                               [The Geos FAQ]

Welcome to the Geos FAQ. Here you'll find answers to some questions
frequently asked about Geos. This document is also available in an ASCII
version of this document compressed with PKZIP.

Archive-name: pcgeos-faq/part1
Last-modified: April 4, 1999
URL: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/9020/geos/geosfaq1.htm

The most recent version of this file can be found at any news.answers
archive site. One such site is rtfm.mit.edu, in the
/pub/usenet/comp.os.geos.misc subdirectory. The most recent version of the
FAQ is also available from my home page at
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/9020/geos/ in both HTML and
ASCII format.

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DISCLAIMER

I make no claims about the accuracy of this information. Use it at your own
risk. This file is compiled from various sources, including but not limited
to USENET, the Web, commercial networks, and electronic mail. The FAQ is
mostly targeted towards desktop Geos users, both Ensemble and NewDeal
Office. However, there are still many sections devoted to other topics and
Geos platforms.

This information may be freely distributed, in whole or in part, in any
form, provided that any distributor:

   * Tells me, so that I can inform you of updates to the FAQ and tell the
     USENET community (I will keep the information confidential, if you
     desire)
   * Makes every reasonable effort to keep this information current
   * Releases myself and the rest of USENET from any liability.

If this file leaves the confines of USENET for any BBS's, web pages, user
groups, commercial networks, or other networks (FidoNet, GeoHolics Net,
GSMN, etc.) or vendors, please let me know so that I can pass along the
information to others.

Please send submissions, comments, suggestions, or corrections to
rayancog@pacific.net.ph.

CREDITS

I'd like to give the following folks my thanks:

   * Steve Main (steve@newdealinc.com, http://www.newdealinc.com) Director
     of Technical Services, NewDeal.
   * Anne Page (anne.page@psl-online.com) for reposting this FAQ to
     FidoNet.
   * Lynn Montelauro (GSMLynn@aol) for making this FAQ a part of GSMN.
   * BlackEagle Services (blkeagle@dynasty.net,
     http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle/) for distributing copies of this
     FAQ to its customers.
   * Werni Grieder (BaselBasel@aol.com,
     http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/WerniGrieder) for being a
     Geos deity.
   * Doug Taylor (doug-taylor+@osu.edu) for a lot of the PDA information.
   * All the people who have written great Geos software.
   * All the people who mail me information and follow comp.os.geos.misc.
   * And of course, James Bearden, the original author of this FAQ.

INDEX

   * 1 General Geos Information
        o 1.1 Version and Platform Information
             + 1.1.1 What is Geos?
             + 1.1.2 Is Geos a real operating system?
             + 1.1.3 Is Geos an alternative to Windows?
             + 1.1.4 What's the difference between Geos, Geoworks, and the
               desktop versions?
             + 1.1.5 What is new in Geos v3.0?
             + 1.1.6 When will Geos v3.0 be available?
             + 1.1.7 What features does the newer desktop versions include
               that are not present in the older desktop version?
        o 1.2 Miscellaneous Questions
             + 1.2.1 Where can I get a demo version of the desktop version?
             + 1.2.2 Does Geos exist in any other language versions than
               English?
             + 1.2.3 What fonts are available for Geos?
   * 2 Geos Software Information
        o 2.1 Desktop Software Products
             + 2.1.1 What desktop products are available for Geos?
        o 2.2 Geos Development Products
             + 2.2.1 What development products are available for Geos?
             + 2.2.2 How can I order development products?
             + 2.2.3 What is IZL?
             + 2.2.4 What is Geos programming like?
             + 2.2.5 Are there any visual developement tools for Geos?
        o 2.3 Shareware
             + 2.3.1 What shareware available for Geos?
             + 2.3.2 Are there any anonymous FTP sites for Geos software?
             + 2.3.3 Are there any Geos related BBS's?
             + 2.3.4 Are there any DOS programs written for Geos?
        o 2.4 Communications Software
             + 2.4.1 Are there any communications programs available for
               Geos?
             + 2.4.2 Does Geos do TCP/IP?
             + 2.4.3 What DOS based Internet software is available?
   * 3 Geos Compatibility Information
        o 3.1 Where to find more compatibility information
             + 3.1.1 Where can I find more information about running Geos
               with my software and hardware?
        o 3.2 DR-DOS
             + 3.2.1 I switched from MS-DOS/PC-DOS to DR-DOS and Geos won't
               load, even after I run SETUP. What am I doing wrong?
             + 3.2.2 Does the desktop version support DR-DOS 6.0
               task-switching?
             + 3.2.3 Can I run Windows 3.1 on DR-DOS?
             + 3.2.4 DR-DOS is kind of old. Are there any updates?
             + 3.2.5 Will ZIP drives work with DR-DOS?
        o 3.3 Novell DOS
             + 3.3.1 What about the Task Switcher/Multitasker in Novell's
               NW-DOS 7?
        o 3.4 Linux
             + 3.4.1 How can I get Geos to run under Linux?
        o 3.5 Macintosh
             + 3.5.1 How can I get Geos to run on my Macintosh?
             + 3.5.2 How can I exchange files between my Mac and my Geos
               platform?
             + 3.5.3 Will Geos work with a DOS Compatibility Card?
        o 3.6 Network
             + 3.6.1 How can I use one document directory for different
               drives?
             + 3.6.2 Are there any versions of Geos made specifically for
               networks?
        o 3.7 Windows NT
             + 3.7.1 Is Geos compatible with Windows NT?
        o 3.8 HP 200-LX and OmniGo 700
             + 3.8.1 Will the desktop version run on my Hewlett Packard
               200-LX or OmniGo 700 palmtop computer?
        o 3.9 Iomega Zip Drives
             + 3.9.1 Does the Iomega Zip drive or removable drives work
               with Geos?
        o 3.10 Windows 95/98
             + 3.10.1 Can I run Ensemble/ NewDeal under Windows 95/98?
   * 4 Where to Get More Information
        o 4.1 On-line Services
             + 4.1.1 What kind of support for Geos is available on America
               On Line?
             + 4.1.2 What kind of support is there for Geos on CompuServe?
        o 4.2 BBS Networks
             + 4.2.1 Is there much Geos activity on FidoNet?
        o 4.3 USENET Newsgroups
             + 4.3.1 Is there a USENET newsgroup for Geos?
             + 4.3.2 Is it OK to post binaries to comp.os.geos.misc?
             + 4.3.3 I don't have access to comp.binaries.geos at my site.
               How can I get the files posted there?
        o 4.4 GeoInfo Database
             + 4.4.1 What is the GeoInfo Database, and why should I care?
        o 4.5 FOD Files
             + 4.5.1 What are FOD files, and why should I care?
        o 4.6 Publications
             + 4.6.1 Are there any Geos related publications available?
        o 4.7 The World Wide Web
             + 4.7.1 What are some good Geos related URL's?
        o 4.8 More Zoomer and HP OmniGo Information
             + 4.8.1 Is there an HP OmniGo FAQ? Where can I find it?
             + 4.8.2 Is there a Zoomer FAQ?
        o 4.9 Geos User Groups
             + 4.9.1 What is the GSMN?
   * 5 Customizing Geos
        o 5.1 The Standard User Interface
             + 5.1.1 I don't like the interface. Can I customize it?
             + 5.1.2 Which character set does Geos use? Most European
               languages need the special characters above CHR (127)...
             + 5.1.3 When I install other fonts, they are displayed in the
               fonts menu in the order they were installed. Is there a way
               to have them in alphabetical order?
             + 5.1.4 I want to make a graphics file into a Geos background.
               How do I do that?
             + 5.1.5 How can I keep the splash screen from showing up?
        o 5.2 The GEOS.INI File
             + 5.2.1 What is the GEOS.INI file, and why would I want to
               mess with it?
             + 5.2.2 Is there an easy way to tweak the GEOS.INI?
             + 5.2.3 How do I associate DOS files with programs?
             + 5.2.4 How do I get rid of drives in GeoManager?
             + 5.2.5 How do I get rid of the link button?
             + 5.2.6 How do I enable the floating keyboard?
   * 6 Common Problems
        o 6.1 It's broke!
             + 6.1.1 When I try to start Geos, I get a message saying that
               unable to find /userdata/fonts! What's the problem?
             + 6.1.2 I installed Geos on my zippy new computer, but it
               won't load up. What's the problem? It dies with a KR-01
               error (divide by zero).
             + 6.1.3 I keep getting SHARE or File Lock errors when I run
               Geos. What's going on?
             + 6.1.4 I'm running the desktop version with Stacker
               installed. Drive C is my Stacker volume. For some reason
               GeoManager insists on looking at drive E for the
               /geoworks/world directory, even though when I exit Geos I'm
               on drive C. Any ideas?
             + 6.1.5 I keep having problems with Geos 2.0 and
               DoubleSpace/SuperStor/Stacker. What can I do?

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1 General Geos Information

1.1 Version and Platform Information

1.1.1 What is Geos?

Geos is a 16-bit, graphical operating system from Geoworks that is
generally platform independent. The most common version runs on top of
MS-DOS or compatible operating system such as PC DOS, DR-DOS, ROM-DOS,
OS/2, or Win95/98, and provides a preemptive multitasking, multithreaded,
object-oriented environment for almost any DOS-based computer. (Note
though, that other versions of DOS such as PTS-DOS, FreeDOS, and Multiuser
DOS or Concurrent DOS do not support Geos.) For more modern versions of
Geos, an 80286 based computer with at least 2 Megabytes of memory is
strongly recommended. All versions provide built-in memory management,
virtual (disk) memory, a single imaging model, outline font technology,
automatic scrolling and scaling, complex graphic and management tools, and
a flexible, scaleable GUI. Version 3.0 is the current version of Geos, and
is currently found on the Nokia 9000/9000i/9110 Communicator, Brother
GeoBook, Toshiba Genio and NewDeal Office/SchoolSuite Release 3. (For the
rest of this document, I shall use "NewDeal" to refer to both Office and
SchoolSuite.)

Geos is also defined by the platform that it is running on. Currently it
runs on the Apple, Commodore, IBM PC Compatible, Hewlett Packard OmniGo 100
and 120, several Brother products, Toshiba Genio, Canon StarWriter, Nokia
9000, 9000i, and 9110 Communicator, and three other DOS-based PDA's
collectively referred to as the Zoomer. The OmniGo 700 is not a native Geos
platform, and for the rest of the FAQ all references to just "OmniGo" refer
to the OmniGo 100 or 120. New Geos devices from Ericsson, NEC, Nokia,
Toshiba, and Brother are expected soon. The version of Geos that runs on
the Toshiba Genio is actually the new RISC based Geos v3.0 version. The IBM
PC version, also referred to as the desktop version, started GeoWorks
Ensemble 1.0 in November 1990. The current version is now NewDeal Office
Release 3. A detailed account of the evolution of desktop Geos is available
in my History page. The desktop version contains more software than any
other Geos package out of the box. All other versions will still be called
Geos.

This FAQ does not contain any information on the Apple and Commodore
versions except for the following:

   * APPLE GEOS has been discontinued. Berkeley Softworks is no longer
     selling, distributing, or supporting any Apple GEOS products. No other
     information is currently available.

   * Commodore GEOS is available from:
        o Creative Micro Designs
          P.O. Box 646
          East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0646
        o Phone: 800-638-3263
        o Support: 413-525-0023 (Commodore GEOS only!)
        o Fax: 413-525-0147
        o Email: cmd.support@the-spa.com, cmd.sales@the-spa.com
        o WWW: http://www.cmdweb.com/index.phtml
   * Some support for Commodore GEOS is available on comp.sys.cbm, and
     CompuServe's CBM Applications forum. James D. Hefner also maintains an
     excellent Commodore GEOS homepage at
     http://www.pernet.net/~james1/cbm_geos/.

1.1.2 Is Geos a real operating system?

It depends on how you define operating system, but by most standards, it
certainly is a real operating system. DOS is only used for the file system
support. Many people consider Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95 and 98 to be a real
operating systems even though they also use DOS for the filing system. Geos
was the first object-oriented operating system (OOOS) for the PC.

1.1.3 Is Geos an alternative to Windows?

That depends on what you mean by alternative. It won't run Windows
applications, but it will provide you with a lot of functionality that
Windows won't, especially if you have a low-end machine (less than a '386,
and/or less than 4 megabytes of RAM). You can run the desktop version from
most other operating system like Win95/98, OS/2, or even Linux, in which
case it acts like a sophisticated, integrated application suite and
environment.

1.1.4 What's the difference between Geos, Geoworks, and the desktop
versions?

Geoworks is the name of the company that created the Geos operating system.
The company was formerly called Berkeley Softworks, and until recently
spelled its name GeoWorks. Geoworks is a public company, and Novell,
Hewlett Packard, Nokia, Ericsson, and Toshiba have made equity investments
in it. Geos doesn't stand for anything legally since you can't trademark an
acronym, but in earlier times it was said to be an acronym for "Graphical
Environment Operating System." Packaged with each different desktop version
is a suite of programs that were developed by Geoworks to run under the
Geos operating system, and has changed names almost every time a new
version has been released. The more notable names have been Ensemble (v1.0
- v1.2), GeoWorks Pro (v1.2.8), Quick Start (v1.2.9), Ensemble (v2.0 -
v2.0.1), NewDeal Office (v2.5+).

Quick Start is basically the same as GeoWorks Pro without the Pro (no
Quattro Pro bundled with it). Many folks run Quick Start on their XT and AT
compatible machines since it is even less resource intensive than more
modern versions. Quick Start can sometimes be found at Surplus Software (US
orders 1-800-753-7877, International 541-386-1375, WWW:
http://www.surplusdirect.com ). A few copies of Quick Start are available
from NewDeal.

Ensemble (v2.01) contained a brand new operating system and applications
compared to Quick Start, plus a spreadsheet and a flat file database.
NewDeal is basically Ensemble with bug fixes, renamed applications, and
some additional new applications. NewDeal does not include Tetris, but some
users have copies it from earlier versions, or obtained it by installing
the Ensemble 2.01 upgrade patch and then reinstalling NewDeal.

1.1.5 What is new in Geos 3.0?

Currently four devices (Nokia 9000/9000i/9110 Communicator, Brother
GeoBook, Toshiba Genio, and PC) have different flavors of Geos 3.0. In
general though, all Geos 2.x and 3.x applications will run on any Geos 3.x
based machine. The most exciting thing about v3.0 is that TCP/IP and fax
support has been added to NewWrite, as well as exchange e-mail and browse
the web. Version 3.0 also includes a new user interface called NewUI based
on the current Industry Standard look and feel.

Steve Main (steve@newdealinc.com) says:

     "Geos 3.0 adds new libraries and objects for communications
     support, in the form of things like a tcp/ip stack, an e-mail
     library, and pager and fax library. The rest of the Geos system
     remains the same (except for perhaps the odd bug-fix here and
     there)."

1.1.6 When will Geos 3.0 be available?

Geos 3.0 has been available for some time. The initial version of v3.0 was
completed in July of 1995, and the Nokia 9000 Communicator was released in
September of 1996. The desktop upgrade from NewDeal arrived in January
1999, and forms the kernel of NewDeal Release 3. The Brother GeoBook comes
with a CD called BrotherWorks 98, which includes a desktop version of Geos
v3.0 and many of the same new applications as NDOr3.

1.1.7 What features does the newer desktop versions include that are not
present in the older desktop version?

The main feature differences between 1.x and 2.x versions of the desktop
are:

   * GeoWrite: Text wrapping around pictures, a built-in thesaurus,
     importing from and exporting to WordPerfect, WordStar, MultiMate,
     Ms-Word and Xywrite, search-and-replace, and built-in graphic
     capabilities.
   * GeoComm: Hasn't been substantially altered, but at least it doesn't
     crash on the VT-100 change-scroll-region code like the old one did.
     Third-party communications applications are now becoming available.
   * GeoFile: New forms-based graphical database with import-export
     functionality and built-in text, graphic, and spreadsheet
     capabilities.
   * GeoCalc: New graphical spreadsheet with import-export functionality
     and built-in text, graphic, and database capabilities. The worksheets
     have been debugged and are now usable.
   * Calculator: New math functions and multiple memory registers.
     Metric/Imperial conversion functions are also included.
   * GeoDraw: Now has a whole range of import/export filters (PCX, TIFF,
     GIF, MAC, PICT, and Windows clipboard formats). It allows conversion
     between bitmaps and graphic object, editing of bitmaps, advanced
     object manipulation, polycurves, skewing, and much more, and also has
     full text capabilities.
   * Spell Checker: Now operates across all text applications, and multiple
     dictionaries are available for American English and British English. A
     thesaurus has been added, which is also available system-wide.
   * Text File Editor: New text file editor, allowing multiple documents to
     be open simultaneously, plus spell-checking and thesaurus
     capabilities.

NOTE: See section 1.1.5 for differences between 2.x and 3.x versions of
Geos. Basically, 2.x software will run on 3.x platforms, and 3.x platforms
has much better communications and internet capability. Also, starting with
version 2.5 of the desktop, all GeoWhatever programs have been renamed
NewWhatever.

1.2 Miscellaneous Questions

1.2.1 Where can I get a demo version of the desktop version?

NewDeal has made a shareware version (v2.5) available, and previous
shareware version (v2.0) called GeoPublish is available on all the major
on-line services as well as FTP sites that have Geos content. Both versions
include the bare minimum number of files necessary to run GeoManager (aka
NewManager, a file manager) and a slightly crippled version of GeoWrite
(aka NewWrite, a word processor). The most notable side effects of this is
that the shareware versions have no spell checking, thesaurus, or
import/export filters. Also, most Geos shareware will not run on the
shareware versions. However, some functionality and programs like Tetris
and the AOL client can installed by applying the 2.01 patch. If using the
NewDeal shareware version, you must then reinstall it.

A shareware version of NDOr3 will be available shortly.

1.2.2 Does Geos exist in any other language versions than English?

NewDeal Office 98 is available in English and French versions. A German
version is almost done and a Spanish version is expected soon. Each of
these versions comes with drivers for other language keyboards, so if you
can speak one of these languages, you can probably use the software with
little difficulty.

1.2.3 What fonts are available for Geos?

All DOS based versions of Geos can use the same fonts. There are font packs
available from NewDeal that provide a variety of typefaces. A wide variety
of fonts are also available via FTP, networks, and supporting BBS's.

Terri Ferrier sells a collection of over 3400 Geos fonts, over 5400 clip
art images, and over 250 Geos programs. The CD costs $50 and can be found
at:

   * Terri Ferrier
     P. O. Box 5516
     Victoria, TX 77903
     Phone: 512-575-6243
     Email: tferrier@viptx.net
     WWW: http://home.viptx.net/~tferrier

Other font CD's are also sold by:

   * Fantazia Concepts, Inc.
     PO Box 5142
     Willowick, OH 44095
   * Laser Magic
     Lasersoft, Inc.
     Eden Prairie, MN 55344

2 Geos Software Information

2.1 Desktop Software Products

2.1.1 What desktop products are available for Geos?

There are many companies and individuals that sell Geos desktop software.
The most notable are NewDeal and Breadbox Computer, but there are many
more. Not only does this list keep changing, but the products offered by
these companies and the places and means to buy them continue to change.

NewDeal can be reached at:

     NewDeal, Inc.
     P O Box 381089
     Cambridge MA 02138

     Technical support, call (900) 555-4367 (U.S. only)
     Email: support@newdealinc.com

     Non-technical customer service (order tracking, replacement parts,
     etc.), call (514) 633-6647
     Email: newdealrep@newdealinc.com

     Sales from North America, call (800) 985-4263 between 9:00am - 8:00pm
     EST
     Email: sales@newdealinc.com

     International sales, call (514) 633-6370
     Email: sales@newdealinc.com

     International technical support, call (514) 633-6547
     Email: newdealrep@newdealinc.com

Breadbox Computer can be reached at:

Breadbox Computer
PO Box 808
Port Richey, FL 34673-0808
Tel/Fax (813) 847-6996
E-mail: Bboxcomp@aol.com
WWW: http://www.breadbox.com

2.2 Geos Development Products

2.2.1 What development products are available for Geos?

Geoworks wrote several SDK's as Geos evolved. Version 2.0 supported the
desktop, Zoomer, and Sharp PT-9000 (a preview of a pen-based tablet).
Version 2.1 emulated the HP OmniGo 100/120. With the release of the Nokia
9000, Geoworks created three versions of the Communicator SDK: a DOS-based
9000 version, a DOS-based 9000i version (for the GSM model), and an
NT-based 9000 version. The latest version is an NT-based 9110 SDK. The
SDK's require Borland C/C++ 3.1 or higher. Geoworks transfered the 2.x
SDK's to NewDeal, and has discontinued the 9000 SDK's. Only the 9110 SDK is
currently marketed by Geoworks. It might sell the remaining stock of 9000
SDK's to those who are still interested; ask the Geoworks people.

   * Geos 2.x SDK - For NDO, the Casio/Tandy/AST Zoomer, and HP OmniGo
     100/120 (http://www.newdealinc.com/devrel)
   * Geos 3.0 SDK - For the Nokia 9000, 9000i, and 9110 Communicator's
     (http://www.geoworks.com/DevRel/New/n9000dev.html)

Geoworks Bindery is an application for creating electronic "books" that can
be read by a Book Reader on NDO or the OmniGo. It functions very much like
Adobe Acrobat or Corel (formerly WordPerfect, then Novell) Envoy, only it
is available exclusively on the Geos platform. As with the 2.x SDK's,
Geoworks has transfered the Bindery to New Deal.

   * Geoworks Bindery - Electronic publishing tool
     (http://www.newdealinc.com/devrel/)

2.2.2 How can I order development products?

These can be ordered by contacting Geoworks directly.

Geoworks
960 Atlantic Avenue
Alameda, California 94501

510-814-1660 -- Geoworks main business phone number
510-814-4250 -- Geoworks main business fax line
510-814-5846 -- Local customers
800-436-7735 -- Long distance customers
orders@geoworks.com -- Internet customers

2.2.3 What is IZL?

John Feras' (jferas@netaxs.com) Feras Information Technologies has written
an easy to use, powerful Geos scripting language with which you can write
entire Geos applications. IZL is available in the desktop version, Zoomer,
and OmniGo flavors. The files and documents, including an OmniGo IZL FAQ,
can be found at http://www.newdealinc.com/devrel. More information can also
be found in the Geos Programmer's FAQ.

2.2.4 What is Geos programming like?

While this topic is broad, this section will be brief since there is
another entire FAQ devoted to it. For serious Geos programming you need to
buy a Geos SDK that is tailored to the Geos platform that you want to write
software for. However, you can probably get by with one SDK, hopefully the
latest, as long as you don't try to take advantage of any unique features
of your platform. The main point to using a SDK is that it is DOS based,
although a multitasking environment is recommended for task switching. A
second computer is required to use the debugger, and unless you like
programming in assembly, you have to use a Borland compiler. However, an NT
based SDK is available for the Nokia 9000, which eliminates many of these
drawbacks. Please refer to the Geos programming FAQ for more information.
The main support for Geos development is through the Geoworks developer
relations webpages (http://www.geoworks.com/DevRel/), the usenet newsgroup
news:comp.os.geos.programmer, and e-mail to Geoworks. There are at least
three visual development environments under development for Geos.

2.2.5 Are there any visual developement tools for Geos?

Yes. NewDeal has just released NewBASIC. It has an easy-to-use syntax, and
is marketed much as Visual Basic is for Windows. It is available at
http://www.newdealinc.com/devrel/. David Given (dg@tao.co.uk) is currently
beta testing Metatalk, a Geos visual developement system similar to
Smalltalk. Along with other applications, it can be downloaded at his GEOS
downloads page.

2.3 Shareware

2.3.1 Is there any shareware available for Geos?

The list of Geos shareware is large and growing. Too much, in fact, to list
here.

2.3.2 Are there any anonymous FTP sites for Geos software?

For a more complete listing of Geos related FTP sites, check out
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden/gfiles.htm. Some of the
bigger ones are:

   * ftp://ftp.newdealinc.com: NewDeal FTP Site
   * ftp://arginine.umdnj.edu/pub/geos: Arginine FTP Site
   * ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/.2/dresden/geos: Dresden FTP Site
   * ftp://ftp.gen.com/pub/argo-navis/ensemble/: Helmar's FTP Site
   * ftp://ftp.coast.net/SimTel/msdos/geos1x: SimTel Geos 1.x Site
   * ftp://ftp.coast.net/SimTel/msdos/geos2x: SimTel Geos 2.x Site

2.3.3 Are there any Geos related BBS's?

The following BBS's are the only ones I know that have Geos related
content:

   * The Police Academy (49-611-1860516) in Germany
   * G-OS BBS ((03) 9803 6498) in Australia
   * GeoZ Online Services - Home of GeoNet (03)9803-6498 (222:222/0)
   * Ground Zero BBS, Ipswich, Queenslamd, Australia (07) 3812-0812
     Fidonet: 3:640/812.4 Sysop: Frank Moran.
     Current GeoNet main hub. Has Fidonet Geoworks echo, selection
     of Geoworks files for versions 1.x.x and 2.xx.
   * Past the Black Stump, Laidley, Queensland, Australia (074) 65-6667
     Fidonet: 3:640/404 Sysop: Rhondda Cook.
     Member GeoNet. Geoworks echo and selection of Geoworks files.
   * Lake Cathie BBS, Lake Cathie, New South Wales, Australia (065) 86-3067
     Fidonet: 3:711/475 Sysop: Glenn Pickford.
     Member GeoNet. Geoworks echo and selection of Geoworks files.
     Glenn is an Ensemble 2.01 user.

2.3.4 Are there any DOS programs written for Geos?

As usual, the list is always growing.

   * PicLab V1.83 - Excellent for converting graphics to 16 color. Later
     versions aren't as good at this
   * BKGD2PCX - Converts PCX files to Geos backgrounds
   * IconMake - Converts PCX files and Windows icons to Geos icons
   * GeoDir - Lists the full Geos filenames at the DOS prompt
   * EdFolder - Allows you to change the folder icons
   * GeoKermit - An excellent general communications package

2.4 Communications Software

2.4.1 Are there any communications programs available for Geos?

For the desktop version there is GeoComm (aka NewComm), AOL, and CompuServe
software. For the Zoomer there is ZCommLite, AOL, and CompuServe software.
For the OmniGo there is CompuServe and OmniCom. The CompuServe software,
CIM4GEOS, requires a patch for it to work correctly for the desktop and the
OmniGo. There are also several more shareware Zoomer and OmniGo
communications programs and connectivity packs that work more or less on
all Geos platforms. Check out the Zoomer homepage
(http://www.grot.com/zoomer/) for more details. A variety of file transfer
software is available for a variety of platforms (including UNIX and
Macintosh), and there are also several communications programs under
development. As far as the Internet is concerned, two browsers are
available. GeoBrowser is included in the GeoBook and BrotherWorks for the
desktop. A version named NewBrowser was available as part of a beta testing
program of NDOr3. Breadbox developed Skipper and Skipper Pro for NDOr3.
Future version will support SSL and cookies. Breadbox also wrote the
Meeting Room IRC client software for the GeoBook and NDO. A more advanced
IRC app, Breadbox Chat, has been released. A newsreader and New mail client
are also in the works.

2.4.2 Does Geos do TCP/IP?

With version 3.0, it does. A BYTE article (1995) reported that the TCP/IP
stack is derived from BSD Unix. Version 3.0 includes much better
communications support, bug fixes, and new features like the system
mailbox.

2.4.3 What DOS based Internet software is available?

The number of generic DOS communications programs is huge. There are
basically four DOS based Internet suites that people have reported using
with Geos: Minuet, Net-Tamer, Terminate, and DosLynx. After listening to
more than a few people, it seems that Net-Tamer provides the best internet
access.

3 Geos Compatibility Information

3.1 Where to find more compatibility information

3.1.1 Where can I find more information about running Geos with my software
and hardware?

The GeoInfo database is an excellent source of compatibility information,
and much of that information is now being updated and integrated into the
Technical Support Documents and Hot Tips on NewDeal's web site.

3.2 DR-DOS

3.2.1 I switched from MS-DOS/PC DOS to DR-DOS and Geos won't load, even
after I run SETUP. What am I doing wrong?

Make sure that you have FILES=120 or more. DR-DOS uses files differently
and needs more available. NWDOS usually works with about 50 files open.

3.2.2 Does the desktop version support DR-DOS 6.0 task-switching?

The desktop versions currently only supports DR-DOS TaskMax switching.
Dormant tasks will appear in the Express Menu to be picked. Switching is
nearly instantaneous.

3.2.3 Can I run Windows 3.1 on DR-DOS?

Pensey (pensey@ozemail.com.au) says:

Windows 3.1 can be installed on DR-DOS, but you will need the DR-DOS
upgrade patches. Also, don't let Windows modify your CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT. Do it yourself. Otherwise it will try and put in HIMEM.SYS,
change your EMM386.SYS and add SMARTDRV.

3.2.4 DR-DOS is kind of old. Are there any updates?

Yes. Caldera purchased DR-DOS and the rest of the Digital Research
technology from Novell. The current versions, 7.03, can be found at
http://www.calderathin.com/.

3.2.5 Will ZIP drives work with DR-DOS?

Pensey (pensey@ozemail.com.au) says:

Nope! Try Novell DOS 7.0. Patches are also available for Novell DOS. The
newer versions of Caldera's DR-DOS include all the patches.

3.3 Novell DOS

3.3.1 What about the Task Switcher/Multitasker in Novell's NW-DOS 7?

Novell DOS has been purchased by Caldera (http://www.calderathin.com) and
renamed back to DR-DOS. The Multitasker and Geos doesn't work together at
all on most systems, although a few people have had good luck with it. You
can get the task switcher to work with Geos by making sure that it uses the
correct key combination. Select the DR-DOS TaskMax switcher in Geos
preferences and it should work, although cutting and pasting between DOS
and Geos will not work.

3.4 Linux

3.4.1 How can I get Geos to run under Linux?

Obtain and figure out the shareware DOS emulator DosEmu. Michael Hirsch
(hirsch@mathcs.emory.edu) writes:

     "Geos can run quite well under the Linux DOS emulator but you
     need to set up the /etc/dosemu.conf file correctly. The important
     thing is that DOSEMU must have full partition access (or even
     full disk access) to whatever partition contains Geos. You can't
     give partition access to a mounted partition, so you may have to
     unmount the DOS partition before running DOSEMU. Of course, you
     could write a script that does this automatically."

Ross J. Reedstrom ( ross@repressor.pharmacy.wisc.edu )writes:

     I got Geos to recognize my lredired \\linux\dos drive as drive C:
     and start up off of it. This allows me to leave my DOS partition
     mounted, and access files safely from both Geos and Linux. I can
     even access all my Linux files (with mangled names, however, if
     their not 8.3). The trick was to grep though my SDK documentation
     and discover the msnet.geo file system driver, and how to force
     Geos to recognize a net drive. The key is the following lines in
     GEOS.INI:

     [system]

     fs = {
     msnet.geo
     cdrom.geo
     }

     "According to the SDK documentation, this section loads
     'secondary file system drivers' if they are not automatically
     recognized properly. I load both the msnet.geo, described as
     being for generic drive redirectors, and the cdrom.geo, for
     mscdex CD-ROM access, of course, since I have a CD-ROM and use
     the DOSEMU CD-ROM driver."

3.5 Macintosh

3.5.1 How can I get Geos to run on my Macintosh?

Some folks have reported success running Geos on a Macintosh using SoftPC,
a PC emulation program. I would really appreciate more information on this!

3.5.2 How can I exchange files between my Mac and my Geos platform?

Creative Digital Publishing has released a shareware program called
MacPCCOM (TM) available at:

   * Creative Digital's Newton vendor forum on CompuServe - GO NEWTVENS
   * Max Mansour's OmniGo page:
     http://www.ziplink.net/~maxm/omnigo/utilities.html
   * American Online (Computing/PDAs/New Files and Free Uploading)

Look for the Stuffit archive MacPCCOM.sit.

MacPCCOM lets Macintosh users upload and download files to and from Geos
devices, like the HP OmniGo and the Casio Zoomer, and navigate the Geos
file system from the Mac. It requires a serial cable connecting the Geos
device to the Mac's modem port.

MacPCCOM has been tested with an OmniGo and a Centris 610 running System
7.3d0. Although it should work with other Macs, Mac OS versions, and Geos
devices, it has not been tested on other configurations.

3.5.3 Will Geos work with a DOS Compatibility Card?

Edward Di Geronimo Jr. (edwdig@bergen.gov) reports success getting this to
work , once he set the mouse to PS/2.

3.6 Network

3.6.1 How can I use one document directory for different drives?

Pensey (pensey@ozemail.com.au) says:

     You can change the default document directory Geoworks uses for
     one directory for all copies of Geoworks running to keep a common
     pool of letters or databases etc. Set up an identical directory
     structure on the server where you want to store documents and add
     a paths section to GEOS.INI

     [paths]
     top = n:\geos20 (where n: is the network drive)

     "Alternatively specify an additional document directory:

     [paths]
     document = n:\docs

     "Geos will add the two directories together. Documents on the
     network drive will appear with their names underlined."

Note that this is only for Geos 2.0 or higher; it doesn't work with Geos
1.x.

3.6.2 Are there any versions of Geos made specifically for networks?

NewDeal offers a network version that can be run from the network server.
Novell, LANtastic, and LanManager networks are officially supported and
reports from the field indicate that Windows NT and Windows 95/98 also
work, along with many lesser-known networks. The stand-alone version of
NewDeal is network aware and will recognize and interact with drives and
printers on most networks.

3.7 Windows NT

3.7.1 Is Geos compatible with Windows NT?

It has been reported that with a bit of tinkering, Geos 3.0 will run under
Windows NT. The Nokia SDK also comes with a version of Geos 3.0 that
requires Windows NT to run.

3.8 HP 200-LX and OmniGo 700

3.8.1 Will the desktop version run on my Hewlett Packard 200-LX or OmniGo
700 palmtop computer?

Yes, people have reported good performance running the desktop version on
these computers. However, there are some problems. First of all this
requires a flash disk. Geos is a GUI OS, so a mouse is highly recommended.
The ALPS Glidepoint has been reported to work with these computers and
Geos. Perhaps the worst problem running Geos on these computers is that
Geos takes over the keyboard and prevents the use of the suspend feature
until exiting from Geos.

3.9 Does the Iomega Zip drive or removable drives work with Geos?

3.9.1 Does the Iomega Zip drive or removable drives work with Geoworks?

The Iomega Zip drive will work well with all versions of Geoworks/NewDeal.
When using the GeoManager or NewManager, the Zip drive appears currently as
a 3.5" floppy drive, but does contain its own drive letter. The earlier
Bernouilli Box drives made by Iomega as well as Syquest removable drives
like the EZFlyer will also work with all versions of Geoworks/NewDeal.
Those drives are iconed with 5.25" drives. It is possible to run entire
versions of Geoworks Ensemble from a these drives, but be careful when
doing this because you're only supposed to use Geoworks/NewDeal on one
machine at a time.

3.10 Windows 95/98

3.10.1 Can I run Ensemble/ NewDeal under Windows 95/98?

Yes! PC/Geos provides an excellent integrated software package for Windows
95/98. However, versions before 2.5 require a bit of tweaking before they
will seamlessly integrate. Please consult the GeoInfo Database for more
information on this topic. In a few cases where a lot of errors are
encountered, running LOADER.EXE with the /s switch is the solution.

4 Where to Get More Information

4.1 On-line Services

4.1.1 What kind of support for Geos is available on America On Line?

As of this writing, typing the keyword GEOS now takes you to the forum for
the German Geos User Club. It can still be accessed by the keywords GEOSDK
and Geos, but at some point the forum will go away completely. The GeoRep
program was sunsetted completely (there are no longer any SDK GeoReps),
though many of the former GeoReps participate in the newsgroup or elsewhere
in the Geos user community.

The DOS forum did not take over the libraries, AOL abandoned the libraries,
even though the file names still show up in the system-wide software search
feature (as of this writing. but choosing one of the files results in a
"file not found" error).

4.1.2 What kind of support is there for Geos on CompuServe?

It is still being verified whether Geoworks is still active in the PALMB
forum. Peer support for the desktop version is available in the PCAPP
forum. As HP has discontinued the OmniGo 100/120 in favor of Windows
CE-based HPC's, it is unlikely that the OmniGo is supported by Team HP in
the HPHAND forum.

4.2 BBS Networks

4.2.1 Is there much Geos activity on FidoNet?

There is an active FidoNet Echo for Geos. Bug your local FidoNet SysOp.

4.3 USENET Newsgroups

4.3.1 Is there a USENET newsgroup for Geos?

Yes, it is named comp.os.geos.misc. There is also a moderated newsgroup for
binaries called comp.binaries.geos. A newsgroup called
comp.os.geos.programmer for Geos development discussions just came on
line..

4.3.2 Is it OK to post binaries to comp.os.geos.misc?

No. There's a special group for Geos binaries called comp.binaries.geos.
It's moderated, though, so don't expect your postings to show up right
away. Send submissions to comp-binaries-geos@pilot.njin.net. The moderator
is Dan "Shag" Birchall (shag@emanon.net). If your site isn't carrying
comp.binaries.geos, don't worry too much. Some sites refuse to carry binary
groups.

4.3.3 I don't have access to comp.binaries.geos at my site. How can I get
the files posted there?

First, check with your system news administrator or USENET news supplier to
find out why you're not getting the group. If they won't or can't supply
it, you can try ftp://ftp.lab.kdd.co.jp/Usenet/comp.binaries.geos/. If all
else fails, you can search through the many Geos FTP sites, or post a
request to news://comp.os.geos.misc.

4.4 GeoInfo Database

4.4.1 What is the GeoInfo Database, and why should I care?

The Geos Information Database started out in life as a FAQ similar to this
one many years ago. It eventually grew too large to properly maintain, so
it was converted to an on-line AOL database. It currently has over a
thousand entries detailing every Geos related problem, hint, and tip
imaginable. Occasionally plain text versions of the GeoInfo Database is
made available to the general public. Recently Steve Main made an E-book
version, and Jon Frisby (logical@ix.netcom.com) has made a copy available
via several VBBS networks. I have made a WWW version available at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden/gidindex.htm, and both
the text and E-book versions are available via FTP at
ftp://members.aol.com/geoinfo. With the demise of the Geoworks Forum on
AOL, the GeoInfo is now assimilated into the NewDeal website.

4.5 FOD Files

4.5.1 What are FOD files, and why should I care?

The Geoworks text Fax-On-Demand files contain a lot of Geos information.
The original versions are current as of "March 7, 1994", (which is circa
v2.0), and are available via FTP in both text and GeoWrite versions from
ftp://ftp.geoworks.com/pub/fod/, and from
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden/geosinfo.htm. The FOD
files are now maintained by NewDeal. As usual, they have renamed them and
are now known as Technical Support Documents, and are available on the
Support section of their website at http://www.newdealinc.com. They are
also available for sale on floppy disk.

4.6 Publications

4.6.1 Are there any Geos related publications available?

Yes, there are several Geos related publications.

   * Mobilis - Check it out at http://www.volksware.com/mobilis. John
     Jerney (jerney@mobilis.volksware.com) says: Mobilis: The mobile
     computing lifestyle magazine. Mobilis is a free monthly magazine
     available exclusively on the web in its entirety featuring interviews,
     tutorials, reviews, and opinion concerning all aspects of Pads,
     wireless communication, and mobile peripherals.
   * GeoBytes - A sporadically released newsletter written by the AOL
     GeoReps. GeoBytes are no longer being produced, but existing GeoBytes
     are packed with information that still applies to most version of
     Geos.
   * GSMN Newsletter - The newsletter included with the monthly GSMN
     distribution.
   * GeigacounteR Digest - Included with the GSMN distribution.
   * NewDeal will be starting a newsletter soon.

4.7 The World Wide Web

4.7.1 What are some good Geos related URL's?

There are many WWW pages dedicated to Geos. A few good places to start are:

   * http://www.breadbox.com
   * http://www.geoworks.com
   * http://www.newdealinc.com
   * http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden/geoindex.htm

4.8 More Zoomer and HP OmniGo Information

4.8.1 Is there an HP OmniGo FAQ? Where can I find it?

Yes, and the most current version can be found on Ronald Pike's WWW page
below. Also below are a few of the excellent WWW pages devoted to the
Hewlett Packard OmniGo:

   * The OmniGo (http://www.geoworks.com/omnigo)
   * The Grot OmniGo Page (http://www.grot.com:80/zoomer/omnigo.html)
   * Ronald Pike's HP OmniGo Page
     (http://www.aa.net/~desmoine/omnigo/omnistrt.htm)
   * Blue Marsh OmniGo Page (http://members.aol.com/nfiedler/)
   * Mike Fine's excellent page (http://www.axxis.com/~mfine/finebind.html)
   * The OmniGo FAQ (http://omnigofaq.home.ml.org)

4.8.2 Is there a Zoomer FAQ?

No, but there are several great WWW pages devoted to it:

   * The Zoomer Homepage (http://www.grot.com/zoomer/)
   * The Zoomer Mailing List (http://www.grot.com/zoomer/resources.html)
   * The Biostat Zoomer Page
     (http://www.biostat.washington.edu/zoomer.html)
   * Chris De Herrera's Zoomer Page (http://members.aol.com/pdcchrisd/)
   * Biostat Zoomer FTP Site (ftp://ftp.biostat.washington.edu/pub/zoomer)

4.9 Geos User Groups

4.9.1 What is the GSMN?

The GSMN is a Geos users group, originally started in the US, that is now
expanding with international regions. GSMN collects and distributes files
and information to its users in the form of a monthly ground mailing
consisting of (3) 3.5 inch HD floppies. The mailing contains a wide variety
of Geos 2.x files, newsletters, technical information, Geoworks News, etc.

The Network is run by volunteers and the only cost to each member is the
disks, mailer and postage to and from their assigned hub each month.

For more information and an application, send a self-addressed stamped #10
envelope to:

   * America
     GSMN - Information/Central Hub
     Lynn Montelauro
     57664 Heritage Way
     Goshen, Indiana 46526
     USA
   * Europe
     GSMN European Information
     Peter Vanspauwen
     Eikerweg 6A
     B-3740 Bilzen
     Belgium
   * Australia
     GSMN Australian Information
     Len Ripper/ Peter Campbell
     c/o GEIGA
     Box 415
     North Hobart Tas 7002
     Australia
   * Canada
     David Grabill
     44 Aspendale Dr.
     Scarborough, ON, Canada
     M1P 4J6

Contact Lynn Montelauro (GSMLynn@aol.com) for more information about GSMN.

4.10 Geos Mailing Lists

4.10.1 Are there mailing lists available for Geos?

The NewDeal Mailing List has just come up on-line. It is maintained by
Byron Collins (NewDeal-owner@onelist.com). The purpose of the list, as
written by Collins, is as follows:

     "This mail list is a forum for Users of NewDeal's Office 98,
     SchoolView 98, Geoworks Ensemble, Geoworks Bindery, GeoPublish,
     NewPublish, BrotherWorks 98, Brother GEOS based Word Processors,
     Brother GeoBook, Canon StarWriter. Discussions of the Operating
     System behind them known as NewDOS / GEOS and the products
     developed for NewDeal by Breadbox Computer and others Vendors is
     also welcome. Discussion of programming for NewDeal should be
     carry else where."

It is hosted by ONElist, a service for creating free mailing lists. To
subscribe to the list, send a message to NewDeal-subscribe@onelist.com,
leaving the body of the message empty.

Another mailing list is the GEOS-to-go mailing list, from the Zoomer PDA
Resources. This focuses on Geos- and GEOS SC-based PDA's such as the Zoomer
and OmniGo. To subscribe, send a message to majordomo@grot.com with the
command subscribe geos-to-go in the body of the message.

Finally there is the OGO mailing list specific to the OmniGo. To subscribe,
send a message to majordomo@lifelike.com with the command subscribe ogo in
the body of the message.

5 Customizing Geos

5.1 The Standard User Interface

5.1.1 I don't like the interface. Can I customize it?

The desktop version offers four levels of interface complexity, and fine
tuning options within each level, so you can customize each application to
present you with as few or as many functions as you desire. Look for this
feature in the Option Menu of applications that support it.

Geos also supports a Generic/Specific UI concept. This means that
applications are written for a very powerful dynamically bound object
oriented generic user interface. At runtime the system 'binds' the Generic
UI to a Specific UI, and all output is presented through that Specific UI.
A CUA-based Specific UI surfaced briefly for the desktop version 1.x (It
was part of America Online's now-defunct Promenade service.), but due to
legal questions, it was voluntarily removed from most FTP sites. Eduquest,
a division of IBM, released a program called SchoolView that uses Geos 2.01
with a Presentation Manager (PM) interface and a different file manager
(WorkPlace Shell). It's intended primarily for Network use and is not
available for stand-alone systems. It has since been discontinued by IBM.

The SDK does have the PM interface for testing purposes. Copy PM.GEO to
your system directory and add the line "specific = pm.geo" to the UI
section of your GEOS.INI. Note that, due to UI extensions developed by
Breadbox and incorporated by NewDeal into the 3.0 kernel, the PM UI can no
longer be used with NDOr3.

With NewDeal Release 3, NewDeal has created an alternative Specific UI. The
Industry Standard UI (ISUI) is intended to provide a more familiar user
interface, so users of other software would feel more immediately at home.
It looks similar to Windows 95/98, with a taskbar that allows easy
switching between running applications, and the Express menu (bearing the
NewDeal logo) has been moved to the left of the taskbar and given
Documents, Help, Run, and Shut Down items. It works in conjunction with the
new NewDesk file manager. During installation, the user is given a choice
of user interfaces and file managers. The user can change the UI and file
manager anytime by selecting "Change UI" from Preferences.

5.1.2 Which character set does Geos use? Most European languages need the
special characters above CHR(127)...

Geos has quite a large available character set. For instance, all the
vowels can be given acute, dieresis, grave, and circumflex accents in both
upper- and lower-case. You can also use the Spanish  (as in seor), Danish
, the German  (double s), and many other special language characters. You
also have a choice of various typographical, punctuation, currency, and
mathematical symbols. These are all documented in the manual, or you can
bring up a floating keyboard if you are willing to modify your GEOS.INI
file. With New Deal Office 98 and higher, you can use the Character Map to
view the entire character set in different fonts. Geoworks produced a
double-byte character set (DBCS) version based on Unicode in late 1994,
along with front-end text processors to support Japanese and Korean
languages. This is known as Geos-J
(http://www.geoworks.com/htmpages/geosj.htm), but unfortunately no products
that I know of have been developed to use it.

As of this writing, the euro symbol (it looks like a lower-case c with a =
sign through it), the new monetary standard of 11 states of the European
Union, has not yet been included as a standard character.

5.1.3 When I install other fonts, they are displayed in the fonts menu in
the order they were installed. Is there a way to have them in alphabetical
order?

The Preferences application in the desktop versions 2.0 and greater allows
you to select which fonts you wish to have appear in your font menu, and
their order. Alternatively you can use a disk defragger which sorts files.

5.1.4 I want to make a graphics file into a Geos background. How do I do
that?

Enter Geos and start up GeoDraw or the Scrapbook. Use the Import option (on
the File menu) to import your file into GeoDraw. Make sure that the
imported image is selected and then use the Edit menu to either Cut or Copy
it to the clipboard. Next, start up Preferences and select the Background
option. Once there, click on the "Get background from clipboard" button,
give it a name, and your image magically appears as a background.

5.1.5 How can I keep the splash screen from showing up?

Steve Main (steve@newdealinc.com) writes:

     "You can keep it from showing by:"

   * Use the /log parameter when starting NewDeal Office 97, or
   * Use the individual file tool to install LOADERHG.EXE, then rename
     LOADERHG.EXE to LOADER.EXE. This only works if you have a VGA
     monitor.

5.2 The GEOS.INI File

5.2.1 What is the GEOS.INI file, and why would I want to mess with it?

The GEOS.INI file is a plain text file residing in your home Geos
directory, and it specifies to a large degree how your system behaves.
Geoworks and New Deal do not recommend modifying the GEOS.INI file. It's
generally a bad idea to change your GEOS.INI file unless you know what
you're doing. However, if you do try to edit it, do it in DOS before you
load Geos and make a backup copy in case something goes wrong. There is a
page on my Geos WWW site that explains all the public settings.

5.2.2 Is there an easy way to tweak the GEOS.INI?

Yes. There is a utility called GeoCon v2.0 that automatically adjusts your
GEOS.INI file for you. GeoCon enables you to easily change the color scheme
and behavior of the Express Menu. Preference 4 Pack also allows you to
change certain system characteristics. It was added to the desktop in
NDO98, and was redone as a Preferences module for the most part for Release
3.

5.2.3 How do I associate DOS files with programs?

Kenda Gee (kendagee@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca) writes about his ZIP example:

     "The pkunzip is not a problem at all--just use a dosAssociation
     line in your GEOS.INI file and a double-click on your zip
     files...it is a breeze... :-) For pkzipping, there is a way to
     make sure you don't zip up your @DIRNAME.000 and PKZIP.EXE files.
     Create a folder, say "Zipper" in your \DOCUMENT directory... toss
     two files into it--your PKZIP.EXE and another file, called
     PKLIST. In PKLIST, type the files you don't want zipped up each
     time: PKZIP.EXE and DIRNAME.000. Then create a launcher for the
     PKZIP.EXE in your DOSROOM, or WORLD directory, and add the
     following command:

     -X@PKLIST C:\GEOS20\DOCUMENT\ZIPPER\1.ZIP

     "The only shortcoming of this recipe is that you will have to
     rename your output zipped file from 1.ZIP to whatever you want (I
     chose 1.ZIP, so that it will, generally. appear on the top left
     hand corner of the \ZIPPER screen, but you could easily call it
     0.ZIP, or whatever you want...). Just make sure you don't
     accidentally delete the PKLIST, or PKZIP.EXE file from your
     \ZIPPER folder.

     "To use the PKZIP, throw your files in the \ZIPPER folder, and
     use the Launcher to zip up your files in that folder."

5.2.4 How do I get rid of drives in GeoManager?

This tip works only for Geos 2.x or higher. Add or edit the system section
of your GEOS.INI file like so:

     [system]

     drive x = 0

where x is the drive you want to make disappear.

5.2.5 How do I get rid of the link button in GeoManager?

Lee Bailey (offsite@crl.com) writes:

     "To get rid of the link button in GeoManager, comment out the
     features line in the FileManager section of your GEOS.INI, like
     this:"

     [fileManager]

     ;features = 32768

5.2.6 How do I enable the floating keyboard?

GWRepMark (gwrepmark@aol.com) writes:

     "In order to use the Floating Keyboard you must insert two lines
     into your INI file: "

     [input]
     noKeyboard = true

     [expressMenuControl]
     floatingKeyboard = true

6 Common Problems

6.1 It's broke!

6.1.1 When I try to start Geos, I get a message saying that Geos is unable
to find /userdata/fonts! What's the problem?

This could be any of several things, but it usually means that Geos is
unable to find a suitable file system driver. Geos interacts with the
hardware at a very low level, and doesn't work well with anything that
redirects the drives. Specifically:

   * WFW 32 bit file access sometimes causes problems, in which case you
     should disable it.
   * Windows NT is not compatible with Geos (v1.x and 2.x). Version 3.0
     workd with NT.
   * Multiuser versions of DOS (DR Multiuser DOS, Concurrent DOS, Real/32,
     PC MOS) are not compatible with all versions of Geos.
   * Geos does not recognize the Win95 (aka MS-DOS 7.0) file system. This
     can be fixed with SETVER (v1.x and v2.x) or by adding the line 'fs =
     ms4.geo' to the [system] section of the GEOS.INI file (v2.x only.)
     Geos versions 2.5 and higher don't suffer from this problem.
   * PC DOS 7, PC DOS 2000 and DR-DOS 7.03 no longer need SETVER loaded for
     Geos 3.0 to operate.
   * Some networked drives cause problems for Geos system files, although
     you can usually save data to a networked drive.
   * DOS emulation under Linux or Macintosh causes problems because Geos
     tries to directly interact with hardware that just isn't there.

6.1.2 I installed Geos on my zippy new computer, but it won't load up.
What's the problem? It dies with a KR-01 error (divide by zero).

This is known as the fast CPU bug, and afflicts only Geoworks Ensemble 2.x.
This has been eliminated in all versions of NDO. The best fix is to edit
your GEOS.INI file and change the line

     continueSetup = true

to

     continueSetup = false

6.1.3 I keep getting SHARE or File Lock errors when I run Geos. What's
going on?

Geos needs a lot of files open at once. If you're using SHARE, try adding
the switch /f:4096 or /f:6144. On some systems, /L:40 seems to help. If you
are not on a network, you might not need SHARE at all.

6.1.4 I'm running the desktop version with Stacker installed. Drive C is my
Stacker volume. For some reason GeoManager insists on looking at drive E
for the /Geoworks/world directory, even though when I exit Geos I'm on
drive C. Any ideas?

Check the volume labels for drives C, D, and E. If they're identical, then
use GeoManager to edit the volume labels so that each drive has its own
distinct label. On some computers, you may have to exit to DOS to change
the drive label (use the LABEL command).

6.1.5 I keep having problems with Geos 2.0 and
DoubleSpace/SuperStor/Stacker. What can I do?

Geos 2.0 normally works fine on compressed drives, although there is
sometimes a decrease in performance if the swap file is on the compressed
drive, particularly if you are using DoubleSpace (the compression included
with MS-DOS 6.0 and 6.2.) Geos 1.x frequently had problems if the swap file
was on a compressed drive, and users of these versions should make sure
(through Preferences) that their swap file is on an uncompressed drive.
Problems with Stacker not recognizing your compressed HD(s) correctly can
usually be solved by adding lines to the [system] section of your GEOS.INI
file to specifically define the drives as fixed disks:

     drive c = 65536

where c is your compressed Stacker drive.

End of the Geos FAQ

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           Updated April 4, 1999

         Copyright  199?-1999 James Bearden. All rights reserved.

      Copyright  1999 Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog. All rights reserved.

I am not responsible for all information accessible from this web page.
Links to the rest of the Internet point to material maintained by many
other people and organizations. E-mail me at rayancog@pacific.net.ph for
comments, updates and corrections.
