=============================================================================== -- M o z i l l a R e a d M e ---------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== * This Read Me file contains information about installing and using the OS/2 builds of Firefox, Seamonkey, and Thunderbird. * These applications are subject to the terms detailed in the license agreement accompanying them. * OS/2-specific changes to the product are listed in the CHANGES.OS2 file. * The Mozilla for OS/2 project home page is now located at https://github.com/bitwiseworks/mozilla-os2/wiki. There you will find most recent news, binary downloads and the issue system to report OS/2-specific bugs. * Community support for the Mozilla applications is available through the newsgroups 'mozilla.dev.ports.os2' or 'comp.os.os2.apps'. Messages posted to other forums may not be seen by the developers. For additional resources, see the "Links" section below. =============================================================================== -- Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== * Installation * Compatibility Warning * Starting the App * OS/2 Add-ons * Environment Variables * Fonts * Printing * Video * Audio * Troubleshooting * Known Problems * Links * System Requirements * Acknowledgements =============================================================================== -- Installation --------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Mozilla is a complex product that uses a huge number of 3rd party libraries such as Cairo, FreeType, NSPR and many others. In order to provide better OS/2 support for both Mozilla and these libraries we build them as dynamically loadable modules (DLLs) which are maintained and distributed separately and which Mozilla executables are simply linked with. This approach also allows other applications use the same library modules which, among other benefits, reduces the overall memory footprint and saves other vital system resources. As a side effect of this approach, Mozilla applications got so many external dependencies that it is nearly impossible for the end user to install all of them from the ZIP files manually - and even naming them all in this file would be a very hard task. For this reason, starting from the release of Firfox version 38.8.0 (Beta 7), manual installation of Mozilla requirements is no longer supported. The only supported way of installing all the requirements now is the YUM command line tool or the Arca Nova Package Manager application (ANPM). The following instructions describe the necessary steps. 1. Install the RPM/YUM environment. The simplest way to do so is to download and install ANPM as described here: https://www.arcanoae.com/wiki/anpm/. If you prefer command line, you may install only the RPM/YUM environment and tools as described here: http://trac.netlabs.org/rpm/wiki/RpmInstall. 2. Install the following packages needed by Firefox using either YUM or ANPM: libstdc++6 nspr nss libicu pixman cairo pango fontconfig freetype libkai If you use YUM, simply type `yum install ` on the command line and press Enter. For ANPM, select "YUM -> Quick install..." from the menu, copy the given package list into the entry field and press Enter. The packages and all their dependencies will be downloaded and installed automatically. Note that if some of these packages are already installed, the install command will simply do nothing for them. 3. Update the packages that you may have already installed to their latest versions (which may be required by the newest Mozilla application release) by either executing `yum update` on the command line or selecting "YUM -> Update all" from the menu in ARPM. This will automatically download and install updates (including the updates to the dependent packages, if necessary). Note that if some of the packages are already at their latest versions, the update command will simply do nothing for them. 4. Unzip the Mozilla application archive into any directory of your choice. This will create a subdirectory with the same name as the program. For example: unzip firefox-38.8.0.en-US.os2.zip -d D:\Apps This command will install Firefox in D:\Apps\firefox. WARNING!!! If you already have a directory with the same name from an older installation, rename it first (e.g. to 'firefox-old'). Do not let the new version install on top of the old one. 5. Choose a directory where the Mozilla applications can store their profile data, then add a line like this to CONFIG.SYS: SET MOZILLA_HOME=D:\Home The first time you run any Mozilla application, it will create a 'Mozilla' subdirectory in 'D:\Home' where your customized settings are saved. WARNING!!! Without "SET MOZILLA_HOME=", the 'Mozilla' subdirectory will be created in the same directory as the program itself. This can make it very hard to upgrade to new versions without deleting your customized settings. 6. Optional. Use mozinst to create application icons on the Desktop. Download mozinit from: http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-search.php?key=mozinst 7. Optional. You may want to install some of the items listed in the "OS/2 Add-ons" section below to improve the application's performance. =============================================================================== -- Compatibility Warning ------------------------------------------------------ =============================================================================== After using Firefox v4.0, Seamonkey v2.1, or Thunderbird v3.4 (or any later version) your History and Cookies databases (places.sqlite & cookies.sqlite) will NOT be compatible with earlier versions (i.e. FF3.6, SM2.0, or TB3.1). A REXX script is available to restore compatibility. * To preserve compatibility BEFORE running the new version: - download 'dbrestore.zip' from ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/incoming/mozilla/dbrestore.zip or http://e-vertise.com/warpzilla/dbrestore.zip - unzip it into your profile directory - make backups of places.sqlite and cookies.sqlite * To restore compatibilty BEFORE running an earlier version: - run the script from your profile directory. * To restore compatibilty AFTER running an earlier version (i.e. you forgot to run the script before): - look for 'places.sqlite.corrupt' and 'cookies.sqlite.corrupt' in your profile directory, If they appear to be the right size, remove the '.corrupt' extension after deleting the newly-created versions. - run the script - if your history and cookies aren't restored, use your backup copies. =============================================================================== -- Starting Firefox / Seamonkey / Thunderbird --------------------------------- =============================================================================== If this is the only Mozilla application you use, then all you need is a simple program object. However, if you run two or more of these apps at the same time, you may encounter dll conflicts. If you can open any one of these apps by itself, but can't open a second one while the first is still running, this is the likely cause. An entry in popuplog.os2 reporting a 'SYS2070' error for the program that failed to start will confirm the problem. The solution for dll conflicts is "SET LIBPATHSTRICT=T". There are several ways to set this: * modify your program object: Path and file name: * Parameters: /c set LIBPATHSTRICT=T & seamonkey.exe "%*" Working directory: x:\mozilla.org\seamonkey * create a .cmd file: x: cd mozilla.org\thunderbird SET LIBPATHSTRICT=T start thunderbird * use Run! : Copy 'run!.exe' into the program's directory, then rename it as: 'firefox!L.exe', or 'seamonkey!L.exe', or 'thunderbird!L.exe' Now, change your program object start it rather than the original exe. (Use 'LK' instead of 'L' if you want the icon to show it's "in-use".) Note: For best performance of most browser plugins, you may want to omit LIBPATHSTRICT for your primary browser and only set it for your other Mozilla apps. =============================================================================== -- OS/2 Add-ons --------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== * MP4 Video Starting from version 38.8.0, Firefox can play MP4 (H264/AAC) video files in HTML5 content but this requires the recent FFmpeg runtime libraries to be installed. To do so, run `yum install ffmpeg-libs` on the command line or install the 'ffmpeg-libs' package using ANPM. * Workplace Sans - TrueType Font Mozilla no longer supports bitmap fonts like WarpSans, so its menus and dialogs may not look very "OS/2-like'. To fix this, you may want to install Alex Taylor's 'Workplace Sans', a TrueType font inspired by WarpSans. The app will use it by default if it's available. Many users prefer the bitmapped version as it looks cleaner at small point sizes. http://www.altsan.org/creative/fonts/workplace/#wpsu * RWS - WPS Integration With RWS, you can open downloads using their default WPS association and have the app display the correct icon in file listings & dialogs. For example, when you download a WPI file, the download dialog will display WarpIn's icon, and offer to open it using WarpIn so you can install it directly from the browser. http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-search.php?key=rws08dll * Exceptq - Crash Reporting If the app crashes, Exceptq will beep and then create an exception report containing details of the crash. You can send these reports to the developers via Issue Tracker reports (see the Links section). http://home.earthlink.net/~steve53/betas/ * ConfigApps & Internet Application Integration - Set Default Browser These two utilities make it easier to set your default browser, email program, newsreader, etc. - ConfigApps http://hobbes.nmsu.edu//h-search.php?key=configapps - Internet Application Integration http://7cities.net/~mckinnis/os2/ * Doodle ScreenSaver - Intelligent Timing for Internal Cleanups When Doodle's Screen Saver (DSSaver) v1.8 or later is installed, the app can determine how long the user has been inactive. This allows it to suspend reloads of "Live Bookmarks" and perform cleanup operations during idle periods rather than while you're browsing. ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/dssaver/ =============================================================================== -- Environment Variables ------------------------------------------------------ =============================================================================== These can go in config.sys or the .cmd file you use to start the program. * MOZILLA_HOME=[path] (recommended) As noted above, this controls where the 'mozilla' subdirectory containing your profile (personal settings and data) is located. For example: if you specify "SET MOZILLA_HOME=x:\mozilla.org", then your profiles will be stored in 'x:\mozilla.org\mozilla'. * MOZ_PLUGIN_PATH=[path] This lets you specify a global directory for plugins like Flash and Acrobat Reader so that all Mozilla apps can access them. For example: "SET MOZ_PLUGIN_PATH=x:\mozilla.org\plugins" Note that _you_ will have to create the 'plugins' subdirectory and install your plugins into it. Without this environment variable %MOZILLA_HOME%\Mozilla\Plugins can be used. The following are intended to fix problems, not enhance performance. Very few users have any need for any of these: * NSPR_OS2_NO_HIRES_TIMER=1 This tells the app not to use OS/2's high resolution timer. Don't set this unless other applications using the high resolution timer (e.g. multimedia apps) act strangely. * MOZ_ACCELERATED=0 Disable DIVE (accelerated video) support. Try this if the app fails to start or the display is corrupted. * MOZ_NO_REMOTE=1 This permits you to run multiple copies of the same app at the same time (provided you have separate profiles for each copy). Also works as a parameter, eg Firefox -no-remote * MOZ_NO_RWS=1 This disables the WPS-integration features provided by RWS. Signs that this is needed include hangs or crashes when viewing or saving attachments or using a default WPS application as a helper application. The following enable additional logging: * MOZ_CONSOLE_LOG=1 Print browser console messages to the standard output stream (which may be redirected to a file when the browser is run as e.g. `firefox.exe 2>&1 >console.log` from the command line). =============================================================================== -- Fonts ---------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== * Mozilla apps use an internal font engine that offers antialiasing and the ability to search multiple fonts for the correct glyph. However, it only supports TrueType & Type1 fonts. OS/2 bitmap fonts like WarpSans, System Proportional, etc, are NOT supported. Users are encouraged to install Alex Taylor's "Workplace Sans" TrueType font to restore the native OS/2 look-and-feel for menus and dialogs. * Starting with Firefox 38, Mozilla apps use the complete version of the fontconfig library recently ported to OS/2 to manage fonts. This library requires UNIXROOT environment. If you have RPM/YUM installed, nothing needs to be done except `yum install fontconfig`. If you prefer manual installation then you have to unpack the entire contents of the fontconfig package to your UNIXROOT tree (omitting `@unixroot` from the extracted path) and make sure the UNIXROOT environment variable points to this tree. All font settings (and many aspects of the FreeType font engine) are now controlled through the '%UNIXROOT%\etc\fonts\fonts.conf' and '%UNIXROOT%\etc\fonts\conf.d\*' files. Please refer to: http://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html for more information on how to configure fonts using fonts.conf. Note: You may need to restart the application to see your changes. =============================================================================== -- Printing ------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== IMPORTANT NOTE: The current version of the Mozilla graphics engine is work in progress and has Native Driver Support temporarily disabled because it does not currently work. Therefore, the section called "Native Driver Support" below should be ignored. Printing to PDF and Postscript should still work as described below. This version offers printing support using both native drivers and the app's built-in PDF and Postscript generators. * Native Driver Support All native printer drivers should work and all features offered by the driver should be supported. * Built-in PDF Support PDF files can be created by selecting any printer, then checking 'Print to file', When the file dialog appears, give the file's name a ".pdf" extension. * Built-in Postscript Support Mozilla's built-in Postscript support provides an alternative to using the native PSCRIPT drivers. If you use CUPS or plan to direct Postscript output to file for further processing, you may want to use this feature. There are two ways to enable it. = Always = This method may produce better quality output than the native PS driver if you use CUPS. After performing the one-time setup below, select a printer associated with a native PS driver, then press 'OK'. Setup: - enter "about:config" in the browser's address bar, press Enter (for Thunderbird, use the 'Config Editor' in the Options dialog) - look for the entry "print.os2.postscript.use_builtin" - if it exists, doubleclick on it to change it to "true" - if the entry doesn't exist, add it: o click MB2 on any item in the preferences listing o select 'New->Boolean' from the popup menu o enter "print.os2.postscript.use_builtin" (no quotes), press OK o select "true", press OK = As Needed = Use this method to create Postscript files for further processing without having to add or change the "use_builtin" setting: - select a non-Postscript printer (see below) - check 'Print to file', then press 'OK' - when the file dialog appears, give the filename a ".ps" extension !! With either method, the native driver isn't used to create the print job, so most of its optional settings (e.g. duplexing) are ignored. Only its Orientation (portrait/landscape) and Resolution (dpi) settings are used. For print-to-file usage, choose a non-Postscript printer that has suitable DPI settings. (e.g. the HP Laserjet 2100 driver offers 300, 600, & 1200 dpi). =============================================================================== -- Video ---------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Users of the SNAP and GenGradd video drivers running in full-color mode will automatically experience improved video performance thanks to the applications' use of DIVE. Currently, the Panorama video driver is not supported if its "shadow buffer" option is enabled. * DIVE Support DIVE lets an app bypass PM's graphics subsystem and write directly to your video card's memory. This improves display speed but can cause problems on some systems. Use any one of the following to disable DIVE: - uncheck "Use hardware acceleration when available" on the Options dialog's 'Advanced->General' tab. - start the app in "safe mode" (use "/safe-mode" on the command line) - add "SET MOZ_ACCELERATED=0" to config.sys. * Mouse Pointer Issues If the mouse pointer disappears when starting the app, you can use "SET MOZ_ACCELERATED=1" to override automatic detection of how your video driver displays the pointer. If it flickers when scrolling a page, you may want to try "SET MOZ_ACCELERATED=2". =============================================================================== -- Audio ---------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Starting from version 31, Firefox uses the K Audio Interface library (libkai) to play sounds in HTML5/JS content and in Firefox widgets. Currently, this library supports the standard OS/2 MMPM/DART sound subsystem as well as the UNIAUD driver directly. By default, libkai prefers UNIAUD to DART but it may be forced to use either of them using the KAI_AUTOMODE environment variable: - "SET KAI_AUTOMODE=UNIAUD" will activate UNIAUD mode. - "SET KAI_AUTOMODE=DART" will activate MMPM/DART mode. =============================================================================== -- Troubleshooting ------------------------------------------------------------ =============================================================================== The following may help resolve problems that were known at the time this ReadMe was written. Additional community support is available through the newsgroups 'mozilla.dev.ports.os2' or 'comp.os.os2.apps'. Messages posted to other forums may not be seen by the developers. * Program won't start If other Mozilla apps are open, close them, then retry. If it can now start, see the "Starting Firefox/Seamonkey/Thunderbird" section. * Program crashes when the first window appears If you see the outline of the window, then it crashes, see the "Video" section for info on disabling DIVE. * Program crashes or hangs when downloading files, viewing file listings, loading message attachments or dragging with the mouse. Try adding "SET MOZ_NO_RWS=1" to the environment. * Program crashes randomly Restart the app in "safe mode" (use "/safe-mode" on the command line). If it appears to be stable in safe-mode, a plugin may be the cause. Disable all plugins, then restart normally. If it remains stable, reenable one plugin at a time until the problem returns. * Program beeps several times then crashes The beeps simply indicate that Exceptq is installed and is creating a trap report to help identify the cause of the crash. Since Exceptq isn't activated until a crash occurs, it isn't the cause of the crash. * Continuous 100% CPU usage If you use OS/2's "Comet Cursor" feature, try turning it off. Try adding "SET NSPR_OS2_NO_HIRES_TIMER=1" to the environment. * User-interface (buttons, address bar, etc.) is missing or corrupted Shutdown the program, then open the directory containing its profile. Delete 'XUL.mfl' and the directory named 'startupCache, then restart. Note: To find your profile, select Help->Troubleshooting Information from the main menu. On the page that appears, find the line labelled "Profile Directory" then press the button next to it. After the folder opens, be sure to close the app before changing or deleting anything. * Other problems First, try the solution for "User-interface is missing or corrupted" above. If that doesn't work, try creating a new profile. The easiest way is change the path in your "MOZILLA_HOME" environment variable when the app isn't running, then restart it. If this fixes the problem, try copying files from your original profile to the new one until the issue reappears. The first file to try is "prefs.js". If you can identify which file is the cause, restore your original "MOZILLA_HOME" path. Rename the problem file so Mozilla can't find it, then restart the app. Mozilla should create a new version of the file you've hidden, and with any luck, the problem should be solved. =============================================================================== -- Known Problems ------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== * Printing of complex web pages using the native LASERJET and OMNI printer drivers is known to crash the browser in PMMERGE.DLL in some cases. As a workaround, please install and use the CUPS printer (based on the POSTSCRIPT driver) that always works. CUPS is part of the modern eComStation installations. In order to install it on older systems please refer to: http://trac.netlabs.org/ecups. * Due to bugs in MMPM, the current version of Firefox runs the Flash plugin in "in-process" (traditional) mode instead of the new OOP (out-of-process) mode used on other platforms. This will be fixed in future releases. * The OpenJDK (Java) plugin works but there are some problems with window updates. This is to be addressed in future releases. * Mozilla apps will beep when copying more than 64 kB of text to the clipboard. This is to alert users that many applications (most notably the system editor, EPM, and applications running in VIO windows) cannot paste more than this. * Cross-platform problems are usually listed in the release notes of each milestone release. * Other known problems can be found by following this link: https://github.com/bitwiseworks/mozilla-os2/issues * The old list of bugs (for historical purposes, as it is mostly outdated) can be found by following the link "Current Open Warpzilla Bugs" on the OS/2 Mozilla page: http://www.mozilla.org/ports/os2 =============================================================================== -- Links ---------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Main resources: * Mozilla for OS/2 Home Page https://github.com/bitwiseworks/mozilla-os2/wiki * Mozilla for OS/2 Binary Releases https://github.com/bitwiseworks/mozilla-os2/releases * Mozilla for OS/2 Issue Tracker & Bug Reports https://github.com/bitwiseworks/mozilla-os2/issues Seamonkey and Thunderbird builds (not supported by bww bitwiseworks GmbH): * Comm-Central (SeaMonkey and Thunderbird) for OS/2 https://bitbucket.org/dryeo Additional information: * Official Releases (Firefox 10.0.12 and earlier versions) http://www.mozilla.org/ports/os2/ * Older Official and Experimental Releases (Upto Firefox 10.0.12ESR) ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/mozilla/ ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/incoming/mozilla/ * Beta Versions (Firefox 10ESR and earlier versions) ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/incoming/mozilla/ * General Information About the Mozilla Apps http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/ http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ * Steve Wendt's Tips for Warpzilla http://os2news.warpstock.org/Warpzilla.html * Mozilla for OS/2 Newsgroup mozilla.dev.ports.os2 on server news.mozilla.org * Mailing list gateway to mozilla.dev.ports.os2 https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-ports-os2 * Mozilla for OS/2 IRC Channel #warpzilla on server irc.mozilla.org * Submit Bug Reports (all platforms) https://bugzilla.mozilla.org * Building Mozilla Apps on OS/2 https://developer.mozilla.org/en/OS/2_Build_Prerequisites =============================================================================== -- System Requirements -------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== * Minimum hardware requirements for acceptable performance - 1.0 GHz processor - 256 MiB RAM plus 128 MiB free swap space - 40 MiB free harddisk space for installation plus storage space for disk cache - Graphics card and driver capable of displaying 64k or 16m colors Note: Installing more RAM than the minimum required may produce significant improvements in performance and stability. * Software requirements - Installation on a file system supporting long file names (i.e. HPFS or JFS but not FAT) - OS/2 Warp 4 with Fixpack 15 or later (Warp 3 may work but is unsupported) - Kernel with build level 14.104a is recommended. (http://www.os2site.com/sw/upgrades/kernel/w420050811.zip) - MPTS version 5.3 - TCP/IP version 4.1 - INETVER: SOCKETS.SYS=5.3007, AFOS2.SYS=5.3001, AFINET.SYS=5.3006 Note: Do not attempt to use MPTS & TCP/IP versions below these INETVER levels. Although the app may seem to start and run normally, some features it needs are not implemented correctly in older MPTS versions and may cause crashes and data loss. Convenience Pack 2 or eComStation 1.0 or later meet these requirements out of the box. * Java Java versions earlier than 1.5 are *not* supported. Neither the IBM nor Innotek versions of Java will work with this release. * Innotek Font Engine This is no longer needed or used by any of the Mozilla apps and it is recommended to remove browser related entries from the registry. The mozinst.zip package includes a utility to do this and is automatically invoked when using mozinst.cmd. * Plugins Do not use the "OS/2 Multimedia Plugin for Netscape". It does not support any MM formats currently in use and is known to cause crashes. =============================================================================== -- Acknowledgements ----------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== The Mozilla for eCS (OS/2) project is currently supported and maintained by the staff of bww bitwiseworks GmbH: - Dmitriy Kuminov (developer) - Silvan Scherrer (project manager) bww bitwiseworks GmbH would like to thank the following people for their prior work on Mozilla for eCS (OS/2). We might not share all your opinions, however we still appreciate your work, contributions and input (and will do so in the future): - Mensys BV - Mike Kaply - Peter Weilbacher - Rich Walsh - Walter Meinl - Dave Yeo - Steve Wendt - all we missed here! ===============================================================================