OS/2 ver 2.0 Installation

By Aaron Roll. Date 1992-May-10

A week ago I purchased from a retailer, a copy of OS/2 Ver. 2.0 Upgrade. First of  all  I was reading the documentation ( which is very dull  and confused) specifically the "installation guide". I was reading the manual a few times more and realized that no help is coming from this stuff ( my profession is  Computer Systems Analyst  and serves as   consultant  for companies  at Toronto area) and decided to install the OS on my  computer in the way of trial and error. In the  Prefix I would like to say that I do not familiar with the  full version  of IBM OS/2 Ver  2.0 and may be things are different there,  but our issue her is the upgrade version (DOS to OS/2).

I would  like to add that I was and I am a true believer of the full  32 Bit OS for IBM and compatible computers as a definite replacement for DOS OS. I do  not like to tell you about the frustration I had trying to  figure out  how  to  make the job done ( it takes long long evenings  to  decide which  is the right way to install OS/2 2.0 Upgrade) and instead to  jump right away to the process itself.

My computer is IBM comp. 386/33, 5 Mb basic and extended memory, 124 Mb Hard drive, 1- 1.44 Mb 3.5 A: Floppy, 1-1.2 Mb 5.25 B: Floppy, UVGA card and monitor, Running DOS 5.0. I decided to choose this configuration for my OS/2 - DOS environment:
 * C: drive as OS/2 partition,
 * D: drive as primary DOS partition
 * E: drive as extended DOS partition.

the reason for that  will be clearer in the following paragraphs, it  is extremely important to have this three main partitions installed. Before proceeding, Make 3.5 1.44 Mb diskette bootable  with  DOS  5.0  (FORMAT  A:  /S) and copy to this diskette all the important DOS  commands (like FDISK, FORMAT, SYS and so on.

I  am  assuming  that  the  reader  familiar  with  DOS  operations  and particularly the  usage  of FDISK, FORMAT and  SYS  commands. Just to mention:  A) by FDISK delete any partition (after backing up every  peace of important program and data ) on the hard drive. B) create the desired partitions. C) reboot ( from A: drive with bootable diskette, that  you prepared ahead of time ) . D) format the partitions (C: with FORMAT c: /s and D:, E: with FORMAT d: /s, FORMAT e:).

I partitioned the hard drive and formatted it as follow:
 * C: drive 50 Mb primary DOS partition and DOS OS installed.
 * D: drive 14 Mb extended DOS partition and (yes,yes !!) DOS OS installed.
 * E: drive 60 Mb extended DOS partition.

The reason for another DOS OS on drive D: is that the OS/2 Upgrade  must have DOS  OS installed when it start the installation process  and  that fine to  have  it  on  C:  drive. Unfortunately the  process  of  OS/2 installation needs to partition the hard drive again if  you  want  OS/2 Boot Manager and HPFS (High Performance OS/2 partition) to be installed. Assuming you did that,  you have to reboot  the computer and  start  the process again, but OOPS !! the DOS OS deleted by the OS/2 partition and therefor can  not come up again unless you have another  DOS  OS  on  D: drive,  installed by you ahead of time, as I mention above.

After all  these  preparations,  now comes  (  at  last)  the  time  for installing OS/2 2.0 Upgrade on your machine.

With OS/2  installation diskette in drive A: (it  must  be  A:-  another preparation that you might do prior to install OS/2 Upgrade), reboot  the computer (you might get a note on your screen during that  process  that the  program's trial to write to drive A: failed, if that the case choose "return  error to program" and proceed. The program will prompt  you  for disk  # 1 and after short time and a few welcome screens you will get  to the choice screen where you choose option # 2 "format the hard drive" . ( You can  choose "proceed installation on drive C:" but then you  do  not have the choice of booting OS/2 or DOS, you have only on choice  :  OS/2 boot and that it, period).

I choose the options as follow:(it is important to follow precisely)

NAME      STATUS       ACCESS          SYS  TYPE        MB  --     startable    primary         boot manager     1 OS/2      bootable     C: primary      FAT              48 DOS       bootable     D: primary      FAT              14 --    none         E: logical      FAT              60

the above represent logical order (my logic) and can be changed. You can put DOS on C: and OS/2 on D: if you prefer. You can choose the default OS that will  come  up  first  at regular bootup  although  it  is  not  so important,  Boot  Manager gives you the option to choose which  operating system will  come  first  at the initial screen  during  regular  bootup process.

After  choosing  the  configuration,  SAVE  and  reboot.(  remember   ?? "Install disk "    in A:). after inserting  disk # 1 you are coming to the same point  you  left  5 minutes ago. This time during disk # 2's reading, you come to a screen gives you  the option to  proceed or to format the disk ( for HPFS or regular  FAT). I prefer naturally the HPFS and choose that option. the program preparing the disk  accordingly  and  proceed  afterwards  with  the  installation process, namely:  up  to  disk  # 5 the OS  OS/2,  rebooting  again  and proceeding with  choices for file system and disk  #  6  to  #  15  plus printers device driver at the end of the installation.

as soon  as  the  OS/2  system comes up at the end of  the  installation process I  recommends to clear the screen off by clicking on  the  small icon/sign at the upper left hand side of the windows ( do  not  use  the tutorial as recommended by IBM you can come to that later on ). Push the right hand mouse's button and choose Shut down line form the pop up menu, choose O.K. wait for verification and reboot your computer, this time no disk in drive A:. After POST ended Boot manager will come up with its menu,  highlight   " OS/2 " choice and  >ENTER<. Now you can get the tutorial/documentation/help etc.

But wait a little bit more, before going documentation, activate PMFDISK command ( open the OS/2 icon double click on setup icon double click  on Migrate  icon  and  perform migration for OS/2  programs  (  particularly PMFDISK) as of the documentation and on line help. After finishing  that double click on Additional OS/2 program and activate PMFDISK program. The hard drive setup appears on the screen as the follow:

NAME        STATUS           ACCESS         SYSTYPE        MB      startable        primary        boot manager   1 OS/2        bootable         c: primary     HPFS           48 DOS         bootable         primary        FAT            14 ---     none             d: logical     FAT            60

Pay to your attention that this new arrangement ( of c:; d: drives) have been done  automatically by OS/2 and the reason is : OS/2  and  DOS  are using both the same name for the first drive e.g. C: drive !!!

Now Shut Down OS/2 again at the proper way, reboot the computer with the bootable DOS diskette, activate FDISK and first: FORMAT c: /s (  yes  c: drive,  this  time under DOS is deferent drive than c: drive under  OS/2. after  making  c: drive DOS bootable, FORMAT d: and reboot the  computer again, this time Boot Manager menu comes up giving you the choice DOS  or OS/2  ,  highlight the DOS option and boot by DOS just to make sure  that every  thing  work properly. Install DOS sub directory on  c:  drive  and windows on d: drive together with all windows application.

The reason for small ( DOS ) C: drive and large D: drive comes from  the fact that OS/2 as well as DOS are using  primary drive C: therefor  OS/2 is not  able to "see" DOS C:, it is reading its own C: drive and DOS  D: drive  only,  so  concern OS/2, DOS C: drive is just a "waist". On the other hand DOS does not " care " where Windows resided.

Some prefix and conclusions
Intentionally I installed OS/2 2.0 side by side with DOS/WINDOWS 3.1  on the   same  computer  and  the  same  hard  drive  that  was  partitioned accordingly, I wanted to compare the two operating systems by myself and not to get second hand impression. When I  purchased OS/2, my initial intention was to replace  Windows-DOS base with  something  that destined to replace DOS  and  UNIX  (which  I definitely  dislike) in the near future, well, to tell the truth  I  was disappointed !!!

OS/2 is UNSTABLE environment, a short time ( 5 to 15 minutes ) after you are trying  to adjust something, anything , with the operating  system, everything friezes up without any apparent reason and you have to boot up again. It seems that IBM programmers learn nothing from the educational experience of Windows 3.0 and its UAE (Unrecoverable Application Error ) , how  comes ?? Windows 3.0 launched 2 years ago !! in our terms it  is almost a computer generation that passed by.

Maybe the program runs well on IBM native computers, I must presume  so, otherwise it does not make any sense to throw this program to the market ( and consider the development and advertisement campaign's costs ! ) But lets talk serious,  how many of us are using IBM native computers  ?? ( except  government  departments  that  there  resources  seems   to   be surprisingly endless), the answer is obvious, Just a few. From a lot of sources  I  hear  about  the same problem, namely  :  the  computer  (IBM compatible) hangs up frequently.

I suspect the device drivers supplied by IBM to be the reason for  all that and specifically the drivers that managing the relations between the operating system and the computer's BIOSs/ hard drive controllers( of all variety and types). You would expect IBM company to address that problem prior to marketing the program right ? well, wrong as mention before.

The guys there just did not check up the right types and amounts of  IBM CLONES  (  it  seems that the IBM guys do not like to think  about  such androgynous) and did not developed bullet proof program.

The documentation for the OS/2 2.0 Upgrade is POOR, confused and lake of basic items  to  explain and direct the user of the  installation  steps aside of totally misleading of installation's directions ( at the  other hand  the  on line's context sensitive and the general help is  excellent !).

The boot up process is painfully slow, just imagine 10 hang ups a day ( YES !! that the reality ) and you have got about an hour a day dealing up with boot ups processes. The program  is  not intuitive to my taste. for example I  was  up  and running with  Windows  3.0  in  no time without  any  need  at  all  for documentation or on line help, not to mention Windows 3.1, OS/2 2.0 is a concept's relative of Windows Namely : Object oriented OS, but  the  case is not  the  case when its come to ease of use and being intuitive,  you must use  the  documentation  frequently ( sometime  a  very  frustrated process ).

Who Said : " DOS better then DOS and WINDOWS better then WINDOWS "?? you know who !! . Sorry guys I am not convinced !! Try WINDOWS 3.1 and see , you just can not compare the two programs, WINDOWS 3.1 toping OS/2 2.0 by two to  three levels ( that not the right article to count  the  precise differences ).

All in  all  I  think  Microsoft guys were  and  are  listening  to  our (customers) problems  and desires much better then  IBM  guys  and  more important : implementing most of them. IBM company on the other hand improved a lot, its not enough but in the right direction ( after all it is very difficult for that giant to change direction after so many years they ignored us completely).

OS/2 ver. 2.0 is very Powerful OS, I do not have any doubt about  it  , may be  we have to wait for ver 2.1 to get things done properly like  we had it with Windows 3.1. OS/2 is  not  for  novices, you have to know what  you  are  doing  when installing and operating it.

I am  supporting some opinions saying that the combination of  OS/2  for file server and Windows for end user, might be a good combination in the future provided WINDOWS NT is not going to top OS/2 like WINDOWS 3.1  is doing to OS/2 in the present.

This document belong to the FREEWARE concept you can use it in any forum and form you like provided you did not change any thing in its content. Although  I believe the above installation process is bullet  proof  for every body ( about 20 time of repeatedly installations and tenth of hours I spent  learning the program, are backing up this statement)  I  cannot assure success for every body, do it on your own risk( nothing much of it here any way).

Aaron Roll 6091 Bathurst St. # 308 Willowdale, Ontario M2R-1Z3 Tel : 416-395-0085