OS/2 e-Zine! - Ctrl-Alt-Del Commander v2.0

Ctrl-Alt-Del Commander v2.0

- by Doug Hicken

IBM for years has touted OS/2's "crash protection" as one of the major reasons why you should buy and run OS/2. They claim that if one program has problems, it will not affect any other running applications and you can continue on with your work. Those of us who have used OS/2 know that this isn't always true. OS/2 does not have multiple input queues and if one program doesn't follow the rules for being a good OS/2 program, it could hang the queue and essentially render OS/2 useless.

Control-Alt-Delete Commander v2.0 helps remedy this problem. Ctrl-Alt-Del Commander (CAD Commander) takes control of the boot services of OS/2 Warp, preventing accidental rebooting of OS/2 from within any type of OS/2, DOS, or Windows session. Restarting the Desktop can be accomplished without shutting down or affecting any running applications. It gives you complete command over all applications' status (including their priorities), and allows selective shutdown of errant applications which can not normally be shutdown via OS/2's Ctrl-Esc key sequence. It also provides a handy status line (GIF, 1.8k) and enhanced task list to let you control applications from your PM Desktop. Even programs previously thought "unkillable", such as network daemons can be stopped.

Operation

When I get a new OS/2 program, I want it to install easily. The installation of CAD Commander went flawlessly; the program takes up about one megabyte of disk space. The install program puts a folder on the Desktop that contains a readme, a control panel, link to the PCS web site, user's guide, FAQ, and a status line icon. A simple rexx file will recreate the folder on your Desktop if it becomes corrupt.

CAD Commander is easy to use: pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del while using CAD Commander does not reboot your computer. Instead, it takes you to an "Easy Information Window" (GIF, 15k). From this window you can access additional functions, switch to another program, get more information on the current application, escape back to the Desktop, kill the current application, or get additional help. If the Desktop is the focus application, you can restart it from this window. Best of all, when CAD Commander isn't active, it uses virtually no CPU resources.

When you click on the additional function option from the "Easy Window" you are shown all currently running processes (GIF, 16.8k) and a set of options that includes shutting down, switching to, or changing the priority of individual applications, or restarting the Desktop. Pressing Enter while any of the processes are highlighted gives more information about that process such as its priority and the number of threads it is using.

I love the switch to feature. On my Warp 3 machine, if I switch from one Full Screen DOS application to another, I have to first return to the Desktop. On this particular machine, it doesn't always return to the Desktop properly. I've found that using the "switch to" command of CAD Commander gets around this problem for me. I simply activate CAD Commander and use the switch to function to switch from one DOS Full Screen program to another. It is also much quicker than going back to the Desktop.

Features

I've briefly mentioned above how CAD Commander is activated and how you can use it from the Full Screen. Many of these same features can also be activated from the Desktop. Below is a brief overview of the remaining features.

Control Panel

CAD Commander uses a notebook called the Control Panel (GIF, 9.1k) to configure itself. From the Control Panel you can change all of CAD Commander's settings. If you are running FixPak 17 or later the "enhanced kill" feature is activated by default and lets you kill almost any running program.

Hotkeys

The Control Panel also allows you to add programs to the "Hotkey Applications" list by dragging and dropping programs' WPS objects onto CAD Commander's Control Panel icon.

Moving the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen will display the "CAD Commander Hotkey Application and Command Center" (GIF, 13.9k). This lets you start applications, shut down OS/2, switch to different virtual Desktops, etc. The "CAD Commander Hotkey Application and Command Center" can also be activated using a Win95 compatible keyboard, or by using Ctrl-Alt-Down Arrow.

Status Line

CAD Commander has a status line that gives you vital information about your system. It includes fully configurable sections for time, date, swapper size, process information, drive space information, a second timer, an alarm clock, window list and shutdown buttons, support for virtual Desktops, a units conversion tool, and an applications list. Drag and drop is fully supported on the status line allowing you to change the font and color for each section individually.

Window List

CAD commander gives you the option of using a new window list (GIF, 8.8k). You can accomplish most of the tasks that are available from the Full Screen session directly from the window list, even restarting the Desktop! The window list can be activated by mouse, Win95 keyboard, or Ctrl-Alt-Left Arrow. You can also right click on items in the window list to "clean" apps that are no longer running but still in the task list.

Shutdown

CAD Commander enhances OS/2's shutdown. A "smart" shutdown message (GIF, 10.2k) is displayed showing a list of all running applications. You can switch to any of them by double left clicking on the entry in the list or continue shutdown. You can also have your system automatically reboot after shutdown completes.

Command Line Utilities

Command Line Utilities have been added to let you perform many common CAD Commander tasks from an OS/2 prompt. This is handy if you are telnet-ing into a system running OS/2. You can kill Programs, change program priorities, view a list of running processes, reboot your PC, or delete a directory and all its subdirectories. Finally, CAD Commander includes a game Boost option for DOS and Windows Full Screen games to enhance their performance under OS/2.

Is there a downside?

I'm not saying that this product is perfect -- I've had times when it couldn't get me out of a bind -- but it is a great improvement over IBM's Ctrl-Esc: "Enter" - "Cancel" solution. I would like to see the ability to use more than four virtual Desktops, but that is a minor complaint.

Would I recommend it?

Yes. In fact, while typing this review my Desktop froze and I had to reboot my machine. Had I not been using CAD Commander, I would have lost this review (and I really didn't want to start over). Programs that used to freeze my machine like IBM's "Dial Other Internet Providers" no longer worry me. I simply use CAD Commander to kill them and go on my way. CAD Commander v2.0 does just about everything I could hope for and does it very well.

Ctrl-Alt-Del Commander v2.0
by Perez Computing Services
MSRP: US$39

Doug Hicken is a Team OS/2 member that has used OS/2 since OS/2 for Windows. He owns and operates a Pheasant Hunting Preserve in Utah. He welcomes your comments and insights.

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