From: dmillar@ocf.berkeley.edu (Derek Millar)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Help with apparent OS/2 bugs and limitations
Date: 7 Sep 1992 07:57:02 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: hailstorm.berkeley.edu


I am having several problems getting OS/2 2.0 to work correctly, and I
need some help.  Basically, I've noted the following problems, and I
need to know if I'm doing something wrong or if I've stumbled across
some bugs, or both.

My system is a 386/40 with AMI BIOS, OPTi chipset, 8 MB RAM, 64k RAM cache,
HP Laserjet IIIp, Logitech bus mouse, Soundblaster (IRQ 2, Port 220h),
80 MB hard drive with Boot Manager partition and FAT partition (drive C),
202 MB hard drive with 142 MB HPFS partition and 60 MB unpartitioned.

I have installed the kernel, vsvga, laserjet, and vbios patches from 
ftp-os2.nmsu.edu.

The problems:

1. No mouse in DOS graphics mode.  I don't get a mouse cursor when
   running MS Word 4.0 in graphics mode.  I do get a cursor on all
   text mode applications and in a mode 13h app.  I haven't had a
   chance to test other graphics mode DOS apps.  The mouse cursor
   works fine under full screen WIN-OS/2.

2. When I run a DOS program, it uses the autoexec.bat file on drive C,
   rather than the one on drive D.  When I start a DOS command prompt,
   though, it uses the autoexec.bat on drive D.  I do not have the
   DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE setting set to anything.

3. DOS communications programs (both Telix and Telemate) freeze when
   aborting Zmodem downloads.  COM_HOLD was set to On in both cases.

4. The screen is not restored properly when switching between Wolfenstein
   3D and other programs (with Alt-Esc).  I suspect this has something
   to do with the fact that it uses a nonstandard video mode, but I
   haven't had a chance to test it with other mode x (or whatever)
   programs.

5. This may be an extension of #4 or a problem with Wolf3D version 1.0,
   but Wolfenstein also freezes on exit (it plays fine, but dies
   right after the "Look what you get when you register" screen).

7. Once, turning on the printer killed the system (or, it certainly looked
   like turning on the printer killed the system).  I was opening
   a folder window at the time, but nothing else.  I haven't been
   able to repeat this, but I haven't been trying very hard, either.

The problems, part II (things I haven't been able to figure out, but
can't blame on OS/2):

7. How do I copy over files which are in use by OS/2?  I ran into this
   problem when trying to install the patch for black icons.  I know
   it's possible, because the kernel patch did it, but how?

8. How do I find out how much actual physical memory is free and which
   process is using what?  This info would make it a lot easier to
   configure the system, especially the disk caches.

9. Speaking of the disk caches, which does what?  As far as I can tell,
   both the hpfs.ifs /cache switch and the cache command do the same
   thing.  Why do I get both?  Why are the recommended values so small?
   At a guess, the diskcache command caches FAT  partitions. Is this
   correct?  What does the /t parameter do?

Special bonus question for anyone who's read this far:

Sometime back, a list of recommended DOS Settings for games was posted
to the net (possibly only on comp.sys.ibm.pc.games).  Does anyone have
it or know where it is archived? Or if it is at all helpful?


Thanks,

Derek Millar
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc