Many of you have asked us questions through our annual survey, via RCFs, and at conferences. We would like to share the answers to some of the more frequently asked questions. If you would like more information, please send us a note.
Searching across products:
Question: How do I search books in online BookManager repositories? Bookshelves are organized by product, and our people span product responsibilities. How can we avoid having to search individual bookshelves?
Answer: Use the All-Disc bookshelves for the collections. Or, on the OS/390 Collection, use the OS/390 VxRy.z Messages and Codes Books Bookshelf or the OS/390 VxRy.z Installation and Planning Bookshelf, which you can find on the OS/390 Internet Library. Or, on the z/OS VxRy Collection, use the z/OS VxRy.z Messages and Codes Books Bookshelf, the z/OS VxRy.z Installation and Planning Bookshelf, or the z/OS VxRy.z Commands Bookshelf, which you can find on the z/OS Internet Library. These shelves provide search capability across products.
There are also cross-product bookshelves on the z/OS Security Server RACF Collection.
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Finding books in multiple shelves:
Question: Why are some books part of several bookshelves? How do I know which bookshelf to use to get the latest copy of the book?
Answer: Sometimes a book is shared between two or more products, and therefore must be included in each product's library. Also, to make certain types of related information easier to use, some books are grouped into task-oriented libraries (such as messages and codes, or planning and installation) in addition to being provided in product-related libraries.
Books that are on several bookshelves should be at the same level and are the latest copies available at production time.
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Finding missing books:
Question: Why are some books or libraries dropped from collections even though the related product is still supported?
Answer: Sometimes old libraries are being revised and new libraries are not ready at manufacturing time. Depending on how the library owner chooses to revise the library, the old library might not be intact and can no longer be included.
Changes to our manufacturing tools will make such problems less likely, and will help ensure that the collections continue to deliver the available softcopy libraries for current products.
The entire cycle to develop, manufacture, and distribute updated CD-ROMs takes about three months and does not allow time for interim updates. The latest books and libraries are available on the Internet, such as the z/OS Internet library, OS/390 Internet library, and IBM Publications Center. Book updates and updated product libraries are generally included in the next update of the IBM softcopy collections to which they apply.
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Locating manuals on collections:
Question: If I want to locate a particular book, I used to refer to the hardcopy booklet accompanying the collection for the content of the discs. Recent collections have no hardcopy booklet, so what is the best way now to find a particular book?
Answer: Beginning in September 2000, the collection packaging has been streamlined, and as you've noticed, the hardcopy versions of the collection booklet and the book Installing, Managing, and Using the Online Library are no longer included with the discs. Softcopy versions of these books are still provided in BookManager and PDF formats on the discs, along with a collection index in HTML format that provides improved access to the online books. If you still want hardcopy versions of these books, you can print the PDF files.
The softcopy collection index and disc index allow you to locate books quickly and easily. Beginning in March 2002, you can set your autorun preferences for collection discs to cause the collection index or disc index to be automatically displayed in your browser window if you insert a numbered disc (a disc containing publications) into your disc drive and you have autorun enabled. (If the collection index does not automatically display in your browser, use a tool such as My Computer or Windows Explorer to display the contents of the disc that is in your disc drive and double click on the file scframe.htm in the root directory of the disc to display the collection index. Or, double-click on the file disc.htm to display the disc index.)
The collection index shows a list of bookshelves in the collection, followed by lists for each bookshelf showing all the books in the bookshelf. The disc index shows only the bookshelves on the disc that is in the disc drive and the books in those bookshelves. You can use several methods to find the book you want:
- If you know what bookshelf the book is in, you can click on that bookshelf in the list of bookshelves to jump to the list of books in that bookshelf.
- You can read through the list of bookshelves and books to find the book you want.
- You can use the search function of the collection index to search for any character string in the title of any book or bookshelf.
When you've found the book you want, if you're using the collection index make sure the disc containing the book is in your disc drive. (The disc number is shown on the line with the bookshelf name. If the bookshelf contains a large number of books, you might have to scroll up to find the disc number.) Then click on the book's title in the collection index or disc index, and the book will open in your book reader.
If you are looking for information but are not sure what book it is in, use the collection index to determine what disc the information is most likely to be on. Put that disc in your disc drive, and use its All-Disc bookshelf to search the entire disc or character strings in the titles or text of the books on the disc.
You can also use the online versions of the collection booklet to find books on a collection. The collections have always included an online version of the booklet in its own bookshelf on each CD--for example, the OS/390 Collection booklet is in the bookshelf titled "Booklet for OS/390 Collection Bookshelf" (filename EZ239S yq, where y is the year of the collection and q is the quarter, such as EZ239B03 for the September 2000 edition) in the OS/390 Collection. The online booklet serves as a search index into the entire collection. If you open this bookshelf and the collection booklet in it, you can search for a keyword such as "print server" or search for a book title or product name. You will quickly find what books are available and on what discs they reside.
For more information on locating books in collections using the softcopy collection and disc indexes, setting autorun preferences, and using the All-Disc bookshelves, see the chapter "Locating Books in This Collection" in any collection booklet. The collection booklet is available in BOOK and PDF format on the discs (in current collections, look for the file SCINDEX. xxx in the root directory; for example, SCINDEX.PDF for the PDF version of the booklet). If you are looking at the softcopy collection index (either as automatically displayed or by opening scframe.htm), you can click on links to view the BookManager and PDF formats of the collection booklet.
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Searching a disc:
Question: When I insert a disc containing publications in my disc drive, a collection index opens automatically in my browser. How do I use this collection index to search the entire disc?
Answer: To search the entire disc, in the collection index click on any library listed that is on the disc. Doing this takes you to a list of all the books in that library, and an entry for the bookshelf. Click on the "Bookshelf" link. Depending on your browser, you'll probably see a File Download dialog box. Click on "OK" or "Open this file from its current location", or whatever choice your browser presents to allow you to continue. The IBM Softcopy Reader Shelf Organizer opens. In the list of bookshelves select the All-Disc Bookshelf, then click on "Search". Select a bookshelf search from the menu. You can now enter search arguments and search the entire disc.
If your collection is dated March 2002 or later it includes a program to set your autorun preferences for collection discs. If you often want to search the contents of the disc in your disc drive, you can modify your preferences to start the Softcopy Reader when you insert a BookManager-only disc, instead of the collection index.
If your collection is dated March 2002 or later and contains multiple discs, it provides a disc index in addition to the collection index. You can use the disc index to search the titles of books and libraries on the disc. (You still have to use the Softcopy Reader to search the contents of the books on the disc.) If you are viewing the collection index, click on the "Collection Index" tab to display the disc index. You can set your autorun preferences to automatically display the disc index when you insert a disc.
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Printing softcopy in general:
Question: Printing from the IBM Library Reader or IBM Softcopy Reader is awful! How can I get a decent printout of a softcopy book?
Answer: The print facility in the IBM Library Reader or IBM Softcopy Reader is meant to print only a topic or two of a book. You can, however, print your own hardcopy when you need it from the softcopy files provided, whether you are accessing those files from a CD-ROM, the OS/390 or z/OS Internet library, or a local repository or Web site. For a complete hardcopy book that looks like a traditional manual you would order from IBM, print the PDF file for the book. If you are viewing a softcopy file and you want hardcopy of a topic or two, you can print either the BOOK or PDF file you are viewing.
Starting in September 1998, we offer a collection of OS/390 PDF files for viewing and printing: OS/390 PDF Library Collection, SK2T-6718. We also offer a collection of z/OS PDF files on the z/OS Collection, SK3T-4269, starting in March 2001.
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Printing PDF files:
Question: Printing is more difficult and time-consuming than I expected. Exactly how do I print a PDF file? How do I print PDFs from a host repository?
Answer: In the workstation environment, you use an Adobe Reader to view and print PDF files. But sometimes you need alternatives. For those large or graphically complex books that need to be printed on an AFP printer, you might want to have the host handle the transforms, instead of doing it on the workstation before sending the file. When printing PDFs from a host repository, OS/390 or z/OS and the optional Infoprint Server feature expand your options for printing PDF files.
Using an Adobe Reader
- Install an Adobe Reader on your computer. As of September 2000, the OS/390 PDF Library Collection, as well as any other collection with a tools disk and install program, includes a recent level of an Adobe Reader (at no extra charge). You can also go to the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com for other readers or more information.
- Open the PDF you want to print. The PDF can be on a CD-ROM, on the OS/390 or z/OS Internet library--anywhere you can view it with an Adobe Reader.
- Select the Reader's Print option.
- Select the desired printer and specify other print options as appropriate.
- Click OK to print the file.
Reminder: Be aware that if you decide to print a subset of a book from a PDF file, the "pages" (as understood by Adobe Reader) are totally sequential. The Reader views the front cover as page 1 and takes off from there--no Roman numeral page numbers for the front matter, no section numbering. So, when you specify the pages to print, be sure to enter the page numbers from the Reader's point of view (check the page box at the bottom of the screen) and not as they appear on the individual pages of the book.
Using a LAN- or host-attached AFP printer
It's not feasible to print some PDF files on the typical desktop or LAN-attached printer--they are too large or graphically complex. Infoprint Server (an optional, priced feature of OS/390 or z/OS), with the Infoprint Server Transforms (free to Infoprint Server customers), lets you print high-quality hardcopy of PDF files on high-speed LAN-attached or host-attached AFP printers managed by PSF for OS/390.
- Workstation users on a LAN connected to OS/390 or z/OS can print PDFs from a CD-ROM, the Web, or the LAN.
- Host users can print PDFs from an MVS or HFS data set, such as a host repository of softcopy files, or PDFs uploaded from a CD-ROM.
At a high-level, these are the requirements:
- InfoPrint Server and the InfoPrint Server Transforms must be installed on OS/390 or z/OS.
- The system administrator must define one or more AFP printers to Infoprint Server and configure the printer definitions to use the PDF to AFP transform. (PostScript to AFP and PCL to AFP transforms are also available at no extra cost.)
- For host users, the system administrator can customize the AOPPRINT JCL procedure to create a job for printing PDF documents on AFP printers. Host users can also use the OS/390 UNIX lp command to print PDF documents on AFP printers, and the OS/390 UNIX pdf2afp command to create AFP documents.
- Workstation users can download an Infoprint Server Windows client (the OS/390 Printer Port Monitor) to route workstation print requests to Infoprint Server on OS/390 or z/OS and to AFP printers. Workstation users can also submit print requests using the Internet Printing Protocol available on Windows 2000, the SMB protocol available on all Windows systems, and the TCP/IP LPR command available on most workstation platforms.
For an overview of this support, visit www.ibm.com/printers. For details on this support, see the OS/390 or z/OS Infoprint Server documentation on the OS/390 Collection, z/OS VxRy Collection, or on the OS/390 or z/OS Internet library.
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Printing from a BOOK file:
Question: While viewing or searching in a BookManager BOOK, I often want to print a few paragraphs or sections. Exactly how do I print from a BOOK file?
Answer: How to print topics from a BOOK file depends on how you are viewing that file:
- From your workstation, with IBM Softcopy Reader (for example, to read a BOOK file from a CD-ROM)
- From the z/OS Internet library, which uses IBM BookManager BookServer to display BookManager files
- From an OS/390 or z/OS host, with BookManager READ
Because the printout is from the BOOK file itself, the output looks like the BOOK file, with numbered sections and subsections instead of page numbers. But remember--you should only use the BOOK file to print a topic or two, and not the whole book.
Using IBM Softcopy Reader
To print the topic you are currently viewing:
- Click on the Print icon or go to File --> Print. This opens a Print window.
- Click on the Current button. This opens your workstation Print window.
- Complete the print options in your workstation Print window, then click OK to print the current topic.
To print selected topics:
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Select the desired topics in the "table of contents" frame. Hold down the Shift key to select a list of topics, or hold down the Ctrl key to select specific topics.
To print all the topics in a chapter, expand the chapter by clicking the + sign next to the chapter heading in the table of contents. Highlight all the topics in the chapter. If you highlight only the main chapter topic without expanding it, you will print only the page that displays for the main chapter topic, including a list of subtopics for the chapter but not the subtopics themselves.
- Click on the Print icon or go to File --> Print. This opens a Print window.
- Click on the Selected button. This opens your workstation Print window.
- Complete the print options in your workstation Print window, then click OK to print the selected topics.
Using the OS/390 or z/OS Internet library
Printing from the OS/390 or z/OS Internet library gives you a very high-quality output.
To print the topic you are currently viewing:
- Click your browser Print icon.
- Follow the usual steps for printing from your browser.
To print selected topics:
- Click the BookManager BookServer Print icon (not your browser Print icon). This opens a Print Preview window.
- Highlight the desired topics from the selection box. Hold down the Shift key to select a list of topics or hold down the Ctrl key to select specific topics.
- Click the Selected topics button. You then see a formatted preview of the topics.
- Use your browser's print facility to produce a hardcopy document of the information shown.
To print pages from a BookManager BOOK file you are currently viewing:
- Click the BookManager BookServer Download PDF icon, if selectable.
- When presented with the File Download dialog, select "Open this file from its current location" and then click "OK", which will launch the Adobe Reader for the PDF.
- Use the Acrobat Reader print function to print the desired pages in the PDF document.
To print pages from a PDF document you select from a bookshelf, bookshelf search results list, or a catalog list:
- Click the PDF icon, if present.
- When presented with the File Download dialog, select "Open this file from its current location" and then click "OK", which will launch the Adobe Reader for the PDF.
- Use the Acrobat Reader print function to print the desired pages in the PDF document.
Using BookManager READ
If your company has established a softcopy repository on OS/390 or z/OS, you can use the Print option of BookManager READ to get hardcopy of a topic or two. However, BookManager READ by itself (without other programs such as DCF and BookMaster, which are not part of OS/390 or z/OS) provides a lower quality print than printing from BookManager BookServer--it is essentially a screen print. Sometimes, though, BookManager READ might be the only available option. In that case, here's how to proceed.
- Open the book you are interested in.
- To set your print options, select the Options pull-down menu, then select option 5 (Set print options) and specify the desired options.
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Use the PRINT command to print one or more topics in the book. (BookManager READ/MVS invokes the ISPF panels you normally use to print at your site.)
Enter the command in one of the following ways:
PRINT
PRINT topic1
PRINT topic1 TO topic2
PRINT topic1 FOR number-of-topics
To print the current topic, enter the PRINT command without operands.
To print all of a topic (such as 1.0), including its subtopics: enter the next topic number (such as 2.0), then prev. Make note of the last topic number (for example, 1.6.4), then enter the PRINT command with the complete range ( PRINT 1.0 TO 1.6.4).
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Fixing softcopy files corrupted during upload:
Question: Help! My softcopy book files and indexes are corrupted after uploading them from the CD-ROM to an MVS dataset on OS/390 V2R7 or OS/390 V2R8. How can I fix the corrupted files?
Answer: If you are running OS/390 V2R7 or V2R8 and uploading a collection using the SoftCopy Librarian to an OS/390 system, you will probably see 'corrupted' books. A known TCP/IP FTP problem in OS/390 V2R7 and V2R8, specifically APAR PQ29921, can cause data corruption in fixed block binary transfers when TCP/IP FTP is used to transfer files, such as softcopy books and indexes, to an MVS data set. While there is a fixing PTF for this problem, it has been marked in error and might have been excluded from your OS/390 system when it was built. Subsequent fixing PTFs for the PE (PTF in error) have been made available. The fix for the PE is PQ31081. With the appropriate service installed, softcopy files can be transferred to MVS data sets without errors. It is important that all customers install this comprehensive PTF because any file being FTP'd to OS/390 could be corrupted.
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Creating and maintaining repositories of books:
Question: I'd like to create a repository of online books that could be shared by many people in my company. How can I do this?
Answer: The IBM SoftCopy Librarian allows you to create and maintain repositories of BookManager books and, starting in August 2003, PDF files. It runs on Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and provides the following capabilities:
- Supports one or more repositories, in many types of locations, including:
- On z/OS or OS/390 hosts, in sequential data sets or in the hierarchical files (HFS) of Unix System Services
- On Linux, AIX or other Unix-like servers
- On LAN servers
- On local workstations
- Allows you to transfer books to a repository from a variety of sources, including:
- CD collections (from IBM or from other companies)
- Over the Internet, from Web sites that support the SoftCopy Librarian, including the IBM PUBLIB Web site
- A local hard disk that contains bookshelves of books that you created
Note: In general, using the Internet to obtain books from IBM might be slower than using CDs or DVDs. We recommend that you use the IBM CD-ROM and DVD collections to transfer large numbers of shelves, indexes, and books to your repositories, and use the Internet only for updating your repositories between collection updates with the latest releases or a few critically important bookshelves.
- Allows you to track new and updated books. The SoftCopy Librarian keeps a catalog of all the bookshelves and book files that you send to your repository from any of the sources listed above. When a new level of a bookshelf arrives, on a new CD or DVD or downloaded from a Web site, the SoftCopy Librarian compares the bookshelf and its contents with the catalog and shows you whether it's brand new or whether it's changed since the last level you received. You can see at a glance which shelves on a CD or on a supported Web site are currently in your host repository. You can then upload to your repository only the new and updated bookshelves.
- Helps you to maintain your repository. The SoftCopy Librarian shows you which bookshelves in your repository can be replaced by the new and updated ones that you have transferred. It can list the books in a bookshelf. It shows you which books, if any, are missing from any of the bookshelves, and it shows you which books are "orphaned"; that is, not in any bookshelf. All this makes it easy for you to delete the bookshelves and books that have been replaced or are no longer needed.
The Softcopy Librarian is included on all IBM Online Library collections. You can install it using the program for installing softcopy tools provided on the collections. If you don't have a recent collection, you can download the Softcopy Librarian:
For more information on the Softcopy Librarian, see the book IBM Softcopy Librarian: User's Guide, available on all IBM Online Library Collections, and on the Internet.
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Cross-book linking among documents:
Question: How can I ensure that cross-book links will work among documents in my repository?
Answer: Cross-book linking works for z/OS and OS/390 documents in both BookManager and PDF format. For PDFs, the linked documents must be in the same directory. For BookManager, the linked documents must be uploaded to z/OS or OS/390 and must be located on the same bookshelf. Cross-book linking for documents on CD-ROMs or DVD also works among documents on the same disc or DVD.
PDFs link to each other by file name, and IBM changes a document's file name whenever the document is updated. Thus a link from an unchanged PDF might not connect to a new edition of a target document, because the new edition has a new file name. However, a link from an unchanged PDF will still connect to its original target document. Therefore, if you maintain your own PDF repository, IBM recommends that you keep multiple levels of PDFs together in the same directory, to minimize unresolved links. By contrast, BookManager documents link to each other by their base order numbers, which stay the same from release to release, so an unchanged BOOK file can usually link successfully to an updated target BOOK file.
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Reporting BookManager problems:
Question: How do I report problems using Softcopy Reader or SoftCopy Librarian?
Answer: Send an e-mail to bookmgr@us.ibm.com to contact BookManager Support.
Question: How do I report problems with the collections or using the online library?
Answer: Send an e-mail to mhvrcfs@us.ibm.com.
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Suggesting BookManager enhancements:
Question: BookManager needs major enhancements.How can I learn more about this product and communicate with its developers?
Answer: To learn more about BookManager and communicate with developers, go to the IBM BookManager home page. Or, you can send an e-mail to bookmgr@us.ibm.com to directly contact BookManager Product Support.
BookManager, IBM's Softcopy solution, is a family of products that lets you build documents into electronic books so that they can be read everywhere: by intelligent workstations, by non-programmable terminals, and by Web browsers.
BookManager has an easy-to-use, patented linguistic-based search, uses a familiar book metaphor, and has an efficient file structure that is highly compressed. We continue to enhance BookManager and welcome your input.
With BookManager BookServer or the latest LibraryServer product, you can serve an entire library of BookManager books across the Web. You can use any Web browser and have all the power of BookManager, including BookManager's high-performance, morphological searching capabilities.
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Book won't open--not stamped:
You need to install the IBM Softcopy Reader (or a recent level of IBM Library Reader). The IBM Library Readers before March 1999 could view only the books on IBM Online Library CD-ROMs, and the books on these CD-ROMs were stamped. Because the books on the CD-ROMs are no longer stamped, the only IBM Library Readers that can open them are those from March 1999 or later, or the IBM Softcopy Reader.
The IBM Softcopy Reader runs under Windows 2000 or Windows XP. It consists of a Book Reader and a Shelf Organizer that expand the support provided by the Library Readers.
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Using a reader on Windows:
Question: Is a BookManager reader for Windows available?
Answer: Yes, the IBM Softcopy Reader 3.0 or later runs under Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and eliminates the prerequisite for Java Runtime Environment. It consists of a Book Reader and a Shelf Organizer that expand the support provided by the IBM Library Readers. For example, you can:
- Use cut, copy and paste commands to move and copy books from one shelf to another
- Filter lists of bookshelves and books
- Delete bookshelf files
- Perform an exact search on bookshelves
- Access groups of PDFs through the Shelf Organizer
- Search and work with notes using consolidated interfaces
For details, see the README file and user's guide provided in the self-extracting zip file for the program. The user's guide is also available on the Internet.
We recommend that you always install the latest level of the IBM Softcopy Reader, which is available for downloading from: http://www.ibm.com/software/office/bkmgr/softcopyread.html. IBM Softcopy Reader is also available in the \ilrjava directory on CD-ROM and DVD collections, at the level that was current when the collection was manufactured.
The IBM Library Reader for Windows runs on Windows NT or earlier. Starting in March 2001, only the IBM Softcopy Reader is shipped on CD collections, and the IBM Library Readers are no longer supported. The IBM Library Readers will continue to be available on an as-is basis from the BookManager Web site ( http://www.ibm.com/software/office/bkmgr/ilr.html) for those users who choose to continue using them.
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Accessing online licensed books without a license:
Question: How can a consultant or someone without a product license get licensed documentation?
Answer:
-
For persons with a copy of the MVS, VSE, Networking, or Transaction Processing and Data Collection dated December 1996 or earlier:
Any person or company who requests a key to unlock softcopy licensed books for a product that they have not licensed should contact an IBM Branch Office to:
- Sign an IBM Customer Agreement (ICA) if one isn't in place
- Complete an IBM Customer Agreement (ICA) Supplement for License of Programs, Z125-3359
- Request that the Branch Office order an SDCS key for the licensed books for the product in question, using the normal procedures for ordering SDCS keys from SMS.
No payment for the key will be required as the requestor will have purchased a CD-ROM containing the publications. The key should be generated using the name and IBM customer number for the person orcompany signing the ICA.
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For all others:
IBM has unlicensed many of its previously licensed books and they are now available on unlicensed collections. The few remaining licensed books are often provided on a separate licensed CD, such as LK2T-2499 for OS/390 Version 2, or LK3T-4307 for z/OS. For more information about receiving licensed materials, view our table of licensed documentation or contact your branch office rep.
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Accessing z/OS licensed books:
Question: How do we access the z/OS licensed books?
Answer: Our z/OS Licensed Product Library, LK3T-4307, contains two products with licensed books: DFSMS and Communications Server.
z/OS license holders can order the licensed CD. Click here for information about ordering softcopy.
In addition, the licensed books are available in Adobe PDF format via the Resource Link Web site. Licensed z/OS customers can obtain a userid and password to access these publications. Click here for directions on how to do this.
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Accessing older manuals:
Question: Why don't the collections contain older manuals in softcopy format?
Answer: Each CD-ROM collection contains all the libraries that are currently available at the time that collection was produced. Many of the older manuals were never provided in softcopy format and cannot be converted to softcopy because their original source is lost. Also, our procedures do not allow us to include obsoleted manuals for products that have gone out of service.
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Updating softcopy:
Question: Why does it take so long for softcopy updates of some books to get picked upon collections? It can take up to two quarters to get softcopy to match.
Answer: The collections are typically updated to coincide with product availability or as needed. If a library is not ready when the collections go into production, that library will not be picked up until the next time the collection is updated.
The latest books and libraries are available on the Internet, such as the z/OS Internet library, OS/390 Internet library, and IBM Publications Center.
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Final updates to the OS/390 collections:
Question: Now that the z/OS collections are shipping, when will updates to the OS/390 manuals be discontinued?
Answer: Final updates to the following OS/390 manuals were made in October 2003:
- OS/390 Collection, SK2T-6700-27
- OS/390 PDF Collection, SK2T-6718-17
In addition, final updates to the remaining OS/390 manuals were made in December 2000:
- OS/390 Licenced Product Library, LK2T-2499-07
- OS/390 SecureWay Security Server RACF Collection, SK2T-2180-25
Though updates to all OS/390 collections are being discontinued, the collections will continue to remain orderable.
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Obtaining OS/390 publications no longer on the collection:
Question: How can I get the libraries for the early releases of OS/390, which have been removed from the OS/390 Collection?
Answer: If you still need the libraries for the older releases, they are available on the following editions of the collection:
- Release 1 and 2 books: SK2T-6700-07, December 1997
- Release 3 books: SK2T-6700-11, December 1998
- Release 4 books: SK2T-6700-13, June 1999
- Release 5 books: SK2T-6700-15, December 1999
- Release 6, 7, and 8 books: SK2T-6700-17, June 2000
- Release 9 books: SK2T-6700-24, March 2002
Online libraries for all the OS/390 releases that are in service are also available at the OS/390 Internet library.
For books that are cumulative across OS/390 versions and releases, such as OS/390 MVS System Messages, use the book on the current OS/390 release disc.
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Ordering softcopy on tape:
Question: Do you supply softcopy libraries on tape cartridge?
Answer: No, OS/390 Release 9 is the last release that IBM delivered softcopy books on tape (6250 tape, 3480 tape cartridge, 3480 compressed tape cartridge, 4mm DAT) to licensees of OS/390.
The OS/390 product books continue to be delivered in both BookManager and PDF softcopy formats on CD-ROM. All of the OS/390 non-licensed books are also available on the Internet at the >OS/390 Internet library.
Question: Why did you stop delivering OS/390 softcopy libraries on tape cartridge?
Answer: We provided tape cartridges for those customers who want to upload BookManager softcopy to a host system. The SoftCopy Librarian is now our strategic tool for uploading and managing books. It outperforms the previous Softcopy Receiver Tool (SCRT) for uploading books and also provides you with management functions for your bookshelves and book files.
SoftCopy Librarian is included on all collections for the IBM Online Library. This free program improves softcopy management on an OS/390 (or MVS) host or server, as well as on LANs and workstations. Also, beginning in June 2000, you can use the SoftCopy Librarian (SCL) to obtain and manage bookshelves over the Internet, from the IBM PUBLIB Web site and from other Web sites that provide support for the SoftCopy Librarian. For details, see IBM SoftCopy Librarian: User's Guide, GC23-3414, in the IBM Online Library Reference Bookshelf and on the Internet.
SoftCopy Librarian runs on Windows 2000 and Windows XP workstations.
You can download an OS/2 version of the SoftCopy Librarian from the IBM software download FTP server.
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Distribution of quarterly updates to the OS/390 collection:
Question: Why do I no longer receive quarterly updates to the OS/390 Collection?
Answer: Not only have we decreased the frequency of updates to the OS/390 Collection, we have been phasing out automatic shipment of OS/390 Collection updates to current licensees. Automatic shipment of updates to V1R1 and V1R2 customers ended after December 1998. Automatic shipment of updates to V1R3, V2R4, and V2R5 customers ended after the December 1999 update. Automatic shipment to V2R6, V2R7, and V2R8 customers ended after the June 2000 update.
Through March 2002, we automatically shipped the updates to the OS/390 Collection and OS/390 PDF Library Collection to OS/390 R9 and R10 licensees. The last automatic shipment of the collections was in September 2002 to R10 licensees only. All customers need to purchase the 2003 collection updates of the OS/390 Collection (US $50) and of the OS/390 V2R10 PDF Collection (less than US $10 typically). See also Future plans for the OS/390 collections.
Remember that all OS/390 books are available on the Internet at the OS/390 Internet library.
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Accessing OS/390 licensed books:
Question: We have been trying for over 6 months to get the keys to unlock our OS/390 licensed (Showcase) books. How do we access these books?
Answer: The December 1996 collections were the last to include licensed books and CD Showcase encryption. Since 1996, libraries that include licensed books must provide and maintain their softcopy with their product.
OS/390 and many other IBM products declassified many of their previously licensed books. The declassified books are now on unlicensed collections. The remaining OS/390 licensed books are shipped to OS/390 customers in unencrypted, softcopy format on a separate CD-ROM titled OS/390 Licensed Product Library. Its order numbers are:
Version 1 LK2T-6702
Version 2 LK2T-2499
OS/390 license holders can order additional copies. Click here for information about ordering softcopy.
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