OS/2 Warp FAQ List (20 Feb 95)

(5.8) Displaying Background Bitmaps

My background bitmap does not display correctly.  What's wrong?

Color bitmap images used for the Workplace Shell screen or folder 
backgrounds may not display correctly (may have distorted or missing 
colors) due to incorrect matching with OS/2 Warp's default palette. 
 Unlike Windows, by default OS/2 Warp does not adjust the palette to 
accommodate background bitmaps (to keep the rest of the desktop from 
experiencing color distortions).  Applications, though, can always control 
the palette selection when they are in the foreground.

If you would like OS/2 Warp's Workplace Shell to change palettes, when 
possible, to make your background bitmap(s) look better, check the 
"Workplace shell palette aware" checkbox, located on the first page of the 
System object (which is located in your OS/2 Warp System Setup folder). 
 Alternatively, you may use the numerous background images which have been 
specifically prepared for the Workplace Shell [available from (3.2) 
Shareware and Freeware Sources] or you may use an image editing/conversion 
utility which can create a proper, system palette-matched bitmap file. 
 For example, JoeView [available from (3.2) Shareware and Freeware 
Sources] may be used to import noninterlaced GIF, Windows BMP, and PCX 
files and save them as palette-matched OS/2 Warp BMP files.

Note that background bitmap images impose some additional overhead, taking 
up RAM and disk resources.  You should probably use them sparingly.  Also, 
if you have set a Win-OS/2 background bitmap you may experience desktop 
color distortions when running Windows programs "seamlessly."  Disable the 
Win-OS/2 background bitmap to remedy the problem.

Related information:

(2.2) SuperVGA Support 
(3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources

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