The GEOS FAQ 

Archive-name: pcgeos-faq/part1 
Last-modified: October 12, 1997 
URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden/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://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden in both HTML and ASCII format. 

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 WWW, commercial networks, and electronic mail. The FAQ is mostly targeted towards desktop GEOS users, both Ensemble and New Deal Office. However, there is 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 jbearden@compuserve.com. 

CREDITS 

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



* Steve Main (steve@newdealinc.com, http://www.newdealinc.com) Director of Technical Services, New Deal. 
* 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. 
* Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog (raymond.ancog@livewire.com.ph, http://www.livewire.com.ph) for posting this FAQ to the Livewire! BBS in Manilla. 
* All the people who have written great GEOS software. 
* All the people who mail me information and follow comp.os.geos.misc. 



INDEX 



* 1 General GEOS Information 
* 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? 
* 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 
* 2.1 Desktop Software Products 
* 2.1.1 What desktop products are available for GEOS? 
* 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? 
* 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? 
* 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 
* 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? 
* 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? 
* 3.3 Novell DOS 
* 3.3.1 What about the Task Switcher/Multitasker in Novell's NW-DOS 7? 
* 3.4 Linux 
* 3.4.1 How can I get GEOS to run under Linux? 
* 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? 
* 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? 
* 3.7 Windows NT 
* 3.7.1 Is GEOS compatible with Windows NT? 
* 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? 
* 3.9 Iomega Zip Drives 
* 3.9.1 Does the Iomega Zip drive or removable drives work with Geoworks? 
* 3.10 Windows 95 
* 3.10.1 Can I run Ensemble/ New Deal under Windows 95? 

* 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? 
* 4.1.2 What kind of support is there for GEOS on CompuServe? 
* 4.2 BBS Networks 
* 4.2.1 Is there much GEOS activity on FidoNet? 
* 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? 
* 4.4 GeoInfo Database 
* 4.4.1 What is the GeoInfo Database, and why should I care? 
* 4.5 FOD Files 
* 4.5.1 What are FOD files, and why should I care? 
* 4.6 Publications 
* 4.6.1 Are there any GEOS related publications available? 
* 4.7 The World Wide Web 
* 4.7.1 What are some good GEOS related URL's? 
* 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? 
* 4.9 GEOS User Groups 
* 4.9.1 What is the GSMN? 

* 5 Customizing GEOS 
* 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? 
* 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 
* 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? 

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 a MS-DOS or compatible operating system such as DR-DOS, OS/2, or Win95, and provides a preemptive multitasking, multithreaded, object-oriented environment for almost any DOS based computer. 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. V3.0 is the current version of GEOS, but can be currently found only on the Nokia 9000 Communicator, Brother GeoBook, and Toshiba Genio. 

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 Communicator, and 3 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, was originally marketed as QuickStart, then Ensemble, and now New Deal Office 97. The desktop version contains more software than any other GEOS package out of the box. In a move apparently designed to cause even more confusion, NewDeal will henceforth refer to desktop GEOS as NewDOS. 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:
 	Creative Micro Designs 
	P.O. Box 646
	East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0646 

 	Phone: 800-638-3263
	Support: 413-525-0023 (Commodore GEOS only!)
	Fax: 413-525-0147
	Email: cmd.support@the-spa.com, cmd.sales@the-spa.com 
	WWW: http://www.the-spa.com/cmd/. 



* 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, and 95 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, 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 I believe it stands 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), New Deal 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 New Deal, and it will soon be released once again as New Deal Publisher 97. 

Ensemble (v2.01) contained a brand new operating system, all new versions of the applications sold with Quick Start, and a spreadsheet and a flat file database. New Deal Office (v2.5+) is basically Ensemble with only minor bug fixes and renamed applications, but the underlining operating system has some significant improvements and bug fixes. New Deal Office 97 does not include Tetris, but some users have gotten around this by installing the V2.01 upgrade patch and then reinstalling New Deal Office 97 again.

1.1.5 What is new in GEOS V3.0? 

Currently three devices (Nokia 9000 Communicator, Brother GeoBook, Toshiba Genio) have different flavors of GEOS V3.0. In general though, all GEOS 2.x and 3.x 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 so that you can fax from any application, as well as exchange email and browse the web. There have also been reports of a few new features added to the major applications.

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 V3.0 be available? 

Your guess is as good as mine. The initial version of V3.0 was completed in July of 1995, and the Nokia 9000 Communicator was released in September of 1996. However, a desktop upgrade from New Deal is not expected until the end of 1997. However, Brother may release a desktop version on GEOS V3.0 as early as August 1997, which is intended to be used with their GeoBook family of notebook computers. This CD is called BrotherWorks 98, and includes many exciting new applications. 

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 2.0.1 patch. If using the New Deal shareware version, you must then reinstall it.

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

New Deal Office 97 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 New Deal 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 New Deal 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. 

New Deal can be reached at:

New Deal, Inc.
P O Box 2458
Champlain NY 12919-2458

800: (800) 985-4263 (9:00am - 8:00pm EST)
Toll: (514) 633-6370 (9:00am - 8:00pm EST)
Fax: (514) 633-6315 
Cust. Service: (514) 633-6647 (9:00am - 8:00pm EST)
Tech Support: (900) 555-4367 (9:00am - 8:00pm EST)
Email: NewDealRep@aol.com, orders@newdealinc.com, support@newdealinc.com 
WWW: http://www.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? 

* Software Development Kit (SDK) - Create GEOS applications (http://www.geoworks.com/devrel/) 
* Geoworks Bindery - Electronic publishing tool (http://www.geoworks.com/DevRel/ProdServ/bindery.html) 

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. More information, including an OmniGo IZL FAQ, can be found at http://www.netaxs.com/~jferas/izl.htm. More information can also be found in the GEOS Programmer's FAQ. Some IZL software can be found at ftp://ftp.netaxs.com/people/jferas/download. 

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 email 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. New Deal has just released a beta version of NewBasic. I really haven't heard much about it yet, but it is apparently very easy to use. David Given (dg@freeyellow.com) is currently beta testing a GEOS visual developement system similar to Smalltalk.

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: New Deal 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, most folks use DOS based packages. 

2.4.2 Does GEOS do TCP/IP? 

Not on the desktop, it doesn't. At least two people are working on a DOS based TCP/IP wrapper for GEOS V2.x, but your best bet is to just wait for V3.0. V3.0 will include 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 4 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. 

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. Some DR-DOS updates can be found at http://www.novell.com/. The newer versions of Caldera's OpenDOS include all the patches.

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 OpenDOS 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.caldera.com) and renamed OpenDOS. 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 
* ftp://newton.uiowa.edu/submissions 
* 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. 

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

Yes, New deal has made a desktop version available that is tailored to be used on a network. Most major networks are supported.

3.7 Windows NT 

3.7.1 Is GEOS compatible with Windows NT? 

Unfortunately not... yet.

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 Geoworks? 

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/New Deal. When using the GeoManager or NewManager, the Zip drive appears currently as a 3.5 inch 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/New Deal. 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 doingthis because you're only supposed to use Geoworks/New Deal on ONE machine at a time.

3.10 Windows 95

3.10.1 Can I run Ensemble/ New Deal under Windows 95?

Yes! Desktop GEOS provides an excellent integrated software package for Windows 95. 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? 

The Geoworks forum on AOL has been discontinued. It can still be accessed by the keywords GEOSDK and GEOS, but at some point the forum will go away completely. The DOS forum may take over the libraries and the message boards. The GeoRep program is now composed of two Geoworks developer relations people, although most of the former GeoReps participate elsewhere in the GEOS user community.

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

GO PALMB to get to the GEOS Programming section. Peer support for the desktop version is available in the PCAPP forum. 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 bulk of the GeoInfo will eventually be assimilated into the New Deal 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 New Deal. As usual, they have renamed them and are now known as Technical Support Documents, and are available on their website at http://www.newdealinc.com/support/ts/. 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. 
* New Deal 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. 

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 is 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, has released a program called SchoolView that uses Geoworks the version 2.0.1 with a Presentation Manager (PM) interface and a different File Manager. It's intended primarily for Network use and is not available for stand-alone systems. 

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. 

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 ~n (as in se~nor), Danish (?) O-with-a-slash-through-it, the German ess-tset (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. 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. 

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 New Deal 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 DOES 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. 

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? 

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. 
* 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 and OpenDOS also need SETVER loaded for GEOS 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. 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 

