Joe ..

 IJ> I have been trying to make the change from DOS to 
 IJ> OS2 and I'm getting
 IJ> an odd error with FE right now.  When I fo to run 
 IJ> fesetup or fesetup2
 IJ> it doesn't load and exits with an error 64...
 IJ> it'll toss & scan mail as stuff comes in... I just can't access
 IJ> feutil and make any changes.
 IJ> is there a quick fix for this or is it a fresh install??

One of the critical things which you need to watch in using any DOS
application in OS/2 is the whole cadre of DOS specific stuff that can be
adjusted for each and every DOS application that you run under an OS/2
DOS-VDM.  OS/2 has a default cadre of these decisions and parameters which
it uses that is combined with AUTOEXEC.BAT for DOS-VDM applications.  When
you run a DOS-VDM as a Desktop or a command line application,
whatever,you'll get this default parameter group and will run the
AUTOEXEC.BAT which is the default one supplied with OS/2.

But wait!  There's more!  (Lots more!)

You can and often must customize the way OS/2 presents the DOS operating
system differently for lots of programs!  And more interesting, when you
set up a DOS-VDM for FE or IM or OPUS or BINK or whatever, you'll typically
be involved with at variation of not only a specific .BAT file that
application lives in, but it also runs AUTOEXEC.BAT at the start, just like
you would if you fired up a complete box for DOS.  Aha!  You'll find these
parameters in the Program Properties folder for any given DOS-VDM and you
get to them via the Session's tab in that folder where you click on DOS
Properties and then on, in the first look at this, ALL DOS settings.

If you ain't been here before, welcome to the really wonderful world of DOS
under IBM's OS/2.  As you first toggle through them all, if you have never
been here before, you'll be astounded.  For one thing, you normally create
a completely unique AUTOEXEC.BAT file for this application and give it a
unique name.  Say FEXEC.BAT, whatever.  Then, starting with a copy of the
OS/2 standard AUTOEXEC.BAT, you create all the needed paths,
environment,and whatever for this application.  Then you go into the Dos
Settings tab and you specify that you want FEXEC.BAT instead of
AUTOEXEC.BAT.  But wait,there's more!   Here are the DOS Settings I'm
using, but be aware, I'm also using Ray Gwinns wonderful COMM drivers!  If
you are using IBM's COMM drivers your display will be different for the
COMM drivers and you will have to adjust them to the same profile as I have
for Ray's stuff:

  AUDIO_ADAPTER_SHARING          :  None
  DOS-AUTOEXEC                   :  MAILEXEC.BAT
  DOS-BACKGROUND_EXECUTION       :  ON
  DOS_BREAK                      :  OFF
  DOS_DEVICE:                    :  C:\OS2\MDOS\ANSI>SYS
                                    C:\SIO2K\vx00.sys  (Ray's drivers)
                                    C:\SIO\x00.sys e b,1,38400
  DOS_FCBS                       :  32
  DOS_FCBS_KEEP                  :  16
  DOS_FILES                      :  50
  DOS_HIGH                       :  ON
  DOS_LASTDRIVE                  :  Z
  DOS_RMSIZE                     :  640
  DOS_SHELL                      :  (Leave at default)
  DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE              :  (Blank)
  DOS_UMB                        :  ON
  DOS_VERSION                    :  (Leave at default)
  DPMI_DOS_API                   :  ENABLED
  DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT              :  16
  DMPI_NETWORK_BUFF_SIZE         :  8
  EMS_FRAME_LOCATION             :  AUTO
  EMS_HIGH_OS_MAP_REGION         :  0
  EMS_LOW_OS_MAP_REGION          :  384
  EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT               :  8192
  HW_NOSOUND                     :  ON
  HW_ROM_TO_RAM                  :  ON
  HW_TIMER                       :  OFF
  IDLE_SECONDS                   :  60
  IDLE-SENSITIVITY               :  99
  INT_DURING_IO                  :  OFF
  KBD_ALTHOME_BYPASS             :  OFF
  KBD_BUFFER_EXTEND              :  ON
  KBD_CTRL_BYPASS                :  NONE
  KBD_RATE_LOCK                  :  OFF
  MEM_EXCLUDE_REGIONS            :  (Blank)
  MEM_INCLUDE_REGIONS            :  (Blank)
  MOUSE_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS         :  OFF
  PRINT_SEPARATE_OUTPUT          :  ON
  PRINT_TIMEOUT                  :  15
  SESSION_PRIORITY               :  1
  VIDEO_8514_XGA_IOTRAP          :  ON
  VIDEO_FASTPASTE                :  ON
  VIDEO_MODE_RESTRICTION         :  NONE
  VIDEO_ONDEMAND_MEMORY          :  ON
  VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION        :  OFF
  VIDEO_ROM_EMULATION            :  ON
  VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION      :  OFF
  VIDEO_WINDOW_REFRESH           :  1
  VSIO2K_CtlsFlowControl         :  ON
  VSIO2K_ReceiveXonisFlowControl :  OFF
  VSIO2K RTSisFlowControl        :  ON
  VSIO2K SentXonisFlowControl    :  OFF
  XMS_HANDLES                    :  32
  XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT               :  2048
  XMS_MINIMUM_HMA                :  0

Then, with a TEXT editor that does *NOT* add an EOF mark at the end of your
CONFIG.SYS file for this OS/2 box, go in and make sure the following lines
are either there or are added just before your line BASEDEV=IBMKBD.SYS:

  REM ** Determines if foreground apps have priority access to disks.
  REM ** YES is default.  If applications need equal access, change NO.
  REM ** Comm apps need this to NO.
  REM PRIORITY_DISK_IO=YES
  PRIORITY_DISK_IO=NO

  REM ** Lets computer continue boot on non-fatal boot run errors
  PAUSEONERROR=NO

  REM ** forces computer to deliver system error to the application direct.
  SET AUTOFAIL=YES

  REM ** Set to allow kill from the WPS hold CTRL key when touch WPS.
  SET SCKILLFEATUREENABLED=1

  REM ** Many complex DOS programs need more than 20 **
  FILES=50
  SET SHELLHANDLESINC=30

And in the area in CONFIG.SYS around your MDOS\COMMAND.COM line do this:

  REM ** Identifies and loads DOS command processor COMMAND.COM
  REM **  /p switch keeps the command processor in memory until shutdown.
  REM  SHELL=C:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND.COM C:\OS2\MDOS **** ORG
  SHELL=C:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND.COM C:\OS2\MDOS /e:2048 /p

  REM ** Tells DOS how many FCBS to be open at once and minimum left open.
  REM FCBS=16,8
  FCBS=32,16

  REM ** Sets the amount of memory available for DOSs use, maximum 640K.
  RMSIZE=640

Your replacement for AUTOEXEC.BAT must have the correct path for all the FE
application directory in it.  I've been running 1.46 in DOS-VDM's for years
this way just fine,


--> Sleep well; OS/2's still awake! ;)

Mike {at} 1:117/3001

--- Maximus/2 3.01