[comp.os.os2.misc] OS/2 2.0 beta availability

tok@slammer.UUCP (Terry Kane) (04/23/91)

Regarding my posting that mentioned the possibility of making a beta
version of 2.0 available to anon ftp, bad news from IBM's NSC bbs:


> ... the files cannot be further distributed once you have downloaded them.
> There are certain rammifications to that, including the fact that we will
> have a set of conditions to which you must agree before our BBS will allow
> you to download the code.  I would also hate to see a lot of folks out
> there get very early code who could not read that agreement and know what
> they were getting into.  This enables us to keep some semblance of control
> over the code which is, after all, copyrighted by both IBM and Microsoft.

Oh well.  At least, if you can afford the phone-tolls, or have PC-Pursuit...
you can download it yourself.  I have no intention of getting mixed up
with IBM in court!

eb2e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Eric James Bales) (04/24/91)

tok@slammer.UUCP (Terry Kane) writes:
> Oh well.  At least, if you can afford the phone-tolls, or have PC-Pursuit...
> you can download it yourself.  I have no intention of getting mixed up
> with IBM in court!

What was that number again?  And when will it be available there?

CluMan - Hunt
-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
eb2e+@andrew.cmu.edu                              -Eric Kirkbride-
atreis@anduin.compsci.liverpool.ac.uk
		        -The second dolphin-
Dolphins. Soon you will be one of us, and then you will understand.

tok@slammer.UUCP (Terry Kane) (04/24/91)

As I promised to pass on details regarding the download of OS/2 2.0beta,
here is Bulletin 3 from IBM's NSC PCUG bbs [(404) 835-6600].

Nota Bene:	IBM has placed legal restriction on redistribution of this
		code.  They are gracious enough to make it available, so
		I hope this policy will not be abused.

> We have prepared a system to download a complete set of
> OS/2 Version 2.0 BETA CODE.
> 
> The phone number is (404) 835-6381.
> 
> You will need to register on the new system as a new user.
> 
> When you log-on to the BETA CODE BBS all you can do is download
> the OS/2 BETA CODE driver. 
> 
> If you have problems with the BETA CODE BBS during your
> download session, please leave a message to SYSOP in
> message base 30 of this BBS.
> 

In conference on the NSC bbs, the sysop states that the complete download
takes ~5 hours at 9600 baud, and that the disk usage is ~18 mb.

You can not dl selectively.  If you need to reget pieces, you must start
over at the beginning.  You can not break your dl into sessions.  Users
have reported CRC errors in some pieces of the dl, have had to start over,
and have requested select-ability in the dl.

Perhaps they will modify the "start it over" restriction in the near future!

cheers.
Terry Kane daytime# +1-404-841-4881
...!emory!slammer!tok

kushner@ux5.lbl.gov (Gary Kushner) (04/25/91)

Why doesn't someone leave a message to the sysop asking if a posting to
an anonymous ftp site would be allowed.  Repeated downloads of 18MB at
9600 baud seems like a waste of money.

Also, has anyone successfully downloaded the beta?

-Gary

u8902741@cs.uow.edu.au (Kiddie) (04/25/91)

kushner@ux5.lbl.gov (Gary Kushner) writes:

>Why doesn't someone leave a message to the sysop asking if a posting to
>an anonymous ftp site would be allowed.  Repeated downloads of 18MB at
>9600 baud seems like a waste of money.

This sounds like a good idea to me as calling for 18Mb at 2400bps
from Australia would probably cost a little too much for a student
Whats the reason for this policy ? It doesnt make too much sense to me
see ya
-- 
 _--_|\      Kevin Withnall   3:712/206.0>Fidonet
/      \     u8902741@wyvern.cs.uow.edu.au
\_.--._/     Wollongong University Australia
      v      Like Chunky bits through the S bend, so are the days of our net.

larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) (04/25/91)

>What was that number again?  And when will it be available there?

The number for the Atlanta BBS is (404)-835-6600.  I'm almost sure they
have a couple of 9600 lines but most of them are 2400.  If you read the
bulletins, there will be a number (so I'm told) for another BBS whose
sole purpose is for the downloading of OS/2 2.0 beta release.

Let me reemphasize that this is BETA CODE only!  I will say that I am (as
I'm sure quite others are) interested in feedback from the real-world,
even though I am not affiliated with OS/2 development at all.  But since
it is the "little guy" that is going to make OS/2 float or sink, it is my
opinion that your voice should be heard.

(I'm not implying, nor should anyone infer, that I will forward anything
to anyone in IBM, but if I see anything that catches my eye, then I will
try and mention it to someone in Boca.)

Cheers,
Larry Salomon, Jr. (aka 'Q')            LARRYS@YKTVMV.BITNET
OS/2 Applications and Tools             larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center         larrys@eng.clemson.edu
Yorktown Heights, NY

Disclaimer:  The statements and/or opinions stated above are strictly my
own and do not reflect the views of my employer.  Additionally, I have a
reputation for being obnoxious, so don't take any personal attacks too
seriously.

tok@slammer.UUCP (Terry Kane) (04/26/91)

Hopefully the last word on beta downloading:

	One can now download any two diskette images selectively - there
	is no longer the requirement to start at the beginning.  Also,
	there *were* CRC errors in some of the images, but they're now
	fixed.

BTW, I still haven't been able to connect to the download bbs.
It's busybusybusy!

cheers
Terry Kane
...!emory!slammer!tok
+1-404-841-4881 days EST

schafer@devils.is.rice.edu (Richard Alan Schafer) (04/26/91)

According to what I read on the IBM OS2 BBS, the reason for the 
method of downloading is to make it so that only people with serious
interest in the beta version will take the time (and cost) of 
getting the materials.  

Conrad.Bullock@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Conrad Bullock) (04/26/91)

In article <1991Apr25.045944.25966@cs.uow.edu.au>,
u8902741@cs.uow.edu.au (Kiddie) writes:
|> kushner@ux5.lbl.gov (Gary Kushner) writes:
|> >Why doesn't someone leave a message to the sysop asking if a posting
|> to
|> >an anonymous ftp site would be allowed.  Repeated downloads of 18MB
|> at
|> >9600 baud seems like a waste of money.
|> 
|> This sounds like a good idea to me as calling for 18Mb at 2400bps
|> from Australia would probably cost a little too much for a student
|> Whats the reason for this policy ? It doesnt make too much sense to
|> me
|> see ya

Messages asking for it to be made available on Internet have been left on
the BBS - the sysop said no (at this stage). The Beta code is available on
a special system (not on a toll free number) so that only those seriously
interested will get a copy. You are not allowed to redistribute the code
after you get it - this is because when you download it, you read a set
of conditions and agree to the statements, and if the code is passed on,
there is no guarantee that these conditions are known. Also if you get it
from the BBS, IBM will have a log of who has it.

Has anyone successfully downloaded it yet? I have the first 4 (of 13) files,
but I haven't been able to get through for the rest of them.

If you use ZMODEM, you don't have to restart the whole lot if you get
through again.
-- 
Conrad Bullock                     | Domain:   conrad@comp.vuw.ac.nz
Victoria University of Wellington, |     or:   conrad@cavebbs.gen.nz
New Zealand.                       | Fidonet:  3:771/130
                                   | BBS:      The Cave BBS +64 4 643429

lowey@herald.usask.ca (Kevin Lowey) (04/26/91)

From article <1991Apr26.002345.4659@comp.vuw.ac.nz>, by Conrad.Bullock@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Conrad Bullock):
> 
> Has anyone successfully downloaded it yet? I have the first 4 (of 13) files,
> but I haven't been able to get through for the rest of them.
> 

Bad news, I just got off the IBM BBS.  This message was there:

**********************************************************************

4-25-91
 Subject: OS/2 Version 2.0 Beta Code 
 
The distribution of OS/2 Version 2.0 Beta Test Code has been stopped 
due to concerns about the license agreement.     

We will post more information on the subject when it becomes    	
available.

**********************************************************************

- Kevin Lowey (Lowey@Sask.USask.CA)

larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) (04/26/91)

In <1991Apr25.132911.28570@watson.ibm.com>, I write:
>
>The number for the Atlanta BBS is (404)-835-6600.  I'm almost sure they
>have a couple of 9600 lines but most of them are 2400.  If you read the
>bulletins, there will be a number (so I'm told) for another BBS whose
>sole purpose is for the downloading of OS/2 2.0 beta release.
>
>Let me reemphasize that this is BETA CODE only!  I will say that I am (as
>I'm sure quite others are) interested in feedback from the real-world,
>even though I am not affiliated with OS/2 development at all.  But since
>it is the "little guy" that is going to make OS/2 float or sink, it is my
>opinion that your voice should be heard.

I have just heard that this BBS is supposed to be for IBM employee use
only (which I think is ridiculous), so I don't know if you can actually
get anything from it.  Has anyone successfully gotten the 2.0 beta code
from this number?

Cheers,
Larry Salomon, Jr. (aka 'Q')            LARRYS@YKTVMV.BITNET
OS/2 Applications and Tools             larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center         larrys@eng.clemson.edu
Yorktown Heights, NY

Disclaimer:  The statements and/or opinions stated above are strictly my
own and do not reflect the views of my employer.  Additionally, I have a
reputation for being obnoxious, so don't take any personal attacks too
seriously.

goldman@mbcl.rutgers.edu (04/27/91)

In article <1991Apr26.122024.2814@watson.ibm.com>, larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) writes:
> In <1991Apr25.132911.28570@watson.ibm.com>, I write:
>>
>>The number for the Atlanta BBS is (404)-835-6600.  I'm almost sure they
>>have a couple of 9600 lines but most of them are 2400.  If you read the
>>bulletins, there will be a number (so I'm told) for another BBS whose
>>sole purpose is for the downloading of OS/2 2.0 beta release.
>>
>>Let me reemphasize that this is BETA CODE only!  I will say that I am (as
>>I'm sure quite others are) interested in feedback from the real-world,
>>even though I am not affiliated with OS/2 development at all.  But since
>>it is the "little guy" that is going to make OS/2 float or sink, it is my
>>opinion that your voice should be heard.
> 
> I have just heard that this BBS is supposed to be for IBM employee use
> only (which I think is ridiculous), so I don't know if you can actually
> get anything from it.  Has anyone successfully gotten the 2.0 beta code
> from this number?
> 
> Cheers,
> Larry Salomon, Jr. (aka 'Q')            LARRYS@YKTVMV.BITNET
> OS/2 Applications and Tools             larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com
> IBM T.J. Watson Research Center         larrys@eng.clemson.edu
> Yorktown Heights, NY
> 
> Disclaimer:  The statements and/or opinions stated above are strictly my
> own and do not reflect the views of my employer.  Additionally, I have a
> reputation for being obnoxious, so don't take any personal attacks too
> seriously.

Larry,

	There's no evidence that the IBM NATIONAL SUPPORT bbs is only
for IBM employees.  There are some people who frequent the OS/2 BBS 
forums there who indicate that they have the full 2.0 Beta.

		Adrian


-- 
Adrian Goldman                         |  Internet:  Goldman@MBCL.Rutgers.Edu
Molecular Biology Computing Laboratory |  Bitnet:    Goldman@BioVAX
Waksman Insitute,                      |  Phone:     (908) 932-4864
Rutgers University,                    |  Fax:       (908) 932-5735
Piscataway, NJ 08855 USA               |

tshea@vax1.mankato.msus.edu (04/27/91)

In article <1991Apr25.045944.25966@cs.uow.edu.au>, u8902741@cs.uow.edu.au (Kiddie) writes:
> kushner@ux5.lbl.gov (Gary Kushner) writes:
> 
>>Why doesn't someone leave a message to the sysop asking if a posting to
>>an anonymous ftp site would be allowed.  Repeated downloads of 18MB at
>>9600 baud seems like a waste of money.
> 
> This sounds like a good idea to me as calling for 18Mb at 2400bps
> from Australia would probably cost a little too much for a student
> Whats the reason for this policy ? It doesnt make too much sense to me
> see ya
> -- 
>  _--_|\      Kevin Withnall   3:712/206.0>Fidonet

I think you should somewhat limit the number of people that get hold of betas. 
Betas of System 7.0 for the Mac were spread around quite a bit and you get
these idiots that complain that their specific application doesn't work and
demand to know why there isn't a update or why Apple made it incompatable.  

Conrad.Bullock@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Conrad Bullock) (04/28/91)

In article <1991Apr26.122024.2814@watson.ibm.com>, larrys@watson.ibm.com
(Larry Salomon, Jr.) writes:
|> I have just heard that this BBS is supposed to be for IBM employee
|> use
|> only (which I think is ridiculous), so I don't know if you can
|> actually
|> get anything from it.  Has anyone successfully gotten the 2.0 beta
|> code
|> from this number?

The IBM NSC system itself (404) 835 6600 is not just for IBM employees -
it is for `IBM employees, user group officers, and IBM customers'. It
really is a very good service - I've been using it for quite a while, to
get support, programming help, to download a lot of PD/Shareware OS/2
software, and to download the OS/2 and DOS CSDs.

-- 
Conrad Bullock                     | Domain:   conrad@comp.vuw.ac.nz
Victoria University of Wellington, |     or:   conrad@cavebbs.gen.nz
New Zealand.                       | Fidonet:  3:771/130
                                   | BBS:      The Cave BBS +64 4 643429