the Beta File - by Ryan Dill

elcome back to the Beta File, your source for the latest breaking news in OS/2 beta development. Every month we scour the OS/2 world to bring you interesting news of OS/2 software in development. If you have a product that you're sure is going to be the next killer app, or you want a little free exposure for your beta test, drop us a note!

We'll start off this month with a few updates to beta programs e-Zine's already mentioned..

The MR/2 Newsreader (mentioned in June '97), has been updated (02/05/98) to beta #46 (ZIP, 1M). VFAT-OS/2, mentioned in January '98, has been updated (02/08/98) to beta 0.03 (ZIP, 180k). WarpZip, also mentioned in January '98, has been updated (02/09/98) to beta 1.06 (ZIP, 785k). IPAD, mentioned in July '97, has been updated (02/06/98) to beta 0.5.03 (ZIP, 550k). kBootManager, mentioned in January '98, has been updated (01/30/98) to beta 0.36.2 (ZIP, 95k).

Kim Kruse Hansen, author of the OS/2 version of CU-SeeMe, CUSeeme/2 (see last month's Beta File), seems to have reconsidered his decision to halt development of the product. A new beta of the product (v1.5.3B) is now available from the CUSeeMe/2 web page.

Stéphane Charette previously had a utility which allowed images from the Kodak DC210 digital camera to be dealt with under OS/2. Recently he's started adding support for other digital cameras as well; the current release version (1.1d) of DCITU (Digital Camera Image Transfer Utility) has support for Kodak models DC210 and DC120. Support for many other cameras is currently in the works, and Charette is looking for beta testers. If you have a digital camera which you'd like to use under OS/2, you're a candidate. Since he only owns one camera, the DC210, external beta testing is the only way support for other cameras can be added.

Charette is currently looking for beta testers who have access to the following digital cameras: the Agfa ePhoto, Sanyo DSC, Sierra SD640, and the Toshiba PDR-2. If you have another camera than this, your participation is still welcome. See the DCITU beta page for details of who's working on what, and to download the latest beta version.

DCITU is shareware; the shareware version transfers images from the camera to the computer at a speed of 9600 baud, while the registered version can transfer at speeds up to 230400 baud. Registration costs $30 US (or $40 CDN, whichever is more convenient for the buyer), and is valid for all version 1.x updates to the program. See the registration form included with the archive to register. More information about the beta program can be found on the DCITU beta page listed above.

Henk Kelder has just released the 5th public beta of his FAT32 IFS for OS/2. An IFS, or Installable File System, is a driver which allows OS/2 to understand a particular file system. (You might have noticed IFS statements for HPFS and your CD-ROM in your config.sys file) FAT32 is the new file system Microsoft is using for newer releases of Windows 95 (OSR 2.x and later), so having this driver installed should allow you to read and write to FAT32 partitions, which normally aren't supported under OS/2. (IBM is apparently working on adding support)

The package contains two separate ways of accessing FAT32 under OS/2; the first is a 'tweaked' version of OS/2's OS2DASD.DMD driver, and the second is based largely on a Linux driver which tricks OS2DASD.DMD into thinking it can handle such partitions normally. Use one or the other version, not both.

When the IFS finishes beta stages, it's expected to be freeware, but no word is yet available on when that will be. In the meantime, feel free to download and test the betas if you have access to a FAT32 partition. Read the documentation carefully; drivers like this can muck up your system if you use them incorrectly. More information can be found at the FAT32 IFS web page.

Ulrich Möller has created a replacement for the normal OS/2 WPFolder class, called XFolder. XFolder allows you to add functionality to the popup menus of all folders on your OS/2 system at once, by adding that functionality to the class those folders all inherit from. It also has a variety of other features which enhance the use of objects on your system. Although designed on Warp 3, Ulrich reports that his users have had no problems with running it on Warp 4 either.

Having just reached beta 0.50, XFolder allows you to add items to the popup menus of all objects, just as the 'Menu' tab of an object's settings can add items to that objects's individual popup menu. It also allows you to snap all folders at once to the 'grid' view so as to look more symmetric, take advantage of more keyboard shortcuts, and a variety of other cool tweaks. For example, it can give folders the ability to show their full path name; when you open C:\OS2\SYSTEM from the Workplace Shell, its title bar will now report the full path instead of just "SYSTEM".

XFolder is free for anyone to test while in beta stages, and will remain freeware once it reaches release versions. More information and downloads are available at the program's home page

OS/2 Pascal programmers will be happy to know that there's going to be a version of Virtual Pascal 2.0 for OS/2. fPrint (UK) Ltd. is developing a version of Virtual Pascal 2.0 which will run on OS/2, Windows 95, Windows NT and certain DOS 32-bit extenders. VP/2 2.0 will include the same tried and true IDE from VirtualPascal/2 v1.x, with the IDE being able to generate both OS/2 and Win32 programs. The full list of the features intended for VP/2 2.0 is exhaustive; much of it based on user suggestions from the v1.x series of VP/2.

Virtual Pascal/2 2.0 will be sold entirely via the Internet via BMT Micro to save costs associated with hardcopy documentation, media and packaging. (This is interesting considering the topic of this month's Debate) The VP/2 team is also creating a paid beta program, so that interested VirtualPascal/2 users can help improve the product as it nears release. The beta program is expected to begin in April 1998, but pre-orders can be given now at BMT Micro's VP/2 page. Normal price for VP/2 2.0 will be $159 US, while upgrades, beta licenses and student copies are all $40 less.

For those leery about paying for a beta program, in the words of the VP/2 team: "By participating in the beta program, you not only get a chance to try this excellent software before all your friends - and to demonstrate a significant demand for the product - but it also enables you to send us your thoughts on features you would like to see, or existing ones you would like to change." For more information about VP 2.0, see the Virtual Pascal web page at fPrint.

Those interested in keeping their e-mail out of prying eyes will be interested to know that the second beta of PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) version 5.0i is ready for testing. PGP is a highly secure public encryption program which has become the de facto standard for the encryption of e-mail over the internet. The author of the OS/2 port, William H. Geiger III, is also responsible for ports of PGP 2.6.3a and 2.6.3a-sha1 to OS/2, and is currently working on the recently released source code to version 5.5 of PGP.

The current beta is available for download from Geiger's PGP web page, along with detailed instructions for setting up PGP on your system. More information about PGP in general can be found at the International PGP web site. PGP for OS/2 is freeware.

A new internet server by Terje Flaarønning has just reached public beta 0.58. InetPowerServer/2 is an enterprise-level server suite which will include a web server, a mail server and an ftp server upon release; current betas only include the ftp components.

The current FTP beta of IPS/2 includes a variety of features, including REXX hooks, multi-disk ability (you can switch to various disks on the host via FTP; some ftp servers only allow access to the drive the server is installed to), support for OS/2 extended attributes (EAs), stability monitoring, and more. To test out a copy of IPS/2, download the latest beta from Hobbes and set it up as described in the archive.

Ridax programutveckling, best known for their OS/2 and Windows remote control applications OS/2You, PM2You and Win2You, are looking for beta testers for their newest application, a Java front-end for their remote control products. The upcoming Java version will allow you to control an OS/2 or Windows desktop through any web browser that support Java, on any platform, like the Mac, Unix or the NetStation/NC.

Mikael Walhgren of Ridax says that they would prefer beta testers who would be quite active, and provide feedback often. If you're interested in being a tester for the product, e-mail mail@ridax.se and report what host operating system you'll be using (either OS/2 or Win95/NT) and what Java-capable browsers and platforms you plan to be using for controlling the desktop. Other information to include in your message is the host computer's screen resolution, the version of your Java on the client side and the amount of memory and processor power on the Java machine(s).

Ryan Dill is a student in Computer Science at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS and e-Zine! 's assistant editor. He is reported to be relieved that, with the advent of Warp 4, talking to your computer is no longer considered a sign of mental instability.

Copyright © 1998 - Falcon Networking

ISSN 1203-5696