Updates from last month's column:

For those of you who like to play with alpha/beta versions of software, IBM has released as of 02/28/2001 a new build of Mozilla M18 (the successor to Netscape 4.61). Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/warpzilla/. Also, if you have not installed Mozilla previously, you will need to download, unzip, and install the contents of mozilla-os2-installer-M18.zip as well.

The stable version of Apache is now at 1.3.17 as of 01/30/2000. Go to http://www.apache.org/dist/binaries/os2/.

IBM has updated the RSU utility (Remote Software Updates) to version 1.97 as of 02/01/2001. Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/rsu/rsuinstn.exe.

Ray Gwinn has resumed work on the beta of SIO version 2. The beta is now at level 16c as of 02/22/2001. Go to http://www.gwinn.com/. The GA version of SIO is at version 1.60d (as of 03/17/1997).

Ogg Vorbis has been ported to OS/2 as of 02/01/2001. It is an audio compression format similar to MP3, but free of patented algorithms and is fully open source. Go to http://silk.apana.org.au/vorbis/.

There is an Enhanced E editor (basically E.EXE with the ability to print, among a few other enhancements). It is now at version 1.4 as of 02/01/2001. Go to http://www.pillarsoft.net/enhanced.html.

PMMail has been updated as of 02/19/2001 to beta version 2.20.2100. It contains some bug fixes, and now allows SMTP authentication. Go to http://www.pmmail2000.com/betas/. The file is PMM220.EXE (as there are Windows versions of PMMail as well).

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), billed as the PhotoShop for Linux, is now at version 1.2.1 as of 2/22/2001 for use under XFree86/OS2. Go to http://birdy.hpage.net/.

RPM version 3.06, the Red Hat Package Manager, has been ported to OS/2 as of 02/19/2001. You can extract or install files from Linux CD-ROM's or Linux FTP sites, and make rpm packages for OS/2 users. Go to http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~vtgf3mpr/linux/rpm.htm.

CDRecord/2 version 1.10a15 is now available as of 02/27/2001. This has the capability of burning single-session, multi-session, or audio CD's. Go to http://www.os2world.com/cdwriting/cdrecord/cdrecord-1_10a15_os2.zip.

This month's new listings - Drivers:

IBM has updated the printer drivers for laser-jets, PostScript, ink-jets, and plotters as of 02/16/2001. Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/printpak/en/.

Daniela Engert released DaniDASD version 1.0 as of 02/20/2001. It is a replacement for OS2DASD.DMD with FAT32 and extendedX partition support. Use search key danidasd on Hobbes.

This month's new listings - Applications:

NewView version 1.27.9 has been released as of 02/02/2001. It is a re-write of VIEW.EXE that comes with OS/2. It reads .INF and .HLP files. Improvements include a new user interface, remember size and position, select and copy from the window, and more. Use search key newview on Hobbes.

IBM has released the File & Print Client (OS/2 Peer) fixpak IP08414 as of 01/09/2001. Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/lan/fixes/ibm.peer/english-us/ip08414/.

IBM has released an update for Java 1.1.8 as of 02/22/2001. Go to ftp://ftp.hursley.ibm.com/pub/java/fixes/os2/11/118/.

IBM has refreshed Java 1.3 as of 02/21/2001. Go to http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/asd-bin/doc/en_us/catalog.htm. NOTE: You must be a current subscriber of Software Choice to download. Also, Gili Tzabari l8r@email.com says that it comes with a buggy JFC implementation, which breaks things like Netbeans, but the new executables solve some major bugs found in the previous release. He suggests using the new \bin and \dll files, and reverting the rest to the older files (which means of course backing up the Java13 directory before installing the refresh).

IBM has refreshed TCP/IP 4.3 as of 02/05/2001. Go to http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/asd-bin/doc/en_us/catalog.htm. NOTE: You must be a current subscriber of Software Choice to download.

TAME/2 version 0.92a has been released as of 02/12/2001. It is a SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) PM front-end which supports additional options, has a preview window, on-the-fly conversion to .BMP, user presets, and more. Go to http://redrival.com/os2util/tame.htm.

Given that Stardock has dropped support for Object Desktop on OS/2 as of 02/01/2001, an anonymous person has made an unofficial Object Desktop FixKit #3 available on Hobbes as of 02/04/2001. Use search key od20. All modifications were made directly on the binaries, so things that can be done are very limited. Also the anonymous author has the disclaimer of "use at your own risk," and that it is not supported by Stardock.

CD Boot/2 version 1.1 has been released as of 02/04/2001. This is a utility to enhance bootable OS/2 CD-ROMs so that when the CD-ROM is inserted into the drive, a menu is displayed allowing you to continue booting from the removeable media, or timing out to the hard drive instead. Go to http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/7885/Download/DownloadCDBoot2.html.

A version of InfoZip's UnZip version 5.42 that supports unShrink is now available at Hobbes as of 02/04/2001. Use search key uzs.

A new collection of "skins" for PM123 is now available. The collection now includes a skin preview program, as well as visual plugins. Go to http://www.os2.cz/index.php3?v=download.

OS2UNIX version 1.2 has been released as of 02/15/2001. This tool allows you to easily compile software for OS/2 from Linux source code without needing autoconf. Go to http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~vtgf3mpr/os2unix/os2unix.htm.

CVS version 1.11 has been released as of 02/10/2001. This is a very useful tool for projects with multiple developers. Use search key cvs on Hobbes.

Advanced Voice Courier, an answering machine for USR Courier modems, has been released. Unfortunately, most of the text is in Russian, but according to Steve Wendt, you can probably figure out how to use it. Go to http://avcos2.narod.ru/.

An OS/2 port of cdrdao 1.1.5 alpha 1 has been released as of 02/05/2001. It is a free CD-R/RW writing program for Disk At Once mode. Use search key cdrdao on Hobbes. An older port (version 1.1.3, dated 12/11/1999) is at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Sector/5785/cdrdao/cdrdaomain.htm.

Tonigy version 1.0 has been released as of 02/16/2001. It is an audio CD IFS (installable file system) that maps tracks of audio CD's into .WAV or .RAW files. Use it to access audio tracks just like ordinary files. Go to http://tonigy.hypermart.net/.

GNUPack, a collection of GNU command-line utilities, has been released as of 02/14/2001 as a WarpIn package. Use search key gnupack on Hobbes.

InCharge, the financial management system, has been updated as of 02/10/2001 to version 1.02.70. Go to http://www.spitfiresoftware.com/.

UPS Monitor has been updated as of 02/24/2001 to version 1.2. It will monitor the status of an APC UPS, and provide shutdown services to the operating system. Go to http://home.att.net/~ASchw/upsmonitor.html.

MR/2 ICE has been updated as of 02/23/2001 to version 2.25. It supports both e-mail and news. Go to http://nick.secant.com/mr2ice.htm.

MultiDesk version 0.1.9 has been released as of 02/22/2001. This allows you to have multiple desktops and users under OS/2. It lets you create, delete, and manage desktops; define users; customize environment, video resolution, etc. for each user; lock some files from other users' access, and more. Use search key multidesk on Hobbes.

Data Represenations, who presented Simplicity for Java at the Aug. 2000 SCOUG meeting, has updated Simplicity to version 1.2.2 as of 01/17/2001. It features full support of AWT & Swing; import any JavaBeans; programmer's editor; new Canvas Composer; dynamic Classpath editor; auto package-naming, and new Code Sourcerer options. Go to http://www.datarepresentations.com.

PlayRec version 0.16 was released as of 02/25/2001. It is a command-line player and recorder for very big wave files. The recording can be started to an adjustable time; the duration and/or end time is also adjustable. Look for playrec016.zip on Hobbes, or go to http://www.c-arnold.de.vu/.

Editorial Note: Special thanks to SCOUG's Dallas Legan for writing a handy REXX script to convert URLs in a text file into HTML tags. It's much appreciated!

SCOUG, Warp Expo West, and Warpfest are trademarks of the Southern California OS/2 User Group. OS/2, Workplace Shell, and IBM are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.