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September 2003

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August 14

New beta 0.9.3 of win32prn

Hello.
New 0.9.3 beta of the Win32Prn project is available at the downloads page of the project official page at http://www.gtech-ua.com/vit/en/win32prn.jsp
(russian version at
http://www.gtech-ua.com/vit/ru/win32prn.jsp)

List of changes:

0.9.3a Fri 15/08/2003
! Fixed creating empty spool files from release version
! Fixed problems printing from Mozilla
+ Added banding support for Windows drivers that requires it
+ Added EngCheckAbort and EngEraseSurface functions

Bye,
Vit


August 14

Open Watcom 1.1 RC1 available

Windows and OS/2 installers as well as ZIP files are available on the Open Watcom FTP server ftp://ftp.openwatcom.org/watcom/

Please do not spread the URLs too much because our bandwidth is limited. Once we go 'gold', mirrors will be used.

Note that most of the files are relatively old and there have been no significant changes since 1.1 beta. This is to be considered as an update to 1.0 with some missing files added and minor fixes.

Once I hear that 1.1 is good to go, I will build and upload 1.2 beta, which will include many more bugfixes as well as documentation updates.

Here is a quick list of changes in 1.1, probably incomplete:

- Using the -ol option (loop optimization) sometimes resulted in generation of incorrect code.
- The printf() function could access too much data when formatting strings, causing page faults.
- NANs, INFs and denormals were not handled correctly by the math emulation library.
- The assembler did not generate implicit segment override prefixes when accessing data in code segment.
- The clock() function sometimes produced incorrect results on OS/2 if the TZ environment variable was set.
- The Open Watcom editor (vi/viw) has been changed to store temporary files in directory designated by the TMP environment variable, instead of using the TMPDIR environment variable.
- Many packaging problems (missing files) have been resolved.

I am hoping that the change to the editor to use TMP instead of TMPDIR will solve the issues with viw 'locking up' while starting.

Michal


August 14

Lightweight mail programs updated

Anyone who uses my set of lightweight mail programs (SMTP server/client, POP3 server/client) may be interested to know that they have been updated.

Others may wish to look at them anyway!

There are no major changes, but of interest perhaps:

1) Logging can now be done via SYSLOG instead of to a file. This removes the proble that some users were having with clashing logfile usage. It's also much more convenient in most cases, as you can control the names and sizes of the unified logfiles.

2) Various enhancements so that all of the programs conforma more closely to the latest versions of the relevant RFCS. Netscape users may pareticularly like to know that the POP3 server now supports UIDL, and the SMTP server supports EHLO.

See them at:

http://www.tavi.co.uk/os2pages/mail.html


August 14

Warp Community Update Workshop II/2003 - Call for Presentations

Dear Warp Community,

In response to the great feedback we received on our Workshop in February this year, we want to adapt the agenda to our business needs more closely.

Despite from the original announcement and based on some requests: The next Warp Community Update Workshop is scheduled 09-24-2003 to 09-26-2003, starting Sept, Wednesday 24th 1:00 pm and ending Friday 26th 1:00 pm.

Location is IBM Hannover, Room 216, Laatzener Straße 1, 30539 Hannover

-----------------------------------------
We still have a few slots for presentations.
So apply, if you have anything to say ;-)
-----------------------------------------

Please give us feedback about what you want to see at the workshop, or better, what you want to show to the Community. If there is any product, whether from IBM or not, that might be interesting for forthcoming OS/2 related projects, please let us know.

Tendative Agenda:

Wednesday, 24.09.2003
13:00-14:00 Oliver Mark, IBM Germany Opening Session; Updates on OS/2
14:30-15:30 NN, Microsoft VirtualServer & OS/2
16:00-17:00 Wolfgang Falz, Xnet Communications GmbHNetOp Remote Control
Updates Thursday, 25.09.2003
09:00-10:00 Leif Bräuer, 6pac Consulting 6Pac Tool Suite
10:30-11:30 Oliver Mark, IBM Germany OS/2 and Linux
11:30-12:30 Leif Bräuer, 6pac Consulting Virtualizing on Linux
12:30-13:30 Lunch break
13:30-14:30 Achim Hasenmüller, Innotek Java 1.4x on OS/2
14:30-15:30 Achim Hasenmüller, Innotek Innotek OS/2 Products & Services
16:00-17:00 NN, NN NN
Friday, 26.09.2003
09:00-10:00 Lab, VirtualServer, Java 1.4, 6Pac Tools
10:30-12:00 Lab
12:00-13:00 Lunch break
13:00-14:00 Wrap up

As always, the workshop itself will be at no charge, all attendants will bear their travel expenses. To apply for the workshop, sent a email to emeawarp@de.ibm.com with your Company Name and your Name. You will then get a reply with confirmation.


August 14

Request for feedback on new version of NetOp

Dear all,

NetOp /Danware has approached us, stating that they consider to create / release a new version of their NetOp RemoteControl product on OS/2. Currently they are looking for feedback from the community. If you use their product and miss a feature or functionality OR if you not yet use it and consider a product, review their product and ask for things missing.

Please provide feedback and send any additional questions to Wolfgang Falz at wfalz@xdsnet.de


August 14

Warm, fuzzy feelings - OS/2, eComStation mentioned on the Register

Blaster rewrites Windows worm rules.

It leaves a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling to see eCS & OS/2 mentioned.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/56/32327.html

Cheers
Ian Manners
http://www.os2site.com/


August 14

Warpstock Early Registration Ending Soon!!

Signed up for Warpstock yet? Why not? Early Registration is ending on September 5th, 2003.

The speakers are starting to line up and already it is looking like a richly diverse crowd.

We have Oliver Mark of IBM giving presentations on IBM's hardware with official OS/2 support and IBM's current thinking concerning Server Based Computing.

We have Lewis G Rosenthal speaking on Wireless and OS/2 as well as Novell Networking with OS/2.

Because OS/2 people tend to "tinker", Jan van Wijk and DFSee remain a "must see" for OS/2'ers everywhere.

Chip Davis will be presenting "Rexx PARSE - Exposed!"

And yet there is more. Others are already finalizing their plans as well. Check the Warpstock web site at http://www.warpstock.org for the latest.

But for some, it may be time to become a PRESENTER yourself! Imagine the glory, the fame and adoring legions chanting YOUR name! If you have ideas just waiting to get out into a public forum, email me or use the handy speaker submission form at http://www.warpstock.org/2003/presentations/speaker_form.html.

The 2003 Warpstock Team looks forward to seeing you there!

Robert Kuropkat
Warpstock 2003 Speaker Coordinator
robert-kuropkat@comcast.net


August 13

UniAud project is online

Purpose
The goal of the UniAud project is creation of universal audio driver based on ALSA project. Authors NOT undertake to add new cards that are lacking to support in ALSA project, but as far as possible is going to refresh UniAud with latest ALSA sources. Bugfixes for hardware specific code will do correspond with ALSA fixes. Also, it's possible some nuances, but in most cases we are going to do in this way. Authors plane to create new and unique API for enable to use all resources and features of modern audio cards. It's API will use neither DART no other exists OS/2's audio subsystems.

Project Status
The UniAud is currently undergoing development, but in the interim you can download the beta versions. All of the work on this project is done in spare time and is distributed under GNU licensing guidelines. If you know of some new features that you'd like to see implemented, or even if you'd just like to do something nice for the authors, you can always make a financial contribution! To find out how you can help the UniAud Team, please mail us at ua2@os2.kiev.ua.
Also you can make your donation to UniAud on BMT Micro site.

Current Features

* PCI sound cards support (see. soundcards page)
* Digital Controllers support (for AC'97 codec)
* AC'97 codecs support
* auto detect of installed audio card

http://os2.kiev.ua/en/uniaud.php


August 13

Lexmark E322 OS/2-supported laser printer

In case anybody's interested, Lexmark Canada has recently cut the MSRP on the E322 laser printer by nearly a third.

It _was_ about CDN $650; now it's CDN $462.50 (around USD $330).

http://www.lexmark.com/Canada/printers/laser/E322/index.html
This is the successor product to the E312 (which was reviewed as a good OS/2 mono laser in VOICE a few years ago http://www .os2voice.org/VNL/past_issues/VNL0900H/vnewsf2.htm).

The noteworthy thing about this printer is that it's PostScript capable. (Supported languages are PCL6 and PostScript level 2). It's very unusual to find a PostScript printer in this price range.

Since the printer supports both PCL6 and PostScript, there is a choice of two OS/2 drivers. Both may be downloaded from the Lexmark Canada website. There is a modified IBMPCL5 driver supporting this printer as a PCL printer. There is also the latest PSCRIPT.DRV (also available from the IBM DDPak) which supports it as a PostScript printer.
I found a supply at this online retailer: http://www.directdial.com/ca/shop/item/prod.asp?item_num=08A0200 selling for @ CDN $416 (just under USD $300). Interestingly, although the retailer has both US and Cdn sites, only the Canadian side seems to carry this item.

Anyway, I bought one and it arrived yesterday. So far, it seems good. I'm using the latest PSCRIPT.DRV and the printer works under both Warp Server Advanced (which is serving it) and eCS 1.1.

The only issue I see is that the 'manual duplex' option (i.e. the feature where you print one side of each page, then feed the paper in backwards and print the other sides) doesn't seem to be supported by the OS/2 driver. At least, I haven't found a way to support it.

I've only printed a few sheets so far but the quality seems good. The printer is spec'd at 16 PPM and definitely seems fast (although the warm-up time takes several moments if nothing has been printed in about 5 minutes).

The package included a power cable, several CDs which I haven't explored at length, a special 'prebate' toner cartridge, and the manuals. It does not include a parallel printer cable.

I suspect Lexmark cut the price on this printer because they're about to discontinue the model (probably in favour of the E323). I notice the Lexmark US site already lists it as unavailable, although the price was never reduced. I can only assume the Canadian company has a surplus they need to sell off.

In any case, anyone who's looking for a decent mono laser printer with OS/2 support might want to consider it.

(DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with Lexmark or DirectDial in any way.)


August 13

eBayWatch Ver 1.09m

Hello All,
I have uploaded ver 1.09m to - http://www.eclipse.net/~knkrchnr

I believe this will take care of the remaining items broken during the last eBay changes. And some long time annoyances I'd not found before.

"eBayWatch/2 is an auction management tool for OS/2 users. It works solely with the eBay auction site. It is meant to aid the user in searching for, monitoring and bidding on auction items. eBayWatch/2 is copyright freeware.

Required -
1) partition with long filename support (hpfs/jfs)
2) rexxutil.dll and rxsock.dll in libpath
3) must start from its work directory, or a program object which sets the work directory "

From the readme -
- chg: Added URLfolder watchpoints to several eBay contact procedures
- fix: (?) Search/Refresh icons permanently disable after failed AutoRefresh
- chg: eBay bid pages changed for Dutch Auctions
- fix: "Delete" key now works to delete hilited items
- fix: During unattended operation, AutoRefresh may abort a bid in progress
- fix: AutoBid Status window settings not saved if window is hidden at close
- fix: Option "Located in" not saved for country "Any"
- fix: Seller with private feedback corrupts data file
- chg: Items removed from eBay now marked "[REMOVED]" in item title
- new: Added "View My Feedback page" to menu item "File"
- fix: Some items with "0" bids fail to import
- fix: eBay changes break some searches
- fix: Using "Auto check for updates" gives a false message of a new version
- fix: More confirmation pages now handled

As always, if you find anything strange or broken, please let me know.

Thanks,
Ken


August 12

web/2 update

I fixed an "image wont load under certain circumstances" bug in web/2, grab a copy @ http://dink.org/web2/web2msgbase.html?read=D1R7Y2D1B6

(apply update to web/2 1.3x beta4 only!)

best regards,
- dink (http://dink.org)

Web/2 is a small, fast and easy to set up web server for OS/2. See:
http://dink.org/web2/


August 10

Smalltalk for OS/2 - Good News

Good News Folks...

I found the following while reading the IBM VA Smalltalk newsgroup:


I'm only going to pop in here for a minute to remind (or tell for the first time) the readers of this newsgroup that a non-commercial version of VisualAge Smalltalk V6.0.1 is available for download from our website http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/smalltalk. This is a functionally complete package with the latest service included. And, most importantly, unlike versions of VisualAge Smalltalk prior to V6.0, it will not expire -- use it forever if you like.

John O'Keefe
IBM Smalltalk Group


Don't go to the "Trial and betas" on the left of the screen. Look under "Highlights", and select "Download the V6.0.1 fix pack". You need to register if you haven't already.

Download and enjoy!!!


August 10

WordWrap 1.41 released

After nearly 2 years, Don Eitner has upgraded his WordWrap utility to version 1.41 (after realizing that he forgot to include an important DLL file in version 1.4 yesterday).

WordWrap cleans up text files either as single-line paragraphs or word wrapped to a specified margin. Outputs to plain text or basic HTML. Also can output to DOS, UNIX or Macintosh end-of-line formats.

Changes since version 1.31
* Now includes a PM front-end (WordWrap PM)
* Major code re-write for "better programming practices".
* Included drusrctl.dll by Chris Wohlgemuth which is needed by the PM front-end.

WordWrap and WordWrap PM should be usable on any eComStation or OS/2 2.x+ system which has the standard Rexx and PM support installed. If the user receives any errors about drusrctl.dll or is unable to see tooltip/bubblehelp when using WordWrap PM then move the drusrctl.dll file to a directory in your system's LIBPATH (such as c:\os2\dll for example).

WordWrap 1.4 can be downloaded from:
http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/

or from:
http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/



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