Mostly freeware, mostly harmless

Recent changes

• 2000-02-14: Minor site maintenance.
• 1999-03-04: New: Config Maint, Weasel, Web/2. Dropped: Config Sort, Warp'n'Go, Bearsoft httpd, GoServe. New versions: KAZip 1.0, Association editor 1.6, WP Tools 2.6, Config Info, Phoenix 1.35, DragText 3.0, FTE 4.6b5, emx 0.9d, less, Lynx 2.8, FtpServer. Miscellaneous minor updates, e.g. a few directories have changed. Australian Hobbes mirror has moved.
• 1998-02-16: New versions: KAZip 0.99e, Zip 2.2, Unzip 5.32, FtpServer 0.5, DragText 2.5, PC/2 2.00.
• 1997-10-11: New: FtpServer. Dropped: Penguin ftpd. New versions: BluePaint 0.25, Hed 1.78b, Initor 2.5, lxLite 1.21. Updated many directory names as a result of the Hobbes reorganization.

Recommended OS/2 utilities

• Introduction
• General
• System maintenance and tuning
• Screen saver
• Desktop enhancements
• Editors
• Calculator
• System status
• Network utilities
• Network servers
• Music
• Miscellaneous
• Fixpacks and video driver updates
• Hints for installing programs ported from Unix

Introduction

In the hope of saving you time searching through archives, I've collected here a list of utilities that I personally recommend. Tastes vary, of course, and your taste might not match mine. Here are the biases that affect my choices:

• I like software that's compact, doesn't waste disk space, and doesn't hog memory. Anything that takes up a megabyte on the disk had better be very good to justify the space it takes.
• I like software that does a well-defined job without too many superfluous bells and whistles. If something is described as "full-featured" then I probably won't like it.
• Ease of use and a well thought-out interface are more important to me than fancy graphics. Drag-and-drop is OK in some contexts, but not when it takes ten times as long as a keyboard operation. My cat likes mice, but then she has more than two hands.
• All other things being equal, I like software that is easy to deinstall. Experience has shown me that hard-to-remove packages are likely to have lots of other faults.

Except where otherwise noted, all software in this list is free. Freeware authors often request some sort of acknowledgment: a postcard, an e-mail, etc. Please respect their wishes; they're doing us a valuable service, and we don't want to discourage them.

Where do you get it? From Australia you should go to the local Hobbes mirror at http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au or ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au. If you're not in Australia, find your nearest OS/2 archive site from the list below. I've included hyperlinks for files that aren't available on the "standard" archive sites. I'd rather not add links for the others, because that discourages people from going to the site nearest to them.

For each application I've given a directory and file name, but often files are updated faster than I can update this information. If you can't find a file that I mention, look for one with a similar name; this usually means different digits at the end of the name.

General

• 00global.txt: a too-often-neglected essential resource. Get a copy from your favourite archive site, refresh it every month or two, and you can save yourself hours of on-line searching.

• InfoZip unzipper: absolutely essential, since ZIP files are the most common way of distributing OS/2 shareware (util/archiver/unz532.exe). While fetching this you might as well pick up the companion zipper (util/archiver/zip22x.zip). Remark: a newer version (5.40) of the unzipper has been released, but I can't recommend it because - apparently due to legal problems - an important feature has been removed. This means, for example, that fixpacks will not install properly because the unzipping fails; you have to go back to version 5.32 to get the RSU to function properly.

  An OS/2 version of PKUnzip also exists, but the last time I checked PKUnzip wasn't as good at handling extended attributes.

• Front end for zip/unzip: there are several. The one I like best is KAZip (util/archiver/kazip1.zip).

• If you need to unzip *.gz files, the appropriate unzipper is gzip (util/archiver/gz124_32.zip).

System maintenance and tuning

Remark: all of the programs in this category are potentially dangerous to some degree. You probably shouldn't try deregistering classes or tampering with the INI files unless you're a very experienced OS/2 user. The Association Editor and Mole are safe for just about anyone. CheckINI, Config Info, Config Maint, and LXLite involve a little more risk, but the potential benefits from these are quite substantial, so it's worth making the effort of learning how to use them.

• Association Editor: simplifies the job of adjusting file associations (util/system/assoed16.zip).

• CheckINI: detects and (optionally) corrects errors in your INI files (util/system/wptool26.zip).

• Config Info: an excellent tool both for understanding and for tuning your CONFIG.SYS (util/config/cfginfo7.zip). This is no longer being maintained, so you should also get its replacement Config Maint (util/config/cfgmt095.zip). I personally don't like Config Maint as much as Config Info - it's very slow, and less convenient to use - but we're eventually going to have to abandon Config Info as its information goes out of date.

• Deregister: for removing WPS classes from the system, prior to deleting DLLs that you never use. Useful if you install software and then decide that you don't want it (util/wps/dereg.zip). Remark: the archives have both dereg.zip and dereg04.zip, which are similar programs by two different authors. They're both freeware and appear to be of similar quality, but I like the "dereg" one marginally better.

• Initor: INI file editor (apps/editors/initor25.zip). Use with great care!

• LX Lite: saves disk space by compressing executables, DLLs, etc. (util/archiver/lxlt121.zip). Very professionally done. This is not the same as a disk compressor, instead it works by using a built-in feature of OS/2. (Unfortunately it won't compress Windows applications, which are the real disk hogs.)

• Mole: for killing misbehaving processes (util/wps/mole.zip). Some people prefer the shareware program Watchcat for this job; Watchcat is certainly more powerful, but on my computer it had a tendency to cause system lockups.

• FMshred: for deleting hard-to-remove objects. This is becoming harder to find, but there's still a copy at ftp://ftp.biologie.uni-halle.de/pub/os2/must_have.

• File Phoenix (util/disk/phoenix135.zip) recovers accidentally deleted files. Get it before your next unplanned disaster. Catch: it won't find any files if the partition size is over 2 GB, and as far as I know there are no plans to fix this fault.

Screen saver

• Deskpic: an oldie but a goodie. I've tried several screen savers, but finally went back to Deskpic (apps/scrnsave/deskp132.zip).

Desktop enhancements

Note: desktop enhancers usually assign new functions to the mouse buttons. If you run more than one of these, it's a good idea to disable some of their functions to avoid ambiguities over what each mouse operation does.

• DragText (util/wps/drgtxt30.zip): adds a drag-and-drop feature that the WPS should have had in the first place. Very professionally done. This program is semi-freeware - the basic functionality is free, the advanced features are shareware.

• NPSWPS: one of the most popular desktop enhancers. A variety of options, which you can enable or disable according to your own preferences (util/wps/npswp182.zip).

• PC2: get rid of desktop clutter by putting your most-used programs onto menus. Can be used either as a WPS add-on or as a replacement for the WPS. Of all the software I recommend, this is my favourite. Takes a while to customise, but is well worth the effort (util/wps/pc2v200.zip).

Editors

• Many people are put off by the apparent complexity of the Enhanced Editor EPM, but once you start using it you'll discover some very nice features. Try upgrading to version 6.03 (apps/editors/epm/epm603.zip), which has an improved user interface and documentation. (There's also an epm603a and epm603b, but I never got around to installing them in Warp 3.) If you have Warp 4, then you already have version 6.03b.

• HTML editor: there are quite a few out there; I've tried some and didn't like them, and there are still some I haven't evaluated. For now I'm using EPM 6.03b (see above) with the HTML extensions (apps/editors/epm/htmepm98.zip).

  To use htmepm98 with Warp 4, you'll have to recompile the .E file, and for this you'll need to fetch apps/editors/epm/epmapp.zip, extract ETPM.EXE from this file (ignoring the rest of the zip file, which mostly duplicates things you already have), and put it into a directory in your PATH, for example OS2\APPS. ETPM is the compiler that converts a .E file to a .EX file. Remark: you'll find that you already have a HTMLTAGS.EX that was supplied with Warp 4; but the one from htmepm98 is, in my opinion, superior.

• FTE editor (apps/editors/fteo46b5.zip): So far I've looked at this only briefly, but it looks very promising for the sort of people who want to do things like configure their own key bindings. Will appeal more to programmers than to non-programmers.

• Binary editor: there are several available. The one I like best so far is Hed (apps/editors/hed178b.zip).

Calculator

• If you want an RPN scientific calculator, the best one available seems to be MACalc.

System status

• Memsize: displays details like swap file size, free disk space, etc. (util/system/memsz330.zip). Check Rick Papo's web page for new releases and other useful software.

Network utilities

• OS2PPP: my own "getting started with PPP" package, assembled from parts available elsewhere on the net. Intended for use by University of Newcastle staff, but could be used by others if you can work out how to modify the site-specific details.

• Time868: for setting your clock from a network time server (apps/internet/time/time868.zip). Includes a good-sized list of servers, which improves your chances of finding one near you. Also includes a valuable utility for setting your time zone.

• NcFTP: a text-mode FTP client (unix/apps/internet/ncftp2r1.zip). Once you get used to this you'll find it a lot more convenient than FTPPM (it's totally mouse-free!). To get this working you also need the emx run-time library (dev/emx/v0.9d/emxrt.zip); and optionally the "less" program (util/file/less329-2.zip).

• Need a better dialler? Then fetch the packages PPPdial (apps/internet/dialer/ppdial31.zip) and PPPfake (util/network/tcpip/pppfk101.zip). You'll probably also find it worth while fetching the PPP documentation (util/network/tcpip/pppdoc.zip). PPPdial does require some work on your part to get the response files correct, but you end up with benefits such as redialling capability.

• If you want an off-line news reader, try slrn - its big virtue is that it can be used either on-line or off-line. The Hobbes archive copy of slrn is a little out of date. To get the latest version, go to http://www.bgnett.no/~bjoff/slrn.html.

  Hint: if you read news on more than one machine, you might be able to copy the "jnews.rc" file between machines. (Many newsreaders use the same format for this file, although most call it something like ".newsrc".)

• Lynx (apps/internet/www/browser/os2lynx2_8.zip) might not be the prettiest web browser around, but it's definitely the fastest. Highly recommended for those who are sick of unnecessary graphics. This version even supports Javascript and frames.

Network servers

• Ftp and e-mail servers: I wasn't happy with any of the available servers, so I wrote my own. See FtpServer and Weasel on my software page. (These aren't freeware, they're non-crippled shareware.)

• WWW server: I've tried several, and in my opinion the one that stands out ahead of all the others, especially in terms of putting a light load on your system, is Web/2 (apps/internet/www/server/web213w.zip).

Music

• Audio mixers: If you think the MMOS2 volume control is a bit too crude, you need a mixer. There are several mixers in the Hobbes directory apps/mmedia/util/mixers, and you need to choose the one that's appropriate for the sound card you have.

  Special note for PAS-16 users: Mixer support for the PAS-16 was (accidentally?) dropped from Warp 4, but there's a fix for this problem at http://www.madbrain.com/software.html. I haven't yet worked out whether the new driver is incorporated in any of the Warp 4 fixpacks.

• If you have a Soundblaster, it's worth getting the latest driver (system/drivers/sound/sb_os2.zip).

• CD player: I like CD In A Box (apps/mmedia/cdplayer/cdbox166.zip), but CD Explorer (apps/mmedia/cd/player/cdexpl.zip), but is roughly as good. (The differences between them boil down to fine points of personal taste, which is why I can't decide which one to recommend.) Both offer extra features - e.g. track titles - beyond what you get in the CD player that comes with Warp 3, and they're not as buggy as the CD player that comes with Warp 4.

  If you want to use the absolute minimum of disk space, then Small CD is an excellent "no-frills" substitute. Unfortunately the web site that used to have this no longer exists, but I'm leaving this note in place in case I find it somewhere else.

• Sound scheme editor (apps/mmedia/scheme/sound16.zip). Designed for Warp 4; I wouldn't expect it to work with earlier versions of OS/2.

Miscellaneous

• If you have a joystick, there's a device driver at ftp01.ny.us.ibm.net/pub/games/JOYSTICK.ZIP.

• Looking for a virtual disk? You already have one. Type "help vdisk" at a command prompt.

• If you want a program to reboot your machine, type "help setboot".

• "Paint" programs are hard to find, but BluePaint (apps/graphics/paint/blpnt025.zip) is a good start. (Fairly basic, but it does the job.)

Fixpacks and video driver updates

• Fixpacks are like beta-test software: they're likely to break more than they fix. I suggest that you avoid them unless you have a problem that you know they'll fix.

  I found all of the early Warp 3 fixpacks disappointing, and ended up backing out of all of them to remove the problems they introduced. Note however that there have been many Warp 3 fixpacks released since I moved to Warp 4, and apparently the later ones have a better reputation than the early ones.

  Fixpack 1 for Warp 4 was worth installing, since it solved a major bug that could lock up the WPS. At the same time, it introduced a buggy SEAMLESS.DLL that could cause Windows applications to fail. I haven't yet tried the later fixpacks. The impression I've had from other people is that Fixpack 8 is reasonable but that Fixpacks 9 and 10 are best avoided.

  A good place to look for up-to-date information on fixpacks is the OS/2 Super Site Master Update list.

  There's a special section of Hell reserved for the people who write video drivers. Every manufacturer-supplied video driver I've ever tried has been inferior to the drivers that come supplied with OS/2. Stay away from these upgrades unless you can get confirmation from someone that they work without crashing the system.

Hints for installing programs ported from Unix

Once you start using programs ported from Unix you'll have to fiddle around with environment variables, and there's also a high probability of conflicts caused by having multiple copies of the same DLL. To avoid future confusion, I suggest that you proceed as follows.

1. Create a special directory (e.g. e:\Apps\Unix) to act as your Unix "home" directory, and put any Unix ports in subdirectories of that. This will reduce the likelihood of conflicting SET statements.
2. Install a clean copy of the latest EMXRT library (dev/emx/v0.9d/emxrt.zip).
3. Hunt down and delete any other copies of emx*.* that you have on your disk. (If you've installed a lot of shareware/freeware, you'll be surprised at how many obsolete copies you have of emx. While you're at it, you might as well also clean up all the duplicates of VROBJ.DLL.)
4. Put the following lines into your CONFIG.SYS, adjusting the directory paths as appropriate:

    SET HOME=e:\Apps\Unix
   
   SET TERMCAP=e:\Apps\Unix\emx\etc\termcap.dat

   Also include e:\Apps\Unix\emx\dll in your LIBPATH. Depending on the programs you install, you might have to make further CONFIG.SYS changes; but as a general rule I ignore any instructions to add rubbish to my CONFIG.SYS until I discover whether it's really necessary. (It usually isn't, despite what the authors say).

Programming

• Modula-2 compilers for OS/2. (Some free, some not.)
• Timur's OS/2 Programming Page: many links to programming information.
• Alger's Home Page: information on how to do port I/O.
• PMOS/2: a source code library for Modula-2 programmers.

Some popular archive sites

Remark: there's an enormous amount of overlap in what's held at these sites. Normally it suffices to look at the site nearest to you, and ignore the others.

• Australian ftp site for OS/2 software.
• Hobbes (USA). Very complete but often congested.
• South African Hobbes mirror.
• The official IBM site (USA). Hard to reach, but contains some things (patches, etc.) that you might not find at other archive sites.
• CDROM (USA). Very complete but often congested.
• LEO archive of OS/2 material. (European site.)

Where to go next

• For a more extensive list of software, see Gary Hammer's "Must Have" utilities (US site). (If you've been there before, and want to go directly to the HTML 3 page, this link will get you there.)
• I'm not the only person to have put together freeware lists. See also
  • Lindfield's List
  • Giles Orr's List.
• Every OS/2 user should visit the Warp Pharmacy. Lots of trouble-shooting information and useful advice.
• Having trouble installing OS/2 Warp? See Frank McKenney's Installation Notes.
• Can't get your internet applications working? John Silvia has the answers. This is the man who even knows how to get Ultimail Lite to work. If you can't get this page, here's a second source for the same material.
• Look here for a big list of internet applications. An even bigger list, but with fewer details, can be found here.
• You'll probably want a copy of the Timothy Sipples Frequently Asked Questions list. If you can't reach that site, try www.cis.ohio-state.edu.
• Visit the directory put together by the MIT User Group. Lots of links to other good stuff.
• Need advice on sound cards? The Ultimate Sound Page has a good FAQ on a variety of sound hardware, and lots of other music-related software and information.
• If you're concerned about hardware compatibility issues and the like, read the Should I buy Warp? FAQ. Don't skip the introduction, which has pointers to some other FAQ material.

Miscellaneous pointers

No particular reason for listing these pointers, they're here just in case you want a look.

• IBM home page.
• IBM's networking page.
• Search engine at IBM for some OS/2-related documents.