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Suntan Special version 0.68

Suntan Special Web edition

eComStation 1.2 media refresh

eComStation is Serenity System Inc.'s release of their version of OS/2. Released in Nov 2005, the software runs on Intel personal computers and servers. This version of the installation has been created especially for use with Blonde Guy's Suntan Special.

My copy of the eComStation comes on two (2) CD-Roms. I refer to these CD-Roms as eCS CD #1, eCS CD #2.

Installation Procedure

  1. Boot the computer from eCS CD #1. The first screen to appear offers two boot choices. Select boot from eComStation CD-ROM. If there are no bootable partitons on the hard drive, this screen will not appear.
  2. On the second screen, choose default options unless you know that you need to do otherwise.
  3. The CD-ROM boot program will then offer to do a self-check to ensure that the CD-ROM is correctly readable. Press esc to skip this test, which is not needed unless you have seen a problem.
  4. When the screen named Begin the Installation appears, read the screen and press Next.
  5. When the screen named License Agreement appears, check the box labelled Agree, and press Next.
  6. The screen named Select Installation Type will appear. Select Advanced installation, and press Next.
  7. When the Registration screen appears, you will need to provide the license key. It is easiest to read this from a file. Use Import Registration Data to read the data from a file on the hard drive, a floppy, or a USB drive.
  8. On the Select the Installation Volume screen, either select the installation volume from those provided, or press the New Volume button to bring up the Maintenance and Installation Volume program. The new volume must be bootable to be a valid selection. When you have selected the volume, press Next.
  9. On the Format Volume page, uncheck Check for errors while formatting and press Format. Unless you have a disk that is pretty old, then you should not need to check for errors. If you will install your applications on a separate drive from the operating system, go back and format that drive, too. Press Next when formatting is complete.
  10. On the Locale and timezone page, choose your options. I only need to set the timezone. Press Next when done.
  11. The system will detect hardware devices for a short time, then display the Hardware and peripherals configuration page. For a desktop machine, it is likely that you can just take the defaults. For a laptop or notebook computer, select the appropriate model. Examine all of the choices just to make sure, then press Next.
  12. On the Multimedia support page, choose carefully. On some machines, the default choice, which is usually UniAud, is fine, but on Thinkpads, it is better to go with the IBM support. If you are uncertain, it is best to go with the default. Press Next after making your choice.
  13. On the Select Components page, some choices are not needed because Suntan Special will install them later. If you want XWorkplace, then deselect Useability Enhancements->Extended workplace features. Select Additional Features->Security enablement services. Deselect Bonus Application->Escape GL screensaver. Look at Program Environment Vars. The HOME directory should be set to someplace on your data drive. The PROGRAMS directory should be on your applications drive, if you have one, or leave it as a default. Set Suntan Special's appsDir to the same directory as PROGRAMS. Press Next when you have made your choices.
  14. On the Network Configuration page, I can deselect Other connection types, but you may need it, depending on the type of connection you have with the internet. If you are not sure, leave the defaults, and press Next.
  15. On the Network Adapters and Protocols page, I have two network adapters in my computer, and it often chooses the wrong one. If this is the case for you, then select the adapter and press Change. Select the right network adapter from the list. Otherwise, no changes are likely to be needed on this page. Press Next.
  16. On the TCP/IP settings page, I use DHCP, so I only need to fill in the hostname for my computer. It is a good idea to name your computer (one name with no spaces; case is ignored). If you use a static IP, then fill in the fields for that. If you are not sure, then fill in the hostname and press Next.
  17. On the LAN settings page, fill out the fields. You should name the computer (no spaces; 15 char max; case is ignored). If you don't have a workgroup or domain, leave the field alone, and press Next.
  18. On the Configuration Complete page, press Next to start the installation process. The Copying files... page will appear for some time, then the computer will reboot.
  19. When the computer reboots, allow it to boot from the hard drive, which is the default setting. Note any errors during the boot process -- the exact message will be helpful in resolving any problems with the installation.
  20. After copying more files, the computer will reboot again. Once again, allow it to boot from the hard drive. The End of eComStation installation page will appear. The first tab of the page, Final Tasks announces the end of the installation. Press Next to go on.
  21. On the Screen tab, press the Screen button to bring up the Screen settings. Set the resolution colors and refresh that are appropriate for your display adapter and monitor, then close the Screen settings. Press Next to go to the next tab.
  22. On the Network User ID tab, fill out all the fields. Fill in the username and password. This will be your administrator account. Even if you do not currently use networking, enter these fields. Also check Allow your computer to be seen by others on the network and Allow sharing of resources in a peer network. Press Change to make the changes, then press Next to go on to the next page.
  23. On the DHCP tab, change the DHCP start wait time to 0 (zero) seconds. This means that the computer will not stop and wait for you to press enter if the network is not present. Press Next to go on.
  24. On the Clock tab, no changes should be needed. Press Next to go on.
  25. On the User Interface tab, make the changes that give you a system you like. My preference is to open the Workplace Shell settings and check the box Confirm on Copy, move, create shadow. Under eSytler Preferences, I prefer to set titlebar to bitmap. I also set the shutdown to include power off and suspend on machines that support APM. When you have made your changes, press Next to go on.
  26. On the Printer tab, I do nothing. Suntan Special will configure the printers. If you prefer to set up with this page, that is fine, too. Press Exit when the printer changes are complete.
  27. Remove the eCS CD-ROM from the drive. Shutdown and reboot the computer, and note any errors during the boot process. When the computer has rebooted, check the screen properties to make sure they are suitable. On the Screen settings, do any centering that is needed (under the Advanced). When the screen settings are OK, reboot from the CD-ROM, or from an alternate boot partition.
  28. If booting from the eCS CD-ROM, choose the management console, and open a commandline. (Tools->Command Window). Back up your new installation with the following command. 
              zip -rS xdrive.zip X:\* -x WP?ROOT.?SF
    Replace X with the drive letter of your installation. Keep this zip file handy to restore your original installation.

Results

After performing the above steps, I had 7738 files, taking up 447,185,127 bytes with 3,494,784 bytes of extended attributes. The zip file took 241,788,334 bytes.

Last Modified: 24 Dec 2019
Graphics by Colorful Language
Copyright 2019 by Blonde Guy