Softcopy

Known problems in the November and December 2005 collections

• Dropped 3 PDF Libraries from z/OS V1R7 DVD to fit on a single DVD-9 disc
• Problems using IBM Softcopy Reader and the autorun preferences tool
• Problems opening PDF files
• Cross-book links might fail

 Dropped 3 PDF Libraries from z/OS V1R7 DVD to fit on a single DVD-9 disc:

Collections affected: z/OS V1R7 and Software Products DVD Collection

The following PDF libraries were deliberately omitted from the September 2005 z/OS V1R7 and Software Products DVD Collection, SK3T-4271-15, to enable the collection to fit on a single DVD-9 disc

• CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V2.2 PDFs
• IMS/ESA V6R1 PDFs
• IMS V7R1 PDFs

The BookManager versions of these libraries are included on the DVD. The PDF libraries are available on the September 2005 z/OS Software Products Collection, SK3T-4270-15, and on the z/OS Internet Library.

For the next update of the DVD, we will resolve how to fit all the libraries on the collection.

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  Problems using IBM Softcopy Reader and the autorun preferences tool

Collections affected: All collections

IBM Softcopy Reader and autorun preferences tool updated to support non-administrative users

In the past, non-administrative users on a multi-user system encountered problems with Softcopy Reader (SCR). Levels of SCR before 3.4 can be installed only by an administrator and do not work correctly for non-administrative users.

Starting with SCR 3.4 and the June 2004 collections, updates were made to support non-administrative users. As a result, there are now two sets of autorun preferences: one set for collections from June 2004 or later, and a separate set for collections from March 2004 and earlier. You will need to specify new autorun preferences for collections from June 2004 or later, and you might need to respecify preferences for previous collections. It depends on the level of collection you are using and the level of SCR that is installed. (There are no changes if you use a collection from before June 2004 with a level of SCR before 3.4.)

• When you insert a disc from any collection from June 2004 or later. This is true for any level of SCR. Once respecified, these preferences are recognized any time a disc from any collection from June 2004 or later is inserted. Any preferences previously set for earlier collections are still recognized for those earlier collections.
• After you install SCR 3.4. The first time a disc from a collection from before June 2004 is inserted, you must respecify the autorun preferences. Once respecified, these preferences should be recognized any time a disc from any collection from before June 2004 is inserted.

• If SCR 3.4 is installed, you will need to respecify your autorun preferences. Once respecified, these preferences are recognized any time a disc from any collection from June 2004 or later is inserted.
• If a level of SCR before 3.4 is installed, you can select "Softcopy Reader" when setting your autorun preferences. However, these earlier levels of SCR do not work correctly for non-administrative users.

Interaction between autorun preferences tool and IBM Softcopy Reader 3.0 or later on a system with XKS files in user-defined directories:

• If you do not have XKS files in any user-defined directories, the autorun preferences program on a pre-August CD will open SCR 3.0 or later as set in the preferences.
• If you do have XKS files in any user-defined directories, the autorun preferences program on a pre-August CD will not open SCR 3.0 or later as set in the preferences. Instead, you have to open SCR manually (such as by clicking on the desktop icon for Shelf Organizer).

• If you insert a disc from a March 2003 collection (other than VSE) and want to set an autorun preference for discs containing both BookManager and PDF files, you cannot select the option for IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer. This problem is resolved starting with the collections updated in June 2003.
• If you had previously set a preference for IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer, and you insert a disc for a collection from before March 2003 (or a disc from the March 2003 VSE Collection), the autorun preferences tool does not allow you to select the option for IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer for any type of disc. You also cannot select IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer as an immediate option. Customers can avoid this problem without installing JRE by using collections from March 2003 or later.
• If you had previously chosen IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer as the preference for BookManager-only discs or mixed discs, and you insert a BookManager-only disc or mixed disc for a collection from before March 2003 (or from the March 2003 VSE Collection), IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer is not automatically launched. Instead, the input panel for the autorun preferences tool is displayed. As described in the preceding bullet, the autorun preferences tool does not allow you to select the option for IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer for any type of disc. You also cannot select IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer as an immediate option.

If you have installed IBM Softcopy Reader 2.4.0 but have not deleted JRE from your system, you will not encounter these problems.

You can fix all the problems listed above by installing SCR 3.0 or later from the latest softcopy collections or from the IBM BookManager pages on the IBM Web site: http://www.ibm.com/software/applications/office/bkmgr/softcopyread.html

If you prefer not to install a more recent level of Softcopy Reader, you can fix these problems by installing JRE 1.3.0 or later from the Sun Microsystems Web site: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/download.html (from the Download page, select the Windows Download in the JRE column). Another solution is to open IBM Softcopy Reader - Bookshelf Organizer directly, instead of as an autorun preference.

  Problems opening PDF files

Collections affected: All collections

You might experience difficulties viewing PDF files depending on the level of your Adobe Reader and your Windows platform. In some cases the file does not display, while in others you get a message that the file is being repaired and then it displays. If you have problems, try using a different level of the Adobe Reader. You can install an Adobe Reader from the collection, or you can download one from the Adobe Web site.

If you are having trouble viewing a PDF file on a CD or the Internet, try downloading the file and viewing it from your hard drive.

 Cross-book links might fail

Collections affected: All collections

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 DVDs 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.

In 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.