Organization: Penn State University
Date: Tuesday, 14 Apr 1992 15:03:17 EDT
From: Christopher Sacksteder <CJS@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: OS/2 2.0 GA Problems

As part of a review of OS/2 2.0 GA code, I've run into a couple big
problems (non-repeatable hangs) and have made a list of small problems.
Perhaps some of the small problems are solved or circumvented by others,
or aren't really problems (i.e., user suffering paradigm shift).

Any constructive comments would be appreciated.  Due to large volume in
this news group, perhaps e-mail would be better.  I'll summarize.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

EQUIPMENT

  For this evaluation, OS/2 2.0 was installed on a PS/2 95 (25mhz 486)
  with 8MB memory, 320MB SCSI hard drive, an XGA adapter and an 8515
  display.  The drive had already been partitioned into 1 physical and
  4 logical partitions.  The last two partitions were cleared
  of all files, but the first 3 were left for DOS 5 and MS Windows.

  The first spare partition was installed with all features and "high
  resolution" (XGA, 256 colors); the second with selected features and
  "medium resolution" (VGA, 16 colors).  Herein, references to the two
  versions installed are labeled "XGA" and "VGA".


PROBLEMS

  System hang #1.  Had just returned from lockup (entered password) and
  screen was repainted ok.  Mouse buttons and keyboard do not do
  anything, but mouse moves cursor.  Keys cause beeps (right away, not
  after a few keystrokes).  Right hand CTRL and ALT cause beep on down
  and up, but left hand CTRL and ALT cause none.  PM Eyes is tracking ok,
  but system clock is not being updated.  Active window is Drive F: icon
  view.  Other open windows include Drive F: tree view and a few other
  folders.  TCP/IP started, but no apps running.  Did Ctrl-Alt-Del.

  System hang #2.  Screen when blank.  Had started Visual Basic in a
  full-screen Windows session, and switch back to OS/2 with Alt-Esc.
  Was about to time going back to VB, and clicked on RESTORE.  There was
  not much else running.   Tried a few keys.  Did Ctrl-Alt-Del.  On
  reboot, system remembers VB was running, and restarts it (!), but
  changes to various folders have been lost.  Switch back to OS/2
  desktop then back to VB without a problem.

  System hang #3.  Screen when blank.  Had started WinGif in a
  fullscreen windows session.  Had returned to OS/2 desktop and back to
  the Win-OS2 session once, and was returning from the Win-OS2 session a
  second time.  Blank screen.  Part of one icon and pointer painted.
  No keys worked; did reboot.  Wonder if it was running out of swap
  space; but on reboot: 8megs free disk space (swapper.dat is 10megs).

  System hang #4.  Had deleted a folder, and message "Cannot delete
  Icon.ICO for one of the following reasons: . . . " came up, with a
  cancel button.  Clicked cancel button, nothing happened.  Mouse won't
  move pointer; keyboard does nothing.  PM Eyes still tracks pointer.
  Did ctrl-alt-del.  File was deleted when system can back up.


MINOR PROBLEMS

  Copy menu item for A: assumes target is B:; no option to change it.
  (Can and have made program definition for diskcopy a: a:).

  Diskcopy (A: A:) from OS/2 command line: if target diskette is wrong
  density or write-protected, the copy is ended and you have to start
  over (reading source again).  Better to let user try another target
  disk.

  Highlighting text -- insertion bar must be in front of the character.
  If it is on the character, that character is not included.  It is
  difficult to include the first character in a text box.

  Copied an item to the same folder, but didn't change the name.  Copy
  did not show up.  Copied another item, changing the name.  Duplicate of
  first item then showed up.

  No RENAME menu item -- can MOVE file to same folder and change the
  name that way.  Annoying side-effect is that icon is moved.

  The Edit Color palette takes a long time (16 seconds) to open the
  first time.  This is in XGA mode.

  Open settings, notebook page Menu (any), Listbox "Actions on menu ..."
  -- painted incorrectly -- first item covers part of heading.  (Am
  using larger than default font, but it isn't that large.)

  Help window has buttons on bottom (Previous Search Print Index) with
  underscores indicating a key can be pressed instead of clicking with
  mouse (E, S, P, I) . . . neither key nor alt-key nor ctrl-key work.

  Drive Tree View -- Sort doesn't change order (should either work or not
  be a menu item).  Would prefer directories to be listed alphabetically
  within levels.

  Drive Tree View -- for C: (a DOS drive) -- subdirectories don't have
  the little + and - boxes to click on and expand the subtree.  Later:
  one of the directories has the "+" box; hmm, someone it found out
  there were subdirectories.  Wonder how to tell it to check them all --
  opening a tree view on every one?  Later: drive C: tree view opened
  first time in VGA installation: all subdirectories have the "+" box.

  Drive, Settings Notebook, View Page 2 (Tree View): when Icon Display
  button "Small size" is selected, tree view comes up with small icons,
  but next time into the settings notebook, the button "Normal Size" is
  selected.

  Drive or Folder, Details View: drag a font to it with ALT key down for
  system-wide change and nothing happens.

  OS/2 System Editor, when minimized to desktop, has label truncated
  incorrectly (maybe due to font selection).  Says:
              +--------+
              |   OS/2 |
              | Syste  |
              +--------+
  Many icon labels are "screwed up".  Returning to smaller font might
  help, but my eyes like the Swiss Helvetica 10 point bold.  Another
  example: a directory folder named "BIN" -- when minimized, the icon has
  label "BI".

  Icon labels -- sometimes positioned incorrectly so top of letters are
  chopped off.

  System Clock -- if digital, shouldn't changing color of "face" change
  color of digits?  Error when seconds changes from x0 to x1 -- stil see
  part of "0".  Changing fonts did not change fonts.

  It is hard to move icon positions small amounts (system thinks you are
  trying to drop the icon onto itself).  Often have to move it twice to
  adjust location a small amount.

  Icons minimized to the desktop are sometimes placed on top of other
  icons when there is plenty of open space.

  Migrate Applications shouldn't enable FIND button when no drives are
  selected.

  Icons sometimes show up in different locations in windows when system
  is started.
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc