eComStation v2.1 problems

[Ian Manners]

Hi All,

I've installed eComStation v2.1 on a clean PC with 360G HD, 2G RAM, ATI Radeon
PCIe card supported by Snap, etc etc but have some problems.

I think I've fixed the problem were everytime I start/reboot the PC the Desktop icons creep down after each reboot [Turn the XWorkplace lookalike animations off].

Other issues are :-

1)Copied my mp3/wave directory over and a 'Scanning Audiofile...' starts
- my collection is over 200G..
Were do I turn this irritating scan stuff off ?

2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice, I can remember
this problem from years ago but googling is not bringing any joy, not that
important but it would still be nice to only list each file in c:\os2\bitmap
once.

Cheers

[Peter Brown]

Hi Ian

Ian Manners wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I've installed eComStation v2.1 on a clean PC with 360G HD, 2G RAM, ATI Radeon
> PCIe card supported by Snap, etc etc but have some problems.
>
> I think I've fixed the problem were everytime I start/reboot the PC the Desktop icons creep down after each reboot [Turn the XWorkplace lookalike animations off].
>
> Other issues are :-
>
> 1)Copied my mp3/wave directory over and a 'Scanning Audiofile...' starts
> - my collection is over 200G..
> Were do I turn this irritating scan stuff off ?
>

The joys of the crap CWMMOS2 stuff that eCS installs...

At least the help file [BootDrive]:\MMOS2\MEDIAFLD\DOC\mediafldr.inf
tells us how to disable some of this stuff.

> 2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice, I can remember
> this problem from years ago but googling is not bringing any joy, not that
> important but it would still be nice to only list each file in c:\os2\bitmap
> once.
>

This seems to be fairly common - I see that problem here with eCS2.1 -
but I do not think there is a cure...

> Cheers


Regards

Pete

[Steve Wendt]

On 09/30/11 08:19 am, Peter Brown wrote:

>> 2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice
>

> This seems to be fairly common - I see that problem here with eCS2.1 -
> but I do not think there is a cure...

I see it on Warp 4 as well; might be a XWP bug.

[Alex Taylor]

On Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:19:24 UTC, Peter Brown
<losepeteS...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> > 2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice, I can
> > remember this problem from years ago but googling is not bringing
> > any joy, not that important but it would still be nice to only list
> > each file in c:\os2\bitmap once.
>
> This seems to be fairly common - I see that problem here with eCS2.1 -
> but I do not think there is a cure...

This was discussed only a few weeks ago (but I don't remember where,
one of the mailing lists probably). ISTR somebody found a way to fix
it, but unfortunately I don't recall what it was.

The old workaround is to open the Bitmaps folder in the WPS and then
close it again. That generally seems to remove the problem until the
next reboot or WPS restart.

--
Alex Taylor
Fukushima, Japan
http://www.socis.ca/~ataylo00

Please take off hat when replying.

[Peter Brown]

Hi Alex

Alex Taylor wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:19:24 UTC, Peter Brown
> <losepeteS...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>>> 2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice, I can
>>> remember this problem from years ago but googling is not bringing
>>> any joy, not that important but it would still be nice to only list
>>> each file in c:\os2\bitmap once.
>>
>> This seems to be fairly common - I see that problem here with eCS2.1 -
>> but I do not think there is a cure...
>
> This was discussed only a few weeks ago (but I don't remember where,
> one of the mailing lists probably). ISTR somebody found a way to fix
> it, but unfortunately I don't recall what it was.
>
> The old workaround is to open the Bitmaps folder in the WPS and then
> close it again. That generally seems to remove the problem until the
> next reboot or WPS restart.
>

I thought I had fixed it by deleting the bitmap directory and then
creating a non-lighttable version of the bitmap directory.

However, after a reboot the problem resurfaced :-(

Regards

Pete

[Alex Taylor]

On Mon, 3 Oct 2011 15:04:30 UTC, Peter Brown <losepeteS...@ntlworld.com>

wrote:

> >>> 2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice,
> >

> > This was discussed only a few weeks ago (but I don't remember where,
> > one of the mailing lists probably). ISTR somebody found a way to fix
> > it, but unfortunately I don't recall what it was.
> >
> > The old workaround is to open the Bitmaps folder in the WPS and then
> > close it again. That generally seems to remove the problem until the
> > next reboot or WPS restart.
>
> I thought I had fixed it by deleting the bitmap directory and then
> creating a non-lighttable version of the bitmap directory.
>
> However, after a reboot the problem resurfaced :-(

Ah, OK.

I wonder if deregistering the LightTable class entirely might fix it?

[Peter Brown]

Hi Alex

Alex Taylor wrote:

> On Mon, 3 Oct 2011 15:04:30 UTC, Peter Brown<losepeteS...@ntlworld.com>
> wrote:
>
>>>>> 2) Desktop - Properties - Background, lists all files twice,
>>>
>>> This was discussed only a few weeks ago (but I don't remember where,
>>> one of the mailing lists probably). ISTR somebody found a way to fix
>>> it, but unfortunately I don't recall what it was.
>>>
>>> The old workaround is to open the Bitmaps folder in the WPS and then
>>> close it again. That generally seems to remove the problem until the
>>> next reboot or WPS restart.
>>
>> I thought I had fixed it by deleting the bitmap directory and then
>> creating a non-lighttable version of the bitmap directory.
>>
>> However, after a reboot the problem resurfaced :-(
>
> Ah, OK.
>
> I wonder if deregistering the LightTable class entirely might fix it?
>
>

I'm willing to give that a try - but how?

Regards

Pete

[Mentore Siesto]

Il giorno Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:32:57 UTC, Peter Brown
<losepeteS...@ntlworld.com> ha scritto:

It should be just a question of getting some class editor on Hobbes
and use it to locate and deregister the Light table WPS class.

I don't know if the XWP system utilities allow this (or don't
remember).

Mentore

[A.D. Fundum]

> It should be just a question of getting some class editor on
> Hobbes and use it to locate and deregister the Light table
> WPS class.

Or Rexx' SysDeregisterObjectClass(classname)? To obtain the classname
(execute "PMREXX CLASSLST.CMD" to be able to scroll the output using
the PM UI):

/* CLASSLST.CMD */
CALL RxFuncAdd 'SysQueryClassList','RexxUtil','SysQueryClassList'
CALL SysQueryClassList "class."
DO i=1 TO class.0
SAY class.i
END i
EXIT


--

[Alex Taylor]

On Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:32:57 UTC, Peter Brown <losepeteS...@ntlworld.com>
wrote:

> > I wonder if deregistering the LightTable class entirely might fix it?
>
> I'm willing to give that a try - but how?

The WPS Class List can do that easily. It's not normally created in
eCS but the functionality is there. This script will create the
desktop object (in the System Setup folder):


/* XFCLIST.CMD - (Re)create the XWorkplace class list tool
*/
CALL RxFuncAdd 'SysLoadFuncs', 'REXXUTIL', 'SysLoadFuncs'
CALL SysLoadFuncs

PARSE VALUE SysIni('USER', 'XWorkplace', 'XFolderPath') WITH xfpath '00'x .
IF xfpath == 'ERROR:' THEN RETURN 1

reg = SysRegisterObjectClass('XWPClassList', xfpath'\bin\xfldr.dll')
IF reg <> 1 THEN RETURN 2
obj = SysCreateObject('XWPClassList', 'Class List', '<WP_CONFIG>',,
'OBJECTID=<XWP_CLASSLIST>')
RETURN obj


Then you can dig down under the WPFolder branch until you find
"MMFolder", right-click on it and choose "Deregister".

[Peter Brown]

Hi Alex

Alex Taylor wrote:

I used the existing XWorkPlace WPS Class List to Deregister MMFolder and
restarted the Desktop.

Sorry to report that does not cure the problem, all bitmaps are still
listed twice.


I guess I now have to ask how to Reregister MMFolder...

Regards

Pete

[A.D. Fundum]

>> reg = SysRegisterObjectClass(...)

> I guess I now have to ask how to Reregister MMFolder...

reg=SysRegisterObjectClass('MMFolder','C:\OS2\MMCLASS\CWMM')

--

[Ian Manners]

Hi All,

Thanks for the info, guess the double up of the graphics files in the Desktop - Properties - Background tab is just one of those minor things we ignore :).

Cheers

[Rich Walsh]

I've never seen this and have to wonder if these are really duplicates,
vs files in two different directories. Here's how you can tell:

Select the first of a pair, then press the Edit button. Icon Editor
will open and either show the path in the titlebar or will popup an
error box with the path. Close Icon Editor, select the other file
of the pair and repeat. Same path or different?

If the same path, I'd try running checkini. If different, ..ummm..
I'd try running checkini :-)

--
== == almost usable email address: Rich AT E-vertise DOT Com == ==

[Peter Brown]

Hi Rich

Rich Walsh wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:52:53 UTC, Ian Manners<sonic...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the info, guess the double up of the graphics files in the
>> Desktop - Properties - Background tab is just one of those minor things
>> we ignore :).
>
> I've never seen this and have to wonder if these are really duplicates,
> vs files in two different directories. Here's how you can tell:
>
> Select the first of a pair, then press the Edit button. Icon Editor
> will open and either show the path in the titlebar or will popup an
> error box with the path. Close Icon Editor, select the other file
> of the pair and repeat. Same path or different?
>

Same path - and no duplicate files.

> If the same path, I'd try running checkini. If different, ..ummm..
> I'd try running checkini :-)
>

No change.

Regards

Pete

[A.D. Fundum]

> Same path - and no duplicate files.

Assuming the path is C:\OS2\BITMAP, what (I'm not expect two files
with the same name) about this?

DIR C:\OS2\BITMAP\* > comp.os.os2.ecomstation

And if one occurs twice in the list, how many files with that name are
there anywhere on your disks? Just checking...

--

[Andy]

I've seen this issue for many many years now with the duplicates and
they are just showing duplicated and not really two files. Checkini,
cleanini, etc, has never helped...
Andy

--

[Peter Brown]

Hi

What exactly are you trying to suggest in the above?

Regards

Pete

[A.D. Fundum]

> What exactly are you trying to suggest in the above?

Since you decided to not supply any requested information nor answer:
nothing anymore.

--

[Alex Taylor]

On Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:43:00 UTC, "Rich Walsh" <spamyo...@127.0.0.1> wrote:

> I've never seen this and have to wonder if these are really duplicates,
> vs files in two different directories.

By a strange coincidence, this exact problem has recently appeared on
one of my systems. I have seen it before, but not in quite a number of
years. (I think the last time I was running Warp 4.)

It is definitely the same file showing up twice. If I delete one of
the files in OS2\BITMAP then both entries for that file disappear from
the list.

Incidentally, this is a freshly-installed system with virtually no
enhancements or applications on it.

The only thing remotely unusual about it is that it's a server system,
running HPFS386 on the boot volume. But that's hardly a weird
configuration...

[Peter Brown]

Hi

Sorry, I seem to have offended you without intending to.

Let me clarify: I simply do not understand your suggestion

DIR C:\OS2\BITMAP\* > comp.os.os2.ecomstation

Please explain.

Regards

Pete

[Peter Flass]

On 10/11/2011 6:05 AM, Alex Taylor wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:43:00 UTC, "Rich Walsh"<spamyo...@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>
>> I've never seen this and have to wonder if these are really duplicates,
>> vs files in two different directories.
>
> By a strange coincidence, this exact problem has recently appeared on
> one of my systems. I have seen it before, but not in quite a number of
> years. (I think the last time I was running Warp 4.)
>
> It is definitely the same file showing up twice. If I delete one of
> the files in OS2\BITMAP then both entries for that file disappear from
> the list.
>
> Incidentally, this is a freshly-installed system with virtually no
> enhancements or applications on it.
>
> The only thing remotely unusual about it is that it's a server system,
> running HPFS386 on the boot volume. But that's hardly a weird
> configuration...
>

I have this using Samba/EVFS, but that's probably a diferent problem.

[A.D. Fundum]

> It is definitely the same file showing up twice.

Are e.g. all files identical to files on a system not showing the
problem?
Are e.g .all objects identical to objects on a system not showing the
problem?
Are e.g. all EAs (if needed: EAUTIL /S ILIKEECS.BMP to store the EAs
in COMParable files) identical to EA's on a system not showing the
problem?

Alternative: what happens if you delete the *.BMP files and restore
those files using a copy of the system not showing the problem?

--

[Alex Taylor]

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:50:49 UTC, "A.D. Fundum" <what...@neverm.ind> wrote:

> > It is definitely the same file showing up twice.
>
> Are e.g. all files identical to files on a system not showing the
> problem?

Well, not quite, since the server edition has some slightly modified
background bitmaps compared to the client.

> Are e.g .all objects identical to objects on a system not showing the
> problem?

Which objects?

> Are e.g. all EAs (if needed: EAUTIL /S ILIKEECS.BMP to store the EAs
> in COMParable files) identical to EA's on a system not showing the
> problem?

No; none of the bitmap files on this system have any EA set at all.

[A.D. Fundum]

>> (if needed: EAUTIL /S ILIKEECS.BMP to store the EAs
>> in COMParable files)

Excuse me, I should have suggested to compare a single archive with
all files and all EAs... :-P

> the server edition has some slightly modified background
> bitmaps compared to the client.

How many bitmaps are stored in each *.BMP file (PMView displays e.g.
Page 1 of 2 in its titlebar)? ISTR the OS/2 bitmap file format (e.g.
icons) can contain more than one bitmap, i.e. an array of bitmaps. Are
the *.BMP files still the same as the ones on the installation CD?

> No; none of the bitmap files on this system have any EA set at all.

>> Are e.g .all objects identical to objects on a system not showing
>> the problem?

> Which objects?

I think you already answered that one indirectly by having looked at
the EAs, and I assume the PM interface doesn't list both a shadow (in
x:\OS2\BITMAP) of a bitmap and the file (e.g.
y:\Images\Bitmaps\ECS_24.BMP) it actually represents.

Not having the problem, but if the files are okay, you don't have more
than one copy and the files don't contain an array of (two) bitmaps,
checking (not using CHECKINI) Rich's INI files would be my next
option. For one, I noticed that the PM_SystemBackground contains
"x:\OS2\bitmap\ECS_24.BMP,s,1" (lowercase "bitmap"), while the PM
interface only shows "ECS_24.BMP". Isn't e.g. the "bitmap" directory
listed twice in INI files, while the INI files don't have a detectable
(by CHECKINI) error as such? The Rexx documention (CMD.EXE: HELP REXX
SYSINI) contains some INI file content dumper, if that may help.


--

[A.D. Fundum]

> Rich's INI files would be my next option.

For starters an improved ICONEDIT-trick, assuming the listed bitmaps
are 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, and so on.

Make sure bitmap 1a (1.BMP) is in use

Use another bitmap from the list, e.g. 3a
Dump the INI file(s)

Use bitmap 1a again

If you used 3.BMP (3a), use bitmap 3b
Dump the INI file(s)

Use bitmap 1a again (original situation restored)

Compare both INI dumps. Is there any difference, despite you'ld maybe
expect both refer to the same bitmap data in the same file 3.BMP?


--

[Alex Taylor]

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:05:01 UTC, "Alex Taylor" <mai...@reply.to.address>

wrote:

> > I've never seen this and have to wonder if these are really duplicates,
> > vs files in two different directories.
>
> By a strange coincidence, this exact problem has recently appeared on
> one of my systems. I have seen it before, but not in quite a number of
> years. (I think the last time I was running Warp 4.)
>
> It is definitely the same file showing up twice. If I delete one of
> the files in OS2\BITMAP then both entries for that file disappear from
> the list.
>
> Incidentally, this is a freshly-installed system with virtually no
> enhancements or applications on it.

Just to add another layer of strangeness to this saga... shortly after
the above conversation, I reinstalled eCS (v2.1 client) onto my laptop.
And it immediately showed the exact same thing out of the box.

However, in the last week or so, the problem suddenly went away (on the
laptop). Since then I've been trying to figure out what on earth I did
to fix it.

At first I thought it might have been due to changing the icon theme,
but I tried the same thing on the server box (which still has the
problem) and it didn't make any difference.

Weird.

[Alex Taylor]

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:47:01 UTC, "Alex Taylor" <mai...@reply.to.address>
wrote:

> > It is definitely the same file showing up twice. If I delete one of
> > the files in OS2\BITMAP then both entries for that file disappear from
> > the list.
>

> Just to add another layer of strangeness to this saga... shortly after
> the above conversation, I reinstalled eCS (v2.1 client) onto my laptop.
> And it immediately showed the exact same thing out of the box.
>
> However, in the last week or so, the problem suddenly went away (on the
> laptop). Since then I've been trying to figure out what on earth I did
> to fix it.
>
> At first I thought it might have been due to changing the icon theme,
> but I tried the same thing on the server box (which still has the
> problem) and it didn't make any difference.

I think I may have hit on what eliminated it from my systems.

I went into the XWorkplace Class List object (after creating it
with a Rexx script). In eCS 2.1 there are two pointless WPS classes
registered to replace the default Folder and Object classes: WPFolderEx
and WPObjectEx.

Choosing "undo class replacement" on these two objects and then rebooting
seems to have eliminated the doubled-bitmap problem on my two systems
here.

That's not to say that this will necessarily be the solution in all
cases... as I've said, this is a problem that has appeared periodically
as far back as Warp 4, so clearly it's not caused by these new classes
alone. But something in these classes appears to have triggered it,
at least on my two systems.

(I don't know what these classes do... I think they're registered
automatically by the eCoSoft runtime which gets installed by eCS due
to some other things requiring it. But AFAIK these classes themselves
don't do anything unless some of eCoSoft's separate commercial WPS
extenders are installed.)

[Lars Erdmann]

Hi,

> I went into the XWorkplace Class List object (after creating it
> with a Rexx script). In eCS 2.1 there are two pointless WPS classes
> registered to replace the default Folder and Object classes: WPFolderEx
> and WPObjectEx.
>

> (I don't know what these classes do... I think they're registered
> automatically by the eCoSoft runtime which gets installed by eCS due
> to some other things requiring it. But AFAIK these classes themselves
> don't do anything unless some of eCoSoft's separate commercial WPS
> extenders are installed.)

... and they had a bad effect on my system too. I don't remember the details
any more
but once I removed them everything was back in place.
Certainly , these classes are not ready for prime time.


Lars

[Lars Erdmann]

Hi,

> (I don't know what these classes do... I think they're registered
> automatically by the eCoSoft runtime which gets installed by eCS due
> to some other things requiring it. But AFAIK these classes themselves
> don't do anything unless some of eCoSoft's separate commercial WPS
> extenders are installed.)

.. and they also had a bad influence on my system. These classes certainly

[Peter Brown]

Hi Alex

Alex Taylor wrote:

The XWorkplace Class List object did not know what they were for either.

Having deleted these classes I can report the Doubled entries in
Background list problem is now gone here as well.

Looks like you found the cure :-)

Regards

Pete

[Andy]

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:14:02 UTC, "Alex Taylor"

Did you just Undo Class Replacement or did you also deregister? I
have not deregistered yet but the Undo did not remove the double
entries here (though I have seen the double entries going back far
enough that I am sure those classes did not yet exist).
Andy

--

[Alex Taylor]

On Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:24:41 UTC, "Andy"
<nospam-abwil...@nospam-gmail.com> wrote:

> > I went into the XWorkplace Class List object (after creating it
> > with a Rexx script). In eCS 2.1 there are two pointless WPS classes
> > registered to replace the default Folder and Object classes: WPFolderEx
> > and WPObjectEx.
> >
> > Choosing "undo class replacement" on these two objects and then
> > rebooting seems to have eliminated the doubled-bitmap problem on my two
> > systems here.
> >

> Did you just Undo Class Replacement or did you also deregister? I
> have not deregistered yet but the Undo did not remove the double
> entries here (though I have seen the double entries going back far
> enough that I am sure those classes did not yet exist).

Originally I just used Undo Class Replacement which made the problem
go away. I've since deregistered the classes completely, however.

Interestingly, from examining the install scripts used by the eCS
installer, it looks as though these classes aren't SUPPOSED to be
registered. I suspect it may have been an unnoticed change in the
latest version of the WPI from eCoSoft that caused the classes to
get installed by accident in eCS 2.1.

[Andy]

I possibly installed the wpi here when I went and got the updates (not
sure that that package was updated) from ecosoft so I can't say for
certain if eCS 2.1 installed them or if I did it.
Andy
>


--

[Alex Taylor]

On Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:11:57 UTC, "Andy"
<nospam-abwil...@nospam-gmail.com> wrote:

> > Interestingly, from examining the install scripts used by the eCS
> > installer, it looks as though these classes aren't SUPPOSED to be
> > registered. I suspect it may have been an unnoticed change in the
> > latest version of the WPI from eCoSoft that caused the classes to
> > get installed by accident in eCS 2.1.
>
> I possibly installed the wpi here when I went and got the updates (not
> sure that that package was updated) from ecosoft so I can't say for
> certain if eCS 2.1 installed them or if I did it.

It was certainly eCS 2.1, since they appeared here with two virgin
installs. (Well, to be perfectly fair I'm using a post-2.1 build out
of CVS, but AFAIK it's virtually identical to 2.1 GA.)

[Peter Brown]

Hi Andy

Definitely installed during eCS2.1 install here on 2 systems.

Regards

Pete