OS/2-eComStation-ArcaOS > Information / 정보광장 > News / OS 소식

Arca Noae Package Manager version 1.1.2 has been released

PMShell — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:57:48 +0900

Arca Noae Package Manager version 1.1.2 has been released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of an updated Arca Noae Package Manager for ArcaOS, OS/2, and eComStation. (1.1.2)

This release addresses the following issues:

Replace DLL conflict check logic to avoid problems if an exception occurs in the DLL’s exit routine (requires included testdll.exe). (Previously, this condition could lead to a complete system hang during package installation or update.)
Redesigned UI presentation of available WarpIN packages.

Arca Noae Package Manager is available in English with Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, and Swedish language packs. Language packs are on a rolling release cycle, with updates made available between program releases.

ANPM 1.1.2 requires WarpIN 1.0.24 or higher for installation. This WarpIN package is available from Hobbes Archive.

This utility is licensed under the GPLv3, and is available to everyone, free of charge. See the included documentation for instructions on how to access the source code.

Please review the wiki for important first-time installation and upgrade notes and other tips.

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, Community, New software releases, News and tagged anpm, arca noae package manager, os/2, package manager, update, upgrade on February 23, 2026 by Lewis Rosenthal.

Warpstock 2025, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA - November 7-9

PMShell — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:13:40 +0900

The Board of Directors of Warpstock Corporation is pleased to announce Warpstock 2025.

The location we have selected is the Holiday Inn Little Rock Airport Conference Center, located at 3201 Bankhead Drive, Little Rock, AR 72206.

The dates for Warpstock 2025 are Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9, 2025.

The full conference registration fee for this year's event is $229, with a daily rate of $179. There is an early-bird discount available for full conference registrations, so book before August 1 to take advantage of a great deal! Also note that we were able to negotiate a group rate of $109 per night (single or double), with room availability guaranteed through October 5. Registration fees do not include hotel accommodations. Please book your hotel stay online or by telephone: 501-490-1000. Use the Event Name "Warpstock" to get the conference rate (King or Two Double: $109/night) for the nights of November 7, 8 and 9 (Friday,Saturday and Sunday). If you would like to stay longer before or after those dates, we have 3 shoulder nights available both before and after. Those need to be reserved separately. The price quoted will be higher than $109, but it will be reduced to $109 when you pay at the hotel. Akeem is the supervisor that can help you with this. See the registration page for more details and to register for this year's event.

Instructions to view Warpstock on-line will be available on OS/2 World.

Learn, share, contribute at Warpstock 2025

PMShell — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:52:02 +0900

Learn, share, contribute at Warpstock 2025

Warpstock, the annual gathering of OS/2 users, developers, engineers, and enthusiasts is scheduled for Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9, 2025 at the Holiday Inn Little Rock Airport Conference Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

Arca Noae Managing Member, Lewis Rosenthal, will be on hand to present not only his annual roadmap update, sharing things planned for the next releases of ArcaOS, but also to moderate an OS/2 quiz to test the depth of knowledge of the audience. Of course, there are several other sessions scheduled, with likely more to come.

If you’ve never attended a Warpstock event, you’re in for a treat. In addition to knowledgeable speakers and the ability to take them aside to bend their ears about what you’d like to see in terms of improvements to the operating system or new applications, there is plenty of time to socialize with like-minded people, and put faces to names of people you may recognize from online interactions. You literally never know who may turn up at Warpstock!

Register now to take advantage of the early bird discount, and get an even better deal on this conference (which is already a great value for the information and opportunities it provides each year).

Warpstock is an annual event hosted by Warpstock Corporation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization unaffiliated with Arca Noae, whose volunteers are dedicated to promoting education, information, and social opportunities to those persons interested in computer operating systems and related software.

This entry last updated: July 25th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Community, News and tagged arcaos, conference, event, os/2, warpstock on July 25, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

The Download Center is now the Download & Renewal Center

PMShell — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:13:36 +0900

The Download Center is now the Download & Renewal Center

In January of 2023, we introduced the ArcaOS Download Center. After expanding this download center to include all subscriptions and their associated downloads, we renamed it simply the Download Center. However, because this portal has so much more functionality which may not be apparent without visiting it first, we have again modified the name to the Download & Renewal Center.

If you are not familiar with this handy tool, in the left navigation area you should see the Download & Renewal Center link. Clicking it will bring you to a consolidated listing of your ArcaOS licenses and associated downloads followed by your other subscriptions and their associated downloads. Need a new ISO? No problem. Just find your ArcaOS license with active support, and request a new one. In addition, no matter which type of subscription you have, you’ll be able to see at a glance when the subscription is set to expire, and have the ability to simply click a button to renew a subscription. That’s it!

So, if you are using an email client or web mail which for some reason does not properly provide you with a usable link in your renewal reminder email, simply visit your Download & Renewal Center, select the license with expiring support, and click Renew.

This entry last updated: June 24th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in ArcaOS, News, Subscriptions and tagged account, arcaos, blue lion, customer relations, entitlement, shop, software, subscription on June 24, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

Warpstock Europe 2025: A Huge Success!

PMShell — Mon, 26 May 2025 11:21:58 +0900

Warpstock Europe 2025: A Huge Success!

If you weren’t able to attend or watch the live stream of the sessions at this year’s Warpstock Europe event in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, you should soon be able to watch the polished, post-production videos linked from the site. There was a lot of great information presented, and of course, a good deal of audience participation and discussion. In all, the event was a tremendous success!

There are currently two annual Warpstock events, run by two separate though coordinating entities: Warpstock, the original event, typically held in North America in the fall, sponsored by Warpstock Corporation, a US 501(c)3 non-profit organization, dedicated to educating users about the use of alternative operating systems; and Warpstock Europe, typically held in central Europe in the spring, sponsored by Stichting VOICE International, a Dutch non-profit entity.

If you’ve never attended a Warpstock event, the experience is unique. You get to spend time one-on-one with not only like-minded users, but with the developers shaping the OS/2 landscape and the engineers supporting it. There is plenty of time outside of actual classroom sessions to relax and exchange ideas, request improvements and new features, and to break out into smaller groups for ad hoc discussions.

The next Warpstock event is scheduled for Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. Early registration is now open, providing a generous discount for those who register for the full conference before August 1. Once again, some of the Arca Noae staff will be on hand to present roadmap and how-to sessions, as well as others with various areas of expertise.

This entry last updated: May 23rd, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Community, General, News and tagged arcaos, event, help, info, os/2, warpstock on May 23, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

Dynamic Icons version 2.5.6 for ArcaOS released

PMShell — Sat, 17 May 2025 14:01:11 +0900

Dynamic Icons version 2.5.6 for ArcaOS released

Dynamic Icons has been updated to version 2.5.6, and is now available as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product. Please log into your account and see your ArcaOS order details page to access your software. This update is available for 5.0 and 5.1 ArcaOS licensees with active Support & Maintenance.

Version 2.5.6 introduces a new caching scheme which essentially eliminates duplicated icons, significantly reducing memory overhead and dramatically improves desktop responsiveness. In addition, it is now possible to specify different icon size parameters for Tree and Icon views, a longstanding and often requested enhancement.

For those who rely on Dynamic Icons, this update is a must-have.

Many, many thanks to Rich Walsh for his hard work on this update.

If you are still running OS/2 and/or eComStation systems and haven’t yet moved up to ArcaOS, this is a great reason to do so now. If you’ve already made the switch, but haven’t renewed renewed your support subscription, this is also a good time. Not sure what’s coming next? Have a look at our product roadmap pages.

This entry last updated: May 16th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, ArcaOS, New software releases, News, Renewals, Subscriptions and tagged arcaos, blue lion, components, desktop, dynamic icons, enhancer, png icons, software, subscription, update, wps on May 16, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

Come join us at Warpstock Europe 2025 this weekend!

PMShell — Thu, 15 May 2025 11:04:58 +0900

Come join us at Warpstock Europe 2025 this weekend!

If you’ve never attended a Warpstock or Warpstock Europe event, these are truly unique and enjoyable experiences. This weekend, in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, Arca Noae Managing Member, Lewis Rosenthal, and Chief UI Architect, Alex Taylor will be on hand to present and answer questions regarding ArcaOS past, present, and future.

It’s not too late to register for the event. Visit the Warpstock Europe homepage for more information and to purchase tickets.

Lewis will provide the latest roadmap for ArcaOS 5.1, including highlights of development and planning for the 5.1.2 release. Alex will be discussing what it takes to create a localized ArcaOS version, and for developers, how to write or update existing applications to take advantage of some of the newer dynamic font sizing support in ArcaOS.

This entry last updated: May 14th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Community, General, News and tagged arcaos, company, event, help, info, warpstock on May 14, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

Announcing WSE 2025

PMShell — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:08:38 +0900

Announcing WSE 2025

The board of VOICE International is pleased to announce that Warpstock Europe 2025 will be held on May 16, 17 and 18 in the city of Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Again there will be 3 days of OS/2 presentations and hands-on experience, but also an extra social event (remember Berlin and Rotterdam?)

The conference will be held in ZO Amersfoort, a mix of office spaces and conference rooms at just 5 minutes walk from Amersfoort Central station. We have the whole building to ourselves from 9:00 in the morning until 22:00 in the evening. Tickets cost €55,00 per day and include lunch on Friday and Sunday.

The schedule can be found here. Information on how to get there and where to stay is here.

The city

Amersfoort is famous for the painter Mondriaan who was born there. It has a well-preserved medieval city centre with part of the original city wall still intact; it even still has the full moat that runs around the walls. Where the water leaves the city there is the "Koppelpoort" (shown in the image at the top of the page), a combined water- and roadgate.

The city is centrally located in the Netherlands, at the crossing of two major highways and is well-connected by trains.

Logos for WSE 2025

Below are links to the banner and logo for Warpstock Europe 2025. The banner is based on an abstract rendition of the Koppelpoort, a combined water and road gate at the northern part of the city. The inside is colored in a pattern similar to paintings by Piet Mondriaan.

Banner

The banner has a 16:9 aspect ratio and is available in two versions: with green background and with transparant background.

Logo

The logo is square and highlights the central water gate. This too comes in two versions: green background and transparent background.

Getting a little more DOS headroom under ArcaOS 5.1

PMShell — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:35:44 +0900

Getting a little more DOS headroom under ArcaOS 5.1

If you have installed DOS support under ArcaOS 5.1.x on a UEFI-based system, you may be able to gain another 64K or so of usable conventional DOS memory by disabling the Compatibility Support Module (CSM) in the system BIOS.

This 64K may be a game changer for applications using EMS, as conventional memory can run out of room for pointers to EMS locations. An example here would be Lotus 1-2-3 for DOS with a large spreadsheet.

It is also important to note that it may not be possible to disable the CSM on some systems, either due to BIOS restrictions or other system functions where the CSM is required for ArcaOS. However, in general, the Arca Noae Compatibility System (ANCS) should provide the necessary support for ArcaOS without the aid of the CSM. The good news is that if the system does not boot properly without the CSM enabled or if something doesn’t seem to function as expected, it can always be enabled again with no harm to the existing ArcaOS installation.

So, if you find yourself in need of just that little extra bit of conventional DOS memory, check the CSM setting in the system BIOS and see if you can disable it.

This entry last updated: March 14th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Tips on March 14, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

Why update or upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1.1?

PMShell — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:49:26 +0900

Why update or upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1.1?

If you’re holding off upgrading from ArcaOS 5.0 to 5.1 or updating from 5.1.0 to 5.1.1, here are a few things to consder to get you off the fence.

ArcaOS 5.1.1, over a year and a half in development, incorporates over 50 improvements and refinements, from smoother installation and better integration with other operating systems to better stability and usability of the system. Here are a few points to consider from the changelog:

Now available in four languages (with more on the way): English, German, Spanish, and Russian. More comfortable computing in your native language? This is all made easier with ArcaOS 5.1.1.
For existing English installations, upgrading from 5.0 or updating from 5.1.0 could not be easier. Back up your system, boot from the installation media, select the option to update/upgrade, and select your existing installation from the list. The rest of the procedure is automatic.
Multimedia support has been upgraded and enhanced. Not only has the multimedia subsystem been translated to the system language, but if you have a CD collection and a modern PC, ArcaOS now handles digital transfers and supports the GnuDB CD track identification database.
Both remote control of the ArcaOS system and control of other systems from ArcaOS has been greatly enhanced with a new VNC server and client, supporting features found in UltraVNC, such as chat, file transfer, and encryption for web clients.
Of course we’ve also included the latest ACPI and updated device drivers for USB, video, mouse (new, major revision), FAT32 filesystem (for better interoperability and data exchange with other operating systems), and even a new keyboard driver for better operation on more hardware.

In short, 5.1.1 is the most stable, best performing ArcaOS release to date, and provides a truly modern OS/2 computing experience for PCs. It’s also quite at home in a virtual environment, running under Oracle VirtualBox or VMware ESXi or Workstation.

Best of all, for ArcaOS 5.1 licensees with active support subscriptions, the update from 5.1.0 to 5.1.1 is absolutely free. Let your subscription lapse? You can still renew and get the 5.1.1 release for no additional charge. Still running 5.0? Now is a great time to take advantage of the steep upgrade discounts offered to upgraders.

This entry was posted in ArcaOS, New software releases, Upgrades and tagged arcaos, blue lion, components, discount, entitlement, software, update, upgrade on February 22, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

ArcaOS 5.1.1 released

PMShell — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:34:31 +0900

ArcaOS 5.1.1 released

Thom Holwerda 2025-02-17 OS/2 3 Comments

It’s been two years since the release of ArcaOS 5.1, which was a hugely important release because it brought UEFI support to this continuation of IBM’s OS/2, ensuring longevity for the project for years to come. Since I don’t think much is known about what, exactly, Arca Noae, and eComStation before it, has access to within the licensing agreement with IBM, it’s difficult to ascertain just how much room they actually have to make changes to the code at the core of the old OS/2. Regardless, I tested ArcaOS 5.1 before and during its release, and the support for UEFI and GPT partition layouts was excellent on my machines.

Almost 18 months later comes the next release in the 5.1 branch, ArcaOS 5.1.1, and as the version number implies, this isn’t another major release on the scale of 5.1. Looking at the list of changes, it mostly contains a ton of upgraded versions of various programs and tools included in ArcaOS. After some digging into some of those upgraded versions, I think I can safely say we’re looking at a ton of small bugfixes, but there are also a few other things that stand out to me as welcome changes.

For instance, the changelog mentions various improvements to the installer and related tools, such as an improved method of determining the right screen resolution and font scaling during the installation. Considering I had to deal with some issues there – I think the installer UI elements were grossly oversized – this is a welcome fix. There are also “refreshed” Firefox and Thunderbird builds, although I don’t know if that means an update to the latest ESR releases, or just a rebuild of what was already shipping with ArcaOS 5.1.

I never found the time around the 5.1 release to do a proper review – I was knee-deep in baby and toddler care overload at the time – but if Arca Noae is willing to provide me with a 5.1.1 copy, I should be able to actually review it now that I’m only ankle-deep in baby and toddler care overload.

AMouse driver package v4.01 released

PMShell — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 13:14:26 +0900

AMouse driver package v4.01 released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of a new release of our AMouse driver package.

This is a major update with significant parts of the code rewritten. If you have ArcaOS version 5.1.1 then you already have this update. This update is now available for those who don’t have ArcaOS 5.1.1. The highlights of this update are:

Better handling of missing or emulated 8042.
Automatic mouse integration for VMware and Virtual Box.
Better handling of some PS/2 mice.
Better handling of some touchpoint devices.
Better NLV support.
Miscellaneous other minor fixes.

More information about the AMouse driver may be found in the wiki.

If you have ArcaOS, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product. Please log into your account and see your ArcaOS order details page to access your software.

If you have an Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription, this driver package is available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of your Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription. Please log into your account in order to access your software.

If you are still running OS/2 and/or eComStation systems and haven’t yet purchased a software subscription, this is a great reason to do so now. It may also be a good time to consider moving up to ArcaOS.

This entry last updated: February 18th, 2025 by David A

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, New software releases, News and tagged components, driver, shop, store, tech, update on February 18, 2025 by David A.

Driver updates now available

PMShell — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:05:10 +0900

Driver updates now available

With the release of ArcaOS 5.1.1, several drivers have been updated. These updates are already included in ArcaOS 5.1.1, but if you are not updating to ArcaOS 5.1.1 you can still take advantage of some of the new driver updates. They are now available as part of the Support & Maintenance subscription for your ArcaOS product, and in the Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription, Please log into your account and visit your ArcaOS Download Center to access your software. Specifically, these updated packages are:

USB 12.17 (updated from 12.16)
Panorama 1.20 (updated from 1.19)
ACPI 3.23.18 (updated from 3.23.17)
Multimac

These releases include minor fixes and enhancements over their previous versions, and while recommended, are not considered critical updates. Again, if you have ArcaOS 5.1.1, you already have all of these updates. Here are the highlights of what’s new:

USB 12.17

Enhanced USBMOUSE to handle more mouse features.

Panorama 1.20

Enhanced to select font size for ArcaOS installer.
NLV enhancements.

ACPI 3.23.18

Fixed acpidump to work on more systems.

MultiMac

Minor updates to E1000B 1.1.9, MMAE 1.1.9, MMRE 1.1.10, and MMJME 1.1.4

If you are still running OS/2 and/or eComStation systems and haven’t yet moved up to ArcaOS, this is a great reason to do so now. If you’ve already made the switch, but haven’t renewed renewed your support subscription, this is also a good time. Thinking of upgrading your current ArcaOS 5.0 installation? Now is also a good time.

If you have an Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription, these driver package are available for download from the Arca Noae website as part of your Arca Noae OS/2 & eCS Drivers and Software Subscription. Please log into your account in order to access your software.

This entry last updated: February 17th, 2025 by David A

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, ArcaOS, New software releases, News, Renewals, Subscriptions and tagged acpi, arcaos, components, driver, ethernet, lan, panorama, software, subscription, update, USB, video on February 17, 2025 by David A.

ArcaOS 5.1.1 now available

PMShell — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:23:11 +0900

ArcaOS 5.1.1 now available

Arca Noae is proud to announce the general availability of ArcaOS 5.1.1 in English, German, Spanish, and Russian.

ArcaOS 5.1.1 continues to support installation on the latest generation of UEFI-based systems, as well as the ability to install to GPT-based disk layouts. This enables ArcaOS 5.1.1 to install on a wide array of modern hardware. Of course, ArcaOS 5.1.1 is just as much at home on traditional BIOS-based systems, offering enhanced stability and performance across both environments.

This release is free of charge to those with active ArcaOS 5.1 Support & Maintenance subscriptions, and there is no charge for requesting additional language ISOs (though your total number of ArcaOS 5.1 installations may not exceed the number of ArcaOS 5.1 licenses you have).

ArcaOS 5.1.1 can be used for new installs or to upgrade any prior English version of ArcaOS 5. If installing from USB stick, the USB install stick may be created using any major operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course, OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). Once built, the USB stick can be inserted into any USB port in the target system to boot into the ArcaOS installer/updater in either UEFI or traditional BIOS mode (alternatively, the DVD image may be burned to physical media and also booted to either UEFI or traditional BIOS systems).

For a complete list of updates in this release, see the ArcaOS wiki. Be sure to review the README.TXT, as well, as this contains critical information to ensure that you get up and running fast, and includes tips for getting things adjusted right away.

This upgrade is available at a steep discount with your valid ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription (and your remaining subscription time will be added to the included support term). To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page and select the Download Center link on the navigation panel to the left. From there, click the “Upgrade to 5.1” button, and proceed to checkout.

If your ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription has already expired, you may still upgrade at less than the cost of a new ArcaOS 5.1 license. Follow the procedure above to order your upgrade, and the discount will be reflected in your cart.

New ArcaOS 5.1.1 license purchases are initially built as English. To request a different language, simply visit your Download Center, select the Build ISO Again button, and choose your language.

Need more convincing? How about a commercial operating system which doesn’t spy on you, does not report your online activity to anyone, and gives you complete freedom to choose the applications you want to use, however you want to use them? How about an operating system which isn’t tied to any specific hardware manufacturer, allowing you to choose the platform which is right for you, and fits perfectly well in systems with less than 4GB of memory or even virtual machines?

Arca Noae is committed to continuing the development, support, maintenance, and refinement of the OS/2 platform. The next release of ArcaOS is already in the works. The future looks bright for Arca Noae and ArcaOS!

This entry last updated: February 16th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, ArcaOS, New software releases, News and tagged arcaos, blue lion, discount, entitlement, gpt, release, subscription, uefi, upgrade on February 16, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

ArcaOS named Best Alternative OS of 2025 by TechRadar!

PMShell — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:00:27 +0900

ArcaOS named Best Alternative OS of 2025 by TechRadar!

It is always gratifying to receive acclaim from our peers and the educated press. It seems that TechRadar has listed ArcaOS as #1 in their list of Best alternative operating systems of 2025, albeit with some slight misstatements in their overview (which we have brought to their attention).

One of the points which is specifically incorrect is the negative notion that ArcaOS is “for older PCs.” ArcaOS 5.1 should install on many or most new or recent Intel or AMD-based hardware. It is capable of booting on UEFI-only systems, without the aid of a CSM, using our proprietary 64-bit UEFI loader, and then booting ArcaOS (which itself is 32-bit) just as it would on a traditional BIOS system.

ArcaOS 5.1 also supports booting from GPT partitioned media, making it a great companion OS for multiboot configurations where the disk (or SSD) has already been partitioned this way and where it may be impractical to wipe and convert to MBR-style partitioning.

In fact, it is also something to note that ArcaOS is specifically not intended for use on “older” hardware, such as ISA, EISA, or MicroChannel, as most of the device drivers for those architectures were removed from ArcaOS prior to its initial release.

Another misstatement in the article pertained to pricing which quoted figures for licensing of the 5.0 release which itself is no longer available (though support for 5.0 continues with no stated EOL). Also, if you already have an ArcaOS 5.0 license, generous upgrade discounts apply should you want to move up to ArcaOS 5.1.

This entry last updated: January 23rd, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, Community and tagged arcaos, award, blue lion, business, company, customer relations, license, shop, software, store, subscription, upgrade on January 23, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

EAMaster has been updated to v1.2.1 with even more new features!

PMShell — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:23:08 +0900

EAMaster has been updated to v1.2.1 with even more new features!

Following onto the October release of last year, Keith Merrington has again updated his handy EAMaster utility to v1.2.1. This latest build now includes three new tools:

A tool to examine hold files produced by the EAUTIL OS/2 command or by EAMaster.
A utility to search and optionally correct duplicate or incorrect long name.
A utility to compare the EAs between directories.

If you already have a license for EAMaster, simply download the latest version (which should be available on Hobbes) and install to upgrade your current installation. Your existing registration will be recognized, and you’ll be good to go immediately.

If you don’t yet have a license, please visit our store for more information on this extremely useful package.

This entry last updated: January 16th, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in New software releases and tagged EA, eamaster, extended attributes, shop, software, store, tool, update, upgrade, utility on January 16, 2025 by Lewis Rosenthal.

A quick look at OS/2’s built-in virtualisation

PMShell — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 15:10:30 +0900

A quick look at OS/2’s built-in virtualisation

Submitted by garyd 2024-12-18 OS/2 4 Comments

Most of us are aware that IBM’s OS/2 has excellent compatibility with DOS and Windows 3.x programs, to the point where OS/2 just ships with an entire installation of Windows 3.x built-in that you can run multiple instances of. In fact, to this day, ArcaOS, the current incarnation of the maintained and slightly modernised OS/2 codebase, still comes with an entire copy of Windows 3.x, making ArcaOS one of the very best ways to run DOS and Windows 3.x programs on a modern machine, without resorting to VMware or VirtualBox.

Peter Hofmann took a look at one of the earlier versions of OS/2 – version 2.1 from 1993 – to see how its DOS compatibility actually works, or more specifically, the feature “DOS from drive A:”.

You can insert a bootable DOS floppy and then run that DOS in a new window.
Since this is called “DOS from drive A:”, surely this is something DOS-specific, right? Maybe only supports MS-DOS or even only PC DOS?
Far from it, apparently.
↫ Peter Hofmann

Hofmann wrote a little test program using nothing but BIOS system calls, meaning it doesn’t use any DOS system calls. This “real mode BIOS program” can run from the bootsector, if you wanted to, so after combining his test program with a floppy disk boot record, you end up with a bootable floppy that runs the test program, for instance in QEMU. After a bit of work, the test program on the bootable floppy will work just fine using OS/2’s “DOS from drive A:” feature, even though it shouldn’t.

What this seems to imply is that this functionality in OS/2 2.1 looks a lot like a hypervisor, or as Hofmann puts it, “basically a builtin QEMU that anybody with a 386 could use”. That’s pretty advanced for the time, and raises a whole bunch of questions about just how much you can do with this.

eCo Software Runtime packages updated to 20241129

PMShell — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:32:06 +0900

eCo Software Runtime packages updated to 20241129

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the availability of updated eCo Software Runtime packages, downloadable from our downloadables page.

The eCo Software Runtime packages provide support libraries for several components of ArcaOS and eCS, as well as eCo Software applications. The Base, Net, and Win packages have been updated as of 2024-09-15 (Base) and 2024-11-29 (Win).

The eCo Software Runtime Toolkit has also been updated with this release.

More information on these packages may be found on the developer’s site.

These packages are provided by Arca Noae as a convenience to our customers, clients, and the community at large. Arca Noae does not produce these packages, and the software is provided “as is” without any warranty of any kind. Support for the eCo Software Runtime is provided by eCo Software, in their support forum.

This entry last updated: December 12th, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in New software releases and tagged components, eco software, runtime, software, update on December 12, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal.

FreeBSD 14.2: What’s new, and how did we get here?

마루 — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:29:59 +0900

FreeBSD 14.2: What’s new, and how did we get here?

December 4, 2024

FreeBSD is a strong choice for organizations looking for a modern and reliable open-source operating system. It offers flexible licensing, strong security, excellent performance, and great stability, making it suitable for businesses of any size.

The FreeBSD 14.x series shows the project’s commitment to improving security and modernization. FreeBSD continually enhances its system’s reliability, security, and hardware compatibility, often keeping up with or exceeding the latest technological standards found in other operating systems. The current release builds on the foundation laid by version 14.0 in November 2023 and aligns with the timeline that includes the FreeBSD 13 branch, which came out in August 2022.

FreeBSD 14.2-RELEASE demonstrates the operating system’s focus on meeting the changing needs of its users, reinforcing its position as a leading open-source option. This version brings important updates in infrastructure, hardware compatibility, and security, highlighting its value in the industry.

FreeBSD 14.x overview

The 14.x series significantly improves the system’s overall performance, security, and stability. This release includes extensive updates across various areas, such as networking, storage, virtualization, userland, and kernel enhancements.

FreeBSD 14.2-RELEASE is the latest version in the 14-STABLE branch. It features improvements, security patches, and updated functionalities designed to enhance user experience and system stability. This section highlights the notable changes and enhancements introduced in FreeBSD 14.x.

Upgrading from previous releases

Users upgrading from earlier versions of FreeBSD will find the transition to the latest version smooth, thanks to the comprehensive documentation available to guide them through the upgrade process. Before starting the installation, it is advisable to check the release errata for any recent issues or updates.y recent issues or updates.

Networking enhancements

Networking is a cornerstone of FreeBSD’s capabilities, and FreeBSD 14.2 adds several new features to the already robust stack introduced in 14.1:

Adaptive Interrupt Moderation (AIM): Introduced in the igc(4), lem(4), em(4), and igb(4) drivers, AIM addresses UDP performance regressions and improves efficiency.
LinuxKPI Enhancements: Improvements to wireless drivers like iwlwifi(4) ensure better stability and reliability.

Previous network improvements in FreeBSD 14.x

FreeBSD 14.x introduced key networking enhancements to improve performance, security, and overall system capabilities. These updates reflect FreeBSD’s commitment to maintaining a state-of-the-art networking stack

Kernel TLS (KTLS) Enhancements: Added receive offload support for TLS 1.3, improving performance for encrypted network traffic. This enhancement builds on the existing support for TLS 1.0 through TLS 1.3, ensuring better security and performance for encrypted communications.
CUBIC as Default TCP Congestion Control: Adopted CUBIC as the default congestion control algorithm for TCP, offering improved performance for long-duration data transfers by allocating a higher fraction of the available bandwidth than NewReno.
ARP Support for 802-Standard Networks: Restored support for Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) on 802-standard networks, which had been accidentally removed with FDDI support.
Kernel WireGuard Driver: Reintegrated the kernel WireGuard driver, offering efficient and secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity using the WireGuard protocol.
Radix Tables for MAC Addresses: Implemented support for radix tables in ipfw(4) for MAC address filtering. This feature allows for more efficient handling and filtering of MAC addresses.
IPv6 Rapid Deployment (6rd): Added support for IPv6 Rapid Deployment (6rd) as per RFC 5969, which facilitates the deployment of IPv6 over IPv4 infrastructure.
Netlink Protocol: Expanded and improved the netlink(4) user/kernel communication protocol, primarily used for network configuration. The enhancements include better support and conversion of network configuration utilities to use netlink, enhancing the efficiency of network management).
pfsync Enhancements: Updated pfsync(4) to support IPv6 transport and extended its packet format to improve queuing, scrubbing, and route-to rules, enhancing the synchronization of state tables across firewalls.
Layer 3 Filtering on Bridges: Improved the behavior of Layer 3 filtering on if_bridge(4) by setting net.link.bridge.pfil_member and net.link.bridge.pfil_bridge to default to zero, addressing fail-safety concerns in network configurations.
CARP Unicast Address Support: Updated carp(4) to allow configuration of the address to which CARP messages are sent, supporting unicast addresses for certain virtual configurations.

Storage and virtualization

Storage and virtualization enhancements in FreeBSD 14.2 extend the flexibility and resilience introduced in earlier releases:

OpenZFS 2.2.6 Upgrade: Provides performance improvements and enhanced data resiliency.
Bhyve Guest: Includes better VNC color handling.
VM Guest: Up to 40% performance improvements in TLB flushing on Hyper-V.

Previous storage and virtualization improvements in FreeBSD 14.x

Storage

ZFS Enhancements: OpenZFS upgraded to version 2.2.4, includes performance improvements like adaptive ARC, zstd early abort, and I/O prefetch improvements. New zfskeys service for automatic decryption of ZFS datasets at boot.
Block Cloning: Optional support for shallow copies of blocks in file copies, enabled via sysctl.
Scrub Error Log: zpool scrub -e command to log scrub errors.
BLAKE3 Checksums: Introduction of BLAKE3 checksums, recommended for secure checksums.
Corrective zfs receive: Allows for healing corrupted data during receive operations.
Vdev and Zpool User Properties: Similar to dataset user properties, for better customization.
Adaptive ARC: Fully adaptive ARC minimizes the need for manual tuning.
Zstd Early Abort: Efficiency improvements for handling uncompressible data.
I/O Prefetch: General improvements and optimizations for I/O prefetch.
32-bit PowerPC Support: ZFS enabled on 32-bit powerpc/powerpcspe architectures.
UFS Updates: Soft updates enabled by default for new UFS file systems, allowing background dumps on live systems.
Background File System Checks: Using a snapshot for UFS with journaled soft updates.
Superblock Check Hashes: Added to detect corruption in superblocks, cylinder group maps, and inodes.
Libufs(3) Library Update: Inclusion of corruption checks in all filesystem utilities.
Tarfs Support: Added support for tarfs(5), a file system backed by POSIX tar archives, optionally compressed with zstd(1).
Msdosfs(5) Enhancements: Records available directory entries in the root directory of FAT12 and FAT16 file systems; Correctly calculates available and used blocks of FAT12 and FAT16 file systems.
Synthetic File Systems: Synthetic file systems like devfs(5) and procfs(5) now report 0 blocks used, avoiding 100% full reports.
NFS Enhancements: Support for Kerberized NFSv4.1/4.2 mounts and SP4_MACH_CRED.
Syskrb5 Mount Option: For Kerberized NFSv4.1/4.2 mounts using AUTH_SYS authentication without requiring Kerberos credentials at mount time.
Updated NFS: The NFS client and server have been updated to support NFSv4.2, including extended attributes.
Secure NFS: Support for configuring NFS over TLS, emphasizing secure storage solutions.

Virtualization

Enhanced Guest Support in bhyve: The bhyve hypervisor and kernel module vmm(4) now support more than 16 vCPUs in a guest, allowing guests to utilize host CPU resources more effectively.
Bhyve TPM Passthrough: Added support for TPM passthrough in bhyve.
Bhyve GPU Passthrough: Improved GPU passthrough support for AMD and Intel GPUs.
Virtio-Input Device Emulation: Bhyve now supports injecting keyboard/mouse input events into a guest.
Firecracker VMM: FreeBSD can now run inside the Firecracker VMM via the amd64 FIRECRACKER kernel configuration.

Userland, contributed software, and kernel enhancements

FreeBSD 14.2 builds upon the userland updates from 14.1 with additional improvements:

New Utilities: Introduction of md5sum(1) for Linux compatibility and updates to libarchive (3.7.7) and OpenSSL (3.0.15).
Installer Improvements: The bsdinstall(8) utility now supports post-installation firmware downloads.

Contributed software updates in FreeBSD 14.2

FreeBSD 14.2 brings several updates to contributed software, enhancing functionality, security, and performance for developers and users alike. These updates reflect FreeBSD’s commitment to maintaining a modern software ecosystem:

bc: Upgraded to version 7.0.2, providing a robust and efficient calculator utility.
libarchive: Updated to version 3.7.7, offering improved capabilities for data archiving and extraction.
libcbor: Upgraded to version 0.11.0, ensuring better support for CBOR (Concise Binary Object Representation) data structures (Sponsored by The FreeBSD Foundation).
libcxxrt: Updated to a vendor snapshot (6f2fdfebcd62), delivering enhancements for runtime C++ support.
libfido2: Enhanced to version 1.14.0, strengthening FreeBSD’s capabilities for FIDO2-based authentication (Sponsored by The FreeBSD Foundation).
libpcap: Updated to version 1.10.5, ensuring a modern foundation for packet capturing (Sponsored by The FreeBSD Foundation).
llvm: Upgraded to version 18.1.6, providing state-of-the-art compiler and toolchain support for developers.
openssl: Upgraded to version 3.0.15, addressing the latest cryptographic standards and security improvements.
tcpdump: Updated to version 4.99.5, improving network traffic analysis capabilities (Sponsored by The FreeBSD Foundation).
unbound: Enhanced to version 1.22.0, delivering a secure and modern DNS resolver.

Previous userland and kernel enhancements in FreeBSD 14.x

The FreeBSD 14.x series has undergone significant improvements in both the user environment and the kernel, making it more robust, secure, and adaptable. These enhancements improve the system’s functionality and ensure it remains up-to-date with the latest technological standards and user expectations.

Shell and MTA defaults

Default Shell: The root user’s default shell is now sh(1), which includes many new features for interactive use. This change simplifies the environment and improves security by using a shell with fewer historical vulnerabilities than other shells like csh or bash.
Default MTA: The default Mail Transport Agent (MTA) is now the Dragonfly Mail Agent (dma(8)), replacing sendmail(8). This change simplifies mail configuration and management. Configuration is handled through mailer.conf(5), and sendmail(8) is still available for those who need it. Additionally, the mta_start_script configuration variable has been retired from rc.conf(5) along with the othermta startup script.

Userland enhancements

Base64 utility: A new utility, base64(1), has been introduced. This utility allows users to encode and decode data in base64 format, which is commonly used for encoding binary data in text files such as email attachments and XML data
Capsicum sandbox support for existing utilities like sockstat(1).
New kdc_restart Variable: Manages kdc(8) under daemon(8), auto restarting kdc on abnormal termination.
Adduser Utility Enhancements: The adduser(8) utility now automatically creates a ZFS dataset for new user home directories if the parent directory resides on a ZFS dataset. This feature supports ZFS encryption, providing enhanced security for user data.
Locale and Keyboard Updates: Locale handling upgraded to CLDR 41.0 and Unicode 14.0; Support for the new French bépo keyboard layout (version 1.1rc2) has been added. This layout is normalized by the French national organization for standardization as “NF Z71‐300″.
Process Management : Enhancements to utilities like login introduce the capability to set process priorities directly from ~/.login_conf, offering refined control over process management.
Data Archiving and Extraction : Upgrading libarchive to version 3.6.2 for enhanced data archiving and extraction.

Utilities and enhancements

Package Upgrades: Major upgrades to software such as tcpdump, libpcap, OpenSSL to version 3.0.12, One True Awk to 2nd Edition, and Clang/LLVM to version 18.1.5.
Systat Utility Update: The systat(1) utility has a new command, iolat, which reports I/O latencies computed by the CAM I/O scheduler. This is useful for diagnosing performance issues related to disk I/O.
Tcpsso Utility: A new utility, tcpsso(8), has been added. It allows users to apply a socket option to an existing TCP endpoint, changing the congestion control module or the TCP stack on the fly.
Periodic Facility: By default, the changes shown in email by the periodic(8) facility from the daily scripts now show less context to reduce the output size. This behavior can be controlled by the daily_diff_flags variable in periodic.conf(5). Similarly, the changes shown by the security scripts are controlled by the security_status_diff_flags variable.
Date Utility Update: The date(1) program now supports nanoseconds, allowing for more precise timestamping. For example, date -Ins prints “2024-04-22T12:20:28,763742224+02:00” and date +%N prints “415050400”.
Locale Handling: Locale handling has been upgraded to CLDR 41.0 and Unicode 14.0. This ensures better support for internationalization and localization, including new characters and improved collation rules.
Unprivileged Chroot: The chroot(8) facility now supports unprivileged operation, with a new -n option to enable its use. This enhancement increases the flexibility and security of using chroot environments.
Md5sum Utility: New md5sum(1) and similar message-digest programs have been added, which are compatible with the Linux versions. This provides easier cross-platform script compatibility.
Improved Documentation: Enhancements in kernel documentation, making it easier for users and developers to understand and utilize new features.

Kernel enhancements

Enhanced Cryptographic Framework: FreeBSD 14.x has expanded its cryptographic framework to support modern ciphers and encryption methods, including support for XChaCha20-Poly1035 AEAD cipher and an API for curve25519, providing robust options for secure communications and data protection.
Hardware Support: New drivers for the Intel I225 Ethernet controller and Microchip LAN7430/7431 Ethernet controllers, and improvements in the iwlwifi driver for Intel Wi-Fi devices.
AddressSanitizer: Usable in amd64 kernels.
Security Improvements: Introducing Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) for 64-bit executables.
Debugging Enhancements: A new SPLIT_KERNEL_DEBUG configuration option enables separate kernel and module debug data handling.

Cloud support enhancements in FreeBSD 14.2

FreeBSD 14.2 includes significant updates and new features designed to enhance its compatibility and performance in cloud environments. These advancements make FreeBSD an even stronger contender for modern cloud deployments:

OpenStack Networking Enhancements:
The nuageinit startup script now supports OpenStack network configurations, streamlining setup for cloud environments (Sponsored by OVHCloud).
OCI-Compatible Container Images:
FreeBSD now publishes OCI-compatible container images, enabling seamless deployment and integration with container-based cloud ecosystems.
Optimized EC2 Images:
Introduced “small” EC2 images optimized for lightweight deployments. These images exclude debug symbols, tests, 32-bit libraries, LLDB, the Amazon SSM Agent, and AWS CLI for reduced size and faster performance (Sponsored by Amazon).
Enhanced EC2 API Compatibility:
The “shutdown” and “reboot” APIs now function properly for arm64 instances. Older instances upgrading to FreeBSD 14.2 will need debug.acpi.quirks=”8″ set in /boot/loader.conf to enable these features (Sponsored by Amazon).

Earlier cloud support in 14.x:

14.1-RELEASE supports cloudinit, compatible with OpenStack and many hosting facilities.
Experimental ZFS-root EC2 AMIs on AWS with cloud-init support.
Arm64 images for Azure with Gen2 VM support.

Hardware support and device drivers

FreeBSD 14.2 continues to improve hardware compatibility, addressing both new and legacy platforms:

High-Core-Count AMD CPUs: Fixed boot failures by increasing the maximum IOAPIC ID to 255.

Updates to device drivers in FreeBSD 14.2

FreeBSD 14.2 introduces updates and new drivers to enhance hardware compatibility, performance, and reliability. These improvements demonstrate FreeBSD’s commitment to supporting a broad range of modern and legacy devices.

ena: Upgraded to version 2.8.0, improving support for Elastic Network Adapters in cloud environments (Sponsored by Amazon, Inc.).
ice: Updated to version 1.43.2-k, enhancing performance for Intel Ethernet controllers (Sponsored by Intel Corporation).
ice_ddp: Upgraded to version 1.3.41.0, bringing additional optimizations for Intel’s Dynamic Device Personalization (DDP) profiles (Sponsored by Intel Corporation).
hda(4): Added support for Tiger Lake-H processors, expanding compatibility with Intel hardware.
ichsmb(4) and ig4(4): Introduced support for Meteor Lake platforms, ensuring seamless operation with the latest Intel chipsets (Sponsored by Framework Computer Inc. and The FreeBSD Foundation).
rtw89(4): A new wireless driver supporting Realtek chipsets, providing better connectivity for modern wireless hardware (Sponsored by The FreeBSD Foundation).
Realtek 8156/8156B: Support transitioned from cdce(4) to ure(4), offering improved performance and reliability for these Ethernet adapters (Sponsored by The FreeBSD Foundation).
ACPI GPIO _AEI Objects: Added support for GPIO _AEI objects, improving ACPI functionality in certain systems (Sponsored by Amazon).
nvme(4): Enabled across all architectures, expanding support for NVMe storage devices and configurations.

Earlier hardware support improvements in FreeBSD 14.x

FreeBSD 14.x introduced several significant enhancements to hardware support, ensuring improved compatibility and performance across various modern systems. Key updates include:

Intel Wi-Fi (iwlwifi(4)): The iwlwifi(4) driver for Intel Wi-Fi devices has undergone numerous stability improvements, supporting newer chipsets.
Intel E800 Series (ice(4)): A driver is available for the Intel E800 series’ ice(4) Ethernet network controllers, which support 100 Gb/s operation. This driver has been upgraded to version 1.39.13-k.
Multiple PCI MCFG Regions: Added support for multiple PCI MCFG regions on amd64 and i386 architectures, allowing PCI configuration space access for domains (segments) other than 0.
Raspberry Pi (smsc(4)): The smsc(4) Ethernet driver can now fetch the value of smsc95xx.macaddr passed by some Raspberry Pi models and use it for the MAC address, ensuring a stable MAC address even if there is no address in EEPROM.
Sound System (snd_clone): The snd_clone framework, including related sysctls, was removed from the sound subsystem, simplifying the system. The per-channel nodes (/dev/dspX.Y) are no longer created; only the primary device (/dev/dspX) is.
Asynchronous Audio Device Detach: Audio now supports asynchronous device detach, greatly simplifying the hot-plugging and unplugging of USB headsets and easing the use of PulseAudio in cases requiring system sleep and wake (suspend and resume).
NVMe Disks (nda(4)): NVMe disks are now nda devices by default. Symbolic links for the previous nvd(4) device names are created in /dev, and configurations like fstab(5) should be updated to refer to the new device names.
Intel QAT Driver (qat(4)): The previous qat(4) driver has been replaced with Intel’s QAT driver, providing additional interfaces to the chipset’s cryptographic and compression offload functionality. The new driver does not support Atom C2000 chipsets; the old driver has been renamed to qat_c2xxx.
DPAA2 (NXP SoCs): Improvements in DPAA2 (second-generation Data Path Acceleration Architecture), including better isolation of DMA resources and cleanup operations, FDT/ACPI MDIO support, netboot over DPAA2, and separate command portals (DPMCP) support.
Realtek Wireless (rtw88(4)): The rtw88(4) driver for Realtek wireless PCI interfaces has been updated.
KVM Paravirtualized Clock (kvm_clock): A new driver has been added for the KVM paravirtualized clock.
ARM Corelink DMC-620 and CMN-600: hwpmc (4) and libpmc now support the Arm Corelink DMC-620 Memory Controller and CMN-600 Coherent Mesh Network Controller.
Frame Buffer Addressing: A fix for frame buffer addressing has been implemented, affecting frame buffers mapped above 4 GB physical on i386 and Book-E powerpc.

Deprecated features

In alignment with FreeBSD’s forward-looking strategy, certain features have been deprecated in 14.2:

fdisk(8) Deprecation: Users are encouraged to migrate to gpart(8) for disk partitioning.
Planned Removal of syscons(4): Users are advised to transition to vt(4).

Earlier deprecated features and removed support in 14.x

Throughout the FreeBSD 14.x series, several features and supports were deprecated or removed entirely, indicating the project’s forward-looking approach and dedication to embracing modern technologies and standards.

Deprecated Drivers: Removed obsolete drivers such as amr(4), iir(4), twa(4), mn(4), mly(4), and nlmrsa(4). Drivers for ISA sound cards have been removed.
MIPS Architecture: Support for the MIPS architecture and related hardware has been removed.
Other Removals: Deprecated utilities like mergemaster(8) and the Telnet daemon have been removed.

On future releases and development strategy

As FreeBSD continues to evolve, the Project’s development strategy and roadmap for future releases reflect a commitment to embracing modern computing architectures while ensuring broad compatibility and support. FreeBSD 15.0 will mark a pivotal point in this journey, with several key decisions shaping the direction of the operating system

Phasing Out 32-bit Platform Support: FreeBSD 15.0 is not expected to include support for 32-bit platforms other than armv7, signaling a strategic shift towards focusing on 64-bit computing. The armv6, i386, and powerpc platforms are deprecated and slated for removal, though 64-bit systems will retain the capability to run older 32-bit binaries.
Tier 2 Architecture and armv7: The armv7 architecture is anticipated to be supported as a Tier 2 architecture in FreeBSD 15.0 and the stable/15 branch. However, there is an expectation that armv7 support may be discontinued in FreeBSD 16.0, with updates on the status of armv7 support to be provided around the time of the 15.0 release.
Continued Support for 32-bit Binaries and Applications: Despite the shift towards 64-bit platforms, FreeBSD will continue to support the execution of 32-bit binaries on 64-bit platforms through the COMPAT_FREEBSD32 option for at least the stable/15 and stable/16 branches. Moreover, the compilation of individual 32-bit applications will be supported in the stable/15 branch, ensuring compatibility with a broad range of software.
Ports and Package Infrastructure: Future releases, starting from FreeBSD 15.0, will not include support for building packages from ports for deprecated 32-bit platforms. This decision reflects the broader industry trend of moving away from 32-bit architectures and focuses development efforts on more widely used 64-bit platforms.
End of Life (EOL) for 32-bit Support: The stable/14 branch will retain support for 32-bit kernel and world, along with the ports system’s support for 32-bit systems, until it reaches end of life (EOL) five years after the release of FreeBSD 14.0. This timeline provides a transition period for users and developers relying on 32-bit platforms to migrate to supported architectures.

Community Feedback and Future Decisions: The FreeBSD Project acknowledges the importance of community feedback and committed efforts in shaping the support strategy for deprecated platforms. The community’s needs and contributions will inform decisions regarding extending support for certain platforms in FreeBSD 15.0 or later.

References

For those interested in exploring FreeBSD’s detailed evolution through the 14.x series, the official FreeBSD documentation, and release notes offer comprehensive insights into each version’s advancements and improvements.

새롭게 등장한 랜섬웨어, 독특하게 프리BSD 서버 노려

마루 — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:59:32 +0900

요약 : 보안 외신 블리핑컴퓨터에 의하면 새로운 랜섬웨어가 등장했다고 한다. 이름은 인터록(Interlock)으로, 프리BSD(FreeBSD) 서버들을 주로 노린다고 한다. 올해 9월부터 활동이 목격됐고, 현재까지 6개의 조직들을 감염시키는 데 성공한 것으로 보인다. 리눅스 랜섬웨어라고 하면 보통 VM웨어의 ESXi 서버들을 노리는 게 보통인데, 프리BSD를 노리기 위해 개발된 랜섬웨어는 극히 드물기에 전문가들의 관심을 끌고 있다. 2023년에 국제 공조로 사라진 하이브(Hive) 랜섬웨어가 유일하게 프리BSD를 노린 전적을 가지고 있다.

[이미지 = gettyimagesbank]

배경 : 인터록 공격자들에 대해서는 아직까지 알려진 사항이 그리 많지 않다. 하지만 이들의 공격 패턴은 기존 다른 랜섬웨어 단체들과 크게 다르지 않다. 프리BSD를 공격한다는 것만 제외하고는 정보를 미리 빼돌린 후에 암호화 한다는 것, 그리고 돈을 내지 않으면 피해자들의 데이터를 노출시킬 거라고 시간 제한을 두고 협박한다는 점에서 똑같다.

말말말 : “현재 공격자들은 피해자 조직의 규모 등을 고려해 적게는 수만 달러에서 많게는 수백만 달러의 금액을 요구하고 있습니다.” -블리핑컴퓨터-
[국제부 문가용 기자(globoan@boannews.com)]

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거 참. 노려서 얻을게 뭐 있다고...

KolibriOS

마루 — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:30:52 +0900

#KolibriOS #FloppyDisk #MichaelMJD

Go to https://sponsr.is/bootdev_MichaelMJD and use my code MICHAELMJD to get 25% off your first payment for boot.dev. That’s 25% off your first month or your first year, depending on the subscription you choose. Thanks to Boot.dev for sponsoring this video! Today we're checking out an entire operating system that can fit on a single floppy disk! KolibriOS: https://kolibrios.org/ Support the channel on Patreon to get early access to these videos! / michaelmjd Chapters: 00:00 - Years in the making 00:22 - What is KolibriOS? 02:47 - Booting up 03:32 - Trying to get online 06:26 - Exploring some programs 10:58 - Games 14:24 - Settings & Customization 20:01 - Swapping to the CD version 20:52 - Big Games 24:41 - Some more CD-only stuff 27:56 - Outro ● Gear I use to make these videos: https://www.kit.co/mjd Camera: https://amzn.to/3ipyKc5 Tripod: https://amzn.to/3pqxycn Microphone: https://amzn.to/35UbkXb Editing Software (Premiere): https://amzn.to/39kawfS Thumbnail Editor (Photoshop): https://amzn.to/3lVqVN6 ● Affiliate Links: Get a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL of Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/2xVmMB3 Get a FREE TRIAL of Audible: https://amzn.to/44CX7tN Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?tag=teammjd-20 ● Music/Credits: Background Music: "Supreme", "Blue Mood", "By the Fireplace", "Wish You'd Never Left", and "Soul and Mind" from the YouTube Audio Library "Acid Jazz", "Past Sadness", "Mining by Moonlight", "Local Forecast - Elevator", "Spy Groove", and "Airport Lounge" by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com Outro Music: Silent Partner - Bet On It "Heavy metal door_3-2.Impact.(6lrs,mltprcssng,rvrb3).wav" by mikobuntu of Freesound.org "Pop, High, A (H1).wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org Amazon Affiliate Notice: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. All Amazon links that I provide will use my affiliate code with Amazon. Some materials in this video are used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, and research. #MichaelMJD #KolibriOS #FloppyDisk

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OS 발달이 놀랍네요.

EAMaster has been updated to v1.0 with new features!

PMShell — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:08:08 +0900

EAMaster has been updated to v1.0 with new features!

Keith Merrington has updated his handy EAMaster utility to v1.0. This latest build includes two new tools:

A tool to examine files produced by the EAUTIL OS/2 command when stripping EA’s and saving them in a hold file.
A utility to search and optionally correct duplicate or incorrect long name.

If you don’t yet have a license, please visit our store for more information on this useful package.

This entry last updated: October 21st, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in New software releases and tagged EA, eamaster, extended attributes, shop, software, store, tool, update, upgrade, utility on October 21, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal.

ArcaOS - A Modern Version of IBM’s OS/2 (Overview & Demo)

마루 — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:24:05 +0900

#MichaelMJD #ArcaOS #OS2

You might think OS/2 is long gone, but it still lingers around in more places then you'd expect. Today's video covers ArcaOS, an OS/2-based operating system designed to work with newer hardware! ArcaOS: https://www.arcanoae.com/arcaos/ ● Gear I use to make these videos: https://www.kit.co/mjd Camera: https://amzn.to/3ipyKc5 Tripod: https://amzn.to/3pqxycn Microphone: https://amzn.to/35UbkXb Editing Software (Premiere): https://amzn.to/39kawfS Thumbnail Editor (Photoshop): https://amzn.to/3lVqVN6 ● Affiliate Links (these links will earn me a commission if you purchase something through them at no additional cost to you): Get a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL of Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/2xVmMB3 Get 2 FREE Audiobooks with Audible: https://amzn.to/2Ovylse Try Twitch Prime for FREE: https://amzn.to/33g6vaa Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?tag=teammjd-20 ● Follow Me: Twitter: / mjdtweets Instagram: / mjdmichael ● Music/Credits: Background Music: "Ersatz Bossa" and "By the Fireplace" from the YouTube Audio Library "Ultralounge", "Mining By Moonlight", "AcidJazz", "Airport Lounge", "Spy Groove" and "George Street Shuffle" by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com Outro Music: Silent Partner - Bet On It Source: YouTube Audio Library Amazon Affiliate Notice: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. All Amazon links that I provide will use my affiliate code with Amazon. Some materials in this video are used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, and research. #MichaelMJD #ArcaOS #OS2

OpenBSD 7.6, released October 8, 2024.

그우 — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 13:07:45 +0900

The OpenBSD project produces a FREE, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system. Our efforts emphasize portability, standardization, correctness, proactive security and integrated cryptography. As an example of the effect OpenBSD has, the popular OpenSSH software comes from OpenBSD.

OpenBSD is freely available from our download sites.

The current release is OpenBSD 7.6, released October 8, 2024. This is the 57th release.

Couldn’t make it to Warpstock 2024 in Pittsburgh? Stream it live!

PMShell — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 11:15:49 +0900

Couldn’t make it to Warpstock 2024 in Pittsburgh? Stream it live!

Warpstock 2024 begins this Friday, September 27, at 9am EDT.

Lewis Rosenthal and Alex Taylor will be among those presenting this year on a variety of topics of interest concerning ArcaOS. In addition, Lewis will be moderating a 2-part roundtable discussion focused on how people are using the OS/2 platform today, and how they see themselves using it in the future. For more details and for info on all sessions, please visit the event sessions page, and for the complete schedule, visit the event calendar.

Questions may be posed via YouTube Chat as well as IRC during the event.

The WarpEvents YouTube channel is the place to watch the event stream.

The URL for the #Warpstock IRC channel is: ircs://irc.libera.chat:6697/Warpstock (TLS encrypted),
or irc://irc.libera.chat/Warpstock (plain text), or https://web.libera.chat/ (web interface, type #Warpstock into the Channel field).

While visiting the Warpstock website, please consider donating. Warpstock Corporation is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization promoting education, information, and social opportunities to those persons interested in computer operating systems and related software.

This entry last updated: September 25th, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Community, News and tagged arcaos, blue lion, company, customer relations, event, help, info, network, os/2, software, support, tech, upgrade, warpstock on September 25, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal.

FreeBSD-based GhostBSD 24.07.1 launches with improved performance and stability

마루 — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 11:25:06 +0900

GhostBSD 24 desktop (Image source: GhostBSD)

Yesterday, GhostBSD received a new update, which pushed its version number up to 24.07.1. Developed by a team headed by Eric Turgeon, GhostBSD is based on FreeBSD and uses MATE after spending a while employing GNOME as the default desktop environment. A community-driven XFCE edition is also available. The first version of this Unix-like OS was released in March 2010, when it came with GNOME 2.28 and was based on FreeBSD 8.0.

GhostBSD 24.07.1 arrived later than expected but marks a noticeable step ahead, as the team decided to switch from using OS packages from the internal OS ports to taking advantage of the FreeBSD PKGBSD system instead. This is the main reason for the aforementioned delay, due to the in-depth testing needed to iron out as many bugs as possible. However, the update manager was set to upgrade GhostBSD to PKGBSD from a minor version, and the changes involved by the upgrade might still cause problems to some users. Obviously, performing a clean install will not come with most of the issues that might arrive for those upgrading from an older setup.

In addition to the above, GhostBSD 24.07.1 updates the OS to 14.1-STABLE, refreshes many of the included software packages, improves NetworkMGR, fixes two OpenSSH security problems, and more. Those interested can find the detailed list of changes on the same page as the release announcement. The list of known issues, on the other hand, is available separately on this page. The downloads page includes only links for 64-bit systems.

AMD & FreeBSD Begin Collaborating Over OS Improvements

마루 — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 11:47:13 +0900

The FreeBSD open-source operating system project published their Q2'2024 status report that outlines some interesting work happening to this leading BSD project.

Among the work the past quarter, the FreeBSD Foundation has been sponsoring projects to work on enhancing the audio stack, hierarchical rate limits for OpenZFS, porting of the Vector Packet Processor (VPP) to FreeBSD, and improving wireless networking support on FreeBSD. Of the audio stack work for FreeBSD has been to enable async audio device detach, sound crashes and fixes, more out of the box support for the "snd_hda" laptop audio hardware, fixes around the OSS API, and started working on the audio OSS audio / MIDI library. FreeBSD has acknowledged their audio support doesn't receive as much attention as it could but there are developers working to improve the situation.

Also interesting is that AMD and the FreeBSD Foundation have been collaborating to develop a complete FreeBSD AMD IOMMU driver. The intent is for FreeBSD to better support more than 256+ CPU cores, Bhyve integration, and other improvements for AMD EPYC servers on FreeBSD. The Q2'2024 status report notes:

"Work continued on a joint project between Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and The FreeBSD Foundation to develop a complete FreeBSD AMD IOMMU driver. This work will allow FreeBSD to fully support greater than 256 cores with features such as CPU mapping and will also include bhyve integration. Konstantin Belousov has been working on various parts of the project, including driver attachment, register definitions, an ACPI table parser, and utility functions. Two key components that need to be completed are context handling, which is mostly a generalization of Intel DMAR code, and page table creation. After this, the AMD driver’s enable bit can be turned on for testing. To follow all of Konstantin’s work, look for src commits tagged with Sponsored by fields for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and The FreeBSD Foundation."

This is great to see happen with Intel typically better regarded for their FreeBSD support and engineering resources they have contributed over the years. Intel engineers have contributed a lot directly to FreeBSD over the years while Arm has also been making more inroads in recent years too.

Separately, FreeBSD continues seeing more work around RISC-V support including for the StarFive JH7110 SoC / VisionFive v2 and T-HEAD/XuanTie CPU. There is also experimental support for the RISC-V hypervisor within Bhyve.

A new innovation happening for the FreeBSD kernel is that "Zcond" is being developed as a low-cost conditional execution mechanism similar to Linux's static_key interface.

More details on all of these interesting FreeBSD projects for the past quarter via the FreeBSD.org report.

Haiku OS R1 Beta 5 Approaching Soon, New Performance Improvements

마루 — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 11:27:41 +0900

The BeOS-inspired Haiku open-source operating system is out with their latest status update that highlights various improvements made in recent weeks.

Haiku OS has recently seen some performance improvements made around true vectored I/O for storage devices, its built-in CPU time profiler has been overhauled, better avoiding of the device manager lock, mmap pre-mapping, support for the DT_GNU_HASH table, and other optimizations.

Haiku for its apps has seen continued work on HiDPI display support, various app fixes, improvements to the FreeBSD and OpenBSD compatibility layers, and an overhaul to the FAT filesystem driver.

Haiku is also working its way toward the Haiku R1 Beta 5 release in the coming weeks. Test candidates will be out soon and the hope is by early September to potentially have this fifth beta release available.

Those wishing to learn more about the latest Haiku OS happenings can do so via the Haiku-OS.org status update.

Arca Noae turns 10

PMShell — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 17:57:49 +0900

Arca Noae turns 10

Very quietly on July 28, Arca Noae, LLC marked its tenth year since its founding in 2014. On this occasion, we at Arca Noae would just like to take a moment to thank our valued customers, clients, and fans for their business, continued dedication to the OS/2 platform, and for their love of ArcaOS, from the warm reception we received at our humble beginnings to the overwhelming excitement at the initial release of ArcaOS Blue Lion nearly three years later, in 2017, and right up through our current versions and updates.

Last year, we released ArcaOS 5.1, which has been a major milestone in OS/2 history, as the first version capable of installing and booting on modern UEFI-based systems without the aid of a Compatibility Support Module (CSM), and the first version to be able to utilize GPT partitioned storage devices.

Today, we stand on the cusp of delivering ArcaOS 5.1.1, which promises to be the first ArcaOS version available in languages other than English, and is slated to include many fixes and enhancements to the installation process for 5.1.

Our continuing mission is to provide support for modern hardware on the OS/2 platform, to make ArcaOS easier to use and more functional for daily computing needs for home users, small-medium sized businesses, and enterprise customers. In that, we see no end in sight.

Thanks for traveling with us on our journey.

This entry last updated: August 2nd, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, News and tagged arca noae package manager, arcaos, blue lion, business, company, os/2, software on August 2, 2024 by Lewis Rosenthal.

USB driver package version 12.16 now available

PMShell — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:45:38 +0900

USB driver package version 12.16 now available

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of release 12.16 of our USB stack.

This is a maintenance release that contains some minor updates.

Fixed a trap that could occur configuring certain endpoints primarily on Isochronous devices.
Fixed an SMP issue that could occur when operating multiple Mass Storage Devices (MSD) on a system with more than one CPU active.
Enhanced the USBSER driver to support up to 16 devices simultaneously.
Added new USBAXGE USB to Ethernet driver.

Most people will see no change in operation after installing this update. See the package readme.txt for details. This update is recommended for all users.

As usual, this release is intended to update an existing installation. Although it can install most of the drivers in the package, it does not install the Host Controller drivers, so it cannot add USB support to a system that does not already have basic USB support installed. More information about the USB drivers can be found in the wiki.

If you have problems with any of the drivers in this release, please read the Troubleshooting Guide in the wiki first. If your problem cannot be resolved with the Troubleshooting Guide, then the problem should be reported in the ticketing system.

This entry last updated: July 15th, 2024 by David A

This entry was posted in Arca Noae, New software releases, News and tagged components, shop, store, tech, update, USB on July 15, 2024 by David A.