Porting OS/2 Software to Linux

squiggleslash writes: "IBM's Developer Domain is hosting an article on how to port software written for OS/2 over to Linux. Bottom line -- it's easy, as long as you use an abstraction layer. Hopefully this'll mean the huge amount of OS/2 software out there will start being ported, helping make Linux even more ready for the desktop. Lotus, are you reading?"

Comments

"Huge amount of software"

[rudy_wayne]

Yeah right.

In 1995, IBM tried to one-up Microsoft by releasing a new version of OS/2 before Windows 95 came out. I was looking for an alternative to The Evil Empire and seriously considered OS/2. However, I didn't go with OS/2, even though it was superior to Windows in several areas, because it flunked the "Best Buy" test.

The Best Buy test:
Walk into Best Buy (or Circuit City or any store that sells computer software) and count the number of native OS/2 programs sitting on the shelves. Number = 0. Stay away.

Linux also fails the Best Buy test, which is why it will never pose a serious challenge to Windows (for general consumer use) and will continue to only be used as an OS for servers and computer geeks.

Re:"Huge amount of software"

[Aaaaaargh!]

Well, OS/2 passed the "Egghead test" for me*. When I went to my local Egghead store (back in the day), they had two racks full of OS/2 software and a sign that indicated most Windows software ran fine on OS/2. The people working there were actually competent and could answer questions, too! I bought it and never regretted it. Amazingly, I could run DOS apps alongside Windows apps and when, not if, a Windows app crashed, it didn't take down the whole system!

Of course, Egghead is no more, thanks to CrapUSA and some other computer superstore that went out of business while destroying local competition, and IBM gave up the "desktop war" to its comeptition. Sure, OS/2 still exists, but who's going to pay $284 for an OS when Windows comes pre-bundled with every computer you buy? This is the problem OS/2 faced when it was affordable ($99 for Warp, circa 1995). So they gave up trying to position it as a consumer OS. No more games, little productivity software, just vertical apps that businesses could afford. The superior OS just disappeared.

That being said, we probably won't see anything interesting being ported from OS/2 to Linux. Most of the software out there is vertical apps, a few outdated office suites, games by companies that disappeared, shareware device drivers (SIO rocked), some ancient BBS software, and many neat little shareware helper programs, some of them written in REXX.

* disclaimer: I once was a Team OS/2 booster.

Re:"huge amount of software"

[squiggleslash]

I was partially being facetious. That said, there is real productivity software for OS/2 that's lacking under Linux, and I know a lot of my employer's customers, which includes certain large automotive concerns, have stuff floating around in Windows and OS/2 versions.

One thing that interested me about the article was this little hint:

The LANDP for Linux team designed a mapping layer to aid our port from OS/2 to Linux. The mapping layer is a shared object that is used to port the individual LANDP servers from OS/2. Perhaps the mapping layer will provide a starting place for other projects, perhaps not

Whereupon the article abruptly ends. I wonder if this suggests some sort of basis for an OS/2 simulator similar to winelib is available?

Re:OpenChat

[__past__]

Doesn't Windows 9x have this feature, too?

Re:"Huge amount of software"

[Safety Cap]

Sure, OS/2 still exists [ibm.com], but who's going to pay $284 for an OS when Windows comes pre-bundled with every computer you buy?

They will when you consider that you're already paying $200-300 for Windows. It is just "included" in the "cost."

Remember the OS-less computer? The reason it is so darn cheap is because they don't have to include the OS TAX.