.3 diskette (within a VDM), and run the the application under real DOS 3.3 inside a VDM. Some other applications may require special DOS Settings, and some may run with limited function. But overall, the large majority of programs will run "as is", and as faster or faster than before, with greater data integrity.

Q. Are there any restrictions to what versions of DOS can be used in a Boot Image (Virtual DOS Boot)? A. Only that you must use a version of DOS that supports your hardware. (For example, you can't use DOS 2.0 on a system with 1.44MB diskette drives, because DOS 2.0 doesn't recognize anything larger than 360K diskette drives). Other than that, you are free to use any operating system that will run on an 8086 processor (including IBM DOS, MS DOS, DR DOS, and even CPM/86).

Q. Is DDE supported? A. Yes; between any combination of Windows and OS/2 applications.

Q. Is OLE supported? A. Yes; between Windows applications.

Q. I just tried to cut-and-paste between an OS/2 application and a Windows program, but the Paste option in the Winapp's menu was "grayed-out". What do I have to do to cut/paste between applications? A. Either your Windows clipboard or your OS/2 clipboard, or both, were set to "private". Both must be set to Public before you can do any cutting and pasting back and forth. When you start the full-screen Windows session, or a Windows app, there will be a clipboard icon opened on the Windows Desktop. If you start a Windows or OS/2 app in a window, the clipboard icon will appear on the OS/2 desktop. From within both the Windows and OS/2 clipboard icons, there is an Option choice on the action bar. Clicking on this will show whether the clipboard is Public (indicated by a check-mark) or not. If not, click on the line that says Public clipboard. This will change the clipboard to public. After you have ensured that both clipboards are public, you should have no trouble cutting and pasting between applications. If you still can't paste, close the program you can't paste into, and restart it. It should work now.

Q. I know that OS/2 2.0 comes with Adobe Type Manager for OS/2, but will I have to buy ATM for Windows for my Windows apps? A. No. OS/2 2.0 supplies ATM for both OS/2 and Windows applications.

Q. When I "migrate" DOS and Windows apps to OS/2 to "register" them with the OS/2 Workplace Shell, how do I know what DOS Settings to use for each application. A. In most cases the default settings will work, but in some cases tuning may be required or desirable. OS/2 2.0 ships with a database of settings for more than 225 of the most popular DOS and Windows applications. These are automatically applied when you migrate these applications. Settings for other applications will be added with future versions and Corrective Service (patch) Diskettes.

Q. I have a DOS application that requires Alt-ESC (or Ctrl-Esc) to switch between screens. But OS/2 reserves those key combinations for switching between sessions. Is there any way to free up one or both of these combinations for DOS apps? A. Yes. From a Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) that will be running such a DOS app simply go into the DOS Settings (right mouse button from the application icon, then select Settings, O pen; then Session DOS Settings) and find the setting called KYBD_CTRL_BYPASS. Select this and from the selection box in the upper right-hand corner choose either ALT_ESC or CTRL_ESC. Finally, press the Save pushbutton and close the Settings.

Q. Can I use my favorite DOS memory manager in a VDM (DOS session)? A. No, but there is no need for one, since each VDM already includes EMS, XMS, and DPMI memory managers.

Q. Can I use my favorite DOS memory manager from inside a bootable DOS image? A. Even inside a bootable DOS image (actually named a Virtual DOS Boot, or VDB) the answer is the same, since the OS/2 memory managers are still available inside a VDM running a VDB image.

Q. Can I use my favorite DOS/Windows disk caching utility in a VDM (DOS session)? A. No, but there is no need for one, since each all applications, DOS, Windows, and OS/2 are automatically cached by OS/2.

Q. What EMS (Expanded Memory Specification) level is provided in a VDM? A. EMS V4.0, the same as DOS 4.0/5.0 provide.

Q. Does using multiple Virtual DOS Machines for several different DOS programs simplify the complicated process of finding available address space between 640K and 1MB for Expanded memory (EMS) and certain kinds of adapters? A. Yes, since network adapters, SCSI controllers, and most other device addresses are actually loaded in the address space above 1MB, there should be few conflicts with EMS memory drivers.

Q. Are DOS TSRs supported in VDMs? A. Yes. Even though they have never been officially supported in true DOS (due to a lack of any standard TSR specification, and the likelihood of system lockups when using multiple TSRs concurrently) they will be supported under 2.0. Because TSRs are loaded into a VDMs Upper Memory Blocks (UMBs), they run in Protected mode and are prevented from touching other VDMs or OS/2 sessions. There is no opportunity for a TSR to crash the entire system. The worst it can do is lock up its own sessions, which can then be terminated from the OS/2 desktop. No rebooting of the system (with possible loss of data) is necessary.

Q. Can EMS/XMS/DPMI drivers be loaded globally for all VDMs, or must I set them separately in each VDM? A. Either. Global settings are done from CONFIG.SYS using device drivers. In addition, individual VDMs can enable or disable this support from the DOS Settings. For driver details, refer to the OS/2 Command Reference.

Q. When EMS memory is enabled in CONFIG.SYS, what is the default memory allocation? A. 4MB, but up to 32MB may be specified, per VDM, if needed.

Q. Will all EMS-compatible DOS and Windows programs work in a VDM? A. It depends on the application. All DOS apps that use the EMS 4.0 driver provided with DOS 4.0 and higher, including all Windows apps, will work. Older applications that directly invoked EMS memory (without using an external DOS driver) may not work.

Q. Are there any suggestions for the order in which to load EMS and XMS drivers? A. For the best performance, load the EMS driver (VEMM.SYS) first, then all drivers that use expanded memory; then load the XMS driver next, followed by all drivers that use XMS. Lastly, load all drivers that use UMBs.

Q. If an application supports more than one choice of EMX/XMS/DPMI memory, is there any preference? A. For performance reasons, choose XMS or DPMI over EMS. On the other hand, EMS and DPMI support more total RAM than XMS (32MB, 512MB, and 16MB, respectively).

Q. What is the difference between Upper Memory Blocks (UMBs) and the High Memory Area (HMA)? A. UMBs are the memory area between 640K and 1MB. The HMA is the 64K memory range immediately above 1MB.

Q. Does the XMS (Extended Memory Specification) driver support the use of the High Memory Area (HMA)? A. Yes. The HMA (the 64K immediately above 1MB) is supported. To enable the HMA specify DOS=HIGH in CONFIG.SYS.

Q. Are there any limitations to Upper Memory Block (UMB) use? A. Yes. If multiple device drivers access UMBs, make sure the XMS driver is loaded last, to avoid conflicts.

Printing/Printer Drivers
Q. My Windows apps print very slowly with the HP LaserJet driver. A. There is a replacement HPLJ driver (HPLJW.ZIP) available on the IBM NSC BBS (404-835-6600) that speeds up Windows printing by a factor of 6.

Q. The drivers for some of IBM's older printers that were included in OS/2 1.3 are missing from 2.0. Is there any way to get them? A. Yes. A file called OS2PRINTER.ZIP on the NSC BBS (404-835-6600) containing these drivers may be downloaded. The same file (with a different name) may be found on CompuServe and the OS/2 BBS as well.

Q. I want to print from DOS and Windows apps in a VDM, but I'm not sure which drivers to use (DOS/Windows or OS/2), and whether to use the DOS/Windows print buffer? A. If your DOS or Windows programs have their own drivers, use them. Set up a printer icon in OS/2 and install the IBMNULL driver. Make this the default driver for the system (from the pulldown menu for the null driver icon). That will cause all DOS and Windows programs to default to this driver, which does no processing of the printer data stream (which has already been done by the DOS/Windows application). OS/2 PM programs allow you to specify a particular driver to use, so the null driver will not be a program. (If you have OS/2 full-screen programs that do not allow you to specify a printer, and you do not wish to use the null driver as the default for these programs, you can temporarily change the default driver "on the fly" from the printer icon, and then change it back when you are done printing from that program.) Disable any print buffering done by a DOS or Windows program. The OS/2 print spooler buffers all printing done by DOS, Windows, and OS/2 apps. Another buffer only complicates things.

Q. Is there any way to delete just one print job? When I double-click on my printer icon, I see a Delete option (which deletes the icon itself!) on the pulldown menu, and a Delete all jobs option, but no way to delete just one. The delete key doesn't work either. A. Use your right mouse button on the print job icon to bring up the pulldown menu for that specific job. Its menu includes a Delete option for that job.

Q. When I try to print to a parallel printer, nothing happens, but I can print to a serial printer. What's wrong? A. There are a number of things that can result in no printing, but most result in an error message of some sort. If no message is encountered (and you have verified that the printer driver is correctly installed and setup), you may have a hardware device that is conflicting with the interrupt level used by the parallel port. LPT1 uses IRQ7, and LPT2 uses IRQ5. Some adapters, such as the SoundBlaster default to IRQ7, causing a conflict. Others, including some SCSI controllers default to IRQ5. Changing the adapter IRQ level to an unused one should "free up" your parallel port for printer use.

Q. I have just installed OS/2, and when I try to print I get a "printer offline" message, and nothing prints. The same printer and cable worked under DOS. A. DOS does not use all 25 pins of a parallel printer cable, so to save money many cable manufacturers leave out a few unused pins. Because OS/2 lloks for some return signals from the printer to signal that the printer is jammed, out of paper, etc., OS/2 requires the use of more pins than DOS does. If your cable does not have all 25 pins a required signal won't get through and OS/2 will generate the "printer offline" message. The solution is to get a cable that uses all 25 pins.

Q. What printers are supported by OS/2 2.0? A. For a complete list of the more than 200 printers supported, see the tip entitled Printers/Plotters Supported by OS/2 2.0 in the OS/2 2.x Tips section of the IBM PS/2 Technical Assistant.

Q. How do I install downloadable (soft) fonts for my printer? A. First, find the printer object (icon) you wish to install the fonts for. Next, use the right mouse button to bring up the menu. From there select Open, Settings, Printer driver. Then select the driver you wish to install the fonts to, and use the right mouse button to bring up the menu. Again select Open and Settings. At the bottom of the Printer Properties dialog box press the Fonts button. Finally, specify the drive letter and path where the fonts can be found and press the Open button. You will see a list of the soft fonts you can select. Single-click on each one you want to add. When you have highlighted all you intend to add, press the Add button. The highlighted fonts will disappear from the "New Soft Fonts" window on the left and appear in the "Installed Fonts" window on the right. When they have all been installed, press the OK button to end and save your work. Then press OK on the Printer Properties dialog to return to the Settings book. From there close the settings and you are done.

Q. Is there an OS/2 driver for the IBM 4216-020? A. Not from IBM; OS/2 only includes drivers for the 4216-030 and -031 models. There is a company, called David Goodenough & Associates, Limited that developed an OS/2 1.1/1.2 driver for the model 20. It is possible that they also offer 1.3 and/or 2.0 versions of the driver. For more information, contact the vendor at: David Goodenough & Associates, Ltd.    283 City Road London, ECIV 1LA United Kingdom Phone: 44-71-490-2266 Fax: 44-71-490-2343

Note: This is not an endorsement of the product, nor a recommendation by IBM; simply information for your benefit.

Q. If I have Windows drivers for printers not supported by OS/2, is there any way to use them? A. Yes. They can be installed through the Windows desktop, and made available to all Windows applications, however OS/2 programs will not be able to use them.

Q. Is there any way to print to a disk file, instead of printing? A. Yes. From the printer icon, press mouse button 2 (usually the right button), then Open...Settings, then press the Output notebook tab. From the Output panel click on the Output to file checkbox, then close the Settings. Now when you send a print job to the printer, you will be prompted for a disk file name to print to.

Other Device Drivers
Q. There are so many different types of drivers in CONFIG.SYS now that I don't know where to put additional drivers? Is the order important, and if so, in what order do the files execute? A. Drivers are processed in the following order (by extension): .SYS .BID .VSD .TSD .ADD .I13 .FLT .DMD. Among those with the same extension, drivers are processed in the order in which they appear.

Q. I can't get an external IBM 5.25" drive (4869) to be recognized by a PS/2 model 80. I have added DEVICE=d:\OS2\EXTDSKDD.SYS to CONFIG.SYS. What else is needed? A. If the EXTDSKDD.SYS driver with OS2 2.0 doesn't work with the external 5.25 drive, use the original OS/2 1.3 driver, EXT5DD.SYS, that came with the drive.  Put it in the OS2 subdirectory, and change the DEVICE= statement to use the EXT5DD.SYS driver.

Q. I know that the IBM2SCSI.ADD driver is for IBM SCSI controllers, but I can't find any documentation for the /LED parameter. What does it do? A. It is only used on a PS/2 Model 95 to simulate a disk activity light on the system information LED panel. (This replaces the separate DLITE program for OS/2 1.3.)

Q. What is the difference between the COM.SYS driver and the COMDMA.SYS driver? A. There is no COMDMA.SYS driver. COM.SYS is used by all AT-bus PCs, and all PS/2s. The Command Reference in in error.

Q. In the README file that comes with OS/2 (in the root directory, viewable in the Information folder), there is reference to a SCSI driver called OS2SCSI.SYS, supposedly in \OS2, yet I can't find it. Where is it? A. This is a typo in the README file. The name is actually OS2SCSI.DMD, not .SYS.

HPFS/FAT
Q. I am using Stacker on my DOS system to double my disk capacity. Can I use Stacker in a VDM? A. No. Stacker (and other similar disk compression utilities) can only compress/decompress files that are opened by DOS programs executing in the VDM, not OS/2 files (and may not even work on an HPFS partition). If an OS/2 program attempted to access these compressed files, there would be no way to decompress them (since the DOS Stacker version is not running in the OS/2 session attempting to open the files. Fortunately, Stac Technologies has announced plans for an OS/2 version of Stacker.  Other vendors also may be planning OS/2 versions.  For details, contact the vendor.

Q. When running CHKDSK on an HPFS partition I get a message that some files are "cross-linked." What can I do to fix these files? A. If you boot from the Installation diskette (and ESCape from the IBM logo screen to the A> prompt) then run CHKDSK C: /F:3, the files will be recovered. If the cross-linked files are on a partition other than C:, run CHKDSK d: /F:3 from the C: drive (where d: = the appropriate drive letter). It is not necessary to boot from the Installation Diskette in this case.

Q. According to the red book (GG24-3730 - OS/2 V2.0 Vol. 1: Control Program) the HPFS limit is 512GB. But the announcement letter says 64GB. Which is it? A. The implemented maximum partition size is 64GB for HPFS partitions. The 512GB number in the red book is the theoretical limit, not currently implemented.

Q. What is the maximum file size supported by 2.0? A. The maximum is 2GB for both FAT and HPFS partitions

Q. What enhancements have been made to HPFS partitions for 2.0? A. Better performance, partly due to I/O command chaining, and partly to Scatter/Gather support, which has been added for devices that support it (such as the IBM SCSI adapters); and the maximum partition size has been increased.

Q. What enhancements have been made to FAT partitions for 2.0? A. Better performance, partly due to adding Lazy Write support and larger cache size support (both previously available only with HPFS), and partly due to I/O command chaining; plus Autocheck support (previously available only with HPFS).

Q. I have heard rumors that due to the performance enhancements made to "super FAT" in 2.0 it is now faster than HPFS. Is this true? A. At one point during beta testing the enhanced FAT support was improved to the point that it was faster than the early HPFS code; but subsequent tuning of HPFS turned this back around. In nearly all instances, HPFS is faster, has better data integrity, and uses less disk space than FAT.

Q. In what cases would FAT be better than HPFS? A. If you have the minimum 60MB hard drive, there may be no performance advantage to HPFS (unless there are more than about 100-200 files in some directories), and the savings in disk space produced (due to the smaller allocation unit size used by HPFS) would be offset by the 300K disk overhead for an HPFS partition. But HPFS would still have the edge in data integrity, due to Hot Fixes. In all cases of >60MB partitions, HPFS has the performance edge.

Q. What was that about saving disk space? A. In a FAT partition, to get around a hard limitation of the number of clusters (now called allocation units) available that produced the infamous "32MB limit", the cluster size doubles every time the partition size doubles (64MB partition=4K cluster; 128MB=8K; 256MB=16K; 512MB=32K; 1GB=64K; 2GB=128K). And since a 5 byte batch file takes a minimum of 1 allocation unit, and since on average each file wastes half of an allocation unit, large FAT partitions waste a lot of space. Because HPFS partitions always use 512 byte (1 sector) allocation units, it wastes far less space, especially on large partitions, than FAT. Cases have been reported where a user reformatted a 1GB drive from FAT to HPFS, restoring all the same files as before, and "recovered" 100MB of previously wasted disk space. (Obviously, the amount of wasted space depends on how many small files are on the drive).

Q. What is a "Hot Fix"? A. Hot Fixes are a mechanism whereby HPFS works around bad sectors on the disk and temporarily uses "spare blocks" of disk space to store the data that would normally have been written to the bad sector. Then when the system is rebooted, AUTOCHECK runs CHKDSK, marks the defective sector as bad, copies the spare block to a good sector, and makes the spare block available for reuse. In a FAT partition, on the other hand, the data would have been written to the bad sector, and the user would not have known until the next time he tried to access the data and received an error. The corrupted data would have been lost, at the least, and in the case of an indexed file all data after the bad sector may have been lost. If a binary file, such as a word processing document, spreadsheet, or other, it is possible that the entire file would have been rendered unusable. This is the big data integrity aspect of HPFS. (By the way, when a Hot Fix is applied OS/2 presents an informational message to that effect, letting you know what has occurred.)

Q. Is there still a 1024-cylinder limit to disk drive sizes, as there was in OS/2 1.x? A. Yes and No. If the adapter reports to the operating system in absolute cylinders, 1024 is the limit. On the other hand controllers that use RBAs (Relative Block Addresses) will not have this limit. Sector-translating controllers, such as the IBM SCSI adapters use RBAs. If your controller does limit you to 1024 cylinders, when you partition your drives, all bootable partitions (including Boot Manager, all Primary, and any Extended partitions containing OS/2 2.0) must fall entirely within the first 1024 cylinders. Non-bootable partitions can be created beyond 1024 cylinders.

Q. What is the maximum partition size supported by 2.0? A. The maximum is 64GB (increased from 2GB in 1.3) for HPFS partitions, but a practical usable size is 5-7GB per partition. FAT partitions are still limited to 2GB.

Q. Under DOS, directory file names appear on the left side of the directory listing. But I installed OS/2 and now the names are on the right side? Why? A. File names in DOS and OS/2 FAT partitions are limited to 11 characters (8.3). Because filenames in an HPFS partition can be up to 254 characters long, putting the names on the right side of the DIR list allows the filenames to wrap to the next line (or more than one line) as necessary without disrupting the orderly columns of file size, date, and other information.

Q. When I do a DIR of an HPFS partiton there is a column of numbers immediately to the left of the file and directory names that doesn't appear on a FAT partition directory listing. What is this information? A. It is the number of bytes of extended attributes associated with those files and directories.

Q. Is there any way to strip the Extended Attributes from files, if desired? A. Yes. The command EAUTIL is expressly intended for that purpose. It strips the EA from files, and puts them in a separate file using a name you provide. It also allows the EAs to be reattached at a later time. This should not be done lightly. Make sure you have a valid reason for doing so. For more information, refer to the EAUTIL command in the OS/2 Command Reference.

Q. Is there any way to format a diskette or optical disk drive to HPFS? A. Only FAT formats are supported for removable media in OS/2 1.0-2.0.

Productivity Apps/Games
Q. What communication protocols does Softerm (PM Terminal) support? A. Kermit, Kermit Server, Softrans, Xmodem (1K), Ymodem (1K), and Ymodem-G (1K).

Q. What ASCII terminal emulations does Softerm (PM Terminal) support? A. ANSI 3.64, DEC VT-52, DEC VT-100, GEnie Terminal, IBM 3101 Model 10, IBM 3101 Model 20, IBM ANSI, IBMINVT100, and TTY.

Q. Are any of these so-called "productivity" applications really useful, or are they just "toys" to give us a chance to "play" with OS/2 before buying useful software. A. Certainly it depends on your definition of "useful," but many of the Productivity apps are adequate for the needs of many users, without additional software. The PM Term async communications program, Enhanced Editor, PM Chart, calculator, notepad, Sticky Pad, alarm clock, calendar, to do list, Seek and Scan file browser, and others can all be used productively.

Miscellaneous
Q. What is OASAS? A. OASAS is a program that runs under OS/2 1.3 or 2.0 and provides data striping and MNP 5 fault-tolerance. It requires a SCSI-equipped PS/2 system with between 3 and 7 identical fixed disk drives. Through data-striping it allows those 3-7 drives to look to OS/2 like one large drive partition.

Q. Does OASAS do mirroring/duplexing of drives? A. No. Only data striping. However the OS/2 LAN Server 2.0-Advanced program offers duplexing/mirroring.

Q. Does OASAS work with multiple SCSI adapters? A. Yes and no. Since the OASAS drivers can't be loaded until OS/2 has booted, the boot drive can't be part of the array. Thus another drive/controller combination is required. To set up a disk array for OASAS there must be a second fixed disk adapter (SCSI or other) for the boot drive. Additional SCSI adapters will work with OS/2, as usual, but they will not be seen by OASAS for the purpose of fault-tolerance. Only one SCSI adapter is supported and used by OASAS.

Q. What is GDDM OS/2 1.2? A. Graphical Data Display Manager is an OS/2 implementation of a product normally run on mainframes, for the display of graphical information. It is not available as a separately orderable product. It must be ordered as a feature by the mainframe location, through their IBM marketing rep.

Q. Is there a MOVE command? A. Yes. It allows you to move files from one directory to another. It is equivalent to a COPY followed by a DEL in a single step. Refer to the OS/2 Command Reference for details.

Q. Is there a way to delete OS/2 from my drive without having to reformat or repartition? A. Yes. 1) Start by using OS/2 to delete as much of itself as possible. You can open the drive icon for C: and drag/drop all the OS/2-related directory icons on the shredder.  Most of the directories will be shredded, along with their contents.  Some will report that some files cannot be deleted.  But most will be.  2) Shutdown your system and reboot from the OS/2 installation diskette, then insert diskette 1 when requested. 3) When the OS/2 logo screen comes up, press ESC to exit to the A> prompt. From there type:  ATTRIB C:\xxxxx -S -H -R (where xxxxx = OS2BOOT, OS2KRNL, and OS2LDR, in turn). 4) Then use the same step on all the directories that had files that wouldn't delete (ATTRIB C:\dirname\*.* -S -H -R). 5) Next, use the DEL C:\dirname\*.* command to delete all the files that were just ATTRIBed. 6) Finally, use the RD command to remove the directories you just "unlocked" (e.g., RD C:\dirname). When you are done, you should have nothing more than your program and data files and directories left. (This assumes that if you want to return to DOS the partition is formatted to FAT. If it is HPFS, you will have to format the drive anyway.)

Q. How does the "free 60 day OS/2 support" work? A. Users experiencing difficulty installing or using OS/2 2.0 may call the IBM Defect Support Center at 800-237-5511. From the time of the first call the user gets 60 days of unlimited free technical and service support through this number. After 60 days, if the user wishes to continue the service they may subscribe for $129 per year.

Q. How does this differ from SystemXtra? A. SystemXtra is IBM's premier level of support for Personal System products, including OS/2. For more information about SystemXtra, call 800-IBM-XTRA.

Q. Can you explain how the "OS/2 BBS" works? A. That can mean either of two different services. 1) There is an official BBS, accessed through an 800#, offered on a subscription basis for a fee, and only available to subscribers. For more information about this BBS and what it offers, call 800-547-1283; or 2) The IBM NSC BBS, which is open to the public, for free but as a long-distance call for those outside the local dialing area. It contains a number of "conferences" for the discussion of such products as OS/2, DOS, PS/2s and Networking. There is a large variety of downloadable software and software patches available. In addition there are online bulletins and databases of OS/2 software, non-IBM adapters for Micro Channel systems, and local PC User Groups. The number call for the IBM NSC BBS is 404-835-6600 (N,8,1). Registration is done on the fly for new users.

Q. I understand why I would want to limit the available drive letters on a LAN, using LASTDRIVE= in CONFIG.SYS, but is there any reason to do so in a standalone environment? A. Yes. Each drive letter that is available for use reserves about 100 bytes of memory. So limiting the drive letters to E:, for example, frees up about 2K of RAM for other use.

Q. What versions of OS/2 support Extended Services 1.0? A. OS/2 1.30.1 (CSD level 5015 or later), and OS/2 2.0.

Q. Does the OS/2 2.0 Developer's Toolkit include a kernel debugger and a PM application debugger? A. Yes. Unlike the OS/2 1.3 toolkit which only includes a source code debugger (CodeView), the 2.0 toolkit includes all three.

Q. Does OS/2 2.0 offer an UNDELETE command, like DOS 5.0? A. Yes. All deleted files are temporarily stored in a \DELETE directory in each partition. These files are purged upon bootup, so files must be undeleted before shutting down the system. Note: During installation the statement SET DELDIR=... that defines the directory to hold the deleted files is installed in CONFIG.SYS but disabled (to save disk space). To activate UNDELETE, you must remove the "REM " from the statement: REM SET DELDIR=....

Q. What is a "thunk" or "thunking layer?" A. It is the code that allows 16-bit applications to run correctly in a 32-bit address space.

ES Communications Manager
Q. Is there a shortcut to change the font size in a 3270 window without having to go through several layers of menus? A. Yes. Just press Alt-I. (It is printed on your 3270 emulation keyboard template, if you have one.)

Q. Is there any way to get to the System Menu icon (in the upper left corner of the window) in a 3270 emulation session without a mouse? A. Yes. Just press Alt-spacebar. (It is printed on your 3270 emulation keyboard template, if you have one.)

Q. Has anything been done to improve LAN support? A. Yes. Adoption of the new LAN Adapter and Protocol Support (LAPS) provides more efficient processing of the IEEE 802.2 and NETBIOS protocols with increased performance in both cases across tsupported LANS.

Q. How many simultaneous workstations are supported through the Comm Manager SNA Gateway? A. 254 attached via either single or multiple adapters. (Successful operation in a given environment may depend on other factors, such as application load and/or line speed, so the ability to exploit a full complement of 254 workstations should not be assumed for all cases.)

Q. What is the maximumnumber of LU sessions per gateway? A. 254, the same as EE 1.3.

ES Database Manager

 * Q. Does the ES Database Manager support Null fields?
 * A. If you mean plain NULL fields, these have been supported in every version of OS/2

Database Manager since V1.0. If you mean NOT_NULL_WITH_DEFAULT fields, support for this field type will be added in the next version of ES.


 * Q. Does an EE 1.x Server support the use of ES clients?
 * A. No. Due to changes in the way Remote Data Services works in Extended Services, ES

database clients cannot access EE 1.x database servers.


 * Q. Does an ES Database Server support the use of EE 1.x clients?
 * A. Yes. EE 1.2 or 1.3 SQLLOO and APPC clients may access shared databases on a LAN, or

host (via DDCS/2).


 * Q. What is the maximum number of configurable applications under ES Database Server?
 * A. 252, however successful operation in a given environment may depend on other factors,

such as application load and/or available memory, so the ability to exploit a full complement of 252 applications should not be assumed for all cases.

LAN Server 2.0

 * Q. Does LS 2.0 do mirroring/duplexing of drives?
 * A. Yes; the OS/2 LAN Server 2.0-Advanced program offers duplexing/mirroring; but not the Entry level version.


 * Q. Have there been any performance enhancements made to LAN Server 2.0?
 * A. Yes. LS 2.0 is significantly faster than LS 1.3 for a number of reasons.  The Entry package includes a much improved LAN transport, at a lower price than 1.3.  In addition to faster LAN transport, the Advanced package includes HPFS386 (32-bit).  As a result, the Advanced package is 2-5 times faster than LS 1.30.1 for server functions, and 1.1 to 2.5 times faster for requester activity.  The superior performance of the Advanced package is particularly evident in heavy workload environments, such as the remote IPL of OS/2 Requesters.


 * Q. Does LAN Server 2.0 support the IBM Token-Ring 16/4 Busmaster Server Adapter/A, unlike LAN Server 1.x?
 * A. Yes.