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From: eric@mks.com (Eric Gisin)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2
Subject: 1.2 questions
Keywords: undocumented features
Message-ID: <1990Mar20.210649.20363@mks.com>
Date: 20 Mar 90 21:06:49 GMT
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
Lines: 43

I've been learning about OS/2 1.2 recently, and have a few questions
that the Microsoft people on the net may be able to answer.
Does the OS/2 Command Reference manual that you have to order
separately answer any of these questions?

(1) SYSINSTX.EXE on the install disk.
This is the equivalent of the SYS command in DOS.
I used it successfully in 1.1, but the 1.2 version trashed
the DOS 3.3 partition on C: when I tried it.
Can this command be used safely?
Are there options I should know about?

(2) IBMVGA.DDL and BVHVGA.DLL.
These are the VIO or GPI display drivers, right?
The IBM* file is copied to DISPLAY.DLL.  The BVH* file is new to 1.2.
Why are there two files, and how is display driver functionality
split between the two?

(3) VGA800.DLL.
The 1.1 SDK had this file, which I assume is a 800x600 VGA driver.
Is such a driver available for 1.2?
Does OS/2 use the bios to switch video modes?

(4) Extended attributes on EXE files.
When OS/2 1.2 installs, it searches your C: partition
for all .EXE files and sets extended attributes on them.
They are the application type and an icon for PM applications.
I had 500 .exe files and this resulted in 1MB of attributes
in the hidden "/ea data. sf" file.  Is there a way to recreate
these extended attributes if they are lost?
Can I recreate them only for .exe files under /os2?

(5) Icons.
I don't know much about PM programming.
Can I attach an icon to a non-PM application in the desktop manager groups?

(6) SYSLEVEL.EXE.
What does this do?

(7) Dos DEVICE=
The device=ega.sys and device=ansi.sys in CONFIG.SYS apply to the DOS box.
Are these special OS/2 drivers or can other DOS device drivers
be loaded from CONFIG.SYS?