In order to go back to your last FixPak, you must first install the base level of the operating system, either Warp 3 or Warp 4. Thereafter, you can install the necessary FixPak. Sounds simple right? Perhaps so, but as I was to discover, this was easier said than done. Hopefully my experience can help others that find themselves in the same predicament.
Tim's Steps for a backward installation of OS/2 (from Convenience Pak to FixPak)
STEP 1 - CHECK/CHANGE PARTITION SIZE
It is easy to forget the initial release of Warp 4 and Warp 3 only had support for 1.2gb hard drives. I think it was in FixPak 5 when support was provided for larger disk drives. It was only after I crashed the installation program a couple of times did I remember my current OS/2 partition was bigger than 2gb. Consequently, I moved some key files and directories to free up up space and used PartitionMagic from PowerQuest Corporation to resize the partitions.
I probably would have gotten through the installation a lot faster had I remembered this sooner.
STEP 2 - UPDATE CONFIG.SYS FILE ON DISKETTE 1
The Convenience Pak's README file instructs you to add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file on OS/2 Installation Diskette 1.
Again, I overlooked this and omitted the instruction which came back to haunt me.
TIP: You know things are going well when the computer requests the following diskettes in this sequence:
If the sequence is simply sequential; e.g. Installation Diskette, Diskette 1, Diskette 2, END; it is likely that something has gone wrong and the installation program will crash.
STEP 3 - INSTALL THE BASE OPERATING SYSTEM
In my case, this was OS/2 Warp 4, but you can also do OS/2 Warp 3. Simply use the installation diskettes and CD accompanying the product, with the following caveat...
Your biggest concern during this process will be the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) as provided with the Convenience Pak. If you are unaware of it, the LVM replaces FDISK to configure and manage disk drives on the computer. Consequently, you will need to use both LVM and FDISK during installation. After installation is completed, you can use LVM for all disk management (one of the perks leftover from this whole process).
According to the README file, the steps include:
a. Start LVM by typing the following command at the command line:
b. Install Boot Manager, if it is not already installed.
c. Create a compatibility volume for the OS/2 version.
d. Mark the compatibility volume as "installable."
e. Save your changes and exit LVM.
b. When you are asked to select a drive for the installation, do not accept the default. FDISK is displayed.
c. Find the FDISK partition you marked installable with LVM. (It will appear with "--> LVM*" next to the name.)
d. Use FDISK to mark this partition installable. Press F1 for help instructions on using FDISK.
e. Save and exit FDISK. The installation window is displayed.
f. Accept the default drive and continue with the installation.
If you follow these step carefully, you should be able to survive the downward installation of the operating system. Using the VER /R command from the OS/2 command prompt, the computer now verifies...
STEP 4 - INSTALL THE FIXPAK
With the base operating system in place, it is time to install the FixPak of your choice. In my case, FixPak 9 is as far as I dare go on my Aptiva. No special considerations are required for the FixPak's installation.
STEP 5 - RESIZE THE PARTITION
If you installed FixPak 5 or higher for Warp 4, you can now resize the OS/2 partition to a larger size (e.g., to the size prior to starting this whole process).
STEP 6 - CLEANUP
By the time I got to this point, OS/2 was back working properly for me, including my modem. But I still had other matters to cleanup:
My Aptiva requires special ATI Mach Video drivers which were not on the list of standard OS/2 drivers displayed during the installation process. Consequently, I had to reinstall them separately using the "Display Driver Install" (DSPINSTL from the OS/2 command prompt).
Because of the LVM, Boot Manager now displayed the name of my OS/2 partition as: LVM*
I simply used PartitionMagic to change the name back to OS/2.
Perhaps the strangest problem I had after the installation of the operating system was with Netscape Communicator which steadfastly refused to start and produced an error message. I tried to reinstall Netscape a couple of times, only to be stopped dead in the water each time. Only by accident did I happen to remember the "Netscape Features Install" program, located at:
C:\features\fisetup\fisetup.exe
Executing FISETUP, cleaned up all my Netscape settings and I was back up and running again. Had I forgotten this, I probably would still be stuck without a Web Browser (other than the single frame IBM WebExplorer accompanying OS/2).
CONCLUSIONS
This downward migration of OS/2 tried my patience and consumed considerable time. Hopefully, someone else can benefit from my mistakes. Regardless, all of this could have been avoided if IBM did a better job of configuring their communications ports under OS/2. You would think the Convenience Pak would be upwards compatible for any configuration currently using OS/2, but I guess that is not the case. As an aside, I've also noticed my ThinkPad will occasionally crash after using my modem. Again, I suspect problems in configuring communications ports.
It should therefore come as no small surprise that Alex Dydula of IBM is looking for contractors to work on OS/2 testing in a development lab environment in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's looking for people who knows how to install OS2 Warp 3 and Warp 4, install device drivers of all kinds (video, GRADD, audio, nic adapters, serial, parallel, I/O prots, USB, etc.), be able to work unattended, have good troubleshooting skills, understand basic PC architecture, etc.
I wish I had the time to work with Alex; but perhaps you know of someone who does. If so, drop him a line.
Keep the Faith!
Copyright © M&JB 2001
