Ok, finally getting some steam rolling over here and porting the InterMail and other apps over to see about supporting OS2 as well.

So with ARCA, are there any do's and don'ts when installing it. Anything special to support DOS apps? Small C drives, certain drive or video setups?

Looking for any tips. To also cheat if there is anyone here that uses FREEPASCAL that I could bounce a few novice questions to you.

Thank sagain


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

Dale Barnes wrote to ALL <=-

So with ARCA, are there any do's and don'ts when installing
it. Anything special to support DOS apps? Small C drives,
certain drive or video setups?

With ArcaOS, you may have to tinker with your video drivers. If you have issues with DOS windows not opening, let me know and I can give you the
command to put in CONFIG.SYS that can help mitigate that.

Looking for any tips. To also cheat if there is anyone
here that uses FREEPASCAL that I could bounce a few novice
questions to you.

I have Free Pascal installed under ArcaOS but use Virtual Pascal/2 normally. What's your questions?

--Sean

... Dawn crept across the lawn, searching for her car keys.
___ MultiMail/Win v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

With ArcaOS, you may have to tinker with your video
drivers. If you have
issues with DOS windows not opening, let me know and I can
give you the
command to put in CONFIG.SYS that can help mitigate that.

Not having any issues with video but installing in VMWorkstation 15 appears to be having issues with just building the boot drive. Tried all the settings per ARCA but cannot get it to see the hard drive and let me fully install it. Worked one time but I had other issues so Had to restart it. I found out having larger than 2 gig drive screws with some of the older apps.

Which drive format is better to use?

Looking for any tips. To also cheat if there is anyone
here that uses FREEPASCAL that I could bounce a few novice
questions to you.

I have Free Pascal installed under ArcaOS but use Virtual
Pascal/2 normally.
What's your questions?

Have not played with Virtual Pascal /2. How close to Borland Pascal 7 is it? can you build PM apps easier with it then FPC?

The question on FPC, can the FPC.CFG be used like the BPC.CFG, I can customize it and have different ones setup for the different projects? I told you it was a novice question. I just really started looking it reading the docs. It appears to be able to do quite a bit.

Thanks for any help and feedback


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

Hello Dale,

Wednesday July 22 2020 20:52, you wrote to me:

Which drive format is better to use?

I recommend JFS because you can use a lot of disk recovery and backup programs with that instead of HPFS.

Have not played with Virtual Pascal /2. How close to Borland Pascal 7
is it? can you build PM apps easier with it then FPC?

It's much closer to BP than FPC but it is not designed to build PM apps, IIRC.

OpenSybil is more of what would be used for PM programs but I have never used it.

The question on FPC, can the FPC.CFG be used like the BPC.CFG, I can customize it and have different ones setup for the different projects?
I told you it was a novice question. I just really started looking it reading the docs. It appears to be able to do quite a bit.

Yes. Just save the FPC.CFG in the individual directories and load it when needed. FPC is huge but is extremely powerful. It can do a LOT. But it cannot make PM programs unfortunately.

For me, the overhead of FP isn't worth it and I use VP/2 even though it's not supported anymore ... and it has a very nice PM-based IDE that I like to use.

I use VP/2 to make 32-bit OS/2 and Win32 programs from a single program. I do have the DOS32 plugin for VP (rather rare to find it). VP can also convert an OS/2 program into a 32-bit Linux program.

Thanks for any help and feedback

Sure thing.

Later,
Sean

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

Have not played with Virtual Pascal /2. How close to Borland Pascal 7
is it? can you build PM apps easier with it then FPC?

It's much closer to BP than FPC but it is not designed to
build PM apps, IIRC.

OpenSybil is more of what would be used for PM programs but
I have never used it.

I use VP/2 to make 32-bit OS/2 and Win32 programs from a
single program. I do have the DOS32 plugin for VP (rather
rare to find it). VP can also convert an OS/2 program into
a 32-bit Linux program.

Ok, since I have someone interested in a OS2 version of InterMail/InterEcho, will take a look at VP/2. Can you guide me to the best place to obtain a safe copy? Also possible to let me know were to find the DOS plug in? I figured if it is close to BP, maybe I can compile a version of it.

I have Borland Pascal 7 now working with the OS2 patch but its only for 16 bit but I can do a PM with it (requires quite a bit of work).


Thanks for the help and feedback.


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

Greetings Dale!

22 Jul 20 20:52, you wrote to Sean Dennis about an urgent matter!:

Not having any issues with video but installing in VMWorkstation 15 appears to be having issues with just building the boot drive. Tried
all the settings per ARCA but cannot get it to see the hard drive and
let me fully install it. Worked one time but I had other issues so
Had to restart it. I found out having larger than 2 gig drive screws
with some of the older apps.

Not sure if you have the same thing going on that I did with the install on vmware (I use esxi) I could not get arca to install all the way through using an .iso, however I burned a install dvd and voila it worked, and works awesome under virtualization. I cant tell you why the .iso or usb install doesnt work but the dvd does. I even tried the usb install on non vm install still wouldnt work..




----
Regards,


Rick Smith (Nitro)

... Hacker? Where do you think the name comes from BBSing
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: ----> Abacus Sysop Point --->>>>bbs.abon.us:2323 (1:340/202.1)

23 Jul 20 21:21, Dale Barnes wrote to Sean Dennis:

Ok, since I have someone interested in a OS2 version of

InterMail/InterEcho,

+1 :)

'Tommi

--- hpt/os2-emx 1.9.0-cur 2020-04-15
* Origin: rbb.fidonet.fi (2:221/1)

Not sure if you have the same thing going on that I did
with the install on vmware (I use esxi) I could not get
arca to install all the way through using an .iso, however
I burned a install dvd and voila it worked, and works
awesome under virtualization. I cant tell you why the .iso
or usb install doesnt work but the dvd does. I even tried
the usb install on non vm install still wouldnt work..

Yes after 15 attempts, finally got it install. Yes I have it working under VMWare and works pretty well. Have not touched OS2 since Citrix Winview product (windows on OS2) so I have a bit of learning to do.

At least I have a test platform now and it is able to talk to my other systems so should be able to test DOS,Win,OS2 between the systems now. Thanks for the tip, will do that if I have to reinstall again.


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

Tommi Koivula wrote to Dale Barnes <=-

Ok, since I have someone interested in a OS2 version
of InterMail/InterEcho,

+1 :)

Better late than never, right?

--Sean

... There cannot be a crisis today; my schedule is already full.
___ MultiMail/Win v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

Dale Barnes wrote to Rick Smith <=-

At least I have a test platform now and it is able to talk
to my other systems so should be able to test DOS,Win,OS2
between the systems now. Thanks for the tip, will do that
if I have to reinstall again.

If you need it, I have a working OS/2 Warp 4.52 VM for VirtualBox available that does work.

--Sean

... A cynic smells flowers and looks for the casket.
___ MultiMail/Win v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

Dale Barnes wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

Ok, since I have someone interested in a OS2 version of InterMail/InterEcho, will take a look at VP/2. Can you
guide me to the best place to obtain a safe copy? Also
possible to let me know were to find the DOS plug in? I
figured if it is close to BP, maybe I can compile a version
of it.

Sure thing.

You can grab both off of my website at http://outpostbbs.net/vp.html.

I have had to modify some programs to use LongInts instead of Integer but that's simple. VP defines VIRTUALPASCAL so you can write cross-platform code:

{$IFDEF VIRTUALPASCAL}
blahblah
{$ELSE}
blah
{$ENDIF}

That's about the only major annoyance that gets me sometimes.

Thanks for the help and feedback.

If you have any questions, netmail me or contact me here. You can also email me at sysop@outpostbbs.net. I am no super expert but I have been using these tools since 1998.

I also have a few tips with using Free Pascal and knocking done the executable size without resorting to compression programs like UPX.

Later,
Sean

... Why don't potholes ever knock tires *into* alignment?
___ MultiMail/Win v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

Greetings Sean!

24 Jul 20 15:59, you wrote to Dale Barnes about an urgent matter!:

Dale Barnes wrote to Rick Smith <=-

At least I have a test platform now and it is able to talk
to my other systems so should be able to test DOS,Win,OS2
between the systems now. Thanks for the tip, will do that
if I have to reinstall again.

If you need it, I have a working OS/2 Warp 4.52 VM for VirtualBox available that does work.

Where did you get it? All the ones I tried to download I could not get to install?



----
Regards,


Rick Smith (Nitro)

... BBSing ... time's blackhole.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: ----> Abacus Sysop Point --->>>>bbs.abon.us:2323 (1:340/202.1)

Ok, since I have someone interested in a OS2 version
of InterMail/InterEcho,

+1 :)

Better late than never, right?

I think late would be an understatement. Hey I am having fun with it.


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

If you need it, I have a working OS/2 Warp 4.52 VM for
VirtualBox available
that does work.

Thank you, may take you up on it. Right now trying to work around the limits of the old compiler for OS2


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

Ok, finally getting some steam rolling over here and porting the
InterMail and other apps over to see about supporting OS2 as well.

First off, welcome to the echo, Dale :)

So with ARCA, are there any do's and don'ts when installing it.
Anything special to support DOS apps? Small C drives, certain drive
or video setups?

If you are installing under VirtualBox, you will need to install the OS/2 Additions package. There is a README file there that will tell you how to do that step by step. Also, when installing under VirtualBox, personally, I recommend using the generic GRADD video driver as there is a replacement for that in the VirtualBox OS/2 additions that will help out video wise. At least, it's what I use and I have no issues (so far) with it. I also use SIO2K for the communications driver as well since it's pretty straight forward to set up and get the virtual modem application, VMODEM.EXE, running. If you need any help, just reach out :)

As for drive sizes, ArcaOS can support most modern capacity drives. I have my virtual disks for ArcaOS set to 750GB and it runs fine without any issues.

--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

--- InterEcho 1.20
* Origin: Omicron Theta/2 * os2bbs.us:9245 * Southaven MS (1:261/20)

Ok, since I have someone interested in a OS2 version of
InterMail/InterEcho, will take a look at VP/2. Can you guide me to
the best place to obtain a safe copy? Also possible to let me know
were to find the DOS plug in? I figured if it is close to BP, maybe
I can compile a version of it.
I have Borland Pascal 7 now working with the OS2 patch but its only
for 16 bit but I can do a PM with it (requires quite a bit of work).

Hmm, I would just leave it as a text mode app like it is now. Much less overhead on the CPU, I would think. And if you come out with a native OS/2 version as well, I might have to enlist Sean's help in utilizing HSTART to start up Wildcat! from it (in all my years I have never used HSTART before, so this use of it may be incorrect -- I am thinking it is used to start OS/2 apps from a DOS app, so please correct me if I am wrong).

--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

--- InterEcho 1.20
* Origin: Omicron Theta/2 * os2bbs.us:9245 * Southaven MS (1:261/20)

Hello Rick,

Friday July 24 2020 18:44, you wrote to me:

Where did you get it? All the ones I tried to download I could not get
to install?

I made it myself. <G>

Try https://outpostbbs.net/files/OS_2.rar (case-sensitive and hotlink protected so make sure you type that into your browser).

You will have to fiddle with the networking on it with your system but I know of at least three people that are using that image successfully. It's stock OS/2 Warp 4.52 with the OS/2 Virtualbox Add-ons installed.

Later,
Sean

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

Hello Dale,

Friday July 24 2020 16:45, you wrote to me:

I think late would be an understatement. Hey I am having fun with it.

That is the most important part!

If I wasn't having fun running my BBS and Micronet, I'd not be doing it.

Later,
Sean

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

Hello Dale,

Friday July 24 2020 16:48, you wrote to me:

Thank you, may take you up on it. Right now trying to work around the limits of the old compiler for OS2

It's at https://outpostbbs.net/files/OS_2.rar (case-sensitive and hotlink protected; make sure you type that URL in). You will need to fiddle with the networking to get it to work but I did install the Virtualbox OS/2 Add-On so you can set up shared drives, et cetera.

Later,
Sean

--- GoldED/2 3.0.1
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)

First off, welcome to the echo, Dale :)

Glad to be here.

If you are installing under VirtualBox, you will need to
install the OS/2 Additions package. There is a README file
there that will tell you how to do that step by step.
straight forward to set up and get the virtual modem
application, VMODEM.EXE, running. If you need any help,
just reach out :)

I use VMWare Workstation pro 15 which works great. I was able to move my 15+ systems from physical to VM's. Allows me to do much more than I could before and return to a previous snapshot. I still kept a few physicals in the closet in case I need to test something outside of the VM.


Thanks for the offer, I am sure as I get further, will need all the help I can get.


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

I can compile a version of it.
I have Borland Pascal 7 now working with the OS2 patch but its

only-> for 16 bit but I can do a PM with it (requires quite
a bit of work).

Hmm, I would just leave it as a text mode app like it is
now. Much less overhead on the CPU, I would think. And if
you come out with a native OS/2 version as well, I might
have to enlist Sean's help in utilizing HSTART to start up
Wildcat! from it (in all my years I have never used HSTART
before, so this use of it may be incorrect -- I am thinking

After reviewing what is required to make it PM enabled, not really worthwhile for me. I do have to switch the video lib to FreeVision fully (some of InterMail uses two different video libs which I need to get down to just one) since it is included in FreePascal already and would make life a bit easier for me.


--- InterEcho 1.21
* Origin: Home Of InterMail/InterEcho (1:106/201)

If you need it, I have a working OS/2 Warp 4.52 VM for VirtualBox available that does work.

Where did you get it? All the ones I tried to download I could not get
to install?

Not sure if you tried this link: https://archive.org/details/IBMOS2Warp4Collection . They will install in Virtual Box...but unlike the one mentioned...you need to configure it yourself...while the other is already to go.

ACME BBS-Member of fsxNet/WWIVNet/SciNet/AmigaNet/VKRadio/FidoNet/MicroNet.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
* Origin: ACME BBS-W.Coyote & D.Brown are our best users. (1:340/1000)

You will have to fiddle with the networking on it with your system but I know of at least three people that are using that image successfully. It's stock OS/2 Warp 4.52 with the OS/2 Virtualbox Add-ons installed.

Am 1 of those 3. In addition...the VB add-ons are included with the newest version of the OS. When I was rebooting...around the area of the drives being loaded...you see the banner for the VB add-on's.

ACME BBS-Member of fsxNet/WWIVNet/SciNet/AmigaNet/VKRadio/FidoNet/MicroNet.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
* Origin: ACME BBS-W.Coyote & D.Brown are our best users. (1:340/1000)

I use VMWare Workstation pro 15 which works great. I was able to
move my 15+ systems from physical to VM's. Allows me to do much
more than I could before and return to a previous snapshot. I still
kept a few physicals in the closet in case I need to test something
outside of the VM.

Yeah, I have never been able to get Arca to install under VMWare Workstation Pro, even though I have 15 as well. Might have to give it a try again and see what breaks :)

--- InterEcho 1.21

--- InterEcho 1.20
* Origin: Omicron Theta/2 * os2bbs.us:9245 * Southaven MS (1:261/20)

Hmm, I would just leave it as a text mode app like it is
now. Much less overhead on the CPU, I would think. And if

After reviewing what is required to make it PM enabled, not really worthwhile for me. I do have to switch the video lib to FreeVision
fully (some of InterMail uses two different video libs which I need
to get down to just one) since it is included in FreePascal already
and would make life a bit easier for me.

Easier and worthwhile are good things :)


--- InterEcho 1.20
* Origin: Omicron Theta/2 * os2bbs.us:9245 * Southaven MS (1:261/20)

Greetings Sean!

25 Jul 20 15:38, you wrote to me about an urgent matter!:

Hello Rick,

Friday July 24 2020 18:44, you wrote to me:

Where did you get it? All the ones I tried to download I could
not get to install?

I made it myself. <G>

Try https://outpostbbs.net/files/OS_2.rar (case-sensitive and hotlink protected so make sure you type that into your browser).

I finally got around to trying this, it wont extract however not sure if its corrupted or?



----
Regards,


Rick Smith (Nitro)

... Automate your BBSing! Have your cake and eat it too!
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: ----> Abacus Sysop Point --->>>>bbs.abon.us:2323 (1:340/202.1)

Rick Smith wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

I finally got around to trying this, it wont extract
however not sure if its corrupted or?

I was able to extract it just fine. If you're not using the latest RAR to extract the archive you'll have issues. If not, try downloading it again.

--Sean

___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS * bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (1:18/200)