Author Topic: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4  (Read 1471 times)

Lars

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1504
  • Karma: +79/-0
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #60 on: May 22, 2026, 11:50:43 am »
The problem is that most USB sticks come from the factory formatted as a large floppy, no partition table. OS/2 can only handle these up to 2GB in size. So you basically have to repartition the drive, losing all data.
The other problem is that OS/2 is particular about partitioning, partitions must start and end on a cylinder boundary, even the end of the stick, which is why when partitioning anything you should use OS/2 tools.
Other then updating the USB drivers, both Lars's and Arca Noae's have workarounds, you are going to lose all info on the stick.
Once probably partitioned and the LVM info added, you can use them in other systems and share with OS/2.

That is not true for my 10.253 driver set. USBMSD.ADD will virtualize a partition for large floppy formatted sticks but it will leave the stick completely untouched (until you write data to it, obviously) and does not expect any partitioning info to exist on the stick. However I think that in general, OS2DASD.DMD and OS2LVM.DMD from Warp Server/eCS/ AN is needed.
For USB floppy drive you will need to add a few switches to USBMSD.ADD. Need to look up.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2026, 12:06:29 pm by Lars »

KevinP

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Karma: +2/-0
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #61 on: May 22, 2026, 04:09:26 pm »
Correct me if I am wrong. You are using os2 along with the purchased ArcaOS driver package. Mini LVM comes with the eComstaton and ArcaOS operating systems. Dfsee Scripts will be needed to get your usb drive recognized.

David, you are correct.  I have OS/2 Warp 4.52 updated to the 14.106_W4 internal revision.  I bought the driver subscription from Arca Noae.  Thanks, Kevin

KevinP

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Karma: +2/-0
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #62 on: May 23, 2026, 06:50:41 am »
I did get a USB CDROM to work by adding the switch /CDS:1 to the usbmsd driver and remarking out the old usbcdrom driver.  I wondered if there is a similar switch that would enable thumb drives.

Dave Yeo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5935
  • Karma: +162/-1
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #63 on: May 23, 2026, 07:01:14 am »
Perhaps something like this from my old Warp 4 (updated) config.sys,
Code: [Select]
BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /FLOPPIES:1 /A_USAGE:2 /REMOVABLES:2 /V
Or my ArcaOS install,
Code: [Select]
BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /REMOVABLES:8 /FLOPPIES:0
Guess the /REMOVABLES: is what you are looking for. 8 is likely over kill.
After adding it, running lvm will show the phantom drives and complain about there geometry with no drives plugged in.
No idea what the /A_USAGE: switch does.
Edit: BTW, my AOS config sys has,
Code: [Select]
BASEDEV=USBCDROM.ADD /CDS:1
« Last Edit: May 23, 2026, 07:02:56 am by Dave Yeo »

Pete

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1481
  • Karma: +21/-0
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #64 on: May 24, 2026, 12:48:22 am »
Hi All


No idea what the /A_USAGE: switch does.



Qualifies whether the usb floppy is used as the A: drive.


/A_USAGE:n Parameter controls usage of 'A' drive flag for the 1st floppy device. The following values of n can be used:-

0 - 'A' drive flag is not used;
1 - 'A' drive flag is used;
2 (default value) - 'A' drive flag is used only if there is no other device driver using this flag.


Hope that helps

Pete

KevinP

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Karma: +2/-0
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #65 on: May 24, 2026, 06:10:43 am »
Perhaps something like this from my old Warp 4 (updated) config.sys,
Code: [Select]
BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /FLOPPIES:1 /A_USAGE:2 /REMOVABLES:2 /V
Or my ArcaOS install,
Code: [Select]
BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /REMOVABLES:8 /FLOPPIES:0
Guess the /REMOVABLES: is what you are looking for. 8 is likely over kill.
After adding it, running lvm will show the phantom drives and complain about there geometry with no drives plugged in.
No idea what the /A_USAGE: switch does.
Edit: BTW, my AOS config sys has,
Code: [Select]
BASEDEV=USBCDROM.ADD /CDS:1

I checked and did have the /REMOVABLES switch set.  I know that Arca Noae says that their mass storage driver, without any switches, defaults to /REMOVABLES:4 (I think).  I don't know if the 10.253 version does that.  I may try it without the switch.  LVM does recognize the thumb drives as "free space".  I have one 8gb that is formatted as DOS bootable that I use for updating BIOS's on the old computers.  I have another new 16gb drive that is formatted FAT32.  LVM still sees both as free space.

I was trying to install the seamonkey suite this evening and was going through the rpm requirements installing those and it eventually got into another kernel trap.  No real idea why.  So, I am re-installing again.  I'm getting a lot of experience at doing that.  I have my routine down pretty well now.  It doesn't take me very long anymore.

Dave Yeo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5935
  • Karma: +162/-1
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #66 on: May 24, 2026, 08:32:12 am »
I checked and did have the /REMOVABLES switch set.  I know that Arca Noae says that their mass storage driver, without any switches, defaults to /REMOVABLES:4 (I think).  I don't know if the 10.253 version does that.  I may try it without the switch.  LVM does recognize the thumb drives as "free space".  I have one 8gb that is formatted as DOS bootable that I use for updating BIOS's on the old computers.  I have another new 16gb drive that is formatted FAT32.  LVM still sees both as free space.

Use LVM to create a volume in the free space. Perhaps give a drive letter or * which takes the first available.
You will lose anything on the thumb drives but afterwards they should work on all platforms.
Quote
I was trying to install the seamonkey suite this evening and was going through the rpm requirements installing those and it eventually got into another kernel trap.  No real idea why.  So, I am re-installing again.  I'm getting a lot of experience at doing that.  I have my routine down pretty well now.  It doesn't take me very long anymore.

SeaMonkey (and FF, TB) probably have out of date rpm requirements. Every time I build them, they use whatever I have installed. Ask when you get "Could not load XPCOM" errors.
There's also memory, you pretty well have to load it into the high memory arena, or at least xul.dll. Your kernel is buggy when it comes to releasing high memory. I have a work around for that. Still shouldn't have trapped the kernel.
Once you have reinstalled, start a new thread on installing SM
« Last Edit: May 24, 2026, 08:35:37 am by Dave Yeo »

KevinP

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Karma: +2/-0
Re: getting Arca Noae USB drivers v12.18 to work on rev. 14.089_W4
« Reply #67 on: May 26, 2026, 05:11:01 am »

Use LVM to create a volume in the free space. Perhaps give a drive letter or * which takes the first available.
You will lose anything on the thumb drives but afterwards they should work on all platforms.

I could not get LVM  to create a volume or partition or format a thumb drive.  I could work with it in DFSee.  I tinkered with a drive in DFSee making a volume, giving it a physical name, giving it a drive letter, etc., then I tried LVM again and this I was able to format it.  I took the drive and put it in a Windows computer.  That computer said the drive needed formatting (although I had formatted it FAT32 in OS/2) so I formatted it again in Windows and transferred a few files of various types (a .wpi file and some Adobe files) then put the drive back in the OS/2 computer.  This time the OS/2 computer recognized it just fine and the files were visible, etc.  I need to work with DFSee more to understand the menus.  I need to figure out what is the "minimum" I need to do to the drive to get LVM to work with it. 

I got the reinstallation done and the computer seems to be working well now . . . everything except WordPerfect 5.2.  I had had it installed before but this time when I tried to re-install it I got a message that there was not enough memory and I should eliminate some 'TSR programs" and try again.  I assume there are probably some IRQ conflicts now.  I would like to get WP installed on it.

The v10.253 USB drivers are working well on this installation so I will not attempt to try the Arca Noae drivers again.  It would be nice to be able to use a thumb drive that already has data on it without destroying the data but that seems not to be possible.  I had wanted to be able to use a thumb drive because it would be easier to transfer files but I have gotten everything back on it with a combination of floppies and CD's so I guess it is "almost" irrelevant at this point.  I guess I can get several more small thumb drives, which are cheap now, and run them through DFSee so I can keep them to use on both Windows and OS/2.

One thing I did *not* re-install this time was the Arca Noae amouse driver.  I had suspected it might be the source of conflicts between the USB and PS2 devices.  Without the amouse driver installed the PS2 and USB mice and keyboards are living and working happily side by side. 

I will post a new thread about Seamonkey.  Thanks,