Testing drivers and utilities

2011-04-15 12:51:41 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

• Uniaud audio driver UniaudUpdate195-1926.zip, UniaudUpdate195-213.zip
• Do you have troubles with AiR-BOOT boot manager?
• Firefox 4.0, Seamonkey 2.1 beta3 firefox-4.0.en-US.os2.zip firefox-4.0.en-US.os2.README seamonkey-2.1b3.en-US.os2.zip
• Release candidate of Archive Viewer v2.1 at BetaZone: here (support of new formats)
• USB Dock - view attached USB devices - download via eCo Market

eComStation.TV: eSchemes installation

2011-04-11 17:55:10 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.tv]

New clips from eComStation.TV

	eScheme installation (3:27)
	eComStation Artefacts (2011/03) (4:30)

Review of PMINews 2.0 newsgroup reader

2011-04-10 13:32:19 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Craig Miller continues testing of popular applications for eComStation / IBM OS/2 Warp.

• Review of an eCS newsgroup reader: PMINews 2.0 - PMINews 2.0 was designed for both casual newsgroup users as well as newsgroup junkies. Its powerful features include the ability to search newsgroups for a particular phrase or attribute, offline reading, SPAM filtering, custom address books, Great binary post handling, and a lot more! PMINews 2.0 does it all, but does it do it well?
• GTIRC (GammaTech Internet Relay Chat) is a multi-user, multi-channel chatting system
• SysInfo/2 review

Full list of reviews: eComStation software

IBM OS/2 WebExplorer is forgotten

2011-04-09 18:41:43 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

We have found interesting picture how the browsers popularity was changing. Ops, OS/2 WebExplorer is not mentioned.. Here is a clip about OS/2 WebExplorer

(click the picture to see full history since 1994 till 2011)

eCo Market: I like it

2011-04-08 23:50:01 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

It's not easy to compose good email for the developer of favorite application, you can spend much time to formulate and edit the letter. Not all users are able to do this, that's why the developers don't get enough feedback.

We integrated new feature to eCo Market: "I like it" command. Every user can download updated application and send appreciation message to the developer via eCo Market.

Sometimes the developers need such short messages (SMS), not long bug-reports.

Sending SMS to the developer of favorite application

eCo Market homepage

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.

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

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

PMView Pro (version 3.61) software review is up!

2011-02-20 20:12:49 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru, Craig Miller ]

PMView Pro is a robust and configurable image viewing, conversion, and editing tool for bitmap graphics. It loads images fast, without compromising quality or robustness, thanks to being dynamically multi-threaded (meaning that threads will be created and destroyed as needed).

This review goes in-depth to show you why PMView Pro should be part of your "must have" eComStation software library.

Unlike my past reviews, this software is current, commercial, supported and not free, so the DEMO is the only version available at this time.

There is good news though! PMView Pro, for a limited time (2/20/11 to 4/20), is 50% off the normal price! Get all the details in the review!
http://www.bluenexus.net/Reviews/PMView/PMView-review-02-20-11.html

Read the review, play with the DEMO, then go support the eComStation community and buy a 1st class program.

Full list of PMView reviews

Buy eCo Market share

2011-02-16 11:30:16 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eCo Market is a catalogue of software for eComStation. To develop eCo Market and accumulate the database of applications we have spent several thousand euro.

eCo Software is interested sell 5% share of eCo Market. One investor can buy 1% of eCo Market for 200 EURO. Contact us to discuss the details.

• You can read the business-plan.
• It's necessary sign the agreement (by mail).

Why become shareholder?

• You are sponsoring the development of important program
• 1% of eCo Market gives income 1$ per year.
• Your ideas have high priority, your packages have high priority.

Other offerings of eCo Software

NDCrypt plugin updated

2011-02-14 02:38:22 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

It is recommended keep important data on crypted disk. Calculate what is your damage in case of information theft?!

The plugin supports cryptography methods (algorithms):

• Blowfish, key length 1-56 bytes;
• Cast 256, 1-32 bytes;
• GOST (the encryption standard in Russia), 32 bytes;
• Loki97, 1-32 bytes;
• Mars, 4-56 bytes;
• RC6, 1-255 bytes;
• Rijndael, 1-32 bytes;
• Safer Plus, 1-32 bytes;
• Serpent, 4, 8, 12 ... 32 bytes;
• Tripple Des, 24 bytes;
• Twofish, with 16, 24, 32 bytes keys long.

Please read reviews, FAQ before usage of the plugin -- plugins for NetDrive

P.S. To use NDCrypt plugin you should register NetDrive first.

WarpIn TOTAL - 7 programs re-packed to wpi

2011-02-13 15:44:24 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Short instructions how to create .wpi packages: Creation of distribution package for WarpIn installer (RUS)

More and more software is packed to WarpIN, look at:

• OpenGL Gold 1.1 (1997/06/10) -- hobbes
• FaxWorks -- eCS 2.0 CD1
• OpenSSH -- eCS 2.0 CD1
• Mars! game -- eCo Market
• Queency graphics editor -- eCo Market
• BackEmUp -- eCo Market
• Gimp graphics editor -- hobbes

eCo Market supports WarpIn format. We are working on integration of the catalogue with WarpIN database.

eCo Shop for russian users

2011-02-09 22:43:08 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [eCo Shop]

Some offerings for russian-speaking users:

• Bonus for organizations which are going publish success stories about usage of eComStation
• Many shareware applications were updated during the winter.
• Corrected the price for NetDrive

eCo Market: Week of remote control tools

2011-02-07 03:22:28 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

The catalogue contains: more than 130 packages

eCo Market is an initiative of eCo Software: "The users need tools, they want to see the list of available applications not tales about powerful operating systems. That's why we are working on the GUI catalogue aimed to deliver software to users fast."

Let's collect remote control tools in the catalogue. Currently we have 1 program only.

Whatsnew: To use Java 6, to browse Internet you need additional fonts - you can find this fonts in eCo Market. All fonts are packed to .wpi (easy to install).

How to support the project? Some proposals

Message for developers: Your program should be packed to 1 WarpIn package. It may depend on known runtimes, all other libs should be included to the package.

Add program to eCo Market

2011-02-06 14:15:36 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

To add useful program to eCo Market, fill the form and send it to the operator:

• ID or program in APeCS database
• Name of program
• Developer:
• Short description
• url of package
• version for human (1.2, ..)
• version as date (date of release in format: YYYYMMDD)
• homepage
• directory where do you keep the program on hobbes storage?