OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions
Release 1.9; December 4, 1991
Compiled by Timothy F. Sipples

For changes/suggestions/additions please mail sip1@quads.uchicago.edu.  
Include subject line "OS/2 FAQ."  This List may be freely distributed.  
The mention of a product does not constitute an endorsement.  Answers to 
questions closer to the bottom of the List may rely on information given 
in prior answers.  Customers outside North America should not rely on 
800 telephone numbers or certain part numbers contained in this List.

Release Notes:  A new question (35) has been added.  Questions 4, 7, 8, 
9, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, and 26 have been revised.

Questions Addressed in this Release:

(1)	What is OS/2?
(2)	What are the differences between versions?
(3)	What is the difference between Standard and Extended Edition?
(4)	What about DOS and Windows compatibility?
(5)	Where can I buy OS/2?
(6)	How much does OS/2 cost?
(7)	Can I upgrade to IBM OS/2 1.3 SE from DOS?
(8)	Can I upgrade to IBM OS/2 1.3 SE from an older version?
(9)	If I buy IBM OS/2 1.3 now, how much will it cost to get 2.0?
(10)	Does IBM offer educational discounts on purchases of OS/2?  Site 
	licenses?
(11)	What hardware do I need to run IBM OS/2 1.3 SE?
(12)	What applications are available for OS/2 1.x?
(13)	Where can I obtain OS/2 freeware and shareware?
(14)	My Logitech mouse doesn't seem to be working with OS/2.  What's
	wrong?
(15)	Is there a driver available for my SCSI adapter?
(16)	How about a high resolution driver for my video adapter?
(17)	How about a driver for my printer?
(18)	How do I access HPFS partitions on my hard drive without booting
	from the hard drive?  I've done something (like changing
	CONFIG.SYS) that doesn't let me boot OS/2.
(19)	I can't install OS/2 from Drive B.  What's wrong?
(20)	Is there a Norton Utilities for OS/2?
(21)	Sometimes Presentation Manager will freeze when I run an
	application, and I have to reboot.  What's wrong?
(22)	My dealer doesn't know OS/2 from Unix.  How can I get answers to
	my OS/2 questions?
(23)	How can I get ahold of the beta release of OS/2 2.0?
(24)	Why should I use HPFS?  What does it offer me?  Does it work with
	DOS?
(25)	I'm a Unix wizard.  How do I make OS/2 resemble Unix?
(26)	I would like to set up an OS/2 BBS.  What is available?
(27)	The printed and online manuals do not document REXX in any detail.  
	Where can I obtain more information?
(28)	Doesn't OS/2 have applets like Windows?  I miss Solitaire.
(29)	How do I redirect printer output to a file?
(30)	Can I use COM3 and COM4 in OS/2?
(31)	On my 1024x768 high resolution display I get obnoxiously large
	icons (64x64).  How do I make them smaller?
(32)	How do I start a background process from the OS/2 command line?
(33)	How do I start a DOS application from a PM icon?
(34)	What are CSDs, how do I tell which I have, and where do I get
	them?
(35)	How do I add the Paste option to the system menus of windowed,
	non-PM applications?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

(1)	What is OS/2?

OS/2 is an advanced operating system for PCs and PS/2s with an 80286 
processor or better.  It was codeveloped by Microsoft and IBM and 
envisioned as the successor to DOS.

It was designed from the ground up with multitasking and multithreading 
in mind.  It also protects applications from one another (a single 
misbehaved program will not typically bring down the entire system), 
supports up to 16 MB of physical RAM, and supplies virtual memory to 
applications as requested.

As shipped, it does not support multiuser operation, although several 
third parties have grafted multiuser (character mode) capabilities onto 
the base operating system.  Citrix, OS2YOU, Remote-OS, and Polymod are 
four such products.  Remote-OS is published by The Software Lifeline, 
tel. 407-994-4466, and OS2YOU is available from the OS/2 
shareware/freeware sources (see Question 13).  [Other products' 
contacts?]

------------------------------

(2)	What are the differences between versions?

IBM OS/2 Version 2.0 was formally announced at Fall Comdex and will be 
available with promised features in December, 1991, on a limited basis, 
and in full retail release with "seamless Windows" support and other 
extra features in March, 1992.  Version 2.0 will run only on machines 
with an 80386SX processor or better.  IBM is (now) developing 2.0 
independently but is involving third party PC manufacturers in its 
testing.  Improvements will include the ability to preemptively 
multitask DOS, Windows 2.x, and Windows 3.x (standard mode) applications 
(without purchasing any of these environments) in separate, robust, 
protected sessions; an object-oriented WorkPlace shell (including a 
"shredder" icon); a multiple operating system boot mechanism; 32-bit 
programming interfaces; support for more than 16 MB of RAM; and more 
third party device drivers.  It will also provide EMS 3.2/4.0 and 
XMS/DPMI 1.0 (expanded and extended memory) services to DOS and Windows 
applications.  Version 2.0 will demand a minimum of 3 MB of RAM.  See 
Question 4 for more information on OS/2 2.0.

IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 (CSD Level 05016; see Question 34) is currently the 
latest commercially available release.  This version distinguishes 
itself with built-in Adobe Type Manager and reduced memory requirements.  
Procedures Language/2 (a.k.a. REXX), a powerful batch-oriented 
programming language, became a part of Standard Edition with this 
release.  (A few OEMs are shipping Microsoft OS/2 Version 1.3, but 
Microsoft has all but abandoned OS/2 development.)

OS/2 Version 1.2 was the first to incorporate the High Performance File 
System (HPFS, which supports long file names).  With this release IBM 
OS/2 added a dual boot mechanism and IBM Extended Edition introduced 
REXX.

OS/2 Version 1.1 was the first to include the Presentation Manager (PM) 
GUI/API, now an integral part of the operating system.  Microsoft OEM 
versions added a dual boot mechanism with this release.

OS/2 Version 1.0, introduced in 1987, was the first release of OS/2.  
Task switching was accomplished through a character-based shell and 
limited DOS compatibility was provided.

------------------------------

(3)	What is the difference between Standard and Extended Edition?

IBM makes this marketing distinction between two different flavors of 
OS/2 1.x.  OS/2 1.x is available either in its Standard Edition (SE, 
i.e. the base operating system) or in Extended Edition (EE, with several 
extra bundled software products including the Communications Manager and 
the Database Manager).  EE includes enhanced mainframe, network, and 
communications support.

The distinction will change slightly when OS/2 2.0 is released.  IBM 
will upgrade EE features and drop LAN Requester from the package, to be 
renamed Extended Services (ES).  LAN Requester will be included in IBM's 
OS/2 LAN Server product.  The new ES 2.0 will still work with OS/2 1.3 
and will be tested on a wide variety of PC compatibles.  ES 2.1 will 
likely contain 32-bit code.

------------------------------

(4)	What about DOS and Windows compatibility?

All 1.x versions of OS/2 include optional the DOS compatibility mode 
(sometimes called the penalty box) which allows a single, well-behaved 
DOS application to run alongside multiple OS/2 applications.  The DOS 
application stops running when the user switches to an OS/2 program.  
However, OS/2 programs will run in the background while a DOS program is 
running.

IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 SE yields approximately 520K free memory in the DOS 
box.  Windows 3.0 will run in real mode in the DOS box.  Also, DOS may 
be started by itself (in native mode) in two ways: by using the dual 
boot mechanism in OS/2 (described in detail in the printed manual) or by 
booting from a floppy disk.  In both cases DOS has access to all FAT 
(non-HPFS) partitions on the hard disk (that are not themselves preceded 
by a HPFS or other "foreign" partition).

Version 2.0 will preemptively multitask DOS and Windows (real and 
standard mode) applications in separate, protected sessions.  (Windows 
enhanced mode features, i.e. DOS multitasking and demand paging of 
memory, will be provided by OS/2 2.0 directly.)  Windows applications 
will be well integrated into the overall OS/2 PM environment with DDE 
and Clipboard hooks, and OLE 1.0 will be supported between Windows 
applications.  The "seamless Windows" support planned for March, 1992, 
means that Windows applications will run alongside other applications on 
the Presentation Manager desktop.  Each DOS application will have up to 
roughly 640K conventional memory available.  OS/2 2.0 will also provide 
up to 32 MB of EMS 3.2 or 4.0, 16 MB of XMS, and/or 512 MB of DPMI 1.0 
for each DOS or Windows application out of its pool of physical and/or 
virtual memory.  DOS applications which utilize DOS extenders will run 
so long as the extender is DPMI compliant.  DOS applications can run 
either full screen or in PM windows.  Windowed DOS applications will be 
able to use text mode or any graphics mode up to the resolution of the 
desktop.  DOS and Windows device drivers will work with DOS and Windows 
applications running under OS/2 2.0, but if an OS/2 2.0 driver is 
available a DOS or Windows device driver is unnecessary.

------------------------------

(5)	Where can I buy OS/2?

Microsoft versions of OS/2 are available only through OEMs (e.g. Compaq, 
Dell).

IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 is available from any authorized IBM dealer 
(although persistence helps) or directly from IBM (tel. 800-3 IBM OS2).  
IBM OS/2 1.3 SE on 5.25 inch disks is IBM part no. 84F7587.  For 3.5 
inch disks ask for part no. 84F7588.  Media are high density.  
Corresponding EE part nos. are 15F7196 and 15F7195.

IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 is also available from several mail order sources, 
including Egghead Discount Software (tel. 800-344-4323) and Elek-Tek 
(tel. 708-677-7660).

IBM plans to make OS/2 2.0 available everywhere DOS is purchased, to 
bundle 2.0 with new systems, and to offer free or discounted upgrades 
depending on the product replaced (DOS, Windows, or OS/2 1.x).

------------------------------

(6)	How much does OS/2 cost?

IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 SE retails for USD 150.  IBM will offer OS/2 2.0 
for USD 195 retail.

------------------------------

(7)	Can I upgrade to IBM OS/2 1.3 SE from DOS?

Yes, as long as you are upgrading from IBM PC-DOS.  The upgrade retails 
for USD 99.  Part numbers are 85S1656 for 5.25 inch media and 85S1657 
for 3.5 media.


------------------------------

(8)	Can I upgrade to IBM OS/2 1.3 SE from an older version?

Yes, as long as the previous version is an IBM version.  There is a 99 
USD charge for this upgrade.  Licensees may wish to wait for the free 
upgrade to OS/2 2.0 that IBM plans to make available.

------------------------------

(9)	If I buy IBM OS/2 1.3 now, how much will it cost to get 2.0?

All IBM OS/2 1.x licensees upgrading to OS/2 2.0 before July 31, 1992, 
will pay nothing.  Version 1.x EE licensees will receive the full 2.0 ES 
upgrade.  IBM reserves the right to revise or add to these terms.

------------------------------

(10)	Does IBM offer educational discounts on purchases of OS/2?  Site 
	licenses?

IBM has both.  The educational price is approximately USD 99 for OS/2 
1.3 SE.  SE also comes in non-media (manual and license only) packages 
at a reduced price, part no. 84F8528.  An SE additional license 
(entitles holder to make one copy of media and manual) is part no. 
15F1655; EE, 15F7201.

------------------------------

(11)	What hardware do I need to run IBM OS/2 1.3 SE?

You need a PC, PC compatible, or PS/2 with at least an 80286 CPU, 2 MB 
or more of RAM (configured as 640K base plus the remainder as extended 
memory), a 20 MB or larger hard disk, a supported video adapter (CGA, 
EGA, VGA, MCGA, 8514/A, XGA, or third party driver) with appropriate 
display, and a high density 3.5 or 5.25 inch floppy drive for 
installation.  A mouse is recommended.

PM will not operate with the Monochrome Display Adapter or the Hercules 
Monochrome Graphics Adapter.  Usually PM will fail to work with 
monochrome EGA.  However, some EGA adapters (e.g. Paradise Monochrome 
EGA Card, ATI EGA Wonder) will emulate all color EGA modes on TTL 
monochrome monitors and, thus, will work with PM.  "Autoswitching" on 
non-IBM EGA adapters and "shadow RAM" should be disabled (usually with a 
DIP switch or jumper setting).

On ISA bus machines, OS/2 supports 16-bit hard drive adapters which 
conform to the Western Digital chipset interface standard (i.e. nearly 
all MFM, RLL, IDE, and ESDI adapters).  An adapter capable of sector 
remapping should be used (and enabled) with hard drives larger than 1024 
cylinders.  (The 1024 cylinder limit is a BIOS constraint.)

IBM OS/2 1.3 is directly compatible with IBM's Microchannel SCSI 
adapters and attached devices.  Question 15 discusses third party SCSI 
compatibility, including CD-ROM issues.  Irwin (tel. 800-348-6242) 
manufactures OS/2 compatible tape backup systems.  [More tape backup 
systems and Bernoulli information?]

Supported printers include the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet family; IBM 
ExecJets, Proprinters, Quickwriters, Quietwriters, Pageprinters, and 
Laserprinters; Epson dot matrix printers; Postscript devices; and other 
printers compatible with these families.  A variety of IBM and HP 
plotters is also supported.  If difficulties are encountered in printing 
make sure the printer port generates interrupts and does not conflict 
with other installed devices.  Also make sure that a high quality, fully 
wired cable is used.  IBM PS/2 Models 90 and 95 must have their parallel 
printer ports set to compatibility mode using the setup disk.

IBM OS/2 1.3 runs on a wide array of clones with a wide variety of 
hardware.  However, compatibility cannot be assured with every non-IBM 
device.  Often problems can be fixed with a BIOS upgrade or an OS/2 CSD 
(see Question 34; for example, CSD 05016 for IBM OS/2 1.3 fixes a 
problem involving the loss of CMOS setup information on certain PC 
compatibles).  Version 2.0 will, however, be officially tested and 
supported on a wide variety of non-IBM equipment, including machines 
manufactured by Acer, ALR, Apricot, Arche, AST, AT&T, Blackship, Club 
American, Compaq, CompuAdd, CSS Labs, DEC, Dell, Dolch, Epson, Everex, 
Hertz, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Logix, Memorex, NCR, NEC, Netframe, 
Northgate, Olivetti, Panasonic, Parallan, Reply, Siemens, Tandon, 
Tandy/Grid, Tatung, Tricord, Toshiba, Twinhead, and Wyse.  The number of 
supported peripherals and displays will also increase substantially.

------------------------------

(12)	What applications are available for OS/2 1.x?

They number in the low thousands at present and include applications 
from almost every category imaginable.  Some are character based 
applications; some are PM based.

DOS applications with OS/2 counterparts include Lotus 1-2-3 (both 
character and PM), Freelance, Microsoft Word (both character and PM), 
Excel, Multiplan, Aldus Pagemaker, Ventura Publisher, Corel Draw, 
WordPerfect, DisplayWrite, AutoCAD, Oracle, RBase, PC SAS, SPSS, 
HyperAccess/5, DynaComm, Pro-YAM, Borland Sidekick, Paradox, Wingz, 
Brief, QEdit, and many others.  In some cases DOS and OS/2 versions ship 
together (e.g. Microsoft Word 5.5, Lotus 1-2-3 3.0, Wingz).  Utilities 
include PKZIP/UNZIP, SEA's ARC, LHA, Zoo 2.1, GNU tools, tens of 
different file finders, desktop clocks, calculators, and many more.  
Programming languages include Assembler, C++, COBOL, Pascal, C, Fortran, 
BASIC, REXX, Smalltalk, Modula-2, and still more.

The IBM NSC BBS (tel. 404-835-6600) provides an online product database 
of hardware and software compatible with OS/2.  A directory of OS/2 
applications, IBM document number G362-0029-00, is published by Graphics 
Plus, tel. 800-READ-OS2.

------------------------------

(13)	Where can I obtain OS/2 freeware and shareware?

Many BBSes hold large OS/2 libraries.  Fernwood (tel. 203-483-0348) has 
over 50 MB worth.  The OS/2 Shareware BBS (tel. 703-385-0931) and the 
Windows & OS/2 Magazine BBS (tel. 805-684-0589, fee req.) carry still 
more.  The IBM NSC BBS has some shareware/freeware as well, along with 
CSDs (see Question 34) and the PS/2 Assistant (an invaluable resource 
for locating almost any sort of information on OS/2).  The Usenet 
conference comp.binaries.os2 carries OS/2 software.  And several sites 
are available via anonymous ftp.  (No ftp?  Send a single line message 
with the word HELP to bitftp@pucc.bitnet to learn about Princeton's ftp 
mail server.)  They include (with Internet node numbers and 
subdirectories):

mtsg.ubc.ca                137.82.27.1        os2:
luga.latrobe.edu.au        131.172.2.2        pub/os2
msdos.archive.umich.edu    141.211.164.153    msdos/os2
funic.funet.fi             128.214.6.100      pub/os2
novell.com                 130.57.4.1         os2

The last site should not be accessed weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 
p.m. Pacific Time.

Other sources include CompuServe ("GO IBMOS2") and the Bitnet/EARN site 
BLEKUL11 (send a single line message with the word HELP to 
LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET for more information).

------------------------------

(14)	My Logitech mouse doesn't seem to be working with OS/2.  What's
	wrong?

The Logitech Series 7 and 9 serial mice work with the Mouse Systems PC 
Mouse driver; all other Logitech serial mice, the Microsoft Serial Mouse 
driver; bus mice, the Microsoft Bus Mouse (199) driver; PS/2 mice, the 
IBM PS/2 Mouse driver.

Conflicts can arise with OS/2 and native DOS/Windows.  The complete 
Logitech technical bulletin on OS/2, from which the above information 
was obtained, is required reading for users experiencing problems.  It 
is available from the Logitech Support BBS, tel. 415-795-0408.

------------------------------

(15)	Is there a driver available for my SCSI adapter?

SCSI support has improved dramatically in the past few months.  Users 
should make sure, however, that driver support extends to multiple SCSI 
devices, including CD-ROM, tape backup, and both primary (bootable) and 
secondary (nonbootable) hard disk drives in both FAT and HPFS 
configurations.  Such extensive support is still rare.

Columbia Data Products (tel. 407-869-6700, BBS tel. 407-862-4724) 
supplies or plans to supply OS/2 1.3 device drivers for numerous third 
party SCSI adapters, including some of the products mentioned below.  
Support may be limited to a choice of one primary SCSI hard disk drive, 
or one or more secondary SCSI hard disk drives.

Adaptec (tel. 408-945-2550, BBS tel. 408-945-7727) provides OS/2 1.x 
support for FAT hard disk drives attached to its line of ISA SCSI 
adapters.  Always Technologies makes an OS/2 1.x driver available on its 
BBS (tel. 818-597-0275) for its IN-2000 ISA SCSI adapter.  At present 
the driver supports secondary hard disk drives only.  Bustek (tel. 408-
259-6237) has OS/2 1.x and 2.0 (beta) drivers for both FAT and HPFS hard 
disk drives attached to its BT-742A EISA SCSI adapter.  CE Infosys (tel. 
703-435-3800) has OS/2 1.x support largely in place for its Microchannel 
and ISA SCSI adapters and is committed to future enhancements.  DTC/Qume 
(tel. 408-262-7700, BBS tel. 408-942-4197) supports OS/2 1.x on its 3280 
ISA SCSI adapter.  Both FAT and HPFS hard disk drives are supported, but 
secondary drives cannot coexist with a primary drive.  Future Domain 
(tel. 714-253-0400) provides an OS/2 1.x driver with its MCS-700 
Microchannel SCSI adapter that supports up to six FAT or HPFS hard disk 
drives.  Hard disk drive support is also available for its 1660 and 1670 
ISA SCSI adapters.  Western Digital (tel. 714-863-0102, BBS tel. 714-
753-1234) offers OS/2 1.3 driver support with its 7000 FAAST ISA SCSI 
adapter for both FAT and HPFS hard disk drives.  Seagate (BBS tel. 408-
438-8771) has chosen not to supply an OS/2 driver for its ST-01/02 ISA 
SCSI adapters.

Corel Systems (publisher of Corel Draw, tel. 613-728-8200) supplies OS/2 
compatible CD-ROM (and rewritable) systems.

IBM OS/2 2.0 should include direct support for many third party SCSI 
adapters and devices.

------------------------------

(16)	How about a high resolution driver for my video adapter?

In many cases an up-to-date OS/2 driver is available.  If not, a driver 
for an older version of OS/2 may work.  If all else fails, standard VGA 
must suffice.

Drivers are available directly from the manufacturer of the video 
adapter or, in many cases, through the shareware/freeware sources listed 
above.  Orchid (based on Tseng Labs chips) and Trident (among others) 
have released high resolution drivers for OS/2 1.3; ATI has not.  Most 
OS/2 2.0 features will be available using an OS/2 1.3 display driver.  
DOS and Windows programs running under OS/2 2.0 will work with their own 
device drivers as well as with any OS/2-supported device.

------------------------------

(17)	How about a driver for my printer?

If your printer is not compatible with one of the drivers supplied with 
OS/2, check with the printer manufacturer first then with the IBM NSC 
BBS.  For example, a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet III driver for IBM OS/2 
1.3 is now available on the NSC BBS.  If you own an IBM printer, check 
with the Lexmark BBS (tel. 606-232-5653).

Non-PM applications may supply their own printer drivers, and text only 
output is always an option.

------------------------------

(18)	How do I access HPFS partitions on my hard drive without booting
	from the hard drive?  I've done something (like changing
	CONFIG.SYS) that doesn't let me boot OS/2.

With IBM's OS/2, insert the Installation Diskette in Drive A and reboot.  
When the logo appears on screen, press ESC.  You will be given an OS/2 
command line prompt.

Make sure you backup CONFIG.SYS before making any changes so that you 
can easily revert to the old version should things go wrong.

Incidently, you may use this method to run CHKDSK on your OS/2 boot 
partition.  After obtaining the OS/2 command line prompt, remove the 
Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.  Type CHKDSK C: /F to 
repair damage to the boot partition.

------------------------------

(19)	I can't install OS/2 from Drive B.  What's wrong?

IBM OS/2 can only be installed from Drive A.  If you have the wrong disk 
size go back to your dealer and obtain the correct media.  Otherwise you 
could go inside your machine and swap floppy drive cable connectors, use 
your system's setup utility to set the new CMOS parameters, and then 
install OS/2 from the new Drive A.  Sometimes the floppy drive cable 
connectors will not be the same.  If so you can use the DOS program 
FDFORMAT (available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil, 
directory pd1:<msdos.dskutl>) to create 1.44 MB (80 tracks, 18 sectors 
per track) 5.25 inch disks.  As before, reset your CMOS parameters to 
fool your machine into thinking the 5.25 inch drive is actually a high 
density 3.5 inch drive, DISKCOPY the diskettes, and install.

IBM is working to make the install process friendlier in future releases 
of OS/2.

------------------------------

(20)	Is there a Norton Utilities for OS/2?

Not yet.  But the GammaTech Utilities should fill the role with UnDelete 
and other programs.  Contact their publisher at tel. 405-359-1219.

------------------------------

(21)	Sometimes Presentation Manager will freeze when I run an
	application, and I have to reboot.  What's wrong?

Often the problem can be traced to the DOS box.  If at all possible, 
upgrade to true OS/2 applications.  OS/2 1.x provides far more 
protection in native mode.

PM has some protection of its own.  It can trap applications that do not 
respond to input, but you have to give it a chance.  Press CTRL-ESC (to 
attempt to bring up the Task Manager), then wait up to a full minute 
before rebooting (without moving the mouse or pressing any other keys); 
a dialog box may appear with further instructions.

------------------------------

(22)	My dealer doesn't know OS/2 from Unix.  How can I get answers to
	my OS/2 questions?

If your question is not answered in this FAQ List, post a note to the 
appropriate Usenet conference: comp.os.os2.apps carries discussions 
related to finding or using any OS/2 application, comp.os.os2.programmer 
addresses anything related to OS/2 programming, and comp.os.os2.misc is 
for any other OS/2-related discussion.  These groups are watched closely 
by IBM's OS/2 development team.  BLEKUL11 (on Bitnet/EARN) distributes 
its own OS/2 conference by mail; send a single line message with the 
word HELP to LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET for full instructions.

Your local FidoNet BBS may carry the OS/2 echo conference.  If not, ask 
your system operator to get ahold of it.  CompuServe ("GO IBMOS2") is 
also an excellent source of information.

The IBM NSC BBS was established as a support forum.  That BBS's message 
areas, product database, and PS/2 Assistant file(s) are invaluable 
resources.  And the company has launched an OS/2 hotline (tel. 800-342-
6672) for user inquiries and orders.  (Ask about the OS/2 T-shirts and 
videocassettes.)

OS/2 has its own magazine as well.  To subscribe to IBM Personal Systems 
Developer, a quarterly publication, telephone 407-982-1105.

------------------------------

(23)	How can I get ahold of the beta release of OS/2 2.0?

Members of the Early Experience Program and certified developers can 
receive OS/2 2.0 beta.  Details on program enrollment are available 
through both the IBM NSC BBS and the Hotline.  Residents outside North 
America should contact local IBM branches for specific information on 
availability of OS/2 2.0 beta.  The IBM NSC BBS may, in the future, stop 
taking orders for OS/2 2.0 beta.

------------------------------

(24)	Why should I use HPFS?  What does it offer me?  Does it work with
	DOS?

HPFS offers long file names (greatly exceeding the "8 dot 3" limit in 
FAT/DOS file systems) and speedier disk operation, particularly on large 
hard disks.  HPFS is not case sensitive, although it does preserve case 
in file names.

However, HPFS is not currently supported on removable media, although 
some programs (e.g. BACKUP) preserve long file names on such FAT disks.  
Also, native mode DOS cannot access a HPFS partition.  However, the DOS 
compatibility box "sees" all files that conform to the "8 dot 3" naming 
conventions, even if they are stored on HPFS volumes.

------------------------------

(25)	I'm a Unix wizard.  How do I make OS/2 resemble Unix?

A great number of GNU and other standard Unix utilities have been ported 
to OS/2 native mode and are available from the shareware/freeware 
sources listed above.  A uucp package, UUPC/Extended, is available via 
anonymous ftp from sun.soe.clarkson.edu, directory pub/uupc; netmail 
help@kew.com with questions.

In addition, the Hamilton C Shell is available from Hamilton Labs, tel. 
508-358-5715 or netmail 3890321@mcimail.com.  The Thompson Toolkit, a 
Bourne-like shell, is published by Thompson Automation, tel. 206-224-
1639.  Thompson offers a version of awk as well.  MKS (tel. 519-884-2251 
or netmail pat@mks.com) publishes a number of standard Unix utilities 
for OS/2.  TCP/IP support is available from IBM (and no longer requires 
EE) or FTP Software (send netmail to info@ftp.com).  [BSD shell?]

------------------------------

(26)	I would like to set up an OS/2 BBS.  What is available?

Many packages are available from the shareware/freeware sources listed 
above.  OS/2 is an excellent environment for BBS operation, including 
large multiline facilities.  Related software will enable FidoNet 
capabilities, gateways to Usenet/UUCP, nodelist processing, additional 
file transfer protocols, and more.

Four popular OS/2 BBSes are Maximus and Simplex (available from 
shareware/freeware sources), Omega Point/2 (BBS tel. 404-564-1961), and 
Multi-Net (tel. 503-883-8099, BBS tel. 503-883-8197).

------------------------------

(27)	The printed and online manuals do not document REXX in any detail.  
	Where can I obtain more information?

IBM publishes two separate manuals:

"IBM Operating System/2 Procedures Language 2/REXX User's Guide," Part 
No. 01F0272, Document No. S01F-0272; and

"IBM Operating System/2 Procedures Language 2/REXX Reference," Part No. 
01F0271, Document No. S01F-0271.

An alternative is "The REXX Language: A Practical Guide to Programming 
(2nd Ed.)" by Mike Cowlishaw, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-780651-5.

In addition, there are at least two different versions of REXX online 
references available from one or more of the shareware/freeware sources 
listed above.

------------------------------

(28)	Doesn't OS/2 have applets like Windows?  I miss Solitaire.

All the Windows applets have been ported to OS/2.  The package is called 
Windows Libraries for OS/2 (WLO) Version 1.0.  They should be available 
from CompuServe and from some of the shareware/freeware sites listed 
above.  IBM OS/2 2.0 will ship with several applets.

------------------------------

(29)	How do I redirect printer output to a file?

The Postscript printer driver has a built-in option for printing to a 
file.  Navigate through the PM Print Manager configuration options to 
access this feature.

For all other drivers, first hold (pause) the Print Manager queue then 
print from the application.  The output file will be located below the 
SPOOL subdirectory.  COPY the file elsewhere then cancel the job from 
the Print Manager.

(These methods assume the IBM Print Manager (spooler) is installed and 
active.)

------------------------------

(30)	Can I use COM3 and COM4 in OS/2?

IBM OS/2 1.x ships with a driver that supports COM3 on Microchannel 
PS/2s only.  However, the Fernwood BBS (and perhaps other sites) carries 
a replacement driver which supports COM3 and/or COM4 on ISA bus 
machines.  This driver also supports speeds greater than 19,200 bits per 
second.  Ports must not share interrupts on ISA bus machines, however.  
Fernwood also carries files that describe patches to the stock 
communications driver to enable certain features.

"Smart" (coprocessor controlled) multiport communication adapters should 
be used when installing more than four ports.  Such an adapter will work 
with OS/2 if the manufacturer has written an appropriate driver.  
Examples include IBM's own ARTIC products.

------------------------------

(31)	On my 1024x768 high resolution display I get obnoxiously large
	icons (64x64).  How do I make them smaller?

Patch the display driver file, DISPLAY.DLL, using a program like DOS's 
DEBUG.  Search for the byte sequence 40 00 40 00 20 00 20 00 
(hexadecimal) (sometimes the sequence is 28 00 28 00 20 00 20 00) and 
change it to 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00.

------------------------------

(32)	How do I start a background process from the OS/2 command line?

Look up the START and DETACH commands in the online reference.

------------------------------

(33)	How do I start a DOS application from a PM icon?

In IBM OS/2 1.3 DOS applications can be started from a PM program group 
icon just like native OS/2 and PM programs (assuming the OS/2 CONFIG.SYS 
file contains the lines DEVICE=...\DOS.SYS and PROTECTONLY=NO).

From the PM desktop go to a program group and select New.  Enter the DOS 
program's title (e.g. "Lotus 1-2-3"), the path to the program (to an 
EXE, COM, or BAT file, e.g. "C:\Lotus\Lotus.Exe"), and any optional 
parameters like command line options and/or the DOS application's 
working directory (e.g. "C:\Lotus").  Select the Add button, and PM will 
create a DOS icon with that application's name in the program group.  
These parameters may be altered by highlighting the icon and selecting 
Properties.  Double clicking on that application's icon will cause OS/2 
to switch to the DOS compatibility box and start the application.

------------------------------

(34)	What are CSDs, how do I tell which I have, and where do I get
	them?

CSDs are Corrective Service Diskettes, or bug fixes, periodically issued 
by IBM.  The OS/2 CSD level number may be obtained using the command 
SYSLEVEL from the OS/2 command line prompt.  CSDs are cumulative, i.e. 
only the most recent CSD is required to bring a system up from any 
previous CSD level.  However, CSDs only apply within a major version 
number.  For example, a full upgrade, not a CSD, would bring OS/2 
Version 1.2 up to Version 1.3.  Note also that SE CSDs are not the same 
as EE CSDs.

CSDs may be ordered by anyone with an IBM customer number (usually large 
sites) directly from IBM (tel. 800-237-5511).  OS/2 users without 
customer numbers should ask an authorized IBM dealer to order the CSD.  
Many dealers do not know about this program, so be persistent.  CSDs may 
also be downloaded from the IBM NSC BBS or CompuServe ("GO IBMOS2").

------------------------------

(35)	How do I add the Paste option to the system menus of windowed,
	non-PM applications?

In OS/2 1.3, start a windowed text mode application (e.g. the OS/2 
Window command line).  Bring up the system menu with SHIFT-ESC.  Use the 
down arrow key (not the mouse) to highlight Mark.  Press SHIFT-ENTER.  
Paste will then appear in system menus.

-- 
Timothy F. Sipples				     sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu
(Keeper of the OS/2 FAQ List, avail. via anonymous   Department of Economics
ftp from 130.57.4.1, directory "os2/faq")            Univ. of Chicago  60637