Netscape Navigator** 2.02 for OS/2* Warp Plug-in Pack
(You may wish to use a monospaced font, for improved readability)
General Availability, December 16, 1996
==================================================
Welcome to Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2 Warp Plug-in Pack
This Readme contains useful information that is required to install
and use this product.
The following information sources are also available from the IBM
Software web page (http://www.software.ibm.com):
* Netscape Navigator Handbook
* Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
* Release Notes
NOTE:
* To help you locate information in this README, you can use
the Find option under the Edit menu of the OS/2 System Editor.
You can print the file by dragging it to your printer object or by
using the Print choice on the pop-up menu.
CONTENTS
1.0 Hardware and Software Requirements
2.0 Installation Instructions
3.0 Function included in this release
4.0 Multimedia Plug-ins
5.0 Support for Windows 3.1*** Plug-ins
6.0 Plug-in API's and Toolkit
7.0 Known Problems
8.0 OS/2 Multimedia MPEG support
9.0 Trademarks
1.0 Software Requirements
==================================================
Hardware Requirements:
To install and use Netscape Navigator for OS/2 Warp, your work-
station needs at least:
* An Intel 486-based system or higher
* VGA display (Super VGA with 256 colors or higher is recom-
mended)
* 12 MB of RAM (16 MB is recommended)
* 8 MB free hard disk space (and 8 MB of temporary disk space)
* Connection to the Internet (modem, Ethernet card, token ring,
or ISDN)
Software Requirements:
* Netscape Navigator for OS/2 Warp installed
2.0 Installation Instructions
=================================================
Attention Beta1a Users Only:
If you have not upgraded from the beta1a version of Netscape Navigator for
OS/2, you must completely delete it before installing this product. After you
locate the directory containing the beta1a release, delete all files and directories.
Lastly, delete the Netscape folder before you begin installation of this product.
Before you install the OS/2 Plug-In Pack, you should first ensure that you have
removed the Beta2 version of the Netscape Navigator, if that version was installed
One way to do this is switch to the Netscape Navigator Beta2 directory from which
you performed the installation, enter INSTALL /A:D, and respond to the prompts. Then
you can install the Netscape Navigator package, followed by the OS/2 Plug-In Pack.
1) To start the installation program, type:
INSTALL
2) Follow the online instructions .
3) Restart your system.
4) The following system files are updated if you install support
for Windows Plug-ins.
Filename Warp 3.0 for Windows Warp 3.0 with Win-OS/2
seamless.dll d:\OS2 d:\OS2
vwin.sys d:\OS2\MDOS d:\OS2\MDOS
winsmsg.dll d:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM d:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM
user.exe d:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM d:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM
users.scr d:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM (not applicable)
Filename Warp 4.0
seamless.dll d:\OS2
vwin.sys (not replaced)
winsmsg.dll d:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM
user.exe d:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM
users.scr (not applicable)
NOTES:
- If you are using the 4OS2 software package, the installation
may not complete. Try double-clicking on the INSTALL.EXE from the
folder representing the directory from which you wish to install.
- The user.exe file(s) that are transferred when the 16-bit Plug-In
support is installed is in English. This may create problem if
this package is installed on a non-U.S. system.
3.0 Features and Functions
=================================================
"This release of Netscape Navigator offers you all the robustness of
Netscape Navigator 2.02 and more". Highlights include:
* Native OS/2 multimedia plug-ins
* Support for Windows 3.1 plug-ins
* OS/2 Multimedia MPEG support
4.0 Multimedia Plug-ins
=================================================
We have included native OS/2 version of Multimedia
plug-ins in this offering.
These native OS/2 Multimedia plug-ins provide support for
multimedia MIME Types and file extensions such as MPEG,
avi, voc, aiff, wav and midi.
Some AVI files downloaded from the net do not always play.
You need to download the "AnpoCodec" package and install the
Windows AVI format codec. Go to http://www.shareware.com,
and search for "anpocodec" in the OS/2 section. A QuickTime*****
format codec for OS/2 is available from
Practice Corporation at http://www.practice.xo.com.
NOTES:
* If you prefer to use helper applications you can
remove the native OS/2 multimedia plug-ins by renaming
the following OS/2 Multimedia plug-ins DLLs in the
plug-ins subdirectory of the install directory:
NPOS2AUD.DLL - all audio formats except MIDI
NPOS2MID.DLL - MIDI audio
NPOS2VID.DLL - video
For example, rename NPOS2AUD.DLL to NPOS2AUD.SAV.
* When files are downloaded via the native OS/2
Multimedia plug-ins, they may be retained by the
system even after you have exited Netscape Navigator.
This may cause additional disk space to be consumed.
The Multimedia Internet Manager, in the System
Settings folder, allows you to remove some or all
of these files, as well as change the directory
which contains this multimedia data.
5.0 Support for Windows 3.1 Plug-ins
====================================================
This support requires OS/2 Warp version 3 with fixpack 26,
or OS/2 Warp version 4 to use this feature. If you need to
install fixpack 26, you should remove Netscape Navigator
for OS/2 and then reinstall it. This ensures that some
OS/2 updates are made in the correct sequence.
The following Windows 3.1 plug-ins have been tested:
Plug-in Name Description
Real Audio 2.0 and 3.0 streaming audio
Shockwave for Director animation/streaming audio
Sizzler animation/sound
Some Windows 3.1 plug-ins require specific installation
steps:
Shockwave: The Shockwave installer should be run from
File Manager or from the Program Manager Run
line. After installation, exit Program
Manager.
Sizzler: On first use, Sizzler will display a test
window for a long time, causing a Timeout
message box to appear. Press Retry until the
test window completes its test.
NOTE: If you prefer not to use the Windows 3.1 plug-ins
support, you should rename the file NPPROXY.DLL in the
plug-ins subdirectory of the install directory to NPPROXY.SAV
6.0 Plug-in APIs and Toolkit
====================================================
For developers wishing to develop native OS/2 Plug-ins for
the Netscape Navigator for OS/2 Warp, we have available a
Plug-in toolkit including header files, libraries and
sample code for building OS/2 native plug-ins. To download
the toolkit, go to the URL
http://www.internet.ibm.com/browsers/netscape/warp
and select OS/2 Plug-in Developers Kit.
7.0 Known problems
====================================================
Some Windows 3.1 plug-ins require OLE 2.0. If you do not
have OLE 2.0 for Win-OS2 you can install any 16-bit
Windows 3.1 application that ships OLE 2.0 such as the
Netscape Navigator for Windows 3.1.
You may experience problems with the Digigami****
install program. You must have OLE 2.0 installed to use
the Digigame plug-ins.
The Software MPEG plug-ins may cause your system to hang
while attempting to close the movie player. You are,
however, able to view the selected movie.
Sometimes pages that contain plug-ins do not display
correctly. This can be because the webmaster for the
server did not correctly add the MIMETypes to the web
server sotware. For example the Multimedia plug-ins
support MIMETypes such as video/x-flc.
Some Windows 3.1 plug-ins will not install under OS/2 as
they check the version of Navigator for Windows that is
installed. You may need to install Netscape Navigator
for Windows 3.1 and then install the plug-ins.
8.0 OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support
============================================================
IBM's new MPEG support includes software MPEG video file
playback without requiring special MPEG hardware.
8.1 Software Requirements
-------------------------
OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support requires OS/2 Warp Version 3 or
later. However, OS/2 Warp Version 3 systems also require
OS/2 Warp Multimedia fixes available with this installation.
8.2 Recommended Hardware Configuration
--------------------------------------
A Pentium hardware configuration is required because
software MPEG is very CPU intensive. Software MPEG can be
used on a computer with a 486 microprocessor, but the video
quality will be minimal.
Software MPEG audio support is available but will work
poorly on systems slower than a Pentium 90MHz.
Hardware MPEG audio is supported with IBM MWAVE cards or
RealMagic cards.
If MPEG hardware is available, it will be used
transparently. An updated RealMagic driver set is provided
and installable if the hardware configuration includes the
RealMagic drivers. These drivers should not be installed
unless the hardware exists in the machine for which the
drivers are being installed. For hardware video support,
VSDOM1.INI must be installed in the \MMOS2 directory. Using
the OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support installation, select the
MPEG card installed in the system.
To play CD-i or Video CD content, a 2-speed CD-ROM is
required. This CD-ROM must support long reads. Some OS/2
CD-ROM drivers do not support the long reads that CD-i
requires. CD-i content is not readable through the file
system. Playing this content requires a dummy file named
_VIDCDI.MPG. For polling CD-ROMs, playback quality will be
very jerky.
8.3 Installation
----------------
To install, go to a command line in a temporary directory
and unpack the installation by typing PLUGPACK, then type
INSTALL to start the installation.
A new device will be added to MMPM2.INI and a corresponding
OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support device will be added to the
Multimedia folder. It will support MPEG file-name
extensions of .MPG, .VBS, and .DAT, as well as others.
NOTE: Do NOT install the MPEG support on the Developer
Connection #12 CD after you have installed this support
from the OS/2 Plug-In Pack, as it as an earlier version
of this support.
8.4 Backward Compatibility for MCI applications
-----------------------------------------------
A video MCD is provided for backward compatibility for
existing applications which utilize the Media Control
Interface (MCI). This means that the existing media
player provided with OS/2 Multimedia can be used to
play MPEG content.
8.5 MPEG Limitations
--------------------
- MPEG-2 Transport streams with buffered play will work only
with 188 byte size buffers. All others are rejected.
- Playback from content on slow CD-ROMS (less than 4X) will
result in poor video playback quality.
8.6 Bulletin Board Support
--------------------------
Support is available on CompuServe via the OS/2 Developer
Forum 1 (OS2DF1) in the Multimedia section and on the
GAMEDEV forums. For easier detection, please put OS/2
Multimedia MPEG Support in the subject header.
8.7 Configurations With Existing MPEG Hardware Support
------------------------------------------------------
To configure OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support to be used as the
default hardware MPEG device, do the following:
In the Multimedia Setup, on the Association page for the
existing MPEG hardware, select the MPEG data type and remove
all current extensions. Then, on the OS/2 Multimedia MPEG
Support Association page, select the MPEG data type and add
the following extensions: MPG, CDI, VBS, DAT, M1T, M2T,
M2P.
8.8 Known Problems
------------------
- Buffered play is not supported for MPEG-2 and single
stream MPEG devices.
- Sliders don't update with OS/2 multimedia applications on
slower systems.
- Poor video support for software playback with movies over
a LAN.
- Reel Magic Pro and Reel Magic will require FixPak 26 for
OS/2 Warp Version 3 systems for hardware support in OS/2
Multimedia MPEG Support. In addition, they might also need
a new AMPMXMCD.DLL fix that will be available in a future
FixPak. This fixes the problem of jerky video.
- For OS/2 Warp Version 3 systems with S3 cards, if video
problems occur with the OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support
installation, try renaming the YUV_LUT8.LUT file.
- Some content from the Thinkpad CD Sampler have video
corruption during playback of MPEG-2 Transport streams
(files with 2_30 in filename).
- Visual Circuits cards are supported but may have video
corruption during playback. In this case, use the existing
ReelTime device instead of OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support.
- Systems with installed MPEG hardware may have hangs
switching between the existing MPEG device and OS/2
Multimedia MPEG Support on Warp 4. The workaround is to
setup the associations (defined in previous section) for
OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support to be the default MPEG device.
- Problems may occur when opening MPEG-2 content with MPEG-1
only hardware.
8.9 Multimedia Setup Page
-------------------------
If audio fails to play, try specifying the Software Only
mode for audio for the OpenMPEG Video device in the
Multimedia Setup object (in the System Setup folder).
This change might also be necessary
for systems contiaining Audiovation sound cards.
8.10 Video CD/CD-i Support
--------------------------
Video CD and CD-i content is supported with the Software
Video CD icon in the Multimedia folder. Systems with MPEG
hardware such as a Thinkpad 760 may already have a Video CD
Player icon. This will allow Video CD through the existing
MPEG device. If the Software Video CD icon is used on
systems with MPEG hardware, then OS/2 Multimedia MPEG
Support will attempt to play the content using hardware.
Use the Software Video CD icon if the system has been
customized with OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support as the default
MPEG device.
8.11 Future Hardware Support
----------------------------
OS/2 Multimedia MPEG Support will install hooks for the
following hardware devices:
* Thinkpad 760CD MPEG
* Thinkpad 760ED MPEG
* Sigma Designs RealMagic*****
* Sigma Designs RealMagic Pro
* Visual Circuits ReelTime
If MPEG hardware is installed later, the VSDOM1.INI file
must be created by executing the MKVSDINI.CMD file in the
\MMOS2 directory. For new MPEG hardware not in the above
list, modify the MKVSDINI.CMD file with the appropriate PDD
and VSD DLL. The PDD and VSD will be defined in the
MMPM2.INI. For the PDD do not include the $ character.
In addition, if the DSP requires special loading, use the
appropriate numbers for the .dsp field to signify the
following 1 Load DSP Only 2 Load With MPEG Stream Info.
Good luck and enjoy. MPEG is an exciting technology to
which IBM is very much committed.
9.0 Trademarks
================================================
The following terms, denoted by an asterisk (*) in this
READ.ME file, are trademarks of the IBM Corporation in the
United States or other countries:
o IBM
o OS/2
o ThinkPad
The following terms, denoted by a double asterisk (**) in
this READ.ME file, are trademarks of Netscape
Communications Corporation:
o Netscape
o Netscape Navigator
The following terms, denoted by a "***" in
this READ.ME file, are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
o Windows
o Windows 3.1
o Microsoft
The following terms, denoted by a "****" in
this READ.ME file, are trademarks of CineWEB Corporation.
o Digigami
The following term, denoted by a "*****" in
this READ.ME file, is a trademark of Apple Corp.
o QuickTime
The following term, denoted by a "******"(!) in
this READ.ME file, is a trademark of Sigma Designs, Inc.
o RealMagic
THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND. IBM AND NETSCAPE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS
DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, NETSCAPE
COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR
COPYRIGHTS.
(C) Copyright Netscape Communications Corporation
1995-1996. All rights reserved.
