Category Archives: News

New AMouse driver package (3.01.02) released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of a new release of our AMouse driver package.

This package contains the following updates:

XWP widget updates.
Installer fixes.

This release is the same driver that is included in ArcaOS 5.0. If you recently purchased a license for ArcaOS 5.0, it is not necessary to download and install this package — you already have it.

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.

More information about the AMouse driver may be found in the wiki.

Panorama Video Driver Package version 1.08 released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our Panorama Video Driver Package for OS/2 and eComStation version 1.08.

This is a maintenance release containing the following changes:

Removed some WarpIN installer restrictions.
Added setup WPS class to package.
Enhanced UseNativeRes functionality.
Fixed installer to work on ArcaOS installations.
Added test so that driver will not report resolutions or attempt
to use video memory above that reported by the BIOS.

This release is exactly the same driver that is included in ArcaOS 5.0. If you recently purchased a license for ArcaOS 5.0, it is not necessary to download and install this package — you already have it.

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

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.

ArcaOS 5.0: Full support for existing OS/2 applications

Still running a critical application on OS/2? Still have some old, musty Pentium III workstations humming along, and hoping that a power supply doesn’t fail or that the noisy 20GB IDE disk doesn’t develop a bad spot because the workstation can’t recognize anything bigger? Afraid to power it off for fear it won’t start again?

Perhaps it’s time to look at new – yes brand new – hardware for that application. Let’s face it, that app has been around this long because it works. It’s worked all these years just fine. The fact that the hardware is showing its age and the application continues to be useful (critical, in many cases) is a testament to the quality of the software. Why do away with a perfectly good application, just because the moving parts are wearing out?

ArcaOS 5.0 runs all of those great OS/2 applications just like OS/2. Why? Because at its core, ArcaOS 5.0 is OS/2. No emulation. No compatibility mode. Pure OS/2 Warp 4.52 – with updates, fixes, and modifications to be compatible with the latest multi-core and multi-processor hardware available. Replace that old Pentium III with an i5 or i7 or AMD multi-core system, 16 or 32GB of memory, and a 240GB SSD, or move an existing Pentium 4 with 1GB of memory, and a 250GB SATA 3 hard drive from something else. ArcaOS 5.0 has lean hardware requirements, but can take advantage of some of the latest technologies.

Why replace an entire PBX system because the OS/2 workstation which has been storing voicemail all these years is in need of replacement? (We’d call that an often forgotten, yet critical, application.) Move that software onto a new system running ArcaOS 5.0. Need help? Let our team of engineers have a look. We don’t just develop and license software, we design, implement, and manage it, as well.

How to access your personalized ArcaOS ISO

Emails get lost. Emails get stuck in spam traps. Emails…well, let’s face it, you should never underestimate the power of an email not to arrive when you need it the most.

We understand this. In fact, the second email notification (the one advising that the ISO is ready for download) was supposed to only include a brief note that the ISO was ready for download and that the customer should log into his or her account page here and access the order to reach the download link. Adding the download link to the second email notification was a convenience feature.

So, in case you have ordered and it has taken more than ten or fifteen minutes for the email to arrive, here’s what to do:

Access the ArcaOS Download Center from your customer portal. To access the ArcaOS Download Center:

Visit your customer portal on the main Arca Noae website. If not logged in, you may do so when accessing the above link.
From the navigation links on the left, select ArcaOS Download Center to view the list of your ArcaOS licenses and associated downloads.

Click the Download ISO button next to the ArcaOS license in question.

Tip: ISO downloads are only kept available for a limited time, after which they must be rebuilt. Visit the link referenced above, and instead of a download, you should receive a notice that your ISO is being prepared. Follow the same procedure as when you initially ordered (or as outlined here) to retrieve the download within a few minutes.

Server load mitigated, and order processing moving

If you’ve been waiting for us to get ahead of our server load issues, you shall be greatly rewarded. We have taken steps to address the issue, and traffic seems to be flowing more consistently.

Thank you for your patience, and for all of you who have already ordered and downloaded your personalized ArcaOS ISOs, thank you for your business!

Heavy server load during opening hours of ArcaOS 5.0 release

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to deal with excessive traffic on the server which is impacting our ordering and delivery process. Please know that we are doing everything we can to manage the situation, however, you may find it difficult to reach the site while the conditions persist.

Downloads of completed ISOs should be relatively unaffected, as these are served from a different server.

If you receive an email advising that there was an error building your ISO, please be patient and wait for a follow-up. Be assured that we are watching the process closely to ensure that all orders are filled.

Thanks so much for the truly overwhelming response to the release of ArcaOS 5.0!

ArcaOS 5.0 now available

ArcaOS 5.0, the long-awaited modern OS/2 distribution from Arca Noae, was released for general availability today.

ArcaOS 5.0 is available in personal and commercial editions, with the latter including prioritized support and a longer term of included maintenance and updates.

The personal edition is also offered at the discounted price of just $99 per license for the next 90 days, so take advantage of the savings during this introductory period.

Current Drivers & Software Subscription holders should watch the Arca Noae site for details on how to obtain a credit or rebate for the unused portion of their subscriptions when purchasing licenses for ArcaOS 5.0.

ArcaOS licensees should also check the wiki pages which should see a number of updates in the coming days to help get the most out of their software.

How ArcaOS 5.0 licensing fits together with existing subscriptions

You’ve probably heard us discuss this topic in the abstract at Warpstock events over the past year or so. As we count down the final days to ArcaOS 5.0 release, considering how the purchase of an ArcaOS 5.0 license may – entirely at the option of the licensee – either work alongside or replace an existing Drivers & Software subscription, we thought a brief discussion was in order.

What’s included with ArcaOS 5.0 in terms of support and maintenance

ArcaOS 5.0 licensing includes either 6 or 12 months of technical support and drivers & software updates, depending upon whether the personal or commercial edition is licensed. Technical support includes the ability to open support tickets in the Arca Noae Mantis bug tracker, as well as telephone support (as available). Much of the driver & software update content overlaps with the existing Drivers & Software subscription, but licensed exclusively for use with ArcaOS. Support, however, is extended to include the entire operating system, and not just the drivers and software components distributed as updates.

ArcaOS 5.0 personal edition licensing includes 6 months of support and maintenance. ArcaOS 5.0 commercial edition, on the other hand, includes a full 12 months of support and maintenance, with priority technical support (these tickets are handled first).

What to do with an existing Drivers & Software subscription

There are really two options:

Keep it in force for one or more existing OS/2 or eComStation systems (as noted, drivers & software distributed as part of the ArcaOS support subscription are not licensed for use on non-ArcaOS systems), with an eye toward the changing licensing scheme for personal subscriptions (see below); or
Convert the remaining period to a credit against the cost of ArcaOS licensing. This can be done by completing an online form and submitting it to Arca Noae. We will issue a rebate, coupon, or credit to your account for the value of any whole or fractional months remaining on your subscription.Example:
You just renewed your personal subscription April 1 for $44.10, and on May 10, you purchase an ArcaOS 5.0 Personal Edition license for the introductory price of $99. You complete the online form, answering a few non-personal questions, and submit it. Arca Noae credits your account $40.23 (the value of 11 months remaining on your previously renewed subscription).The trade-off is that while any non-ArcaOS systems may continue to use whatever subscription content had already been installed on them prior to the point of subscription conversion, no new subscription content is licensed for use on these systems.

How the existing Drivers & Software subscription licensing scheme is changing

To better align the terms of the Drivers & Software personal edition with those of ArcaOS 5.0 personal edition, any subscriptions purchased or renewed after the official launch of ArcaOS 5.0 will be limited to one installed system, and no longer metered to cover an entire household. Thus, one subscription will be required for every system benefiting from the updated software and related support.

In keeping with Arca Noae’s commitment to fair use, any driver and/or software updates obtained prior to this change in licensing scheme are fully licensed for use on all systems where they were previously licensed.

How to handle a mix of ArcaOS and OS/2 or eComStation installations

There will be valid reasons for not replacing all existing OS/2 or eComStation installations with ArcaOS. ArcaOS does not provide extensive support for ISA or MicroChannel hardware, for example. Other reasons also exist. Our recommendation for such systems is to maintain a Drivers & Software subscription for each one, alongside a support subscription for each ArcaOS installation. Only in this manner can you be assured that you are always using the latest, fully supported drivers and software on all of your OS/2 systems.

How the ArcaOS support subscription will be handled when ArcaOS 5.1 is released

ArcaOS 5.1 is already in the planning stages, as are incremental updates to ArcaOS 5.0 (incremental updates to 5.0 will be included as part of the 5.0 support and maintenance subscription content). An ArcaOS support subscription is version-less, meaning that a subscription purchased six months after the purchase of an ArcaOS 5.0 license and still in effect when upgrading to ArcaOS 5.1 will extend the included support in the 5.1 upgrade license. Also, should you choose to stay with ArcaOS 5.0 and not upgrade to 5.1, your investment in 5.0 is protected, because Arca Noae fully expects to support ArcaOS 5.0 for some time after 5.1 and later versions are released.

ArcaOS 5.0: Blue Lion is coming

The final beta for ArcaOS 5.0 is due for release to beta testers within hours. We’ve spent considerable time nailing down the last of what we consider to have been critical issues (likely installation pitfalls) to ensure that our users are able to get the operating system installed and get on with using and enjoying the new version as soon as possible. While our intent was to provide more details along the way, our focus has remained on the software, and as we are all engineers here, in one form or another, we’ve all been engaged in developing and testing.

Meanwhile, some announcements:

Pricing for ArcaOS 5.0 will be in two tiers, set apart by the level and length of support and maintenance bundled with each. The personal license will retail for $129, with an introductory price of $99 for the first 90 days following release. This includes six months of support and maintenance updates and fixes. The commercial license is priced at $229, and includes one year of support and maintenance. Subscription services will be available for each version and it will be possible to bundle extended support and maintenance subscriptions at the time of ArcaOS license purchase.

Volume discounts will be available, as well, with different discount levels for personal and commercial licenses.

ArcaOS 5.0 to launch this week

ArcaOS 5.0 is slated for release this week. Please bear with us as we ensure that the ordering and delivery infrastructure is in place for this milestone release. Watch the blog each day, as we count down the final hours to release with bits of useful information.