OS/2 is a greatly different operating system for PC (ArcaOS, eComStation, IBM OS/2 Warp)
Applications, news, reviews, support of users, hardware, questions and answers.
We confirm that the users don't have discounts when migrate from eComStation to ArcaOS.
ArcaOS is better than OS/2 Warp and eComStation, because works better on modern hardware:
USB drivers:
During installation of eCS you had many troubles:
mouse and keyboard may be not available. you should reboot several times
to edit config.sys, etc.
ArcaOS includes improved USB drivers,
which work much better. USB flash disks work faster. New devices are supported.
Refreshed User Interface:
ArcaOS includes PNG Desktop and FileOpenContainer.
(by default this components are not configured, you should make
some efforts to use this components)
One of the main barriers for OS/2 - support of UEFI.
New computers (~ 2012) use UEFI interface instead of old BIOS.
Currently major part of this computers support Legacy mode
(emulation of old BIOS),
but the manufacturing of such compatible computers will stop in
2020 and UEFI-only computers will flood the market.
This will cut the chances of OS/2 for commercial usage and expansion
because commercial solutions can be delivered with new computer only.
OS/2 will support Used (preowned) computers only.
What forecast do you see for OS/2 if UEFI is implemented?
There was a report from Germany about current state of ArcaOS OS/2:
new loader is integrated to the installer of ArcaOS (beta version)
=> so you can boot ArcaOS installer in UEFI mode
On some computers you can create the volume and use OS/2. (computers which support UEFI with boot from MBR)
other computers don't allow usage of MBR volumes and require GPT structure on the hard drive.
Some drivers should be updated (video, ..)
The Colloquium of eCo Software engineers forecasts
that you will be able to use OS/2 till 2025 year.
The forecast is effective if
ArcaOS with support of USB 3.0 is released in 2020
ArcaOS with partial support of UEFI is released in 2020
if the problem of reduced memory is resolved. (you can use 2 Gb of RAM only of new computers)
Arca Noae has posted a new item, 'Arca Noae progress report: ArcaOS on UEFI-only hardware'
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is gradually replacing the traditional system BIOS. The vast majority of PCs on the market are now based on UEFI technology, and a number of these include what is called a Compatibility Support Module (CSM). This CSM "layer" replaces the traditional BIOS and provides backward-compatibility support for booting operating systems [...]
You may view the latest post here:
https://www.arcanoae.com/arca-noae-progress-report-arcaos-on-uefi-only-hardware/
We at Arca Noae would like to thank our development partners, bww bitwise works, GmbH and http://Netlabs.org for their continued contributions to the OS/2 platform. Monetary contributions to offset their operating costs may be made either through Arca Noae at https://www.arcanoae.com or bww bitwise works, GmbH at http://www.bitwiseworks.com.
This email was sent by Arca Noae, LLC, 7 Loudoun Street, SE, Suite 2B, Leesburg, Virginia, USA, 20175-3012. You received this email because you registered as a customer on our site. If you no longer wish to receive such messages, please reply to this email with the single line "UNSUBSCRIBE" and you will be unsubscribed from all future notifications.
eCo Software released LIP package Basic,
it translates objects on desktop to other languages.
Download: http://os2.guru/lip
Current version contains resources for: Czech / German / Spanish / Finnish / Italian / Japanese / Korean / Norwegian / Portuguese / Russian / Swedish.
Even if you run this basic switcher, many programs start talking your language because
LIP package switches LANG variable.
(applications which are using ECOLANGE library and other)
Development of LIP packages:
New languages: you can translate desktop object names to your language,
If you have translated a system utility or an application,
we can distribute it with LIP package among other users talking your language.
The members of eCo Software are translating OS/2 system components and applications
since 90-th. We are collaborating with european OS/2 translators.
Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of ArcaOS 5.0.3,
the third maintenance release of ArcaOS 5.0 (Blue Lion).
ArcaOS 5.0.3 is (again) the result of many hours of collaborative work to keep
up-to-date and to further refine ArcaOS 5.0. Post-install fixes are included,
and these will be made available for separate download as part of the
ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription. In the interim,
a full download of the refreshed media image is required to obtain all
of these fixes and updates.
ArcaOS 5.0.3 includes over 40 updates and fixes since 5.0.2.
The USB stick image package (available as a separate download for ArcaOS
licensees with current support and maintenance subscription) has also
been updated to incorporate the latest changes in ArcaOS 5.0.3.
A bootable ArcaOS 5.0.3 USB stick may be created from any major
operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course,
OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). Once the image is restored,
eject, re-insert, and simply copy your personalized ISO
(separately downloaded) to the stick per the included
directions (also detailed in the ArcaOS support wiki).
The stick may then be inserted into any USB 2.0-controlled
port in the target system, and used to boot into the ArcaOS installer.
If everything is working in your current installation, it may
be prudent to wait for the subscription content to become available,
as Arca Noae has not classified any of the 5.0.3 updates as critical.
If you have experienced difficulty installing ArcaOS 5.0.2, the fixes
and updates included in 5.0.3 may address your issue(s).
For a complete list of updates in this release, see the ArcaOS wiki.
To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page,
select the Orders & Subscriptions link on the navigation panel to
the left, then click on the order for your ArcaOS license. Once
there, click the download link to request a fresh ISO, and wait
for your notification email.
You may view the latest post here:
https://www.arcanoae.com/arcaos-5-0-3-now-available/
We at Arca Noae would like to thank our development partners,
bww bitwise works, GmbH and Netlabs.org for their continued contributions
to the OS/2 platform. Monetary contributions to offset their operating
costs may be made either through Arca Noae at
https://www.arcanoae.com or bww bitwise works, GmbH at http://www.bitwiseworks.com.
Arca Noae has posted a new item, 'ArcaOS 5.0.2 now available'
Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of ArcaOS 5.0.2,
the second maintenance release of ArcaOS 5.0 (Blue Lion).
ArcaOS 5.0.2 is the result of many hours of collaborative work to update and
refine ArcaOS 5.0. Post-install fixes are included, and these will be made
available for separate download as part of the ArcaOS 5.0
Support & Maintenance subscription shortly. In the meantime,
a full download of the refreshed media image is required to
obtain these fixes and updates.
ArcaOS 5.0.2 includes well over 60 updates and fixes since 5.0.1,
and introduces for the first time ever available, the ability to
boot an OS/2-based operating system from USB stick media and perform
an installation. This new facility - AltBoot - should enable ArcaOS
to be installed on many systems where traditional DVD-based booting
has not been possible.
A bootable ArcaOS 5.0.2 USB stick may be created from any major
operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course,
OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). The USB stick image package will
be made available as a separate download.
If everything is working in your current installation, it may be
prudent to wait for the subscription content to become available,
as Arca Noae has not classified any of the 5.0.2 updates as critical.
If you have experienced difficulty installing ArcaOS 5.0.1,
the fixes and updates included in 5.0.2 may address your issue(s).
For a complete list of updates in this release, see the ArcaOS wiki.
To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page,
select the Orders & Subscriptions link on the navigation panel to
the left, then click on the order for your ArcaOS license. Once
there, click the download link to request a fresh ISO, and wait
for your notification email.
You may view the latest post here:
https://www.arcanoae.com/arcaos-5-0-2-now-available/
We at Arca Noae would like to thank our development partners,
bww bitwise works, GmbH and Netlabs.org for their continued
contributions to the OS/2 platform. Monetary contributions to
offset their operating costs may be made either through Arca Noae
at https://www.arcanoae.com or bww bitwise works, GmbH at
http://www.bitwiseworks.com.
OS2.GURU remarks:
The topic of OS/2 installation from USB flash disk
(Understanding that this feature is important)
was discussed since 2008.
Boot from USB Flash is supported in notebooks manufactured since 2004 (or early).
Any "modern" ACPI laptop will boot from USB flash (there are exceptions)
To boot on Modern laptops (2012 and newer) with UEFI support,
switch USB 3.0 to legacy, disable Secure boot, disable UEFI (switch to Legacy).
Good news! Russian version of ArcaOS 5.0 is available.
It's free for users which purchased ArcaOS via russian local distributor.
Yuri Larin (LIP package developer) reports that ArcaOS is different from other distributions of OS/2 Warp system.
a) Updated drivers and system kernel. On the other side, some sub-systems were changed (Samba instead of IBM Peers).
b) Different directory structure, different system utilities
c) All eCo Software applications were translated already
d) XWPS, Firefox, .. applications are updated
eCo Software recommends to the developers make their applications multi-language in advance.
For example, LANGE library exists during 10 years and demonstrated its efficiency.
