Author Archives: Lewis Rosenthal

ArcaOS 5.1 upgrades not processing

We are aware of an issue which is preventing ArcaOS 5.1 upgrades from processing in the store (new licenses are working correctly).

We are looking into the issue and hope to have it resolved soon.

Thanks for your patience, and for your business!

ArcaOS 5.1.0 now available

After years in development, Arca Noae is pleased to announce the general availability of ArcaOS 5.1.0.

In a first for any OS/2-based distribution, ArcaOS 5.1 supports installation on the latest generation of UEFI-based systems, and includes the ability to install to GPT-based disk layouts. This enables ArcaOS 5.1 to install on a wide array of modern hardware.

ArcaOS 5.1.0 can be used for new installs or to upgrade any prior version of ArcaOS 5. If installing from USB stick, the USB install stick may be created using any major operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course, OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). Once built, the USB stick can be inserted into any USB port in the target system to boot into the ArcaOS installer/updater in either UEFI or traditional BIOS mode (alternatively, the DVD image may be burned to physical media and also booted to either UEFI or traditional BIOS systems).

For a complete list of updates in this release, see the ArcaOS wiki. Be sure to review the README.TXT, as well, as this contains critical information to ensure that you get up and running fast, and includes tips for getting things adjusted right away.

This upgrade is available at a steep discount with your valid ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription (and your remaining subscription time will be added to the included support term). To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page and select the ArcaOS Download Center link on the navigation panel to the left. From there, click the “Upgrade to 5.1” button, and proceed to checkout.

If your ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription has already expired, you may still upgrade at less than the cost of a new ArcaOS 5.1 license. Follow the procedure above to order your upgrade, and the discount will be reflected in your cart.

ArcaOS 5.1.0 is available in English ONLY, with other languages planned to follow in the near future.

Pricing for ArcaOS 5.1

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the pricing schedule for the upcoming ArcaOS 5.1 release.

New licenses for ArcaOS 5.1:

Personal edition: $139.00 (includes 6 months of Support & Maintenance)
Commercial edition: $249.00 (includes one year of Support & Maintenance).

Discounted upgrade pricing will be available for all customers with a valid ArcaOS 5.0 license. However, the best upgrade pricing will be available for customers who have an active Support & Maintenance subscription (S&MS) in place. Also, you won’t lose any remaining time on your old subscription—any remaining time will be added to your new ArcaOS 5.1 subscription.

Upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1 for customers with active Support & Maintenance:

Personal edition upgrade: $59.00
Commercial edition upgrade: $109.00

As mentioned above, any remaining time on the ArcaOS 5.0 subscription will be added to the included Support & Maintenance for the selected ArcaOS 5.1 product edition.

Upgrade to ArcaOS 5.1 (for customers without active Support & Maintenance):

Personal edition upgrade: $89.00
Commercial edition upgrade: $189.00

These include the standard Support & Maintenance subscription term as provided with new licenses: 6 months for the personal edition, and one year for the commercial edition.

In all cases, volume discounts for aggregate commercial purchases or upgrades of 25 licenses or more will apply.

The subscription channel for ArcaOS 5.1 will be separate from the channel for ArcaOS 5.0. This means that 5.0 Support & Maintenance ends when that license has been upgraded to 5.1, and 5.1 Support & Maintenance will have some different content specific to ArcaOS 5.1 (features which are reserved for ArcaOS 5.1 and not available for ArcaOS 5.0).

Support & Maintenance renewals for ArcaOS 5.1 will be:

Personal edition Support & Maintenance: $70 ($63 early renewal; $87 late)
Commercial edition Support & Maintenance: $125 ($112.50 early renewal; $187 late)

As always, the best practice is to renew early. This cannot be stressed enough when upgrading to ArcaOS 5.1, as any remaining time on the ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription will be added to the subscription included with the selected ArcaOS 5.1 product edition.

ArcaOS 5.0.8 now available

In our continuing commitment to ArcaOS 5.0 (Blue Lion), Arca Noae is pleased to announce the general availability of ArcaOS 5.0.8, the eighth maintenance release of the 5.0 line.

It should be noted that ArcaOS 5.1.0, the successor to the 5.0 line, is nearing availability. While ArcaOS 5.1.0 itself is ready, the production system which manages, builds, and distributes the new ISO images is not. However, the final testing of our updated production system is underway and nearing completion. In the interim, we are releasing ArcaOS 5.0.8 which can be distributed using the old production and distribution system.

ArcaOS 5.0.8 includes refreshed driver content, updated kernel and included software, as well as installation boot fixes since 5.0.7 was released at the end of 2021. It also rolls in a few fixes that come from our 5.1.0 development work. ArcaOS 5.0.8 can be used for new installs or to update any prior version of ArcaOS 5. If you have experienced difficulty installing previous releases of ArcaOS on your hardware, 5.0.8 may address your issue(s). If installing from USB stick, the USB install stick may be created using any major operating system at hand (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and of course, OS/2, eComStation, and ArcaOS). Once built, the USB stick can be inserted into any USB port in the target system to boot into the ArcaOS installer/updater.

This update is included with your valid ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription at no additional charge. To download your fresh ISO, simply visit your customer portal page and select the ArcaOS Download Center link on the navigation panel to the left. From there, click the “Request ISO build” button, select English language (ArcaOS 5.0.x is only available in English), and wait for your notification email.

If your ArcaOS 5.0 Support & Maintenance subscription has already expired, and you missed your window of opportunity to renew at regular rates, you may still renew at less than the cost of a new ArcaOS license. Also, your active ArcaOS 5.0 subscription will entitle you to a discount on your ArcaOS 5.1 upgrade purchase, when available.

Arca Noae Package Manager version 1.1.0.2 has been released

Arca Noae is pleased to announce the immediate availability of an updated Arca Noae Package Manager for ArcaOS, OS/2, and eComStation. (1.1.0.2)

This is a minor update to the 1.1.0 release with the following bug fixes:

Update SMBIOS to 1.1.
Fix bug initializing conflict detection popup..
Increase text limit of quick install entryfield.

Arca Noae Package Manager is available in English with Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, and Swedish language packs. Some of these have been refreshed for this release.

ANPM 1.1.0.2 requires WarpIN 1.0.24 or higher for installation. This WarpIN package is available from Hobbes.

This utility is licensed under the GPLv3, and is available to everyone, free of charge. See the included documentation for instructions on how to access the source code.

Please review the wiki for important first-time installation and upgrade notes and other tips.

Missing a recent renewal reminder?

In case you have recently received a notice advising you of your subscription expiration, and yet you did not receive a previous renewal reminder, please contact Customer Service. It is entirely possible that your reminder email either did not go out or was lost. We’re here to help and will correct your renewal pricing as necessary.

I want ArcaOS 5.1!

TO CLARIFY: ArcaOS 5.1 HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED. Please read this post all the way to the end to get all information.

ArcaOS 5.1 is complete and waiting for release. The holdup is really related to our distribution system, which is based on the WooCommerce platform.

Until we can produce multiple versions of ArcaOS ISOs, in multiple languages, WE MUST HOLD UP THE ArcaOS 5.1 RELEASE.

While WooCommerce is a capable ecommerce solution, Arca Noae’s requirements to be able to allow ordering of a personalized ISO have now become considerably more complicated than they were for the 5.0 release in 2017. Instead of only spinning the same ISO with personalization data for each customer, we now must continue to have 5.0 ISOs available, and offer 5.1 ISOs in several languages. In addition, instead of maintaining one subscription channel for ArcaOS, we now must maintain two separate channels, one for 5.0 and one for 5.1. Upgraders will also need to change subscription channels when they upgrade ArcaOS. This work has proven more complicated than we had anticipated.

In the meantime, we have taken steps to upgrade our infrastructure to expand our capacity to build and warehouse more ISOs, and we are now at a point where the missing pieces of the puzzle are just the software enhancements for the website to bring everything together.

We have always avoided stating narrow windows for anticipated delivery dates, and take great efforts to avoid the appearance of vaporware. ArcaOS 5.1 is real, and it is coming…soon.

In the interim (and after the release of ArcaOS 5.1), ArcaOS 5.0 will continue to receive critical updates and support, and from time to time, we may even release new bugfix ISOs for ArcaOS 5.0 (generally when an update impacts the installation experience).

It is also important to note that not all languages for ArcaOS 5.1 will be made available when English is released, nor will all non-English languages be released at the same time. Translations of German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and others are in varying states of completion. As we deem a certain language ready for release, we will make it available.

We appreciate everyone’s continued patience. We want to bring you ArcaOS 5.1 as much as you want it!

New product: OS/2 Video Poker 2.0™

From Reed Software, Arca Noae is proud to announce the availability of OS/2 Video Poker 2.0!

OS/2 Video Poker 2.0 plays the fast action game of video poker found in casinos world wide. Enjoy a real video poker game experience right on your home or work computer. This exciting game takes advantage of the enhanced graphics capabilities of today’s modern high resolution screens, with your choice of seven different screen colors, red, blue, or green card backs, sound effects, and more.

Play your choice of Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, and Double-Double Bonus video poker games, and view statistics about your playing sessions.

This latest version of a classic OS/2 game is sure to provide hours of enjoyment.

Find OS/2 Video Poker 2.0 in the Arca Noae store, in the Fun & Games category.

Temporary workaround for PDF invoice/receipt

Update 2023-03-06: Selecting the Invoice button will currently generate an HTML version of the invoice without having to modify the URL.

Original post:

We are aware of an issue impacting our ability to generate PDF invoices (receipts) for new purchases, and working to resolve the problem. In the interim, it should be possible to generate an HTML invoice, and then use your browser’s print or save capability to either print a hard copy or save the HTML version to disk.

To generate the HTML version of the invoice, after receiving the error message or blank page when requesting the PDF invoice, simply append the following to the URL in the browser:

&output=html

and press <Enter>. The invoice should render in the browser window like any other page.

We appreciate your continued patience while we investigate the matter more fully and address the problem.

New product: EAMaster Extended Attribute manager and editor

Keith Merrington has released a new graphical tool for managing all sorts of EAs on files, from Single Value EAs to Multi-Value EAs, with a variety of content. EAMaster allows you to back up, restore, copy, edit, delete, examine, join, rename EAs, and so much more.

Up to 16 EAs per Multi-Value EA are permitted, each with up to 8 sub-levels per Multi-Value EA, and these windows may all be displayed simultaneously.

Need to find an EA? EAMaster includes a powerful search tool built in. Search for an EA name, EA type, the contents of an EA, or combinations, from one directory to an entire volume at a time.

Extensive online help is available, as well, so even the EA novice should be able to make use of the program right away.

At last a graphical management tool for EAs!

Find EAMaster in the Arca Noae store, in the File & Disk Utilities category.