Generic video mode enabler

2011-04-05 23:48:44 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [Jan Lambert, http://news.ecomstation.nl/article.php?id=10652&group=ecomstation.support.hardware#10652]

Jan Lambert writes: i am attempting to build a generic installable video mode enabler. Robert Lalla has been doing yeoman service developing the technology and supporting Intel and AMD/ATI, however this leaves nVidia and several other options off the table.

The basic concept is working, but to increase the probability of success out of the box, and minimize the tester's time, i need some sample data. To get this, i would like users with DOS or OS2DOS running on thier machines to download a small batch command which uses debug to obtain VESA information. Instructions are in the readme.txt.

Look for Vesa Probe link at http://www.rattlebrain.com/~jlambert/pg0.htm

email: jlambert at rattlebrain dot com

Poll: Mobile eComStation users

2011-04-05 22:32:58 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

New poll on ecomstation.ru site: Are you mobile eComStation user? (* mobile - user with notebook). The goal of the poll - check that support of notebooks is important.

Look at all your eComStation computers. Please calculate how many (%) notebooks do you have?

X% = (eCS_Notebooks * 100) / Total_eCS_computers

• 0% - no notebooks
• 1%-19% - I have a notebook, but prefer desktops/servers/barebones
• 20%-39%
• 40%-59% - half of computers are notebooks
• 60%-79% -
• 80%-99% - I am mobile
• 100% - notebooks only

(Don't forget input anti-spam 6-digits CODE: below the list of answers on the page of voting)

eCo Labs - new offerings

2011-04-05 16:02:44 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

New tasks for standalone developers

eCo Software can't find developers in Ukraine and Russia, we are going pass the tasks to european developers.

Here is the list

New projects in the pipeline:

• create remake of Impos/2 -- graphics editor with plug-ins
• eCo Market widget for eCenter - to show the qty of updated apps and call eCo Market -- to accelerate eCo Market cycle.
• DPMS support for Panorama VESA -- power consumption is a hot topic
• Template of application: 2D Toolbar + FOC (merge eToolkit components) -- so the developers can develop more native apps

You can sponsor the development of this modules and applications.

eComStation 2.0 russian version

2011-04-03 17:32:59 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eComStation 2.0 russian may be released in April of 2011.

A) We are searching for users interested join testing of eCS/Rus 2.0 (among eCS/Rus 1.2.5 users)

• Send us your contact information via web-form
• How many computers are you going to use? Models of computers and date of manufacturing: 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011.
• Scenario of installation: Windows hard drive, upgrade of previous eCS, inside virtual machine, ..

B) What applications do you recommend to mention (add links to..) on CD1, CD2? The area of PC usage is changing every year, what are your current requirements?

C) Are you going post the results of testing to other sites? or discuss eCS 2.0 on IT forums?

D) It's important to test special software (industrial solutions) and non-standard hardware.

E) Moreover, we ask the users translate some applications here is the list; write some REXX scripts, write application reviews. So eCo Software team can concentrate on eCS/Rus 2.0 work.

Does Samba client work for you?

2011-03-30 12:17:39 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

We still can't understand, does Samba client work for eComStation users? Do you have troubles with connection and read/write access? Please post confirmation or add-ons.

Samba client bug-tracker

Update on Flash 10 from Mensys (2011/04)

2011-03-28 19:40:41 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/eComStation/message/85597]

Roderick Klein (Mensys) writes eComStation yahoo groups

A lot of stuff is happening for eCS, we are working on. Stuff that needs to be done to keep moving eCS forward!

As for Flash 10. Some people have commented the project got stranded duo to bad project management. I would like to point out why thats not the case. Its rather a technical problem...

Working on Flash 10 was not possible first of all because at the time Adobe had a very difficult license policy. Getting a distribution license is now very easy.

When the Flash 10 project was started it was a stab in the dark how long it would take. Simply because of the two following reasons.

• 1. Its certainly a benefit to have somebody that knows both Windows and OS/2 as an operating system. Vladest who also worked on UNIAUD audio driver started on the Flash 10.
• 2. ODIN code had not been worked at the time for over 4 years. The source code comes for a large deal from WINE. The Linux version of the ODIN project...

I can also say that Vladest at the time made a flying start in updating ODIN to support Flash 10. He worked real hard to get it to work. Thats where the estimate was made it would happen

But what was already slightly known with ODIN, its stability on SMP systems is lacking. Thats what about 4 to 6 months ago kept the delay of getting a version out the door from happening. At the time internal builds where switched to the API kernel in the kernel called "setthreadaffinity". It basicly tells the CPU to run all code on ONE cpu core.

With Flash 10 it was also observed it was much more stable on a single core CPU system. This was again confirmed by Gerrit Schoenmaker who also works at Mensys. The current build of Flash 10 works very well on his T42 (which has one CPU). He could use youtube for over half an hour without crashing.

Debugging Flash 10 is more complicated then Java 6 that is currently being worked on. Java 6 we have the source code of as well. The Flash 10 plugin is a binary from Adobe.

The solution with setthreadaffinity was not used anymore. What happened on my laptop is that my system would lock up solid with th setthreadaffinity call used. Hours have been spent using the so called kernel debugger. Steve Levine helped out a lot with this! The Kernel debugger is a special version of the kernel that, used over a serial cable, you can seem the assembly language that the CPU is processing (oke a bit of a simple description).

With the normal kernel (none debug version) my laptop would lock up solid. With the debug kernel if you just keep it run for 10 seconds after the moment the debugger kicks in the system will reboot. This is certainly not a daily scenario to happen. A lot has een tried to back trace why the kernel comes into this situation.

The defect is not related to UNIAUD, panorama, or ACPI. It seems to be a defect in the SMP kernel that the ODIN code can not be executed with tha API call setthreadaffinity. The hang also occurs with OS2ACPI.PSD loaded.

Currently there is still being worked on Java 6 and SMP support: http://svn.netlabs.org/java/ticket/44

Java 6 is near being completed, as far as I understand. The same code will then be used to get Flash 10 working better.

Installing eComStation 2.0

2011-03-28 19:00:43 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

New season is starting.. the users are installing eComStation on new computers. Here is the reminder for users installing eComStation 2.0:

• Known issues
• Bug-tracker: www.ecomstation.com -> Log In -> Access the Bugtracker (to report bugs) ->
• How to accelerate boot of eComStation? russian text, Please share your experience.
• Collection of frequently asked questions and answers: eCS FAQ

eComStation Artefacts

2011-03-24 18:54:58 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eComStation.TV site published new clip: eComStation Artefacts (2011/03)

(btw, the logos of eComStation and other artwork is published on the eComStation Attributes site; Here is the collection of eComStation / IBM OS/2 Warp artefacts - forum)

P.S. Do you use eCo Software applications? Please vote: I like eCo Software

eCo Labs is searching for developers

2011-03-13 22:32:39 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eCo Software developers can't make all tasks. We are interested share tasks with other developers.

• You can work on modules for eCo Market (banner window, UnZip dialog, ..)
• Continue research of TouchPM interface
• Continue the development of Dive video sub-system, etc

Are you going develop shareware programs?

2011-03-10 23:00:48 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Some ideas what programs you can develop for Warpstock Europe 2011.

1. Grab video from desktop

The developers are interested to make movie about own program, the users want record movies to demonstrate to support service.

Price: 10 $

2. Editor of sketches

eCo Film PM control + editor of pictures. Useful for children, designers.

Price: 3 .. 5$

3. eCS Clone utility

Some users need such tool.

Price: 3 .. 5$

4. Viewer of RAW files

Use FrImage as base, add call of dcraw.

Price: 10 .. 15$

5. Game

Small fun game. What is succesful game? If the games have spend > 25 hours to play the game.

Price: 10 $

6. Notepad

Keep the files in directories 20110325\*, texts, pictures, url. Simple viewer of texts and pictures

Price: 10 .. 15$

7. Editor of photos

You load 1 photo, the program shows matrix (cube) of photo: X - the photo with different brightness, Y - different contrast, Z - color. The user can select the photo from the matrix.

Price: 5 $

eCo Market: week of financial applications

2011-03-07 13:53:24 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

The next week is dedicated to financial applications: personal accounting, invoice generators, share (stock) quotation, etc. What apps do you recommend?

eCo Market is useful for resellers, support services and professional users. Look: Novice eCS users / Non-computer users (your grandmother/dauther) don't know where to find eCS software. The user can find all needed applications using eCo Market now. No need to dig the Internet, select and install with 1 click.

For users: How to support eCo Market?

For developers: Please simplify version numbering.

• Good examples: a) YYYYMMDD: 2010/03/25, b) 1.2.6
• Bad examples: c) Technology Preview 3, d) 1.2.86b

eComStation: spring news

2011-03-02 01:20:52 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Some messages:

1) For the users which don't know what is CC:, you received a email, always check the list of recipients. If the message was sent to the group then press Reply All button (reply to All).

2) There is a large IT site (habrahabr.ru) in the RU-net. We need an invitation to this site to mention eCS (in appropriate cases).

3) Network adapters. "I added other WiFi adapter to Thinkpad but it is not visible" Some useful links here

4) Services for eComStation users Collecting information about banks compatible with eComStation, Social networks, etc. Share information how to activate HTML5-видео (HTML5 WEBM) for youtube, vimeo, rutube и т.п.

5) For developers: Join the discussion of ODBC for eComStation

6) Do you have interest to compare JFS <> HPFS? JFS <> HPFS386 ? (bootable) + JFS <> FAT32, JFS <> NTFS? See Benchmarks

7) eCo Market: Searching for applications

• PDF tools
• How to chkdsk FAT32 partition?
• ..

Capabilities and restrictions of OpenGL for eComStation

2011-03-01 22:04:35 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

NatteFrost (developer from Ukraine) accumulated information about different versions of OpenGL for eComStation / IBM OS/2 Warp: OpenGL OS/2 Developer reference guide

Check other updates:

• The users are discussing OpenGL: in www.os2world.com forum
• One more OpenGL program is ported to eComStation: OGFVIEWER / MESHTOOL - crossplatform utilities toolkit for viewing, conversion 3d-models of gaming engines X-Ray (GSC S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series) and also MSH (Orion engine v1 MSH - Stalin Subway, Red Veil), Autodesk 3DStudio MAX 3DS. Used engines: IBM OpenGL 1.0/1.1 Gold, WarpMesaGL (planned).

Quickmotion released as Open Source

2011-02-26 20:33:51 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2voice.org]

Tom Harding has open sourced Quickmotion for OS/2 under the GNU GPL license.

The project is no longer supported or updated, but now the source code is available for any developer to coninue it and learn from the source code.

The source code is now available at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/qmos2/

You can surf the source code at: http://qmos2.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/qmos2/

"QuickMotion is a set of multimedia CODECS for OS/2-eCS that provides the ability to view Apples's QuickTime 1.0 format (files with the extension .MOV or .QT). It also has a QuickMotion VR viewer."

Current version of QuickMotion on other platforms: 7.6.9

eCo Software news (november, december, january)

2011-02-22 00:55:08 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [eCo Software, news]

eCo Software updated some applications and system components.

Varenye-backup

How to backup your data? Varenye backup is the best choice. Select the directories, start the procedure of backup. Incremental backup, data may be splitted on blocks 700 Mb, 4 Gb.

DVD/CD Toys

The development continues.. New utility: "Create and burn bootable CD" DVD Toys Homepage

FileOpen Container

File Open Container (Neo File Open Dialog) is ready for use. The testing for compatibility with old applications is completed. Bug-tracker of the project: http://trac.ecomstation.ru

NeoWPS widgets

Dutch developer Ben Rietbroek is updating USB Widget, current version is uploaded: to the site of widgets

Sunny icons

Large transparent icons, some are better than Windows7/MacOSX, Sunny icons homepage - Updated package. Fresh icons.

eCo Software runtime

Update the runtime in your system to get more stable system: Runtime homepage

ACPI

Collecting reports about work of ACPI in ACPI DB database

Do you have problems with Network (slow, no connection, ..), Audio (hangs, clicks, ..), USB (attached devices are not visible, slow work, etc)? Configuring ACPI driver for eComStation 2.0

Crypt your data

eCo Software recommends you NDCrypt plugin. http://ecomstation.ru/netdrive Attach crypted volume, save important data.

This site contains information about other NetDrive plug-ins.

New audio-codec

Do you have a mobile phone or communicator? Does it support AMR format (aimed to record the speech). Record your voice, copy *.amr files to eComStation, test new AMR codec (IO Proc). Listen to the records.

Support of AMR format

For developers

The toolkit is moved to new site: http://ecomstation.ru/toolkit

Warpstock Europe 2011

Warpstock Europe is coming.. eCo Software published 8 reports from the previous conference, eCo Software showed more than 14 presentations at the conferences. eCo Software is going participate in WSE2011.

Support service

eCSFAQ -- collection of useful information for users.

Additional information

• Welcome to eCo Software site
• eCo Software Runtimes
• BETAZONE -- How to download ACPI, Panorama, eSchemes?
• Previous eCo Software Newsletter

Where to store settings?

2011-02-21 15:08:55 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

How to separate user's data from applications? Where to store app settings? How to simplify migration from old OS to new version of OS? (and migrate apps settings)

The developers are discussing this topic in the forum http://forum.ecomstation.ru (Russian language)

It's clear that the developer ready to resolve the problem to become famous and popular among the users and developers.