ReadMe

This page pertains to the current shipping release of ArcaOS.

1.0 AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION

The Help Center folder contains objects to included documentation, as well as a link to the main Arca Noae wiki page. In addition, on the boot volume, under \SYS\DOC, additional material pertaining to various installed components may be found, as well as on the %UNIXROOT% volume (which may or may not be the boot volume), under \usr\share\doc. Finally, the Web Sites folder contained in the Network folder has been completely overhauled to provide links to ArcaOS resellers and information available on the internet.

2.0 PREPARING FOR AND PERFORMING THE INSTALLATION

Installation considerations include:

2.1 System prerequisites

The system requirements for ArcaOS 5.1 are here: https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/arcaos/technical-specifications/

For UEFI BIOS systems when not using a CSM, you can boot the install medium, press Alt-F1 at the first menu, then select “Diagnostics…”, and select “System Evaluation” to see if the system is compatible with ArcaOS.

2.2 System Type selection in preboot

The following specific items are configured for the various options available on the System Type page pertaining to system type (this supercedes the information provided in Appendix A of the Installation Guide, and is current as of ArcaOS 5.1.0):

• Default system type for modern hardware – SMP kernel, ArcaOS OS2LDR, ACPI optional (enabled by default); APM disabled.
• Vintage hardware (no APIC or IOAPIC) – W4 kernel (non-SMP), IBM OS2LDR, APM enabled, ACPI disabled.

For virtualized environments, Arca Noae recommends selecting the Default system type for modern hardware. See the ArcaOS wiki for more details.

Vintage hardware is considerably older equipment, generally dating back to before 2000. Check your hardware specifications for APIC or IOAPIC support. The vast majority of systems will install and operate quite well with the default system type for modern hardware selected.

Note also that system configuration may be more finely tuned during install on the Hardware selection page.

2.3 Installation types

After accepting the terms of the license, you are presented with the option of installing the system in a variety of ways. Each method varies slightly from the others. The resulting system may be fully customized after install, though the selection of one of the four predefined personalities may streamline the installation process, requiring fewer selections to get to a running system. The available predefined personalities are:

• Single volume/default options – This is the most streamlined installation personality. ArcaOS is installed onto a single volume, with default software selections for a typical general purpose workstation.
• Multiple volume/default options – This is similar to the Single volume personality, above, but with the ability to select more than one target volume for the installation (OS on one, networking components on another, etc.).
• Enterprise workstation – Similar to the Multiple volume personality, above, but with the classic, NetBIOS-based IBM File and Print Client as an added networking component.
• SMB/CIFS Server – Similar to the Enterprise workstation personality, above, but the IBM File and Print Client is replaced with the more modern, pure-IP, Samba server component.

In addition to the predefined personalities, above, ArcaOS may be installed in a fully-customizable manner, from selecting one or more target volumes for the installation to an additional software selections page presented for adding or removing packages from the standard list.

It is also possible to perform a scripted installation, using a response file to supply all of the selected options necessary for the installation. Note that this feature requires hardware substantially similar to that used to create the response file (the response file is created during normal installation).

Finally, when a qualifying existing ArcaOS installation is detected, the Update/Upgrade option is presented (see section 6).

3.0 INSTALLATION TOOLS

Various utilities are available during installation to assist in the preparation of the system for the operating system. Some of the standard ones are:

3.1 USB stick or local partition installation boot (AltBoot)

There are two methods available for creating a bootable ArcaOS installation USB stick (also called a USB flash drive or USB thumb drive). Select the method which works best for you. If you need to install from a local disk partition, only AOSBoot should be used. Both methods for creating a bootable USB stick require a working stick in good physical condition (watch for stressed or loose connector or other signs of breakage) at least 2GB in capacity which will be fully erased.

Note that using the FAT32 driver with /fat option may perform non-optimally for creating the AltBoot USB stick under OS/2. Copying the ISO to the stick under these conditions may take a very long time (over an hour). A stick formatted in this manner may report itself as FAT32 while it is really FAT16.

This wiki https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/arcaos/obtaining-arcaos/ contains detailed instructions for creating installation media.

3.2 Disk Utility (diskutil)

This tool validates the first two drives in the system. ArcaOS requires Logical Volume Manager information on the disk in order for partitioned media to be properly recognized. The Disk Utility can add this information to the first two disks at the time of installation startup if not already present. This procedure is non-destructive and should not interfere with any other operating system installed on the disks. The current partitioning is examined to ensure that partition boundaries are acceptable for ArcaOS. If changes are required, you will be prompted before they are made, and a reboot is usually required. Simply restart when prompted and the installation will pick up from that point.

3.3 Volume Resizer

The Volume Resizer tool is accessible from the Disk Utility. This allows you to shrink existing partitions to make room for ArcaOS. You will be warned before proceeding that the procedure is not reversible without the use of other tools, and that it may result in data loss (though it is usually safe). Once a volume has been resized, it will be necessary to reboot for the installation to continue. You will be prompted at the appropriate time.

Note that the log file may be exported to a local drive or removable media for further examination. If opening a support ticket for an issue related to a disk resizing problem, you will be asked to provide this log file.

3.4 Installation Volume Manager

The Installation Volume Manager is used to create volumes on the hard disk(s) or solid state drive(s) installed in or attached to the system. This utility is accessible from the System Management Console, the Target volumes page of the installer, and after installation, from the System Setup desktop folder, as Logical Volume Manager (Simple).

It is generally not necessary to reboot after creating a suitable partition for ArcaOS installation or for ancillary volumes. The installer will format the system volume automatically, but the Format… button should be used to format any additional volumes.

All volumes which are required during installation must be formatted (or must have been formatted previously) or the installation will fail.

3.5 Boot Menu (AiR-BOOT)

If booting more than one operating system, a boot menu (or boot manager) will be required. If a boot menu has already been installed on the system, it will be necessary to add ArcaOS to that boot menu’s list. Instructions for doing this are beyond the scope of this document. Consult the documentation for the installed boot menu.

If a boot menu has not already been installed, ArcaOS includes AiR-BOOT, a capable boot menu, installable from the Installation Volume Manager (see section 3.4). Consult the Installation Volume Manager help, the Installer online help, and/or the Installation Guide for more information.

3.6 Response file installation (Scripted installation type)

The Scripted installation type can save a considerable amount of time when replicating installations on similar hardware with the same desired configuration. To perform a scripted installation, it is first necessary to perform a normal installation of the selected type (Single volume, Multiple volume, Custom, etc.). After installation, the file ‘Export’ may be found under \sys\install\rsp on the boot volume. Save this file to removable media and rename it to something ending in ‘.rsp’.

Upon selecting the Scripted installation type option, a standard file open container will be presented, prompting for the location of the response file saved previously. Simply select the response file and click OK. The installation should proceed normally.

Note that this installation type has not been extensively tested. Please report your experiences to Arca Noae. We welcome feedback on this feature.

3.7 Logfile collection in the event of installation failure

The installation log zip file is created automatically in the event of a controlled install failure. However, in the case the installation halts abruptly and no abend.log has been written, MKSUPZIP is a REXX script to gather logs manually.

To run it, reboot to the Installer and access the System Management page. Open an OS/2 or 4OS/2 window, and run MKSUPZIP. Answer the prompts to gather logs and archive them to \sys\install\install_hang.zip. Submit this file with a ticket in the Arca Noae Mantis bug tracker.

N.B.: In the event of a crash during install, it may be necessary to run CHKDSK against the installation volume first, in order to access it (autocheck is disabled by default when booting from installation media).

3.8 Automated sending of diagnostics to Arca Noae

In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to generate a diagnostic log file interactively during the installation process (loss of keyboard and/or mouse input and/or video after boot, for example). To automate the process, assuming keyboard input is accepted during the pre-boot phase of the installation:

1. Boot from the ArcaOS installation medium.
2. From the boot menu, select the option to Install / Maintain ArcaOS.
3. From the next menu, select the option to boot with menu for own values.
4. On the Boot Options page, navigate to the Boot mode dropdown, and select Upload System Diagnostics.
5. Press F10 to accept the setting, and <Enter> to continue.
6. When the upload is complete, the system will restart after a 20-second countdown.

Note that this option requires an available internet connection and a supported network adapter. The transmission is done via anonymous FTP, so these ports must not be blocked at the firewall.

No personal information is sent to Arca Noae during this process aside from the name, email address, and license number of the ArcaOS ISO. This information is never shared with anyone outside of Arca Noae, its staff, and contracted developers.

We welcome feedback on this feature.

4.0 MAINTENANCE AND RECOVERY TOOLS

The ArcaOS System Management environment is available from the ArcaOS installer to assist with tasks which may not be suitable when the system is booted from the installation volume. ArcaOS comes with a set of tools which should help in these circumstances. These tools may be used at the beginning of installation or if something goes wrong later,

4.1 Disk and File Tools

Tools are available for testing and preparing volumes, and for finding, viewing, editing, and verifying files. A process monitor and PM calculator is also available

4.2 Arora Web Browser

Arora is a Qt-based, lightweight browser. Note that any bookmarks or settings you may create in the System Maintenance environment in Arora are not saved. If you want to preserve any of these you must export them to other media.

4.3 Command prompts

The ArcaOS System Management environment provides access to CMD and 4OS2 command processors.

5.0 KNOWN ISSUES

The list of known issues at the time of this release includes the following:

5.1 Installation

5.1.1 Systems with a UEFI BIOS

On systems with a UEFI BIOS, ArcaOS 5.0 requires a complete CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to emulate a traditional environment. ArcaOS 5.0 cannot run natively in a pure-EFI environment. The BIOS must have a CSM and it must be enabled.

ArcaOS 5.1 can be installed and run on systems with a traditional BIOS or a UEFI BIOS whether or not they have a CSM. For systems with a UEFI BIOS, you can use the BIOS settings to enable or disable the CSM (if available) depending on how you want to run the system. The ArcaOS 5.1 installer will detect the environment and install appropriately for that environment.

5.1.2 GPT disk partitioning schemes

ArcaOS 5.0 can only use disks with the traditional MBR (Master Boot Record) partitioning scheme. ArcaOS 5.0 cannot use disks with the GPT partitioning scheme. For ArcaOS 5.0, ensure that your drives are properly partitioned using MBR or that you are using a fresh drive for installation with no preexisting partitions.

ArcaOS 5.1 can use GPT disks and boot from them, in addition to traditional MBR disks.

5.1.3 Disk physical size limits

Disks with the MBR partitioning scheme must be 2TB or smaller in size. If you try to use MBR on a disk larger than 2TB, ArcaOS may see it as 2TB or even smaller. In some cases, ArcaOS may not recognize the drive attachment at all. This size limit is the same for MBR disks on both ArcaOS 5.0 and ArcaOS 5.1. Please limit individual physical drives to 2TB in size for ArcaOS 5.0.

ArcaOS 5.1 can use GPT disks of any size. However, the partitions for use by ArcaOS 5.1 must be 2TB or smaller in size. ArcaOS 5.1 can use both MBR disks and GPT disks at the same time.

5.1.4 Multiple network adapter installation

While the ArcaOS installer has been tested in situations involving up to four network adapters, at this time Arca Noae recommends selecting only the primary adapter during install. After the system restarts for the last time, open Network Adapters and Protocol Services to install and bind any additional adapters required.

5.1.5 Unable to install an unlisted protocol

Attempting to add an unlisted protocol in the installer by pressing the Other button will yield a message panel advising this feature is not yet implemented. After the system restarts for the last time, open Network Adapters and Protocol Services to add and bind any additional protocols required.

5.1.6 Multiple driver possibilities for the same network adapter

Some network adapter drivers have multiple possible drivers. If a driver is selected in preboot for a given adapter and it works for installation (no error messages during boot), generally the same driver should be selected in the graphical installer, even if the installer logic matches a different driver.

Example:

The Realtek 8139 might use the older 8139 driver or the MMRE driver. Both support the same PCI ID (in this case; though the MultiMac driver is better supported and suitable for a wider range of chips). The preboot detection logic may match that card against the older driver, whereas the installer might select MultiMac. Upon Phase 1 reboot, the selected driver (MultiMac, in this
case) may issue an error that it cannot load (cannot find the adapter, etc.).

This is normal behavior.

Workaround: Select an alternative adapter after installation, using the adapters and Protocols utility, or go into the preboot menu and take note of the adapter matched there to compare against what the installer matches.

5.1.7 A boot manager is required to boot from a logical volume

ArcaOS may be booted from a primary or a logical volume. When selecting a logical volume as the System Volume, ensure that there is a suitable boot manager installed in order to select the logical volume for startup. ArcaOS includes AiR-BOOT, which is installable from the Volume Manager during
installation. Other boot managers may be capable of properly selecting the ArcaOS system volume, but are not officially supported.

A system with a BIOS-provided boot manager may not read a track-0 boot manager (such as AiR-BOOT), though it should be possible to add the ArcaOS bootable volume(s) to the system’s boot menu. Arca Noae does not provide assistance with specific systems’ BIOS settings. Please consult your hardware documentation or the vendor’s website for instructions.

5.1.7.1 Removing AiR-BOOT may leave volume selections inconsistent

When using the Volume Manager during installation to create and delete volumes and add or remove AiR-BOOT, removing AiR-BOOT and closing the Volume Manager may leave volumes in the target list which were previously bootable but without a boot manager will no longer be. Exercise caution when selecting a volume which may not be bootable.

5.1.8 Shutting down or restarting the installer from System Management

When accessing the System Management console following Phase 1 of the installation, attempting to restart the installer will result in the installer starting over, with the loss of all current selections, reformat of the target system volume, etc. In addition, selecting the option to shut down the system
will present the normal shutdown prompt, and upon rebooting, you must manually select the boot volume from the boot manager’s menu (normally, this is done automatically after the Phase 1 reboot countdown has completed).

5.1.9 Mounting and unmounting removable media during install

The USB Monitor should pop up a message panel when a new USB device has been inserted with a recognizable filesystem, advising of the letter assigned to it.

To eject cleanly, it is currently necessary to visit the System Management console, and type “eject D:” at an OS/2 command prompt (where “D:” refers to the letter assigned to the mounted medium).

5.1.10 Supplying additional drivers during installation boot

If booting from DVD, any drivers necessary for the system to boot into the installer (generally, disk drivers) or to utilize other hardware during the installation process (e.g., LAN) which are not shipped with ArcaOS, must be supplied on floppy diskette. This diskette must either be labeled BOOT_UPDATE or contain the file BOOT_UPD.TXT in the root directory in order to be recognized
and read.

If booting from USB stick media or from local disk partition (AltBoot), simply copy the additional drivers to the root of the USB stick (or boot partition) before booting, and they will be used during the normal boot process. No change should be made to the volume or partition label, and no BOOT_UPD.TXT file is necessary.

Note that in both cases, the drivers themselves must be specified in the preboot menu in order to actually be loaded. In some cases, these drivers are known but are not supplied with ArcaOS. Simply select the driver in the preboot menu and ensure that it has been provided on supplementary media. In other cases, you may be asked to enter the driver name (or driver and NIF, if a LAN driver). Again, the file(s) must already have been present on supplementary media by the time
the preboot menu has been accessed; there is no later attempt made to read them.

5.1.11 Help may not be visible when launched from Volume Manager utility

When pressing the Manage Volumes… button on the Target Volume or Target Volume(s) page in the installer, and subsequently pressing F1 or selecting Help from the menu in the utility, the help viewer opens behind the utility.

Workaround: Unless a popup dialog has been presented by the program and the Help button pressed from that point, simply drag the main program window out of the way, and move the help window into view. If a popup has been presented, pressing the Help button there will open help behind the main program window. Dismiss the popup and follow the workaround outlined above to view the context-sensitive help for the issue.

Arca Noae is working on a fix for this condition.

5.1.12 Missing non-system volumes from the dropdowns in the installer

When selecting an installation type other than Single volume or Scripted, it is possible to select additional volumes as targets for various components. Only volumes which meet certain criteria, however, will be available for selection in the dropdowns. The criteria include:

• Volume must be formatted as either JFS or HPFS.
• Volume must be clean (the dirty flag must not have been set).

If one or more volumes known-formatted are missing from the list, use the Check Volumes… button to perform a disk check on the missing volume(s). If unformatted volumes exist, use the Format… button to format them in order to have them appear on the dropdown lists.

5.1.13 Multi-volume install to empty disk shows no volumes available

When selecting an installation type other than Single volume or Scripted where the target drive has no volumes defined, the non-system volume dropdown will initially display as empty, even after creating one or more volumes using Volume Manager. Format the new volumes (including the system volume, if that should be selected as a target in one or more dropdowns), first.

Note: The system volume will be formatted again with the filesystem selected for it on the Volumes page.

This is expected behavior.

5.1.14 Installation settings not preserved when restarting the installer

When restarting the installer from the System Management console, any previous selections will be lost.

This is expected behavior.

5.1.15 Loss of focus in System Management console

Accessing the System Management console immediately upon arriving at the first page of the installer, and subsequently starting a utility or command prompt may result in loss of focus on the newly started application or session. This is due to the installer and ancillary processes still initializing. Simply click in the newly started application or session to return focus.

This is expected behavior.

5.1.16 Possible screen corruption when Arora web browser is active

Opening other applications in the System Management console while Arora is running may lead to screen corruption (mainly blank windows).

Workaround: Minimize Arora (or maximize the other application) and then minimize or close the other application when done, finally restoring Arora.

This is a condition of the environment necessary for Arora.

Use Ctrl-Esc to call up the window list and switch between running applications.

5.1.17 Arora is unable to download via FTP

This is a limitation of Arora. Use the command line FTP program to download files using FTP.

5.1.18 Arora prompts to accept SSL certificates for known sites

Arora does not handle sites with intermediate certificates issued by trusted third parties. This is a limitation of Arora. If you are reasonably confident that the site should be trusted, accept the certificate manually. Note that any such certificates will be forgotten when the installation medium is booted again.

5.1.19 PCMCIA support

When selecting a notebook configuration from the Configure Hardware page, only base PCMCIA and modem/FAX support is installed. To enable additional support for PCMCIA devices, such as flash disks, use the Selective Install utility after installation.

5.1.20 Limited combinations for locale and codepage

When selecting a particular locale in the installer, the codepage(s) offered in the dropdown are limited to those known to work together for that locale. If you know that the codepage(s) you want do indeed work, edit CONFIG.SYS at the end of Phase 1 of the install. This may be done by selecting the System Management button available during the reboot countdown and then selecting File | Text Editor from the System Management console.

5.1.21 Verify correct partition for automated reboots during install

Under certain installation conditions, the automated reboot logic to select the boot partition for the next phase of the install may be unable to do so (e.g., if the first 11 characters of multiple partition labels are not unique), instead rebooting to the installed boot manager. Caution should be observed to ensure that in such cases the correct partition is selected from the boot manager’s menu to continue the installation.

5.1.22 Unusable serial port(s) detected during install

It is possible that the installer will recognize an Intel Manageability Engine serial port (KT Controller) device as a normal serial port, and install the PSCOM.SYS driver (and matching VCOM.SYS driver, if DOS support is selected). These ports are not usable by ArcaOS. The system will generate a SYS1201 error upon attempting to load PSCOM.SYS (and VCOM.SYS). This/these driver(s) should be commented out of CONFIG.SYS when there is no valid serial port available.

5.1.23 Volume selection dialog in System Management may not be visible

In System Management, when canceling a disk check from the confirmation dialog, pressing ESC may cause part of the volume selection GUI to be obscured by the desktop background. It is advisable to use the Cancel button instead of ESC. To recover from the condition, press Alt-TAB and select Check Volume(s) from the list of running programs. Drag the mouse over the title bar area while holding the LMB to restore the window controls.

5.1.24 Beeps produced during installation or update

It is normal to hear one or more beeps during a full ArcaOS installation or update. During installation, one is usually heard after disk format and a second in phase 2, near 45% completion. Beeps during update may vary. There is no cause for concern. These are part of the normal processes of the back end installers.

5.2 Samba

ArcaOS includes both a Samba 3.6-based server component, for sharing local resources and a Samba 4.11-based client, for connecting to a wide range of network hosts. Here are some known issues at this time.

5.2.1 Samba 4 compatibility with older servers

Samba 4.11 defaults to NTLMv2 authentication. When connecting to servers configured for NTLMv1 (or simply, “NTLM”) ensure that the proper option is set in ArcaMapper on page 2 of the New resource tab. In addition, Samba 4.11 defaults to the SMB2 protocol dialect, while earlier versions of Samba may not be configured to recognize such connections. To help mitigate this change, Upon first run, ArcaMapper may prompt to adjust the client configuration accordingly to be able to see and connect to these older Samba and Windows systems and devices. Unless you have a need to connect to such older devices and/or servers, Arca Noae recommends you keep the default of SMB2 which is inherently more secure than earlier SMB dialects. See the ArcaMapper online help for more information.

5.2.2 ArcaMapper issues

ArcaMapper, the Samba client graphical utility, has seen significant revision to be more Samba-4-aware than previous releases. As a result, it should function in a much more expected manner, in a variety of circumstances. In addition, the online help has been completely rewritten to be more comprehensive and provide more thorough explanations of the program’s use and configuration.

If 4OS/2 is set as the default shell, ArcaMapper should be started from CMD, instead. Failure to do this may result in high CPU utilization, system hang, or other errant behavior.

Upon first run, ArcaMapper may prompt to adjust the client configuration (i.e., %ETC%\samba\smb.conf) to allow visibility of and connection to older, less secure Samba and Windows hosts and/or devices. Please take note of the systems to which you will generally be connecting, so that you may make an informed decision regarding this change in security policy. You may change this at any time by setting the option:

client min protocol

on Global settings, page 2. See the ArcaMapper online help for more information.

If you intend to browse and/or mount shares published by Samba 3.6 running on OS/2, eCS, or ArcaOS, and that server’s configuration has not been specifically configured to support SMB2 as its maximum protocol, this setting in the Samba 4.11 client configuration will be required.

5.2.3 Kerberos authentication

While Samba 4 supports Kerberos authentication, and ArcaMapper provides an option to select such an authentication method, ArcaOS does not presently ship with a Kerberos ticket management utility. However, the Heimdal Kerberos command line tools are present in the Unix compatibility environment. In addition, documentation for Heimdal Kerberos is included in the Unix compatibility environment doc directory.

Arca Noae expects to provide a graphical Kerberos ticket management tool with a future release.

5.2.4 Samba plugin for NetDrive

Samba client connectivity (managed through ArcaMapper) is accomplished through NetDrive, which itself is a plugin-based filesystem driver. The NetDrive special edition included in ArcaOS is licensed only for the use of the Samba plugin.

The NetDrive control daemon (NDCTL.EXE) must be started after the entire TCP/IP stack has initialized in order for the Samba plugin to load properly. Starting the daemon too early in the startup sequence will cause the control program to start but not be able to load the Samba plugin, rendering all connections to Samba hosts inaccessible. In order to start the daemon as late as possible, it has been added to the B4TCP.CMD script located in \TCPIP\BIN. Moving the location of the daemon STARTUP to CONFIG.SYS, STARTUP.CMD, or elsewhere is not recommended or supported by Arca Noae, unless advised to do so by technical support.

5.2.4.1 Upgrading to full NetDrive

Installing the fully licensed NetDrive over the NetDrive special edition included in ArcaOS requires NetDrive 3.1.6 or above. This type of installation is fully supported and is applied as an upgrade, without the need to uninstall the NetDrive special edition first. Attempting to install an earlier version of NetDrive will result in a non-bootable system. To recover:

• Boot to command line (Alt-F1 at the boot blob, then F2).
• Edit CONFIG.SYS with TEDIT.EXE.
• Search for and remove the “RUN=…\NDCTL.EXE” line.
• Save the file, exit TEDIT, and reboot.

If NetDrive does not work, ensure that X:\TCPIP\bin\B4TCP.CMD includes the line:

@DETACH X:\Programs\NDFS\NDCTL.EXE

If it does not, edit the file to add it, replacing X: (and optionally the path) in the example above with the drive letter (and path) to NDCTL.EXE.

5.2.5 Samba Server issues

The Simple Samba Configuration Center provides a management tool for the Samba 3 server component in ArcaOS. One should exercise caution when using the kLIBC User Manager object as these user accounts may conflict with Samba accounts, rendering the Samba server unable to start.

In addition, as the Samba 3 server and the Samba 4 client currently share the same configuration fole (%ETC%\samba\smb.conf) it is possible to create conflicting entries for client and server. Exercise caution when entering advanced configuration parameters. In the event of difficulty, please open a support ticket.

Arca Noae expects to ship a Samba 4-based server component in a future release and to better manage the configuration between client and server on the same ArcaOS system.

5.3 Networking

5.3.1 GenMAC Wi-Fi drivers

GenMAC Wi-Fi drivers are provided with ArcaOS, however, they are unsupported by Arca Noae, and provided as a convenience only. Arca Noae expects to provide MultiMac Wi-Fi drivers sometime in the future to replace many GenMAC drivers.

5.3.2 XWireless LAN Monitor XCenter widget

The wireless networking XCenter widget (XWLAN) is always installed with ArcaOS Desktop, however, the widget may need to be added to the XCenter after Phase 3 of the installation is complete. To do this:

• Right-click on an XCenter border or space between two existing widgets.
• From the context menu, select Create new widget > XWireless LAN Monitor.
• Drag the widget to an appropriate space on the XCenter.

5.3.3 Socktidy

Socktidy is a small utility the sole purpose of which is to close leftover sockets to keep them from accumulating. Generally, this helps the networking subsystem operate more efficiently, using fewer resources and losing less time allocating more.

In certain circumstances, however, it may be desirable to disable Socktidy, such as for internet links with greater latency or dialup connections, where sockets may appear to have been left open but in fact are necessary for reconnections to occur properly.

Symptoms of situations where it may be useful to at least test whether Socktidy is interrupting the normal flow of socket destruction would be difficulty in establishing or maintaining dialup connections, difficulty communicating with hosts over lower bandwidth connections, and excessive packet retransmissions as noted from the netstat utility.

To disable Socktidy, open the B4TCP.CMD script located in the \TCPIP\BIN directory, and edit the following line:

@DETACH socktidy.exe

to read:

@REM @DETACH socktidy.exe

Save the file and restart your system.

5.3.4 NetBIOS over TCP/IP bound to an interface with no IP address

When the NetBIOS over TCP/IP protocol has been bound to an adapter which does not have an IP address at the time the Network Requester is starting, the system may hang.

This may occur, for example, on systems with wireless adapters as well as wired ones, where only one may be active at the time of system start, but both have the NetBIOS over TCP/IP protocol bound to them.

Workaround: Assign a localhost address to the normally-unused adapter, such as 127.0.0.100. Any valid IP address which does not conflict with anything else on the LAN and which is non-zero should suffice.

Arca Noae is looking at a long term solution for this issue.

5.3.5 Uninstalling File & Print Services

To uninstall File & Print Services, run:

X:\IBMLAN\INSTALL\LANINST.EXE

and select the Tailored button. From the Installation Tasks panel, select Remove OS/2 Peer from this workstation. Be careful not to uninstall MPTS if other networking services are to be preserved.

Note: When running LANINST.EXE to remove Peer, documentation is not removed.

5.3.6 Changing hostname for DHCP

It is not possible to change the hostname provided by DHCP to a DHCP server (DHCP client option 20) by using the TCP/IP configuration GUI. (The GUI does, in fact, properly edit the HOSTNAME variable in CONFIG.SYS.) To change DHCP option 20:

1. Open X:\MPTN\ETC\dhcpcd.cfg in a text editor.
2. Search for option 12.
3. Edit the hostname in quotes.
4. Save the file and exit the editor.
5. Reboot (or restart the DHCP client daemon).

Arca Noae may provide an alternative method for this procedure in a future release.

5.4 Removal of ISA drivers

Many non-audio drivers for ISA cards have been deprecated in this release of ArcaOS. If you have such hardware and require drivers which were previously bundled with an OS/2 distribution, please open a support ticket.

5.5 Video issues

The following sections describe known issues and recovery techniques for the two most widely used video drivers under ArcaOS, the Panorama VESA driver and SNAP Graphics driver.

5.5.1 Panorama Video driver

Panorama Video driver is an unaccelerated VESA driver, providing support for a
wide range of systems. More information may be gleaned from the Panorama support
wiki: https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/panorama/

5.5.1.1 Recovering from setting a bad (unsupported) resolution

It is possible to set a video mode (resolution and color depth) which your monitor and/or graphics card cannot properly display. To recover, see the Recovering from Setting a Bad Resolution section of the Panorama Wiki: https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/panorama/handling-problems/

5.5.2 SNAP Graphics driver

Arca Noae SNAP is an accelerated video driver, supporting a number of chips. SNAP is undergoing development to enhance its functionality and update its list of supported chips. When driving an unsupported video chipset, SNAP runs in unaccelerated mode, and may or may not perform better than Panorama, the default video driver for ArcaOS.

The current list of chipsets supported by SNAP is available in the SNAP support wiki: https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/snap

5.5.2.1 Missing desktop objects

If the SNAP desktop objects are missing or have otherwise been damaged, browse to the \SNAP directory on the system volume and run the “makewps.cmd” script. Drag the Arca Noae SNAP Graphics for OS/2 folder anywhere desired.

5.5.2.2 Non-functional Advanced button in Screen object

When the SNAP desktop objects are missing, specifically, the object for the Configuration Program, clicking the Advanced button on the Screen Properties page will grey, but nothing will open. To correct this, close the Screen Properties notebook, browse to the \SNAP directory on the system volume and run the “makewps.cmd” script. Drag the Arca Noae SNAP Graphics for OS/2 folder
anywhere desired. Finally, open the Screen Properties notebook again, and click the Advanced button.

5.6 Selective Install cautions

The venerable Selective Install utility includes an option to add or remove SMP support. While this checkbox now does no harm to the system, selecting it may cause several unnecessary files to be copied to the boot volume. Arca Noae expects to provide a more fully functional replacement for Selective Install in a future release.

Workaround: Do not check the SMP support box in Selective Install.

Using Selective Install to add one or more components to the system may cause undesirable side effects, such as adding more files/objects than expected or creating additional, incompletely or inaccurately named objects on the desktop (e.g., adding Installation Utilities from the list of System Utilities on the last page of Selective Install not only results in additional kernel files being added to \OS2\INSTALL but also duplicate – though differently named – documentation items in the Troubleshooting folder in the Help Center (PMDF Doc and Trace Doc, both duplicates for references located in the Trace Facilities sub-folder).

It is Arca Noae’s plan to replace Selective Install in the future, but until then, it should be used with caution.

5.6.1 Serial drivers added to CONFIG.SYS after using Selective Install

Under certain circumstances, when saving changes from Selective Install (e.g., changing country), CONFIG.SYS is modified to include:

DEVICE=X:\OS2\BOOT\COM.SYS
DEVICE=X:\OS2\MDOS\VCOM.SYS

regardless whether PSCOM.SYS or any other serial driver has been selected. Upon the next boot, an error may then be displayed if no supported ports are found or able to be initialized. Manual editing of CONFIG.SYS is required to remove the offending line(s).

It is Arca Noae’s plan to replace Selective Install in the future, but until then, it should be used with caution.

5.7 Multimedia

ArcaOS includes the MMOS/2 subsystem from Merlin Convenience Pack 2, with a number of updates and enhancements.

5.7.1 System sounds

Standard system sound sets are located in \MMOS2\SOUNDS\. In addition, you may select your own .wav files for one or more system events and save your own sound schemes. Future releases of ArcaOS may include additional schemes, as well.

5.7.2 Volume level

Some systems equipped with high definition audio may not be able to control the level of specific system sounds. Use the main volume control to set the overall volume level for all sounds. This issue is under investigation.

Another workaround is to use external speakers with a physical volume control either in-line or on the speaker housing.

5.7.3 Shutdown event

When ArcaOS Desktop is installed and used for controlling system shutdown and restart, the shutdown event sound is not played. As a workaround:

1. Open the desktop properties notebook by right-clicking the desktop and selecting it from the context menu.
2. Go to the XShutdown tab.
3. Click the Create XShutdown folder button. The folder will appear on the desktop as ArcaOS Desktop Shutdown Folder.
4. Open the ArcaOS Desktop Shutdown Folder object and right-click in the empty space.
5. From the context menu, select Create new > Program object.
6. Type “Play Shutdown sound” for the title (or whatever you would like to name the object).
7. Double-click the new object, and select Properties from the context menu. Fill in the following:
   – Path and file name: PLAY.CMD
   – Parameters: file=
8. Go to the Session tab and select Start minimized checkbox.
9. Close the Properties notebook.

Ensure that the new object plays the desired sound by double-clicking it. Move the ArcaOS Desktop Shutdown Folder object anywhere (the Computer folder is a good choice).

5.7.4 MP3 support

Due to ongoing patent concerns, MP3 codecs must be downloaded and installed. There is a document describing the process including download links located in the Multimedia folder.

5.7.5 Missing objects in the Multimedia desktop folder

If the CD player objects are missing from the Multimedia folder after installation, run the creatcd2.cmd script from the X:\MMOS2\MEDIAFLD\BIN directory to create them.

5.8 Desktop backgrounds

ArcaOS ships with a number of high quality, hand selected background images (wallpapers) from various sources. As these images are not bitmaps (.BMP) but rather JPEGs (.JPG), they are not located in the standard \OS2\BITMAP directory, but rather under \MMOS2\IMAGES.

Unfortunately, the venerable background page in the desktop properties notebook, while capable of listing .JPG files, only lists files physically located in \OS2\BITMAP. Therefor, these new desktop backgrounds will not appear in the dropdown list in the desktop properties notebook.

The easiest way of selecting and applying one of these images is to open the \MMOS2\IMAGES directory on the desktop (it is a light table object), and select a subdirectory (Molcan, NASA, or Pexels). Adjust the view of the light table to taste. Open the desktop properties notebook and go to the Background tab. Drag and drop the image of your choice into the preview window on that page, and adjust the other settings to taste.

Arca Noae is considering a replacement for this page which will make it easier to select background images in the future.

5.9 DOS session support

ArcaOS includes full support for windows and full screen DOS and WinOS/2  sessions. Unfortunately, some newer systems are not fully compatible with OS/2’s implementation. These issues are a high priority to Arca Noae and we are working hard to address them. Here are some of the issues which you may encounter on newer (post-2010) systems.

5.9.1 Video issues

• Full screen DOS sessions may appear dim (particularly when running SNAP).
• Systems may not properly return from full screen sessions to the ArcaOS desktop.
• Other video corruption may be observed during windowed sessions.

5.9.2 Other issues

• DOS sessions may open and not accept keyboard input.
• DOS sessions may result in high CPU load on one or more processor cores.
• DOS sessions may hang the system completely.
• Attempting to start a windowed DOS session, you may be notified that the session may not be opened in a window. A possible workaround reported for some systems is to modify the VSVGA.SYS line in CONFIG.SYS to include the following parameter:
  DEVICE=N:\OS2\MDOS\VSVGA.SYS /int10textgrfxsafe

Additionally, it may be necessary to create or append the following to AUTOEXEC.BAT (located either in the root directory of the boot volume or where specified for the DOS session object):

mode co80
cls

5.10 ArcaOS Desktop

These are known issues concerning ArcaOS Desktop (XWorkplace Lite).

5.10.1 Battery power widget on non-ACPI systems

On some non-ACPI laptops, upon first boot to the desktop, the Battery power widget may display “E 87”. Delete the widget, restart the desktop, and re-add the Battery power widget. Reposition the widget to the desired location after a reboot. This procedure may need to be repeated once or twice, depending upon the timing of the changes, and may require a system reboot to fully resolve.

5.10.2 XWireless LAN Monitor XCenter widget

See the section under the same heading under Network issues.

5.10.3 Loss of Screen object pages upon uninstalling ArcaOS Desktop

Uninstalling ArcaOS Desktop will remove the Screen object for Panorama and for SNAP, as well). As the OS/2 System object is not created when uninstalling ArcaOS Desktop, there is no place for these settings to appear.

We will post a wiki article with instructions for recreating the object and restoring these pages.

5.11 Environment Issues

Certain environment variables are set by default in ArcaOS. As such, they may not yield the expected results when used without modification, particularly with older applications not written to take advantage of some of the newer features of ArcaOS.

5.11.1 TERM

The default Unix terminal type for ArcaOS is os2. This is set in CONFIG.SYS as:

SET TERM=os2

Without this, some of the newer ported tools will not function (e.g., info, used to view documentation for some applications). Unfortunately, some older ported software (vim, for example) do not display optimally with this setting.

This is normal behavior.

Workaround: Script wrappers for such applications to set TERM as best used by each one and then execute the wrapper script instead of the raw executable.

5.11.2 DIRCMD

By default, the ArcaOS installation displays a moderately enhanced (verbose) directory listing from the OS/2 command prompt with the following setting in CONFIG.SYS:

SET DIRCMD=/v

This adds the thousands separator to file and space sizes and an additional column for filesystem attributes. Additional options are available for this variable. Please refer to the included online help for more details.

Note that 4OS/2 does not recognize or respect the DIRCMD. Instead, 4OS/2’s directory listing is configurable using aliases. Please consult the 4OS/2 help system for more details.

5.12 Printing

The following issues involving the print subsystem in ArcaOS are known to exist are are under review.

5.12.1 CUPS

Not all CUPS printer drivers work for all printers, even when the driver name matches the printer attached. An example of this is the PostScript driver for the HP Color LaserJet 3800. CUPS dutifully installs the driver, but printing using any CUPS backend yields no data at the printer. This is also a problem on other platforms.

Workaround: Try a different driver. In the example cited above, the PCL driver works fine and yields acceptable output. Please report such issues in the Arca Noae bug tracker for future consideration.

5.13 Filesystems

The following known issues or limitations exist with regard to filesystem support in ArcaOS. Some of these may be filesystem design limitations, whereas others may be issues to possibly be addressed in a future release or update.

5.13.1 FAT32

The FAT32 filesystem driver in ArcaOS is built from a fork of the Netlabs FAT32 driver. It is not the same driver or code. Do not intermix files between the Netlabs FAT32 driver and the Arca Noae FAT32 driver. Issues occurring with the FAT32 filesystem should be reported to Arca Noae through usual support channels.

The Arca Noae FAT32 driver supports FAT32 filesystems only. While some FAT12 and FAT16 support code may be present in the driver, Arca Noae does not recommend enabling this code, and it will be removed in a future release (this includes VFAT support). Use the FAT32 driver for FAT32 filesystems only.

The Arca Noae FAT32 driver does not support mounting a filesystem disk image of any type. While one or more additional libraries providing such support may be installed with the FAT32 driver, this code has not been tested, no support is provided for its use, and it is anticipated that any code which is dependent upon these libraries will be removed at a later date. At this time, Arca Noae has no plans to support mounting of filesystem disk images via the FAT32 driver.

There is no exFAT support in the Arca Noae FAT32 driver. exFAT is a proprietary Microsoft filesystem which must be licensed from Microsoft for use. Arca Noae does not license this code from Microsoft and thus, does not provide support for this FAT variant.

The FAT32 cache driver (CACHEF32.EXE) is currently enabled by default with a standard ArcaOS installation. This results in generally enhanced overall FAT32 performance, both for reading and for writing (though lazy write is currently disabled due to rare instances of file corruption when it has been made active; this will be addressed in a future release).

The Arca Noae FAT32 driver included in ArcaOS provides significant improvements in terms of both stability and performance from previous releases.

FAT32 itself imposes additional limits on file and volume sizes as opposed to JFS, as well as space for storing OS/2 extended attributes. Arca noae does not currently recommend or support FAT32 as a backup target filesystem for OS/2 files. In addition, ArcaOS cannot boot from a FAT32 volume.

5.14 Issues with other applications

The following known issues exist with regard to other included applications and features. They may be addressed in a future release.

5.14.1 First Failure Support Technology (FFST/2)

IBM’s First Failure Support Technology (FFST/2) includes the Generic Alerter service which depends upon EPW.EXE and EPWROUT.EXE. These two components have been shown to be problematic on some systems, resulting boot failures. If FFST/2 is selected during installation or installed later, it is necessary to manually edit CONFIG.SYS to remove or comment the following two lines:

RUN=X:\OS2\EPW.EXE and
RUN=X:\OS2\EPWROUT.EXE 1

Note that it is generally not recommended to use FFST/2 due to its age, but in certain established environments, it may be useful. It is included in ArcaOS as a convenience feature.

5.14.2 PMDCalc Plus

Prior packaging of the included desktop calculator, PMDCalc Plus, included an LED panel font which under certain conditions may have caused a Trap E. The font has been corrected in ArcaOS 5.0.5 and this condition should no longer occur.

5.14.3 Rendering Hebrew text

The included Times New Roman MT30 font renders Hebrew text with niqud (vowels) displayed between consonants instead of being combined with them. There are some good alternative Hebrew fonts available here: https://opensiddur.org/help/fonts/

We hope to package some of these as selectable software components during the installation of ArcaOS.

Note that Arca Noae is not affiliated with opensiddur.org in any way.

5.14.4 Icon “creep”

It is possible that after several system reboots or desktop restarts that icons on the desktop appear to move closer the top of the screen, eventually leading to a scrollbar on the right side of the desktop. To prevent this from happening:

1. Move your icons where you want them on the desktop.
2. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.
3. Go to the Desktop tab.
4. Uncheck Save Desktop properties.

Arca Noae is looking at better, more automated methods of dealing with this issue.

5.14.5 Extra CD/DVD device object(s) in Drives folder

By default, when at least one USB controller has been detected, the ArcaOS installer adds support for removable media (up to 8 disk devices) and support for one CD/DVD device. If there is already an internal CD/DVD, and no external, USB-attached optical drive, the Drives folder will include an object for the “phantom” drive. To remove it, simply edit CONFIG.SYS to remove or comment the
following line:

BASEDEV=USBCDROM.ADD /CDS:1

Save the file and reboot. The extra drive object will no longer appear.

5.14.6 A: and B: diskette objects in Drives folder

By default the IBM OS/2 installer (which builds the basic desktop) creates objects for two floppy disk drives (A: and B:). If your system lacks one or both of these drives, they may be filtered from the Drives folder. To do this:

1. From the Properties notebook for the Drives folder, go to the Include tab.
2. Click Add.
3. Set the filter to:
   Attribute: Object Title
   Comparison type: is equal to
   Comparison value: Drive A (or B, if A: is a valid device)
4. Select the Exclude radio button.
5. Click Add.
6. Repeat the above for the other drive, if necessary.

If you have set the object titles differently through Dynamic Icons, you should set the filter accordingly.

Note also that if at some point you attach a USB floppy device (or install an internal one), you will need to modify the filter to allow the display of the device.

5.14.7 DVD Tools (cdrecord.exe) warns of being unable to open ASPI-Router

When installing to a volume which is not C:, DVD Tools may not function as expected. Further, it is possible that if there is an accessible C: volume with a recognized CONFIG.SYS, the entry for ASPIROUT may be added/edited in that file to refer to \OS2\BOOT\ASPIROUT.SYS on the target (non-C:) volume.

To correct this, make the following CONFIG.SYS modifications manually on the target volume:

Edit the BASEDEV=OS2ASPI.DMD line to read:

BASEDEV=OS2ASPI.DMD /ALL

and add the following line to the end of the file:

DEVICE=X:\OS2\BOOT\ASPIROUT.SYS

(where X: is the boot volume)

This will be addressed with a later update to the ASPIROUT RPM.

5.14.8 Screen saver and lockup

When Doodle’s Screen Saver has been installed (as it is by default), it integrates with the Workplace Shell lockup function. It is necessary to enable the screensaver and to select a module before the lockup function may be used.

When Doodle’s Screen Saver has been enabled, no sound for the lockup event is possible (lockup is silent).

5.14.9 Files and entries in CONFIG.SYS when DOS support is not installed

Even when no DOS support has been selected for installation, several DOS related entries will be created in CONFIG.SYS and a “stub” DOS installation will be added to X:\OS2\MDOS. This is normal, and should not be removed.

In addition, under certain conditions, “extra” FILES= and/or BUFFERS= entries may be added to CONFIG.SYS. The secondary entries may be safely removed.

5.14.10 Warm reset/restart not working

Under certain hardware configurations, rebooting the system will not work, and instead, the system will appear to shut down but never restart, leaving a blank screen and (if ArcaOS Desktop is installed) the progress meter displaying 100% and the message “Computer is being restarted…”

ArcaOS includes a utility which may help address this situation. To use it, perform the following steps:

1. Wait for the system activity to stop, then cycle power to avoid a chkdsk requirement upon the next system startup.
2. After the system boots to the desktop, press CTL-ALT-DEL to start the full screen CAD handler.
3. Press R to Reboot. (You may need to do this more than once.)
4. If the system fails to reboot, repeat step 1.
5. After the system boots to the desktop, open an OS/2 command prompt.
6. Type “setreset” and press .
7. Answer the questions presented. and click Next.
8. Shut down and power off the system (if you select restart, you must repeat step 1, above).

If successful, the next system restart should succeed. If not, repeat steps 5 and 6, and select Uninstall to revert the new setting. The system will have to be shut down and power cycled instead of restarted. We hope to have a permanent solution to this problem on affected systems in the future.

6.0 UPDATER

The updater feature was introduced in ArcaOS 5.0.4. When a qualifying existing ArcaOS installation is detected on the system, the Update installation type is made available. Selecting this and then the target installation on the following page will perform an in-place update of the target system to the code level on the installation medium.

Once updated, the system should very closely resemble a freshly installed ArcaOS, with all user data left intact, and few changes to the desktop. This section outlines some of the changes to be expected.

6.1 File and directory changes/leftovers

While every effort has been made to ensure a smooth and clean update experience, some components require special handling. Expect these to be more fully addressed in later releases.

6.1.1 CONFIG.SYS should be reviewed

The updater process requires a consistently-available directory for temporary files. If the system is normally configured to direct %TEMP% and/or %TMP% to a RAM disk, for example, these settings will be changed accordingly (as the RAM disk may not be available throughout the procedure. These changes are not reverted at the conclusion of the update process. It is recommended to review CONFIG.SYS for these and other possible changes made, and adjust as necessary.

6.2 Desktop changes

The following changes may be observed on the desktop following a successful update.

6.2.1 ArcaOS Desktop Trashcan object reset

During the update procedure, ArcaOS Desktop is disabled. Once reenabled at the conclusion of the process, some properties fo the Trashcan object will be reset, e.g., the Drives page returns to default, etc. These must be manually configured. In addition, the Trashcan itself may be relocated to its default position. Simply move it.

6.2.2 System volume level is reset to default

The update procedure attempts to quiet system sounds while running. Upon completion, system volume is reset to the default level. This may need to be adjusted on some systems, as with a fresh install.

6.2.3 XCenter object is set to open automatically

Regardless the initial setting for the XCenter, at the conclusion of the process, the option will be set to open the XCenter automatically. If the XCenter was previously added to a Startup folder (either the system Startup folder or an ArcaOS Desktop Startup folder), this will result in an additional instance of the XCenter being started, which could produce some unexpected results (e.g., some widgets may not properly handle multiple instances of themselves).

6.2.4 Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget does not notify

During the update procedure, the widget is silenced so as not to be a distraction to the user. If notifications are no longer produced when inserting or removing media, simply restart the system. This will clear the install mode flag to restore normal operation.

7.0 NEW FEATURES

ArcaOS includes a number of new and/or enhanced features compared to earlier versions of OS/2. Here is a summary.

7.1 Clock Synchronization

Time synchronization is available for enabling during installation from the locale selection page. This will select a default internet time server for you.

The Clock Synchronization applet, located in the System Setup folder provides multi-protocol clock synchronization to a range of pre-configured time servers around the globe. In addition, it is possible to add your own time servers to the list.

To configure time synchronization after the installation of ArcaOS, open the Clock Synchronization applet from the System Setup folder. Select a server from the list, preferably closer to your current location on the globe. Check the “Synchronize clock every ____ minutes” checkbox, and click OK. The background daemon may be filtered from the XCenter by right-clicking the running daemon
shown there and selecting the Filter option from the context menu.

7.2 INI Maintenance Options

ArcaOS includes IFX, the INI File eXaminer, which by default runs at every system start to examine and clean the Workplace Shell INI files. You may customize this utility using the INI Maintenance Options applet located in the System Setup folder.

7.3 kLibC Path Remapper

The older kLIBC Path Rewriter has been completely rebuilt. This applet, located in the System Setup folder, allows you to add, remove, and edit entries for kLIBC-based applications to “map” from their environment to the OS/2 environment. While most newly-ported or recently-updated kLIBC (ported Unix applications) should not need the Path Remapper, many older ones do.

7.4 Kernel features

ArcaOS includes an updated operating system kernel and loader. This section outlines some of the new features of these components.

7.4.1 Loading/unloading code and/or data into upper memory

Loading code and/or data into upper memory (high shared arena) may help in situations where the system is running low on non-fragmented space in the lower shared memory arena. Applications written to allow such handling typically come with utilities to mark their modules for loading high, or instructions for doing so (such as Firefox, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, and Apache OpenOffice). The new kernel is fully capable of handling both loading and unloading of such modules into and out of the upper shared memory arena.

7.4.2 VIRTUALADDRESSLIMIT

The kernel directive VIRTUALADDRESSLIMIT in CONFIG.SYS sets the amount of virtual memory address space within the 4GB limits of a 32-bit operating system. This has been set to a reasonable default, but some systems and situations may benefit from increasing this value. The maximum value possible is 3072, providing 3GB of virtual address space. This is often useful for systems running applications requiring large contiguous blocks of shared memory space.

Changing this setting requires a system restart.

This is an advanced system tuning technique, and generally should not be undertaken by those not experienced with memory tuning in OS/2 without guidance from technical support.

7.4.3 RAM Disk

ArcaOS supports a RAM disk (portion of memory which acts like a physical disk and is assigned a drive letter). This RAM disk may be configured to use memory above the 4GB boundary, normally limiting 32-bit operating systems. Thus, on newer systems with large amounts of memory (8, 16, 24, 32, or even 64GB), the space above 4GB may be configured for use as a RAM disk.

Arca Noae provides a utility for configuring up to two such RAM disks. The RAM Disk applet located in the System Setup folder provides guidance and configuration of such memory constructs.

7.4.4 New OS2DUMP component

The process of preparing to record system memory dump files has been greatly eased by the enhancement of this component. Now, the dump partition may be created as a primary or logical partition, formatted FAT16 or FAT32, and may reside on a disk with a non-standard architecture. See os2dump.txt in \sys\doc\KERNEL for details.

7.4.5 New OS2LDR documentation

The ArcaOS loader has been documented in the os2ldr.txt file located in \sys\doc\KERNEL. This provides a handy reference for users who need to set advanced options for the loader.

7.5 Desktop enhancements

ArcaOS includes a number of enhancements to the standard OS/2 desktop. Here is a sampling.

7.5.1 ArcaOS Desktop

ArcaOS Desktop is a lighter weight version of XWorkplace, the venerable Workplace Shell enhancer, refreshed, renewed, and updated for this release.

Many aspects of the XCenter (part of ArcaOS Desktop) have been enhanced and modernized, and Arca Noae includes a new Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget to make mounting and ejecting USB-attached removable media easier.

A new folder view, XView, has been introduced. This highly re-worked split view of folder objects is mainly geared toward making drive objects easier to navigate, by presenting a tree view of folders (directories in the filesystem, or folders when navigating the desktop) on the left, and either details or
mini-folder objects on the right. The enhanced functionality of XView makes it ideal as a handy file management tool.

7.5.2 Icon Themes

ArcaOS includes an Icon Themes applet, located in the Appearance folder, under System Setup. This utility comes with various icon sets to help you personalize your ArcaOS desktop.

7.5.3 Styler

Styler is also located in the Appearance folder, and provides for customization of buttons, titlebars, and dialogs. Styler has been updated for this ArcaOS release.

7.5.4 New and updated fonts

ArcaOS includes a selection of high quality fonts from Adobe and others. These are installed by default, but may be omitted or individually selected for installation using the Custom installation type.

7.5.5 File open container (FOC)

A fresh, new file open container (or “FOC”) is installed by default. This provides for greater flexibility when selecting files to open in editors, viewers, and other applications. It provides a history of recent files and directories, various sorting options, and an optional file preview pane. In addition, the system’s drives and directories are presented as a tree in the left pane, eliminating the need for a separate drive selection dropdown.

Some applications may not be fully compatible with this new file open container. To exclude them, or to make other system-wide adjustments to this component, open the Workplace Shell object in the System Setup folder and access the FOC tab. Exceptions may be entered on the second page.

To disable FOC and switch back to the original OS/2 file open dialog:

1. Open an OS/2 command prompt.
2. Change to the \sys\INSTALL\FOC directory on the boot volume.
3. Type “filedlgtofocdlg /U” and press ENTER.
4. Restart the system.

To reenable FOC (any previous settings should be restored):

1. Open an OS/2 command prompt.
2. Change to the \sys\INSTALL\FOC directory on the boot volume.
3. Type “filedlgtofocdlg /I” and press ENTER.
4. Restart the system.

7.5.6 Scalable icons (Dynamic Icons)

Larger display panels may benefit from larger icons. By design, OS/2 native .ICO files are presented in either 32×32 pixels or 40×40 pixels. Dynamic Icons allows for scaling these or a set of PNG images as icons up to as large as 128×128 pixels.

The main configuration for Dynamic Icons is located on the Icon Size tab of the Workplace Shell object in the System Setup folder. Individual objects have an added Dynamic Icon tab in their properties notebooks, while folders have modified Icon View and Tree View pages on the View tab of their properties notebooks.

Dynamic Icons is an optional component which may be selected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.5.6.1 ArcaBar

ArcaBar is a companion to Dynamic Icons, and provides a modernized toolbar, with a number of enhancements over the Warp 4 toolbar. Dynamic Icons is a prerequisite for ArcaBar, and may be selected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6 Applications

ArcaOS includes several new and/or updated applications to enhance the general user experience. We hope you enjoy them.

7.6.1 Lucide Document Viewer

Lucide is a plugin-based viewer for PDF, DjVu, and a number of image formats. Lucide now includes the Generalised Bitmap Module by default, which handles many bitmap formats, including BMP, JPG, and PNG. Lucide uses the well-known and widely-used Poppler library for rendering PDF documents. Arca Noae is proud to have fostered the resurgence in Lucide development.

7.6.2 Arca Noae Package Manager

Arca Noae Package Manager (ANPM) is a graphical utility for managing the installation, update, and removal of various software packages available from a variety of online sources. Presently, ANPM supports RPM (RedHat Package Manager) packages only, but future plans include support for WarpIN packages, as well.

ANPM is another tool to help make it easier to maintain your system and is located in the System Setup folder.

7.6.3 4OS/2

Originally developed by JP Software, 4OS/2 is an open source project.4OS/2 provides a robust command line environment, with a number of modern features, such as tab completion, easier path traversal, data file associations, and much, much more. 4OS/2 is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

4OS/2 windowed and full screen prompts are available from the Command Prompts folder.

7.6.4 DVD Tools

DVD Tools is a set of graphical interfaces to cdrtools, providing the ability to burn various types of optical media, including CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Discs. DVD Tools is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

DVD Tools is a folder of applications located within the Installed Software folder.

7.6.5 Archive Tool

Archive Tool is a graphical utility which supports the creation and extraction of Zip, 7Zip, gzip, tar, and xz archives. Archive Tool is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

Archive Tool is located in the Utilities folder.

7.6.6 Remote Desktop Connections

ArcaOS includes a VNC (Virtual Network Computing) client and server. The client component may be used to access VNC hosts running a variety of operating systems. Additionally, an RDesktop client may be downloaded from http://hobbes.nmsu.edu which is capable of connecting to Windows RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) hosts.

7.6.6.1 VNC Server

The VNC Server component may be configured to start automatically with each system restart, or on-demand. The VNC Server objects are located in the PMVNC Folder within the Installed Software folder. VNC Server is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.6.2 Remote Desktop Client Support

Both VNC and RDP connections may be managed from a new utility, Remote Desktop Connections, located in the Remote Desktop Connections folder within the Installed Software folder. If RDesktop is installed, RDP support is enabled automatically. Remote Desktop Connections is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

The VNC viewer may also be used by itself. Its object is located in the PMVNC Folder within the Installed Software folder.

7.6.7 ArcaMapper

ArcaMapper is a graphical tool to manage connections to Samba hosts. It provides an organized view of the local network, and allows for configuring various settings necessary to connect to a range of different Samba or Windows systems. ArcaMapper is installed with the Samba 4 client (both by default), but these may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

ArcaMapper is located in the Network folder.

7.6.8 Extended Character Map

The Extended Character Map utility is a handy way of finding, copying, and inserting characters from double-byte character sets (mainly East Asian languages) and Unicode characters. The object is entitled “Character Map” and is located in the Utilities folder.

Extended Character Map is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.9 DragText

DragText offers a number of different ways to copy and paste data from sources otherwise less than useful (dialog boxes, listboxes, etc.). It has many additional features to enhance the desktop experience, and includes a companion program, DTClip, a drag’n’drop interface to the system clipboard.

DragText is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.10 Doodle’s Screen Saver

Doodle’s Screen Saver is installed by default, and includes a number of fun and visually appealing modules, including a bouncing ArcaOS logo.

Screen Saver settings may be found on the Screen Saver tab of the Desktop properties notebook, and additional information about Doodle’s Screen Saver may be found in its folder, located in the Installed Software folder.

Doodle’s Screen Saver is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.11 CAD Handler

Several utilities are available from the CAD (Control-Alt-Delete) Handler console, including two process monitors, desktop reset, command prompt, and system reboot. Use these to regain control of your system when a program malfunctions.

CAD Handler is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.11.1 TOP

TOP is a handy process monitor and process killer. While TOP is available from the CAD Handler menu, TOP may also be run standalone from a CMD or 4OS/2 command prompt. TOP has been updated to support the enhanced kill function provided by CAD Handler for processes which will not end through normal means.

TOP is installed by default.

7.6.12 CUPS Printing

CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is a modern way of interfacing with printers. ArcaOS 5.0 includes CUPS as well as native OS/2 printing, and several utilities for installing and managing printers. These utilities are located in the Printers folder. CUPS administration is generally done through a local web page, by opening an web browser and going to http://localhost:631 to access the CUPS Administration Page. Although this is accessed using a web browser, this connection is to the local CUPS server running on the same computer, and is entirely safe.

CUPS is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.13 Qt4

Qt is a cross-platform application framework, generally used for graphical applications. Many Qt applications have been ported to OS/2, and with the Qt components installed with ArcaOS 5.0, are easily integrated with the system.

More on Qt and available ported Qt applications is available on the project wikis at https://trac.netlabs.org/qt4 and https://trac.netlabs.org/qtapps.

Qt components are installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.14 Java 1.6

ArcaOS includes an open source Java runtime engine from the OpenJDK project, version 1.6. This enables a wide range of Java applications to run on ArcaOS.

The Java 1.6 runtime is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.15 Odin32

Odin32, based in part on the WINE project from Linux, provides a subset of Win32 functionality on the OS/2 platform, enabling some 32-bit Windows applications to run natively on ArcaOS 5.0. Some applications (OS/2) merely utilize some Odin32 libraries, while other applications (Windows) may be
executed within the Odin32 environment.

Odin32 is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.16 PMDCalc Plus

PMDCalc Plus is a lightweight business calculator meant for everyday use. It has a virtual tape, and interfaces with the system clipboard to make it easy to paste results into other applications with a minimum of keystrokes.

PMDCalc Plus is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.17 Mozilla Applications

ArcaOS includes recent versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey, based on the Firefox ESR (Extended Service Release) code.

7.6.17.1 Firefox

Firefox is the default browser for ArcaOS 5.0, though it may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.17.2 Thunderbird

Thunderbird is the default email client for ArcaOS 5.0, though it may be deselected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.17.3 SeaMonkey

SeaMonkey is the continuation of the Mozilla Suite, which in turn grew out of Netscape Communicator. SeaMonkey is an optional component which may be selected from the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install. Additionally, SeaMonkey may be set as the default browser at the time of installation.

7.6.17.4 ANTurbo

The ANTurbo object which appears in the specific Mozilla application desktop folders may be used to easily mark several application modules to load into high memory, to preload them at system startup, and to keep them loaded in memory, even when the application itself has been closed. This may help avoid memory fragmentation and resource exhaustion which has been seen in various system configurations and operating conditions.

It is important to note that if you are not experiencing program crashes or an inability to start and run other applications while the Mozilla application is running, you probably do not need to use this utility.

To use it, simply double-click the XXTurbo Install object in the program folder (where XX is either FF, TB, or SM) and select the option to Install. The modules will be marked to load high, the Turbo object will be added to the system Startup folder, and they will be laded into memory. The program object will be modified to allow for easy uninstallation.

To uninstall, simply double-click the XXTurbo Uninstall object in the program folder and select the option to Uninstall.

7.6.18 ISODrive

Part of the ISOFS package, recently updated and added to the ArcaOS 5.0.2 distribution, ISODrive provides for the easy mounting of ISO files to drive letters. To mount an ISO file from a desktop folder, simply double-click the file. You will be presented with a dialog allowing you to select the drive
letter to assign to the ISO. Using ISODrive following a USB stick installation provides an easy means to access additional packages located on the installation medium.

While mounted ISOs may be unmounted from ISODrive, it may be more convenient to use the Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget (see details, below). Simply unmount the ISO as you would logically eject a physical USB stick.

When an ISO has been mounted from a removable device, the Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget will disallow ejecting the removable device until the ISO has been unmounted. More on the Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget, below.

The ISOFS package is installed by default, but may be deselected from the Tools category on the Software selections page of the Custom installation type during install.

7.6.19 MEM

MEM is a memory reporting tool, similar to the DOS MEM utility, useful for displaying the amount of installed physical RAM in the system, the amount which is directly usable by OS/2, PAE memory (usable as one or more RAM disks), as well as resident and available process memory. MEM /? from an OS/2 command prompt will display its command syntax.

7.6.20 Default Internet Applications (CFGAPPS)

In order to set system-wide defaults for web browser, email, newsgroup reader, FTP, and IRC client, ArcaOS includes a small utility currently located in the System Setup | Network | TCP/IP folder, simply titled “Default Internet Applications”. Documentation for this applet is available in the \sys\doc\CFGAPPS directory on the boot volume. See the readme.txt there for more detail.

7.7 Removable USB media

ArcaOS provides support for a range of removable USB media. There are limits as to such media and interoperability with other systems insofar as file formats and partitioning schemes as used by other operating systems are concerned.

If the LVM engine is in use (disk operations pending for miniLVM, LVM, DFSee, etc.), mounting or ejecting removable media may fail. This is due to the LVM engine being unavailable for querying device state while it is locked by another process. Complete the process which is using the LVM engine first before attempting to mount or eject removable media.

ArcaOS provides a new tool for mounting and ejecting USB-attached storage devices. Details on this are provided, below.

7.7.1 Requirements

Removable USB media (referred to synonymously as flash drives, thumb drives, USB sticks, etc.) must meet the following criteria in order to be recognized by ArcaOS:

• If unpartitioned (large floppy), the media must be no larger than 2GB (ArcaOS 5.0 only)
• If partitioned, MBR-style partitioning must be used, and LVM must be present on the drive in order for the partition to be recognized.
• The format must be a filesystem supported by ArcaOS. These include:
  – JFS
  – HPFS
  – FAT16
  – FAT32

7.8.2 Mounting

When the XCenter is active, mounting (having the system recognize the insertion of removable mass storage media, and assigning a drive letter to it – if unpartitioned, large floppy, or, if partitioned, to one or more partitions contained on it) should be automatic. The Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget should advise when media has been inserted and ready to use, along with what drive letter(s) has/have been assigned to it or to partitions on it.

If the filesystem on the device is flagged dirty (not ejected cleanly or otherwise in need of verification), the Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget will attempt to check it before making the device available for use. (This feature is enabled by default, but may be disabled from the widget’s Properties panel.)

7.8.3 Ejecting

To logically eject a removable USB device (which is strongly recommended before physically removing it from the computer), you may use any of the following methods:

• the Removable Media Monitor XCenter widget;
• typing “eject ” at an OS/2 command prompt (where “” refersto the letter assigned to one of the partitions on the medium or to the medium itself, if unpartitioned); or
• accessing the object’s context menu from the Drives folder and selecting”Eject”.

In each case, if the XCenter is active, the Removable Media Monitor widget will react to the ejection request and advise when it is safe to remove the device.

Should the device be removed before a logical eject command has been issued in one of the methods listed above, and if the XCenter is active, the Removable Media Monitor widget will advise of the condition and request the device be reinserted so that data integrity may be preserved.

7.8.4 Formatting

Formatting removable media is accomplished in the same manner as fixed media, however, JFS is not recommended for smaller removable media volumes. FAT32 formatting is possible, and recommended for interoperability with other systems which may not recognize JFS or HPFS.

7.9 USB Audio

ArcaOS includes two USB audio class drivers, one for class 1 devices and the other for class 2 devices.

To install USB audio support, either by itself or in addition to an internal audio chip or sound card, expand the USB tree on the Configure Hardware page of the installer, and select the USB audio adapter. Both drivers will be installed and added to the system configuration.

7.9.1 Changing the default audio device

If you have installed USB audio support, and wish to select it as the default audio device, there are two methods available to you to do this: automatically or manually.

For situations where the audio device may need to be switched back and forth between USB and internal (non-USB) devices, you may use the Enable USB Audio Output Auto-Switch object in the Multimedia folder to create an ASwitch object in the system Startup folder. After a reboot (or after starting it manually), the system will detect the insertion of a USB audio device and automatically
change the default Waveaudio device. Upon removal of the USB device, it will change the default back to where it was previously.

You may move the object to an ArcaOS Desktop Startup folder, if desired.

There may be some instances where this behavior is less than useful, such as when a secondary audio device is always connected (e.g., a USB headset). In these cases, delete the ASWITCH object from the Startup folder, open the Multimedia Setup object in the System Setup desktop folder, and access the appropriate USB adapter tab (either USB Adapter Wave or UAC2 Adapter Wave).
Check the box to set this as the default Waveaudio device. Ensure that your USB audio device is connected to an active USB port, and enjoy. To change back to the internal adapter, if so equipped, simply select the OS/2 Audio: Wave tab and set that as the default.

Note that you may need to adjust the volume level for each adapter separately or rely upon any external volume control(s) available.

Only one USB audio device may be active at any one time.

When changing default audio devices, either manually or when using ASwitch, be sure to wait for the current media to finish playing before making the change or connecting the device (if auto-switching). This will prevent system hangs during the change in default audio output device.

8.0 TIPS FOR GREATER FUNCTIONALITY

8.1 Make context menus more useful

To add, edit, or delete items which appear on the context menus of folders and objects, open the properties notebook for the folder or object and go to the Menu tab. Click the Help button for details about how to create new menu items, add cascading menus, etc.

8.2 Make XView the default folder view for the Drives object

To make the Drives object open in XView by default, navigate to the Drives object in the Computer folder, right-click, and then select the Open as… submenu. Shift-click on XView to set XView as the new default view.

Note that this operation cannot be done from the Drives object on the XCenter, which ignores the shift-click. It is possible to open the Drives folder in XView this way, but it will not be set as the default view.

9.0 GETTING SUPPORT

Support for ArcaOS is available to all registered licensees with a valid support subscription. Initial license purchases may include a period of support, after which a subscription must be purchased to continue coverage. To obtain support, contact Arca Noae through any of the following channels:

Self-help (information and further links): Website: https://www.arcanoae.com

Wiki: https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/arcaos

Assisted support (trouble tickets; live assistance):

Web Ticketing: https://mantis.arcanoae.com

Website: https://www.arcanoae.com/contact

Email: support@arcanoae.com

Telephone: +1 571-758-5218 (USA) +44 1727-238802 (UK)

10.0 NOTICES

For a current list of licenses and notices related to third-party work included in ArcaOS and referenced herein, see: https://www.arcanoae.com/tpw

This entry last updated: January 16th, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal