The life of OS/2 can be prolonged till 2025

2019-12-14 00:43:50 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

One of the main barriers for OS/2 - support of UEFI. New computers (~ 2012) use UEFI interface instead of old BIOS. Currently major part of this computers support Legacy mode (emulation of old BIOS), but the manufacturing of such compatible computers will stop in 2020 and UEFI-only computers will flood the market. This will cut the chances of OS/2 for commercial usage and expansion because commercial solutions can be delivered with new computer only. OS/2 will support Used (preowned) computers only.

What forecast do you see for OS/2 if UEFI is implemented?

There was a report from Germany about current state of ArcaOS OS/2:

• new loader is integrated to the installer of ArcaOS (beta version)
• => so you can boot ArcaOS installer in UEFI mode
• On some computers you can create the volume and use OS/2. (computers which support UEFI with boot from MBR)
• other computers don't allow usage of MBR volumes and require GPT structure on the hard drive.
• Some drivers should be updated (video, ..)

The Colloquium of eCo Software engineers forecasts that you will be able to use OS/2 till 2025 year.

The forecast is effective if

• ArcaOS with support of USB 3.0 is released in 2020
• ArcaOS with partial support of UEFI is released in 2020
• if the problem of reduced memory is resolved. (you can use 2 Gb of RAM only of new computers)

OS/2 history

2019-12-12 01:12:52 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

What do you offer write to the history of OS/2 in 2019? http://os2.guru/history

You can value / highlight the events only after some monthes passed. What events, what releases and publications influenced on OS/2?

Warcraft2 doesn't work in OS/2

2019-12-11 19:02:07 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

Does Warcraft2 work on your PC? Warcraft2 download Do the troubles depend on version of OS/2?

PC A:
• Core 2 Duo, Intel mb
• ArcaOS 5.0.4
• Panorama
• Core 2 Duo / 3GB
• uconfig: Generic VGA / 256Kb / 8 bit / [ ]
• no warcraft2 patches installed
• no changes to DOS params. test 2: changed some params

=> crashes PC B: (home)

• i5 gen2 / ThinkCentre
• ArcaOS 5.0.3
• Panorama
• i5, Gen 2 / 4GB
• uconfig: Generic VGA / 256Kb / 8 bit / [ ]
• no changes to DOS params
• no warcraft2 patches installed

=> Warcraft 2 works

1) Seems that DOS/4GW is integrated to war2.exe

Write a review of OS/2

2019-12-11 16:57:10 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

OS2.GURU is interested publish installation of OS/2 on unique computer.

example: mini-itx с wifi (rus)

We expect that you show interesting computer:

• all-in-one computer with IPS screen
• Thinkpad X201 with IPS display
• new cheap laptop from a shop with UEFI
• Thinkpad W540 or other expensive
• Thinkpad T61 Frankenpad or Z61t
• mini-ITX с wifi motherboard
• industrial computer with mini-itx
• Acer 8930G 18"
• etc

The review seems finished if you describe how it will be used (review of installed applications)

eCo Software can reward some reviews. (virtual 5$, 10$, 15$ which you can spend to purchase our apps)

OS/2 2020: What application do you need?

2019-12-08 02:14:23 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

What application (utility) do you need in next few monthes (winter/spring)? (you can request 5 apps) What application will allow you automate some processes? and economize efforts / earn money?

Remember the history of eComStation in 2000 and 2001: It will be smart to order the development in Russia/Ukraine. The developers in this countries have high technical skills and will "work for food".

OS/2 and UEFI

2019-11-09 01:05:34 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

Modern OS/2 distribution ArcaOS adds support for booting via UEFI

Let's look at this video: Booting ArcaOS on UEFI hardware (demonstration) In May 2019 there was a message: Arca Noae progress report: ArcaOS on UEFI-only hardware

Arca Noae has posted a new item, 'Arca Noae progress report: ArcaOS on UEFI-only hardware'

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is gradually replacing the traditional system BIOS. The vast majority of PCs on the market are now based on UEFI technology, and a number of these include what is called a Compatibility Support Module (CSM). This CSM "layer" replaces the traditional BIOS and provides backward-compatibility support for booting operating systems [...]

You may view the latest post here: https://www.arcanoae.com/arca-noae-progress-report-arcaos-on-uefi-only-hardware/

We at Arca Noae would like to thank our development partners, bww bitwise works, GmbH and http://Netlabs.org for their continued contributions to the OS/2 platform. Monetary contributions to offset their operating costs may be made either through Arca Noae at https://www.arcanoae.com or bww bitwise works, GmbH at http://www.bitwiseworks.com.

This email was sent by Arca Noae, LLC, 7 Loudoun Street, SE, Suite 2B, Leesburg, Virginia, USA, 20175-3012. You received this email because you registered as a customer on our site. If you no longer wish to receive such messages, please reply to this email with the single line "UNSUBSCRIBE" and you will be unsubscribed from all future notifications.

Sunny icons: Computer

2019-09-04 10:18:03 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

You can see the icon of Computer after installation of Sunny icons:

What does it mean? The computer is showed as "green brain" (green substance) inside blue egg (because ArcaOS and eComStation have blue logos).

ArcaOS in Russia

2019-08-03 12:54:32 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

OS2.GURU goes translate ArcaOS 5.0.4 to russian language.

Device Manager for OS/2

2019-05-11 03:37:00 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

Homepage: http://os2.guru/devman

What do you think,

• How to improve Device Manager?
• Does it detect USB Audio adapters? Send us corrections
• What system information do you expect from DevMan?

Where to search for ArcaOS updates?

2019-05-04 14:36:52 -- eCo Software [os2.guru]

We are accumulating all information about OS update at this page: os2.guru/update

Here is the instruction how to update Firefox 38 до Firefox 45.

ArcaOS - includes modern Firefox

2019-04-29 12:45:47 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

One of the arguments why you should upgrade to ArcaOS, it contains firefox 38. and you can update it to firefox 45.

it's impossible start firefox 38 and 45 in previous versions of eCS, OS/2 Warp. (many people made efforts but failed because it's impossible select needed libraries).

The users ask about Firefox 38:

• Firefox 38: after ArcaOS installation you can use youtube and play videos. In several minutes / hours it stops playing. How to use youtube with Firefox 38?
• You can't print from Firefox. So you should generate pdf files (and print PDF from PDF viewer). Question: how to improve quality of the PDF files? increase dpi? by default you get 150 dpi and text documents have poor quality.
• Firefox 38 crashes often. How to increase stability?

OS/2 + AVITO

2019-03-25 01:10:31 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

How to enter into AVITO profile from OS/2? reCAPTCHA doesn't work with Firefox 38 so you can't login.

• Main secret - reCAPTCHA is not used for some Android devices
• change user agent to
  Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 7.0) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Focus/1.0 Chrome/59.0.3029.83 Mobile Safari/537.36
• remove cookies related to AVITO
• select Add item. so you can see simplified Login dialog. without reCAPTCHA
• now you are logged to the site
• change user agent to
  Mozilla/5.0 (OS/2; Warp 4.5; rv:45.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/45.0

Share your experience how to use other services and bank sites from OS/2.

OS/2 and Android interaction

2019-03-10 11:46:59 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [os2.guru]

How do you exchange data with Android smartphone? Interaction of OS/2 and Android.

Switch OS/2 to your national language

2019-02-08 13:20:47 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [eCo Software]

eCo Software released LIP package Basic, it translates objects on desktop to other languages.

Download: http://os2.guru/lip

Current version contains resources for: Czech / German / Spanish / Finnish / Italian / Japanese / Korean / Norwegian / Portuguese / Russian / Swedish.

Even if you run this basic switcher, many programs start talking your language because LIP package switches LANG variable. (applications which are using ECOLANGE library and other)

Development of LIP packages:

• New languages: you can translate desktop object names to your language,
• If you have translated a system utility or an application, we can distribute it with LIP package among other users talking your language.

The members of eCo Software are translating OS/2 system components and applications since 90-th. We are collaborating with european OS/2 translators.

Upgrade ArcaOS apps

2019-01-15 03:45:51 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [eCo Software]

Upgrade ArcaTool to Zippy,

Upgrade DVD Tools to DVD Toys
(btw, to use USB DVD Multi burner, install cdrtools from DVD Toys homepage)

eSchemes 2.01.00 are released

2019-01-13 19:38:05 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [eCo Software]

eCo Software released eSchemes WPS extender. It was fully re-written and debugged. eSchemes allows you apply schemes and change colors of windows, buttons and other graphical UI elements.

The package includes 44 schemes (OS/2 Warp 3 appearence, WinXP, etc).

os2.guru/eschemes