From: sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Timothy F. Sipples)
Subject: Re: GA plus SP-- reduce total number of disks?
Reply-To: sip1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Dept. of Econ., Univ. of Chicago
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 23:42:08 GMT

In article <rhoward.724097747@matd> rhoward@matd.gatech.edu (Robert L. Howard) writes:
>Okay, I am sure that this has been asked before...
>Given that I have GA (on the nice IBM provided disks) and the
>Service Pack (on my on floppies, it was downloaded), how can
>I combine them into GA+SP so that I
>a) reduce the number of total floppies
>b) only have to install the combined set as a single procedure
>   rather than install GA then upgrade to SP?

Your OS/2 license allows you to acquire the "refreshed" code by any
means you find convenient.

First some background.  IBM periodically rolls Service Paks (CSDs)
back into the base, shrinkwrapped product (so that future purchasers
don't get the oldest code).  The outside of the box will contain that
information (it will say "Refresh Level 2.00.1," or whatever), and,
after installing such a package, you can type SYSLEVEL to get the CSD
level number.

That hasn't happened yet -- OS/2 2.0 shrinkwrap is still identical to
the code from the end of March.  However, it may happen in the future.

Now, if you know someone else who has purchased the refreshed code,
you can get a copy on your own from that person.  Also, if you know an
IBM SE or someone in your IBM branch office, you can ask him or her
for a copy.  Dealers are also known to provide code refreshes to you.
(You supply the diskettes.)  This is where user's groups are helpful.
You can hold a group meeting and ask members to bring in their license
cards.  They can then hold a copying party, and verify that everyone
has a license card for that major version of OS/2, to make sure no one
is breaking the law.  (You need not be so strict with a Service Pak
"copying party" -- the Service Pak or CSD is only useful if you have
the base code and, presumably, a license.)

I do not know of a way to roll the actual Service Pak update diskettes
(that extra set) back into the base set of diskettes.  So, unless you
obtain the refreshed code through one of the means I described, you
will have two sets of diskettes to contend with if you want the latest
Service Pak in place.

To be perfectly clear about this, now, (1) there is no refreshed base
OS/2 distribution yet; the shrinkwrapped code is March 30 code; (2)
your ability to copy the refreshed code is limited only to that same
second major version number of OS/2.

If, for example, OS/2 2.1 is introduced, and an upgrade fee is
requested, you are not permitted to copy someone else's copy of OS/2
2.1 (if your license card is only for OS/2 Version 2.0).  Your OS/2
2.0 license card lets you use all Version 2.0x.y.z releases of OS/2
(unless announced otherwise), but as soon as that second number
changes there may be a fee.

-- 
Timothy F. Sipples      | Read the OS/2 FAQ List 2.0h, available from
sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu | 128.123.35.151, anonymous ftp, in /pub/os2/all/info
Dept. of Econ., Univ.   | /faq, or from LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET (send "HELP")
of Chicago, 60637       | [Read the List, THEN post to ONE OS/2 newsgroup.]
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc