                   Joe's OS/2 Tips.

                      Number 6

         Written by Joseph Mckinnon (61:560/0@Worldnet)
        
         Downloaded from Proteus OS/2.
        
         Phone +61-7-800-3521
        
         Hours 24 hours a day
        
         Speeds 300-14400, MNP, V42Bis (NETCOMM)

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A] Navigating Around OS/2, without a Mouse.
B] Fail-Safe Alertness?
C] Memory Saving & Performance tips


INTRODUCTION

By the time most of you get this issue, OS/2's windows support will have
been officially upgraded to support version 3.1 applications, along with
all the usual multi-media stuff that Microsoft bundled with it's
infamous product.  This will most likely be the last ever Windows release
for OS/2, as IBM intends to bridge the gap between Windows and OS/2 via
a new PC-DOS style interface, wait for it.....It could be called
WorkPlaceShell for DOS, and does the same functions as the OS/2 version,
with obvious limitations.

Anyway, I hope you have all had a safe and happy Christmas break, and
didn't party to hard at the start of '93.


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A] Navigating Around OS/2, without a Mouse.

This part is inspired by a friend, Ernst Winter, who suggested that
people couldn't use their keyboards to navigate around OS/2.

This is going to be just a list of keystrokes, with a brief description.
Also the Cursor keys are functional in most areas.
Notes....
CTRL       -  Control Key
ALT        -  Alternate Key
ESC        -  ESCAPE Key
SHF        -  SHIFT key
[CTRL]V    -  Means to hold down control and press V
CTRL V     -  Means to press control then press V
F4         -  Function key 4

KEYSTROKES              RESULT

GLOBAL COMMANDS.

[CTRL] ESC              This will pop-up the Windows list.
                        Note. This will bring you from a full screen
                        program to the desktop.
                        Note. This is also one of the Fail-Safe keys
                        that OS/2 looks for in a state of deadlock.

[ATL] ESC               This will goto the next process, in order of the
                        Windows List.

[CTRL][ALT] DEL         Performs a Cache Flush and then Warm Boots your
                        computer.
                        Note. I don't recommend this method on a heavily
                        utilized machine, especially if you are running
                        a beta version.

[ALT] HOME              Toggles a DOS window to full screen mode and
                        back again.
                        Note. Some video cards have problems with this
                        command.

WINDOW COMMANDS.

ALT                     Brings up a pop-up menu, for that Window.
                        Note. from here there are several options, some
                        are hot keyed for characters, others are selectable
                        via the cursor keys.

ESC                     Closes pop-up lists.
                        Note. Be careful, don't press to many times, as
                        you may inadvertently affect your program, ie if you
                        press one to many.

[ALT] F4                Closes an OS/2 Window/dialog.
                        Note. Some Dialog boxes disable this, mainly to
                        display copyright notices.

[ALT] F7                Allows a window to be positioned on the screen.

[ALT] F8                Allows a window's size to be changed.

[ALT] F9                Minimizes Windows (after it was Maximizes)

[ALT] F10               Maximizes a Window.

DESKTOP Keystrokes.

SPACEBAR                Selects, Deselects an object

RETURN                  Opens, Runs an Object

[SHIFT] F10             On a selected object
                             Opens up the Settings menu.
                        On a un-selected object
                             Opens up the System (or ShutDown) Menu.

DIALOG Keystrokes
Many of the above apply here.

TAB                     Moves between various fields of input.

Well this covers most of the important keystrokes, to get you to and
from most applications.  In most cases, you don't need to know these
keys, unless of course you mouse blows-up, or you like keyboards?


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B] Fail-Safe Alertness?

I have often heard from new users that they have to press reset several
times a day, due to some mysterious system crashes.  These are almost
always inflicted by operator error, and for the most part are
recoverable, but how, when the system appears to be locked.

The Steps to recover most systems, from an apparent crash.

1] If your in the desktop, and the mouse moves, obviously OS/2 hasn't
   crashed.  If the mouse doesn't move, prayer. Goto step 2.

2]a) Press [CTRL] ESC several times and wait up to 2 minutes.
  b) if nothing happens, press [ALT] ESC several times and wait up to 2
        minutes.
  c) If nothing happens, Press [CTRL] [ALT] DEL, and wait until DRIVE
     ACTIVITY stops.  And forget about the rest of these steps.

3] At this point of time, one of several things may have happened.
      - INTERNAL HALTED TRAP ERROR (basically a Dead System, press RESET)
      - INTERNAL TRAP ERROR MESSAGE
           Select Stop process.
      - Informational dialogue, informing you that such&such has stopped
        running.
           Press RETURN, and the system should appear to reload the
           WorkPlaceShell, never fear, the rest, of the currently running
           processes, will still be running.
        Note. If this happens on a continual basis, check the remaining
        space available on your swap-file drive, it may be full.

4] OPTIONAL STEP
   On my system, I wouldn't bother shutting down my system and
   restarting, as I am very confident in OS/2's ability to keep my system
   operational.  But if you are running a beta, it's always advisable to
   shut-down and restart OS/2, as you don't know what may have be
   broken.

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C] Memory Saving & Performance tips

   Many of us OS/2 users, run OS/2 applications, with only a limited
number of DOS/WINDOWS based apps.  Therefore, people who run mostly OS/2
stuff, can save a fair chunk of available physical ram by removing
various Virtual Device drivers.

   VCOM.SYS            If you don't want DOS COMS, REM (not DEL) this
                       command out from OS/2 config.sys.

   VCDROM.SYS          Pointless, unless you have CD-ROMS.

   Another interesting performance tip, is to reduce the IDLE_SENSITIVITY
setting to about 5 on DOS apps, and you will find that most DOS apps
will happily run, and OS/2 apps will run faster.  Since OS/2's
scheduler will give more time to OS/2 apps, which in turn release
time slices if not active (which is how a REAL operating system's
programs should perform.)

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SOFTWARE JUNKIE UPDATE

AMI PRO for OS/2 is Due out in 1stQ93!!!!!!!!

CorelDraw's new OS/2 version is also in the process of being coded to
include the MISSING functions that can be found in Windows land.  Does
this mean that Corel realizes where the future lies?

Microsoft has, once again, not meet a shipping date.  Nothing unusual,
must have too many bugs for their programmers to kludge in one hit.

IBM's new DOS is due for Beta release 1st quarter, so ring your
favorite IBM techie and ask for a EEP license, if your interested in
DOS's future.

Stacker for OS/2 seems to be vapourware, at least it hasn't occurred in beta
testing anywhere official, a bit like another product.

IBM's Multi-CPU OS/2 platform seems to be getting ready for unveiling,
with announcements about the micro-kernel support they are looking to
utilize.  IBM is also planning the same WorkPlaceShell models for
their various operating system platforms, great news for the systems
programmers.

Wattle Creek CD-ROM publishers are in the process of producing the new
edition of their OS/2 Shareware library, should be interesting to see,
hopefully they will keep their prices down.

Rumor has it, that the makers of Wing Commander are thinking of an OS/2
game, I sure hope that this is true.

Creative Labs and Pro Audio Spectrum have released OS/2 drivers for
their various sound cards, to work with IBM's Multi-media products.
Gravis UltraSound's makers are planning on OS/2 drivers also.

If your a software developer, you can't miss IBM's offer of a CD-ROM
diskette with their current beta offerings and the programmer's library,
all on CD-ROM.

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HARDWARE JUNKIE UPDATES

The new Quantum IDE hard drives have the potential to load OS/2 in 25
seconds! Now that is FAST.

Tseng Labs new Co-process video card, the ET4000/W32 Bit, will be
released in Jan/Feb and will be directly supported by OS/2 drivers.

OS/2's hardware reliance has taught many a cheap clone vendors new
tricks, and many of the cheaper component manufactures are having to
redesign their hardware, so that they can remain IBM compatible.
Since IBM is now licensing both it's BIOS and BUS they have no
excuse, to make bad clones.  Also IBM has introduced the Value line
of systems, which are of a high quality, but a clone price.


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The END

Well, nearly.

If you wish to contact me, about various topics I have covered, or if
you have suggestions, the easy method is via a message in one of the
following mail networks, in their OS/2 area.

WORLDNET             61:560/0
INTLNET              58:1100/300
GLOBALNET            54:6140/110
And shortly Fidonet.

Or via SNAIL MAIL

Joe's OS/2 Tips
540 Johnson Road
Forestdale, QLD, Australia, 4118.


Or via the BBS

+61-7-800-3521
Hours 0600-215 Australian Eastern Standard Time
1200-14.4k baud rates.

Or Via VOICE

+61-7-800-4447

Most times I am around the phone, but the answering system will take
care of you, otherwise.  But I can't afford to return an international
call.
