Answers from e-Zine!

Q -- I am currently using IBM Works for my PIM needs (Phone, notepad, appointments, etc..). When installed, the program defaults to use the "X:\BONUSPAK\IBMWORKS\DATA" path for its data.

I operate my system in 2 partitions, 1 partition for the operating system, and another for programs and data. I would like to move this IBM Works data from its default path, to say "Y:\DATA\IBMWORKS". I've searched every .ini file in the IBM Works directory, and have not found a way to change the data path location. Any help on this one?

A -- Absolutely! The solution here lies in the file:

X:\BONUSPAK\IBMWORKS\ibmworks.ini

This file is not an OS/2 binary .ini file, it is a plain text .ini file similar to those found in Windows 3.x. In this file you will find a section that says:

[PIM]
PIMInitPath=x:\BonusPak\ibmworks
PIMInitFile=FPWPIM.INI

(where x: is the drive you have installed IBM Works on). All you have to do is modify the:

PIMInitPath=x:\BonusPak\ibmworks

line to point to any existing directory (if you specify a nonexisting directory, all files will be saved in the root directory of the drive you specify) and start your To Do list. The IBM Works PIM will create a DATA directory for itself and populate it with all its required data files.

If you want to move over your existing PIM data, simply follow the above procedure, then copy all the *.db* and *.md* files from your original DATA directory (x:\BonusPak\ibmworks) to the new one that the PIM has created for you.

You may also want to move the IBM Works applications to your programs and data drive instead of just the data. If so, after backing up your data directory, you can run 'Selective Uninstall' from the OS/2 System --> System Setup --> Install/Remove folder and uninstall IBM Works. Then run 'Selective Install' from the same folder, this time choosing to install it on the programs and data drive. After this, you should be able to restore your data with little effort. (You will probably be asked to shut down and reboot after the uninstall and again after the install.)

Q -- I'm looking for info or help in configuring a peer to peer Ethernet network with OS/2 Warp 4 and Windows 95 PC's. I'm having trouble finding out whether the OS/2 Peer support can talk directly to the Win95 client, or whether I still need a NOS like Lantastic for OS/2. Apparently, Win95 PC's can set up a peer to peer network with no other NOS. Can a Warp 4 PC join in similarly?

A -- Yes, as long as you install an OS/2 compatible Ethernet card and the appropriate protocols (in this case NetBEUI to network with Win95), you should be able to see Win95 clients with no problem.

For more information see my article in this issue on networking Warp and Windows machines.

Q -- I have a question regarding OS/2 Warp v4. How do you reset the system font back to Warp Sans (the new Warp font)? I was playing around with fonts, and set the system font to another, but now can't get it back again.

A --If you've changed the default font on some objects, the simplest thing is:

• In your "OS/2 System" folder, open the "System Setup" folder.
• In it, locate the "Scheme Palette" object and double click on it to open it.
• Now hold down the Alt key, drag the "OS/2 Warp 4" scheme and drop it somewhere on the Desktop.

To reset individual objects, you can drag fonts from the "Font Palette", located in the "System Setup" folder. The font palette hasn't changed since at least OS/2 Warp, and probably since v2.1 or v2.0, so its default settings don't contain the Warp Sans font. You can either change one of the existing fonts to Warp Sans or create a second font palette and set one of its fonts to Warp Sans. (You can create as many different "Font Palette", "Mixed Color Palette", and "Scheme Palette" objects as you want).

To create a new "Font Palette" object:

• In your "OS/2 System" folder, open the "Templates" folder.
• Drag a "Font Palette" object to the folder in which you want to create the new object and rename the object as desired.
• Double click on the new object to open it.
• Select the font you want to replace with Warp Sans and click the 'Edit font...' button.
• Select Warp Sans for the name of the font and whatever other properties you wish. (It should default to the normal size of 9 pt.)

Q -- I periodically have to dial into a Windows NT 4.0 server to access files and e-mail. I have as yet been unable to find away to do so without rebooting my system and starting my Windows 95 system on my secondary hard drive. I would love to reclaim that wasted space as all I use Windows 95 for is to access the NT network. Any suggestions?

A --In Warp Connect there is a RAS client called "LAN Distance Remote"; in Warp 4 it's called "Remote Access Client". There is no RAS client for OS/2 Warp version 3, non-Connect. Unfortunately, there's also more to the story than that...

There are two levels of service: straight PPP, for which Dial Other Internet Providers, iLink/2, In-Joy, etc. should work (but see below) and NetBIOS over PPP, for which LAN Distance or Remote Access Client would be used. "File and Print Sharing" requires NetBIOS, thus LAN Distance/RAC, (it should be noted that LAN Distance/RAC disables NetBIOS LAN access while active). If you're willing to live without printing and to use FTP for file access, you can get by with just PPP access.

If you need to access an Exchange server, Microsoft's 16-bit Exchange client works in WIN-OS/2 once Exchange Service Pack 2 or later is applied to it. This should be available from Microsoft's FTP site. You'll need to acquire the 16-bit Exchange client from your NT administrator.

Now for the sting in the tail: PPP uses an authentication protocol. NT 4's Remote Access Server supports the two standard protocols (PAP and CHAP) and adds a third, proprietary protocol; the NT documentation is slanted to imply that the proprietary authentication is "more secure" and therefore preferable. The truth is, the additional "security" is in fact minimal. But it does serve to lock out non-Microsoft clients -- including OS/2. If your server is using this, the best thing for you to do is ask that they use PAP or CHAP, since all it really is is a password verification protocol.

I am not sure, but it is also possible that Warp 4's Remote Access Client may understand or may be modifiable to understand Microsoft's new protocol. The latest FixPak I could find for it was at http://service2.boulder.ibm.com/pspfixpk/2a56_47e.html (I can't promise that this FixPak will work, but you might look into it if all else fails).

If you're going the PPP route, In-Joy does support Microsoft's proprietary protocol, but does not support NetBIOS over the PPP link. (Theoretically, all that should be needed for RAS access is a PPP dialer and IBM "TCPBEUI". However, IBM seems to have taken the cheap approach and not actually implemented proper routing in TCPBEUI, so it doesn't work.)

While Microsoft's method is more convenient, some of the biggest security holes in Microsoft's TCP/IP stack have come from the fact that Microsoft lets any network protocol talk to any other protocol without restriction, thereby enabling easy dialup NetBIOS but also enabling the remote to do the same in reverse and do just about anything it wants. These aren't the holes which crash the system, but instead the holes which give the remote system access to every resource on the local network that the Win95 box can access, regardless of protocol.

If any of this seems terribly confusing, that's because it is. I'll try to sum it all up in one paragraph:

You want LAN Distance Remote (Warp Connect) / Remote Access Client (Warp 4), but you're out of luck if you're running Warp 3 non-Connect (time to upgrade). You're also out of luck if they're using Microsoft's authentication and you're using Warp Connect (ask them to change to PAP or CHAP), but you may be able to get it to work with Warp 4. If you're willing to live without printers and use FTP for files, you can use recent versions of In-Joy on any version of Warp including regular Warp 3, regardless of which authentication the RAS uses.

That's it for this month. If you have a tip or question that you don't see covered here, don't forget to send it in!

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