New web browser for OS/2 is within reach!
- Details
- Written by Roderick Klein
- Category: Software
Currently Qt 5.13.1 (the latest version from the Qt Company!) is being worked on to be released in the coming days. Qt has been released in RPM format and is being used by other developers. The Dutch OS/2 VOICE foundation started with this journey with with BWW and the OS/2 community in October 2017. We first of all wanted an up to date set of Qt DLL's for OS/2 and ArcaOS. The Qt Toolkit is a big collection of DLL's that provide a lot of GUI elements. We can port a lot of a QT applications to OS/2 and ArcaOS using this toolkit.
The Qt project has so far been in line with the time frame BWW published in the roadmap about 9 months ago! BWW is now working on porting the Qt WebEngine DLL to OS/2, which is part of the Qt Toolkit. The WebEngine module in Qt is the core engine of a web browser. This is what loads and renders webpages to be displayed on your screen. ArcaOS and OS/2 users will have in December of this year early access to a port of the Falkon web browser! You should simply be able to visit websites again without any issue's!
What we again would like to emphasize is that with Qt it does not matter which browser we port, it matters that we use Qt WebEngine. The Chrome web browser from Google uses a web engine called Chromium and it's exactly the same thing Qt WebEngine uses behind the scenes. The Chromium engine is so good that even Microsoft has decided to started using it: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/12/06/microsoft_edge_chromium/
For people concerned about privacy, the WebEngine DLL does not contain code that will send data back to Google (such as the Google Chrome browser does)! Of course when you visit Google.com with the new Falkon browser that will send your search requests to Google. But the ported browser does not have any "call home" code built in to contact Microsoft or Google.
As you all understand we more donations from the community finish this browser port! So please donate! OS/2 VOICE has been paying BWW about 2500 Euro per month, yes one developer working full time as coder costs money! I (Roderick Klein) as chairman of OS/2 VOICE has started to sell OS/2 donated software and other computers items on Ebay to collect additional funding https://www.os2world.com/past-news/79-general/22594-going-going-gone-os2voice-items-for-auction.html. This is an example of what was sold, items have shipped already!
Please make your donation here: http://www.os2voice.org/membership.html#bww
This article is a joint publication of OS/2 VOICE and BWW.
Remote OS/2 desktop support via the internet!
- Details
- Written by Roderick Klein
- Category: Software
For people running another operating systems such as Windows, MacOS or Linux, remote control software has been a normal tool to use for years already. A lot of helpdesks for example use Teamviewer. We however do not have a tool that enables people to provide suppor to OS/2 user. Older software remote control packages such as Netop OS/2 from Danware or older software such as PolyPM is no longer sold or the software is insecure.
So for who is this webpage?
People who need OS/2 support:
If you are an OS/2 user of OS/2, eComStation or ArcaOS and you have an issue you want resolved with OS/2, the Dutch OS/2 foundation might be able you to help you. Other options you have is to contact Arca Noae or a ticket here (you need to have an account created here). You can also discuss your issue here on the forum OS2WORLD forum or OS2.org for example.
Another option that OS/2 VOICE now offers with this new remote control software, if you have a working internet connection under OS/2, we can login into your OS/2 system with your help! If you have an OS/2 issue you are really stuck with it send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and if needed we can set up a remote control session. The service is free of charge. and if we resolve your issue any donation to OS/2 VOICE foundation is welcome. Any donations made to OS/2 VOICE will be used to hire OS/2 developers to develop open source software for OS/2. Note: None of the OS/2 VOICE board members will be hired to perform any of this work!
You do not have to modify anything on your network or OS/2 system to run this software. We send it via email, you can at any moment of the support session, close the remote control support session if you want. The current version of the remote control software does not provide file transfer or a chat support. However we can access your desktop. The connection is also encrypted so other parties can not break in.
Companies providing remote OS/2 support (last updated 7th of October 2018) are:
If you want to be listed service provider using this tool to provide OS/2 support to customers, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
People who want to provide support to OS/2 users/companies.
If you want to provide support to OS/2 users or companies you can download the remote control tool and sources here.
Helpdesk package updated to the version 1.01: all executables are marked to run on a single CPU on an SMP system.
- Inside the ZIP is a document called helpdeskt.txt with instructions how to setup the server portion of the software.
- You will need to setup a port forward in your router or cable/ADSL modem
- For each customer you help you create a new package.
- When you send the "client" package to the customer via email, you might need to rename the file extension from .EXE to for example .EXQ. This is to prevent that certain email providers such as Gmail (Google) that do not except emails with attachements that contain a file name with the file extension .EXE.
Credentials
The remote control software is based on SSH and VNC server + client. Rich Walsh put the software in this single package. If you encounter any issue's with the software or you have any suggestions please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Disclaimer/License:
The disclaimer is very simple. This software is provided to anybody who wants to use it at no cost. For this reason the developer Rich Walsh, the VOICE foundation and/or its board members can not be held accountable in any way for any damages. Its provided free of charge to the world and support is provided on a best effort basis.
The fuil license can be found in the "remote control tool", in the ZIP file is a file called helpdesk.txt. See the section "License and Acknowledgements" .
New web Chromium based for OS/2 getting closer!
- Details
- Written by Roderick Klein
- Category: Software
This posting is to inform you QT is making a lot of headway but we are not at the point we can deliver you a browser, yet. The goal of the QT port is to port a Chromium based browser such as the Falcon browser to OS/2 and ArcaOS. As explained before Firefox long term is no longer an option for OS/2. For more updates posted since Oktober 2017 about this funding campaign visit our Bitwise Works QT report archive.
- We need your donations to keep coming in. You can become Bitwise Works Patreon member and donate each month.
- But you can also donate a one time amount via the OS/2 VOICE donation page.
These two screenshots, while textmode, where taken in November 2018. As posted before updates from me where slow the last couple of months duo to health issue's.
Dnslookup compiled with the latest QT version on ArcaOS.
A Downloadmanager compiled with the latest QT version on ArcaOS as textmode applications.
Its currently estimated that within the next 6 to 8 weeks (half way or end of May 2019), the first graphicall OS/2 applications can be compiled. The QT library framework delivers on average 80% of the program code required to run a QT based browser. The port of the browser it self is expected to take 6 months.
Other applications that need QT on Arca/OS2 are for example:
Update 8 from OS/2 VOICE/BWW QT/browser funding campaign, QT partly working!
- Details
- Written by Roderick Klein
- Category: Software
Dear OS/2 community,
The Dutch OS/2 VOICE foundation (referred as “VOICE”) send out a status update about the funding campaign to support bww bitwise works GmbH (referred as "bitwise") company. Bitwise is working on a port of the QT library to OS/2 and is making a lot of progress. As I have written in the Update 7 I have not written an update about the status of the funding campaign f duo to health issue's.
In update I had forgotten to report a very important detail. Next to that the current QT port passes all 70.000 tests build into the QT framework. QT text mode command line applications can already be compiled. While grapgicall applications is what we want as community it shows we are making a lot of progress1
You can see how much money is donated here. We are currently at about 23.310 Euro. We need your help as a community to make this important port QT from Bitwise move forward. All source code is provided free of charge to the world and is always checked in here. Bitwise works counts on YOUR donations to make this happen. You can read here how you can donate money to Bitwise here: www.os2voice.org/membership.html. A lot of people in the community download software from the Netlabs server without fully releasing a lot of that work is being performed by Bitwise. So please continue to donate!
Another new way to sponsor Bitwise monthly is by using Patreon. Each month you donate an amount, you decide.
This is a statement that was jointly written by the Dutch OS/2 VOICE foundation and bww bitwise works GmbH.
Best regards,
Roderick Klein & The "bitwise" team
Dutch OS/2 VOICE foundation Silvan, Herwig and Dmitriy