From: dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: CSD, Service Packs, etc. How? When? Where?
Date: 5 Oct 92 18:23:36 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <ccc.3.718126754@williams.edu> ccc@williams.edu (CCC) writes:
>1) What is the CSD and what is a Service Pack?

A CSD is a Corrective Service Disk.  It's a disk of bug fixes to the
system.  It's usually more than one disk.  OS/2 1.3 had one CSD
(WR-5050) which was over 20 disks!  This is because CSDs are
cumulative - each one contains all the fixes from the previous ones.

The Service and Performance Pack (SPP) is a CSD package plus new
features.  The one coming out by year's end will add the 32-bit
graphics engine and Windows 3.1 compatibility.  An SPP containing just
the 32-bit graphics engine is due out soon.  Probably by the
middle-to-end of October.  

IBM makes official postings when official dates are anounced.
Anything else you may here is rumor and FUD.

>2) There are patches and bug fixes in the archives, but are those then 
>   compiled into a Service Pack, for example? or do I need both?

The bug fixes in the archives (at least, the IBM fixes) will all be
included.  The archived fixes are simply a small number of critical
bugs that people were complaining about - they are beta fixes designed
to fix certain problems until the SPP ships. 

BTW, you shouldn't install any beta fixes (such as those on
software.watson.ibm.com and ftp-os2.nmsu.edu) unless you're
experiencing the problem that the fixes are meant to fix.

>3) Where does the beta come in?

The year's end SPP (32-bit GRE + Windows 3.1 + bug fixes) is currently
being beta tested.  You can order it if you want to.  Note that you'll
have to reformat your OS/2 partition in order to install it.  You
won't have to reformat with the released SPP.

>4) Where can I find the CSDs, Service Packs, the beta, etc.?

The beta can be ordered.  IBM has a toll-free number, but I don't know
it. 

The SPPs will be available electronicly (IBM*Link, NSC BBS,
software.watson.ibm.com, Compu$erve, etc) for no extra charge (just
your usual connection charges).  Or you can have IBM mail you
diskettes for a nominal shipping/handling fee.  I think the fee will
be under $30.

>5) Will there be an "official" OS/2 2.1 with the 32-bit GRE and Win 3.1 
>support soon? If so, when? If one procures the beta, will reinstalling be 
>necessary when the 2.1 GA comes out?

Yes.  But I don't think they're calling it 2.1.  I think it'll be 2.0
with a new service level (but I could be wrong, since Win 3.1 support
is a feature change that would require re-printing the manuals).  If
you install the year-end SPP, your installation will be up to that
level.  After it ships, new store-bought packages will have the
patches already installed.

If you install the beta, you'll have to re-format your OS/2 partition
when installing the SPP.  (install from your original disks, then
install the SPP over it).

-- 
David Charlap         |"there aren't 50,000 things for which it's worth writing
dic5340@hertz.njit.edu| software; and the computer industry doesn't have enough
----------------------+ programmers to create that much good software.
Therefore, most of it must be worthless" -- Boris Beizer "The Frozen Keyboard"
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy