VAC365 required Netscape IIRC but there is a way to run the installer without it (don't know all the details). VAC308 does not require Netscape as I recall. It has been a long time since I installed either (I've just copied the installed files to each new machine). That said, these are no longer directly available (ebay or if someone happens to have copies). e(X)WP uses 3.08 and Odin uses 3.08 (but can be built with 3.65). The Flash plugin is being developed with 3.65. These are the only current projects I know that use VAC.
Unless you already have a copy (or desire to work on Odin or XWP) then I'd primarily recommend Watcom or GCC. And in the context of the course I don't know that I would focus on VAC at all (due to the limited availability).
Andy[/p][/QUOTE]



I agree that we should forgo discussion of VAC due to its lack of general use.

Stu

WRT porting & building:

What I think would be of tremendous value is a discussion of differencing files, patch, and how to work around platform limitations (I ran into a situation a few days ago where the latest version of the app I was trying to port supported IPv6, with no obvious way of disabling it in the conf - at least no -disableIPv6 option). I ran into some similar issues (though not IPv6) when working on OpenVPN. Paul immediately recognized the issue and said, "Oh, you need to use these headers, here, to stub around that." How would I have known?

Reading the log from make -d would also be extremely helpful for not only porting, but also building in general. I find that for some reason, it's easier for me to spot makefile issues when reading the log under Linux than under OS/2, probably because the errors are more...um...expected.

Just some random thoughts about this.

PS - Stu, there's a checkbox in the options below your post to notify of replies. My user prefs enable this by default. If yours don't you might want to check it each time.

So far, we have some three people already who have posted that they'd be interested in taking a programming course.

This is still looking like a survey course to me -- we don't go into depth, but just show how to set up the tools, and how to compile an example program, and a review of the code of the sample program to see what it does.

Also, I see interest in learning C or C++ on the OS/2 platform, which in a one day format would look like setting up the compiler, compiling the sample programs from a current textbook and showing how the debugger works. Students would then be prepared to take a real C++ course at their local community college, but to do it in OS/2 (or eCS).

Finally, I see interest in a porting course. That would be setting up the porting tools, and doing a demonstration port, looking at how to overcome typical porting problems.

If you are reading this, please comment if you'd be interested in taking such a course, or if there is something else you'd like to see in a Warpstock course.

I plan to invite some of the top active OS/2 programmers. Course fees will be used for instructor travel, food and lodging.

We should probably put something out on OS/2 World, etc. concerning a request for those would-be programmers who might be interested in such a course. As it is, we're simply too spread out for word of mouth or even email chains to be of much use.

Just thinking out loud....