****HOW TO MAKE YOUR DIAMOND SPEEDSTAR PLUS RUN sVGA UNDER OS2 2.0 ****

I have uploaded this file in the hopes of saving others making the move
into OS2 from some of the problems I encountered.  Upon upgrading to
OS2 from DOS/Windows, I ran into some pretty terrible video problems
when I tried to get my Diamond SpeedStar Plus video card (Tsang 4000
chipset) up and running in the same sVGA I'd come to know and love
under Windows.  All initial attempts at running OS2 at sVGA resolution
were rewarded by a loss of sync following by a screen filled with
nothing but horizontal scan lines.  If you encounter similar DSS+ sVGA
sync problems, try what worked for me:

1)  Boot DOS and EDIT your CONFIG.SYS file to make sure the following
lines related to video appear (if similar but not identical lines are
there, change them):

                      DEVINFO=SCR,VGA,C:\OS2\VIOTBL.DCP
                      SET VIDEO_DEVICES=VIO_VGA
                      SET VIO_VGA=DEVICE(BVHVGA,BVHSVGA)
                      DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VSVGA.SYS

Please note that the above assumes that the pertinent files are on your
C: drive and that all files lie on the path in which OS2 would install
them.  If you are using another drive or the paths to the above files
are different, change the lines accordingly.

2)  Go into the Hardware section of the Library on the OS2 forum and
download a file that is called VSVGA.ZIP (or something similar) for
which the abstract advises it is a "fix" for known problems with
certain TsangLab 4000 chip sets (the DSS+ is a Tsang based board).  
PKUNZIP this file to yield 3 files.  Read the text file, copy the
VSVGA.SYS file over your existing one in the C:\OS2\MDOS subdir, and
ignore the third file (haven't a clue as to what it is!).

3)  You need to install an OS2 compatible video driver.  I am using an
Orchard driver originally made for OS2 Ver 1.3, which was kindly
provided by Gregory Czaja on the OS2 forum.  It provides 1024x768x16
resolution.  I am uploading a copy of this file ("sVGA_OS2.ZIP), which
you can download and PKUNZIP and then install over the existing
DISPLAY.DLL file in your C:\OS2\DLL subdir.   If you prefer to use a
lower resolution (eg:  800x600) you can probably find the right Orchard
driver elsewhere in the OS2 forum library.  Please note that to my
knowledge no one has come up with a workable DSS+ or other Tsang
chipset driver for OS2 that allows 1024x768x256.  These will supposedly
appear later this summer.

4)  If you are using the DSS+ board, you are probably familiar with the
VMODE command (NOTE:  I assume all DSS+ boards use this same
nomenclature for this command, my Gateway 2000 version calls it VMODE) 
by which you tell the board what monitor you are using and what
settings (sync, etc) to use for each VGA and sVGA mode.  You probably
had lines like the following in your DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

              VMODE MONITOR
              VMODE VESA

The first line makes the board recognize the monitor type based on your
earlier manual VMODE settings (from DOS prompt in the VMODE subdir, 
type VMODE <Enter> to set these things).  The second command enables
certain video BIOS extensions needed for sVGA support.  When you loaded
OS2, it stripped these lines from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (ouch!).  You
need to put these lines back in (I'd put 'em right after the PATH
statement, which by the way must reference the subdir which contains
VMODE.COM).

5)  Having made the changes above, reboot.  You should be alright!

6)  If you ever talk to the IBM guys in trying to resolve OS2
problems, they may suggest you booting OS2 while holding down
<Alt-F1>.  his will trash the CONFIG.SYS editing you Before doing so, 
bear in mind that this WILL trash the fixes you applied as per Item
(1) above to CONFIG.SYS, and may also set you back to the standard OS2
issue of VSVGA.SYS and DISPLAY.DLL.  If for some reason you MUST use
this key sequence, be aware to this problem and be prepared to go back
and repeat steps (1), (2) and (3) above.

Best of luck!  

		John C. Fusi
                72010,3723