Category Archives: New software releases

Announcements of new software packages and updates.

Upgrading to ArcaOS 5.1? Here’s how

If you’re a current ArcaOS 5.0 licensee, the upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1 is available at a discount. With a valid ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription, your discount is even bigger (plus, your remaining 5.0 subscription time will be added to the included 5.1 support term).

To upgrade and download your 5.1 ISO, visit your customer portal page and select the ArcaOS Download Center link on the navigation panel to the left. Click the Upgrade to 5.1 button, and proceed to checkout.

Once you’ve completed the checkout process, your initial ArcaOS 5.1 ISO will be built in English. When other languages are available for ArcaOS 5.1, you may request any additional ISOs (free of charge, as long as your Support & Maintenance subscription remains in effect) from your ArcaOS Download Center by selecting the Build ISO again button and selecting the language you would like.

Once an ArcaOS 5.0 license has been upgraded to ArcaOS 5.1, support and updates for the 5.0 license will cease. Not all ArcaOS 5.1 associated downloads will be applicable to 5.0, and licensed updates for one version are specifically not licensed for use with the other version.

If your original ArcaOS 5.0 license order contained more than one license and you only wish to upgrade one or some of them but not all, please contact support.

See this post for a summary of pricing options for ArcaOS 5.1 upgrades.

ArcaOS 5.1.0 now available

After years in development, Arca Noae is pleased to announce the general availability of ArcaOS 5.1.0.

In a first for any OS/2-based distribution, ArcaOS 5.1 supports installation on the latest generation of UEFI-based systems, and includes the ability to install to GPT-based disk layouts. This enables ArcaOS 5.1 to install on a wide array of modern hardware.

ArcaOS 5.1.0 can be used for new installs or to upgrade any prior version of ArcaOS 5. If installing from USB stick, the USB install stick may be created using any major operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course, OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). Once built, the USB stick can be inserted into any USB port in the target system to boot into the ArcaOS installer/updater in either UEFI or traditional BIOS mode (alternatively, the DVD image may be burned to physical media and also booted to either UEFI or traditional BIOS systems).

For a complete list of updates in this release, see the ArcaOS wiki. Be sure to review the README.TXT, as well, as this contains critical information to ensure that you get up and running fast, and includes tips for getting things adjusted right away.

This upgrade is available at a steep discount with your valid ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription (and your remaining subscription time will be added to the included support term). To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page and select the ArcaOS Download Center link on the navigation panel to the left. From there, click the “Upgrade to 5.1” button, and proceed to checkout.

If your ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription has already expired, you may still upgrade at less than the cost of a new ArcaOS 5.1 license. Follow the procedure above to order your upgrade, and the discount will be reflected in your cart.

ArcaOS 5.1.0 is available in English ONLY, with other languages planned to follow in the near future.

DaniS506 driver package version 1.8.16 now available

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Dani S506 IDE disk driver package version 1.8.16 for ArcaOS, OS/2, and eComStation.

This release is a maintenance update that corrects an issue with certain types of disks. This change is similar to the recent change to the AHCI driver.

This update is recommended for everyone. More information about the DaniS506 IDE disk driver may be found in the DaniS506 IDE wiki.

If you have ArcaOS, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product. Please log into your account and go to the ArcaOS Download Center to access your software.

If you have an Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of your Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription. Please log into your account in order to access your software.

If you are still running OS/2 and/or eComStation systems and haven’t yet purchased a software subscription, this is a great reason to do so now. It may also be a good time to consider moving up to ArcaOS.

JFS Driver Package version 1.09.10 now available

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our JFS Journaling File System Driver Package version 1.09.10.

This is a maintenance release that contains a minor fix for a situation that can cause a trap if a media error occurs while trying to write an Extended Attribute for a file. This update is recommended for everyone.

More information about the JFS Package may be found in the JFS wiki.

If you have ArcaOS, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product. Please log into your account and see your ArcaOS order details page to access your software.

AHCI Driver Package version 2.09 released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our AHCI Disk Driver Package version 2.09 for ArcaOS, OS/2, and eComStation.

This release is a maintenance update that corrects a few reported problems.

Fixes a problem starting up in some Virtual Machines with quirky emulation issues.
Changed the routines that try to recover from hardware failures to be more reliable.
Added a quirk for certain disks that don’t work properly with standard (non-native) commands.
Changed the default operation to use native commands (/N). This can be disabled with /!N.

This update is recommended for everyone. More information about the AHCI Disk Driver Package may be found in the AHCI wiki.

If you have ArcaOS, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product. Please log into your account and see your ArcaOS order details page to access your software.

Pricing for ArcaOS 5.1

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the pricing schedule for the upcoming ArcaOS 5.1 release.

New licenses for ArcaOS 5.1:

Personal edition: $139.00 (includes 6 months of Support & Maintenance)
Commercial edition: $249.00 (includes one year of Support & Maintenance).

Discounted upgrade pricing will be available for all customers with a valid ArcaOS 5.0 license. However, the best upgrade pricing will be available for customers who have an active Support & Maintenance subscription (S&MS) in place. Also, you won’t lose any remaining time on your old subscription—any remaining time will be added to your new ArcaOS 5.1 subscription.

Upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1 for customers with active Support & Maintenance:

Personal edition upgrade: $59.00
Commercial edition upgrade: $109.00

As mentioned above, any remaining time on the ArcaOS 5.0 subscription will be added to the included Support & Maintenance for the selected ArcaOS 5.1 product edition.

Upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1 (for customers without active Support & Maintenance):

Personal edition upgrade: $89.00
Commercial edition upgrade: $189.00

These include the standard Support & Maintenance subscription term as provided with new licenses: 6 months for the personal edition, and one year for the commercial edition.

In all cases, volume discounts for aggregate commercial purchases or upgrades of 25 licenses or more will apply.

The subscription channel for ArcaOS 5.1 will be separate from the channel for ArcaOS 5.0. This means that 5.0 Support & Maintenance ends when that license has been upgraded to 5.1, and 5.1 Support & Maintenance will have some different content specific to ArcaOS 5.1 (features which are reserved for ArcaOS 5.1 and not available for ArcaOS 5.0).

Support & Maintenance renewals for ArcaOS 5.1 will be:

Personal edition Support & Maintenance: $70 ($63 early renewal; $87 late)
Commercial edition Support & Maintenance: $125 ($112.50 early renewal; $187 late)

As always, the best practice is to renew early. This cannot be stressed enough when upgrading to ArcaOS 5.1, as any remaining time on the ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription will be added to the subscription included with the selected ArcaOS 5.1 product edition.

ArcaOS 5.0.8 now available

In our continuing commitment to ArcaOS 5.0 (Blue Lion), Arca Noae is pleased to announce the general availability of ArcaOS 5.0.8, the eighth maintenance release of the 5.0 line.

It should be noted that ArcaOS 5.1.0, the successor to the 5.0 line, is nearing availability. While ArcaOS 5.1.0 itself is ready, the production system which manages, builds, and distributes the new ISO images is not. However, the final testing of our updated production system is underway and nearing completion. In the interim, we are releasing ArcaOS 5.0.8 which can be distributed using the old production and distribution system.

ArcaOS 5.0.8 includes refreshed driver content, updated kernel and included software, as well as installation boot fixes since 5.0.7 was released at the end of 2021. It also rolls in a few fixes that come from our 5.1.0 development work. ArcaOS 5.0.8 can be used for new installs or to update any prior version of ArcaOS 5. If you have experienced difficulty installing previous releases of ArcaOS on your hardware, 5.0.8 may address your issue(s). If installing from USB stick, the USB install stick may be created using any major operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course, OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). Once built, the USB stick can be inserted into any USB port in the target system to boot into the ArcaOS installer/updater.

This update is included with your valid ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription at no additional charge. To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page and select the ArcaOS Download Center link on the navigation panel to the left. From there, click the “Request ISO build” button, select English language (ArcaOS 5.0.x is only available in English), and wait for your notification email.

If your ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription has already expired, and you missed your window of opportunity to renew at regular rates, you may still renew at less than the cost of a new ArcaOS license. Also, your active ArcaOS 5.0 subscription will entitle you to a discount on your ArcaOS 5.1 upgrade purchase, when available.

Arca Noae Package Manager version 1.1.0.2 has been released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of an updated Arca Noae Package Manager for ArcaOS, OS/2, and eComStation. (1.1.0.2)

This is a minor update to the 1.1.0 release with the following bug fixes:

Update SMBIOS to 1.1.
Fix bug initializing conflict detection popup..
Increase text limit of quick install entryfield.

Arca Noae Package Manager is available in English with Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, and Swedish language packs. Some of these have been refreshed for this release.

ANPM 1.1.0.2 requires WarpIN 1.0.24 or higher for installation. This WarpIN package is available from Hobbes.

This utility is licensed under the GPLv3, and is available to everyone, free of charge. See the included documentation for instructions on how to access the source code.

Please review the wiki for important first-time installation and upgrade notes and other tips.

ACPI Driver Package version 3.23.17 now available

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our ACPI Driver Package for ArcaOS, OS/2, and eComStation version 3.23.17.

This release contains the following changes:

Enhanced fixup logic for some rare BIOS problems.
Enhanced some diagnostic options.
Updated ACPICA.

Please see the ACPI Driver ReadMe for details about this update.

This is a maintenance update that is recommended for everyone.

If you have ArcaOS, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product. Please log into your account and see your ArcaOS order details page to access your software.

New product: OS/2 Video Poker 2.0™

From Reed Software, Arca Noae is proud to announce the availability of OS/2 Video Poker 2.0!

OS/2 Video Poker 2.0 plays the fast action game of video poker found in casinos world wide. Enjoy a real video poker game experience right on your home or work computer. This exciting game takes advantage of the enhanced graphics capabilities of today’s modern high resolution screens, with your choice of seven different screen colors, red, blue, or green card backs, sound effects, and more.

Play your choice of Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, and Double-Double Bonus video poker games, and view statistics about your playing sessions.

This latest version of a classic OS/2 game is sure to provide hours of enjoyment.

Find OS/2 Video Poker 2.0 in the Arca Noae store, in the Fun & Games category.