OS/2 New User Introduction (Revised 20 November 1994)

OS/2 New User Introduction

Welcome to the world of OS/2! IBM OS/2 2.11 and 3.0 are inexpensive, full-featured, DOS- and Windows-compatible operating systems for 386SX (or better) PC compatibles. It is quite powerful (supporting long filenames , REXX programs, Adobe Type Manager and TrueType [in Windows], a 32-bit flat memory model, preemptive multitasking, multithreading, advanced multimedia including software motion video, and robust communications, for example), yet its Workplace Shell user interface makes it remarkably easy to use (and amazingly flexible).

In addition to the features listed above, OS/2 3.0 contains several major improvements aimed at making it easier to start using immediately, These include a interactive tutorial, and several integrated productivity applications such as a spreadsheet, word processor, database, and personal information manager. It also includes "one-button access" to the Internet, through IBM's Advantis service. [Other Internet service providers can be used too]. Other applications in the Bonus Pack include a Fax application, a Compuserve Information Manager, and a Communications program.

This brief document is intended to help you get started using the Internet's OS/2 newsgroups and to help you obtain more information on OS/2. Read it carefully to get started with this exciting operating system. It will be posted regularly to the OS/2 newsgroups which new users are most likely to visit.

Where Can I Get OS/2?

As of November 20, there are three varieties of OS/2 commonly available.

Choose OS/2 2.11 full version, if you do not have either DOS or a previous version of OS/2. Choose OS/2 2.11 Upgrade Edition (under $100 from most software dealers) if you are upgrading from DOS or a previous version of OS/2, you do not have Windows 3.1, and you want Windows application compatibility. These are both referred to as "full" versions.

Choose OS/2 Warp Version 3 (around $ 75-80 from most dealers) if you already have Windows 3.1, 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups (or if you don't have Windows but do not need Windows application compatibility).

Note that OS/2 Warp Version 3 ( as of November 20) is an upgrade to OS/2 for Windows Version 2.1, and can not be directly installed over either of the OS/2 2.11 full versions.

All three packages are available in your choice of 3.5 inch, or CD-ROM media. If you purchase the diskette version of OS/2, be sure to buy the diskette size that corresponds to your Drive A. (Similar to the DOS install, you must boot from the OS/2 diskettes to install it.) Before purchasing the CD-ROM version, check with the OS/2 FAQ List (see below) to make sure your CD-ROM drive and adapter combination are supported by OS/2 (the vast majority now are). (The FAQ List also includes purchase suggestions if you do not yet own a CD-ROM drive.) OS/2 3.0 contains support for significantly more CD-ROM drives than OS/2 2.11.

In addition to these three packages, OS/2 2.11 is available in a symmetric multi-processing version that can exploit computers that have more than 1 CPU [ upto 16]. There will also be updates of the OS/2 2.1 versions to the Version 3 level over the next few months.

Note that OS/2 2.11 (at least when purchased directly from IBM in the United States) has a 30 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee. You can try OS/2 risk free and return it for a full refund if not completely satisfied.

Please see the OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List for further information on OS/2 pricing, availability, and hardware requirements.

OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List

To obtain the OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions List, you may use "ftp." The ftp command (available on most systems connected to the Internet) allows you to retrieve files from other systems on the network. The exact procedure may be different on your system, but you should try the following command:

ftp ftp-os2.cdrom.com

(Press ENTER or RETURN after each command.) When asked for a username, type:

anonymous

and when asked for a password, simply type your Internet mail address. Then, type the command:

cd /pub/os2/all/info/faq

to change the directory. To get a list of files in that directory, type:

dir

Identify the file with the "highest" number. (As of this writing, the latest OS/2 FAQ List is Release 2.1E, filename faq21e.zip.) To retrieve this file, type the following commands:

binary get faq21e.zip

The FAQ List package will then be placed in your home directory on your home system. You can then download the file to your DOS or OS/2 machine. This file is "zipped," as many OS/2 program files are. You need an UnZip utility to decode the file (and extract the files contained in the package). Versions of UnZip are available for many systems, including DOS, Unix, and OS/2. (The OS/2 version of UnZip is located in directory /pub/os2/all/archivers on that same ftp system. Multiplatform source code is also located there.)

The ftp-os2.cdrom.com site is one of the Internet's largest repositories for OS/2 software and information. For more information on ftp-os2.cdrom.com, consult the ASCII (text) file /pub/os2/0readme at that site. For a directory of OS/2 files available at ftp-os2.cdrom.com, retrieve the ASCII file /pub/os2/00index.txt.

If you need more help in either retrieving a file using ftp or in UnZipping the file, ask your system administrator.

To end your ftp session, type:

quit

and you will be disconnected.

If you cannot use ftp, you may retrieve the FAQ List by mail from an ftp mail server. Ask your system administrator (or consult the newsgroup news.answers) for advice. The OS/2 FAQ List is also available from several online services, including CompuServe, and many bulletin board systems (BBSes). The OS/2 Shareware BBS (+1-703-385-4325) and Greater Chicago Online (+1-708-895-4042) always carry the latest version.

The List is now also available through Gopher. Your host may have the Gopher client software installed. Try entering the command:

gopher

to see if it works. If it does, you should navigate through the menus to connect to the IBM Almaden Research Center experimental Gopher server in California (or connect directly to index.almaden.ibm.com). Once you have located that server, select "OS/2 Information," "Non-IBM Originated Files," then download the OS/2 FAQ List.

Also, the FAQ is avalible via World Wide Web (WWW). If you have a WWW Client (such as Mosaic or Lynx) installed, you should be able to get it at: http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/os2/os2world.html

The newsgroup news.answers contains several help files, posted periodically, which can assist you in using ftp, mail, Gopher, and LISTSERV systems. You may wish to consult these information files before asking your system administrator for assistance.

OS/2 Newsgroups

These OS/2 newsgroups are available:

comp.os.os2.multimedia

For information on OS/2 multimedia features, including MMPM/2 and Ultimotion (software motion video).

comp.os.os2.setup

For all questions relating to setup, installation, and driver support under OS/2.

comp.os.os2.bugs

For the discussion and reporting of OS/2 bugs (flaws).

comp.os.os2.advocacy

For the discussion of OS/2 compared with other products, marketing, and "politics."

comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip

For any OS/2 questions dealing with TCP/IP networks/networking.

comp.os.os2.networking.misc

For any OS/2 questions related to other networking.

comp.os.os2.programmer.porting

For talk about porting software from other environments to OS/2.

comp.os.os2.programmer.oop

Information and discussion about Object Oriented Programming under OS/2.

comp.os.os2.programmer.tools

For talk about OS/2 programming tools.

comp.os.os2.programmer.misc

For discussion of any other OS/2 programming issues.

comp.os.os2.apps

Discusses DOS, Windows, and OS/2 applications running under OS/2.

comp.os.os2.games

For discussion relating to OS/2 and games. Includes both native OS/2 games and information on running DOS/Windows games under OS/2.

comp.os.os2.announce

Carries important OS/2 announcements. This newsgroup is moderated -- you cannot ask a question here. OS/2-related announcements should be submitted to David Tholen (tholen@newton.ifa.hawaii.edu).

comp.binaries.os2

If you do not have ftp access you can obtain OS/2 software using this newsgroup. This newsgroup is also moderated. Submissions should be sent to os2bin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu.

comp.os.os2.beta

For discussion of beta releases of OS/2 (versions of OS/2 that are released for testing purposes by IBM and that you cannot buy in stores). Also, if you would like to see a feature added to OS/2 in a future version, post here.

comp.os.os2.misc

For general OS/2 discussion. Post here only if none of the above categories fits.

comp.lang.rexx

A general newsgroup covering the REXX programming language. Every copy of OS/2 includes a built-in REXX interpreter.

comp.sys.powerpc

Both Apple and IBM have introduced computers based on the PowerPC processor. IBM (and IBM compatible) PowerPC systems will soon ship with OS/2 for PowerPC (part of the Workplace OS family).

Free Real Time Technical Support and OS/2 Discussion

irc

at the command line, and see if it works. To join the OS/2 channel, type:

/join #os/2

Aside from Technical Support, IRC is also a good place to get information, rumours, and tips about OS/2.

Reporting Problems to IBM

Reporting Problems/Suggestions for this Document

Again, welcome to OS/2!