eComStation and IBM Software Choice

2004-09-29 22:41:09 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Some weeks ago an announcement about IBM Software Choice Withdrawal was published (date of withdrawal: December 10, 2004);

This event has no effect on eComStation users.

Anything that IBM releases will continue to be available to eComStation users, in addition to the updates acquired by Serenity Systems for eComStation will continue.

Homepage of eComStation: www.ecomstation.com

Update of IBM basic drivers

2004-09-28 17:10:38 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [VOICENWS]

IBM corporation updated basic system drivers:

• USB Basic Device Support (OHCI/UHCI/EHCI)
• USB Mass Storage Support
• USB Printer Support
• IBM OS/2 Printer Pak
• Enhanced IDE Support (IDEDASD)

The updates are available for IBM Software Choice subscribers and users of eComStation.

The developer of the drivers is Exigen Latvia. If a device declared as supported doesn't work properly then contact the developer. They are really interested in their product quality improvement. Additional information about base drivers will be published in an overview of Warp Community Update Workshop.

SETI OS/2 Warp Group

2004-09-28 16:49:37 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [www.os2world.com]

Just a quick reminder to all OS/2 and eComStation SETI users.

Remember there is a SETI group for us. We are in 41 position. Register to the group !! Also visit the OS/2 SETI forum.

Win32PRN project (3/12)

2004-09-28 16:48:35 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

So, the contacts between parts was restored. You will see on this week:

• New version of product. Self-extracting WarpIn package with custom build of Odin.

  The product is targeted to end-users, so it should be installed with one mouse click. This will allow increase quantity of testers and users;

  The package without Odin may be released too as "update for previous version";

• Growth of supported hardware list. The list increases after succesfull test or after improvement of Win32Prn and Odin. So, negative results are important too. Test and configure Win32Prn on compatible printer before testing new one.
• Participation of testers. Users usually lose the interest to driver development. So, prepare the program of testing and ping developer and support service by time-table.

Advices for developers working over the Internet:

• Don't tell to one customer that you are going to other and it's necessary stop negotiations :)
• During action of agreement, both parts unite to achieve one goal. If support service passes suggestions to developer - trust to the service. If division of labour is used, trust to your partner.
• There are different kinds of customers. Some customers control you the whole day, others give full freedom but require the results unexpectedly even if you didn't nothing during the last month. In any case, if problem occurs, the developer is guilty. The only way to satisfy the desires of customer is make more that he expects.
• Advices of F/X Communications company

Win32PRN allows use windows printer drivers in OS/2.

This message can't be reprinted on other sites.

OS/2 and electro-power engineering

2004-09-26 00:32:54 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

The next area of OS/2 usage is electro-power engineering. There are many complexes of telemetric information processing in Russia. One of them serves the power system of Volgograd region (russian text).

Other solutions based on eCS and OS/2: http://ecomstation.ru/solutions

Special offer for Warpstock Europe visitors

2004-09-25 23:10:31 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [VOICENWS, Gerrit Schoenmaker]

On occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Dutch OS/2 user group, every visitor of Warpstock Europe 2004 will get 25% discount on SVISTA virtual machine software. So, it's time to make up your mind and book your trip to Warpstock Europe from November 26-28th in the Netherlands.

It would be a good idea to do your Warpstock Europe 2004 registration online. It saves you money and delay at the checkin desk. The only thing you need to do, is to visit the registration page at the Warpstock Europe website

Warpstock Europe lets the Elephant dance again!

Processing of data from meteorological satellites

2004-09-25 11:11:26 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

The next area of OS/2 usage is the meteorology. The complex of meteorological satellites data reception and processing was created some years ago and is operating successfully at present (russian text).

ViaVoice released to Open Source

2004-09-23 13:24:18 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [VOICENWS]

IBM has released parts (the back end) of its ViaVoice product to open source to the Apache Foundation and to the Eclipse organization.

IBM OS/2 VoiceType is somehow "older" technology requiring the "speaker" to use short pausings for the system to recognize well. In contrary, what IBM is somehow giving away is "ViaVoice" - a newer technology that was available for Windoze only and uses "continuous speech" recognition - thus "real" speech.

Win32Prn Project (неделя 2/12)

2004-09-23 13:23:09 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Russian developers can't find a job because of infrequent for OS/2 market event - software development contract was not executed.

We appeal to colleagues of Vitaliy Tymchyshyn, please call him or send e-mail and remind about his obligations and responsibility.

Vitaliy Tymchyshyn is known as initiative and capable developer, so we are sure that the incident may be solved. Additional references:

• Homepage of Vitaliy Tymchyshyn;
• "The hacker Vitaliy Timchishin" (q) The Inquirer;
• Week (1/12);

Up to the end of the year we will watch the execution of the contract related to Win32PRN development between Vitaliy Tymchyshyn and dutch company Mensys (the dirver allows use windows printer drivers in OS/2).

September - the month of conferences

2004-09-21 08:42:07 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

In the next few weeks we are going publish overviews of two conferences:

• Warp Community Update Workshop (06.-08. September 2004; Renaissance Riessersee Hotel, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany). List of reports and events:
  • Report of Daniela Engert about Dani drivers;
  • Report of Modris Berzonis (Exigen Latvia) about updated base drivers;
  • Report of Rudiger Jungbeck (RSJ) about popular RSJ CD-Writer application;
  • Report of Oliver Stein (Innotek) about achievements of Innotek;
  • Report of Ed Durrant about market advantages of OS/2;
  • Report of Roderick Klein (Mensys) about new version of eComStation 1.2;
  • Reports of 6PAC Consulting AG about SVISTA virtual machine;
  • Free discussion of drivers development;
  • Must-have applications WPS Wizard & Emperoar TV;
  • Social events: visit of Hoteleigene Berhutte cottage (victory of "Alpin-Ratten" team), game "night road and blinding of car drivers"; visit of Zugspitze (the highest top of Germany);
  • [more?]
• OS/2 and modern IT conference (17.-19. September 2004; "Maple mountain" sanatorium, Russia). List of reports and events:
  • Stanislav Radchenko (the history of OS/2; OS/2-solution to automize small trade company; automation of treatment quality examination, forecasting and learning);
  • Victor Smirnoff -- DCPack (clipboard convertion tool; for users and developers);
  • Vadym Rumyantsev -- usage of OS/2 in space branch and as base for mainframe's command set emulator;
  • Evgeny Kotsuba -- OS/2 in laser industry (cutting; stereolitography), MesaGL/2 library (OpenGL);
  • Oleg Stolyarov -- Current IBM technologies;
  • Eugene Kazarinov -- OS/2 technologies in billing system used by famous moscow internet provider;
  • Sergey Posohov -- OS/2 as a tool to control/edit popular business directory "Moscow Business Telephone Guide";
  • Joseph Jhrago -- OS/2 in oil industry; XObject WPS-class;
  • Vladimir Natrov -- processing of telemetric information in power system of Volgograd region;
  • V.N.Novoseltsev (member of the Russian Academy of Science) -- Trade-offs, senescence and premature deaths in drosophila.
  • Oleg Pianykh -- servers of storage, transfer and processing of medical diagnosis images;
  • Eugene Gorbunoff -- eComStation/Rus 1.2, SVISTA/2 2004 virtual machine;
  • Social events: grassy tea, koumiss (fermented mare`s milk), "Green key" spring, shashlik (mutton grilled on a spit);
  • [more?]

Although both conferences was dedicated to OS/2 platform, the contents & format was very different.

It's time to prepare for the next conference - Warpstock Europe 2004 (26-28 november, 2004; Arhnem city, Holland). The program of conference was updated some days ago;

OS2 World - Award Nomination & Donation Project

2004-09-15 19:14:28 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [www.os2world.com]

Hopefully all of you have by now noticed that you're able to submit your nomination to the OS2 World Award by following categoies:

• Best Unix Port of the Year
• Best Commercial Software of the Year
• Best Java Application of the Year
• Best Site of the Year
• Best Supporting Company of the Year
• Best Individual Software of the Year
• Honor Award for Individuals

If you haven't submitted your nomination yet, please do so from this page;

As well we launched a donation project this weekend to collect proper fundings to upgrade the server and by that increase the availability of the services we provide. So if you want to make some donation to OS2 World hardware upgrade and follow the development of the current donation, please then visit this page;

Conference in september

2004-09-14 18:45:13 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru, Stanley]

The conference "OS/2 and modern IT" (september 17-19th, 2004) is coming.. This message (russian version) contains additions to main overview.

Win32Prn project (week 1/12)

2004-09-11 12:43:14 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

The russian developers often ask us why it's impossible sign new agreements with foreign customers. We have a simple answer - one of the agreements was not fulfilled by russian developer, so all contacts with russian community was stopped.

Up to the end of the year we will watch the execution of the contract related to Win32PRN development between Vitaliy Tymchyshyn and dutch company Mensys (the dirver allows use windows printer drivers in OS/2).

We don't know the conditions of the contract, so here is the list preliminary agreements:

• full documentation;
• self-extracting distribution pack (WarpIn);
• debug-version of Win32PRN;
• own Odin build (to simplify debugging and support of customers)

In the future, the eComStation will allow install windows printer drivers directly from manufacturer's CD.

VOICE Newsletter 09/2004

2004-09-11 12:31:49 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [VOICENWS, Christian Hennecke]

The September issue of the VOICE Newsletter is now available online.

In the latest issue you can find:

• Making a news group -- by Jason R. Stefanovich
• Chatzilla - just a click and you are talking -- by Mark Dodel
• Ini file management -- by Bob Mclellan
• The OS/2 INI Files -- by James J. Weinkam, D.Sc.
• (PMM)Bogofilter - Customizable SPAM Filtering -- by Walter Metcalf
• And of course letters, addenda, tips, and the compiled news of the previous month!

New versions of SVISTA released

2004-09-04 10:04:37 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [http://www.serenityvirtual.com]

The previous week Serenity Systems International (SSI) released updated versions of the beta product for all host platforms, including FreeBSD. This is the first version of the FreeBSD hosted application to be publicly available.

SSI has amended the terms of the beta program, entitling all beta testers to receive the SVISTA host platform version of their choice as the Generally Available GA) product is released at no additional cost to the user. (SRP $99US) Users participating in the beta, wishing to acquire the multi- host version of SVISTA will have an opportunity to purchase the product for only $100US (SRP $199US).

More info can be found at http://www.serenityvirtual.com/beta/

Release of the product is scheduled for early 4Q04.

SViSta/2 1.0.6 (RC1, revision 2)

New version of native virtual machine released.

What's new:

• Detailed manual about networking in SVISTA/2 is published by 6PAC Consulting AG;
• Updated monitor of virtual machine (performance improvements);
• eComStation 1.2 support;
• Allow allocation of 512 Mb for guest system;
• Sliding mouse;
• New tool in bonuspak LAN Wizard (generates instructions for LAN routing adjustment);

Did you know?
Did you know that SVISTA/2 allows use networking even on notebooks with WiFi cards or computers without physical network card.

JFS caches analyzer

2004-09-04 09:39:50 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eCo Software is searching for a student (technical field) which is interested to implement application for JFS cache analysis. This tasks includes 2D graphics drawing, basic statistics methods usage. Contact person: Pavel Shtemenko, e-mail: pasha (at) paco.odessa.ua