DOSBox for dummies

avatar_58 · 07-29-2006, 08:40 PM

I just wanted to show you something that the devs and coders were working on in the latest CVS of dosbox:

A menubar!

Now you can easily change CPU cores, speeds, cycles and even change the video scalers on the fly while in-game. There are still some bugs to work out but I think this is a mighty impressive step towards making dosbox user friendly.

If you don't mind the bugs and working with experimental builds you can get a build here:

http://ykhwong.x-y.net/page.htm

Odin · 07-29-2006, 08:42 PM

Total awesome!

Phayzon · 07-29-2006, 09:57 PM

Kick ass!

Zegraphoob · 07-30-2006, 07:18 AM

What if you play fullscreen? The menu is hidden then, right?

Damien_Azreal · 07-30-2006, 08:49 AM

Hmmm... maybe I need to spend some time with DosBox. Could be able to play PowerSlave that way.

someguy2435 · 07-30-2006, 08:51 AM

I wish DOSBox worked with Redneck Rampage.

Phayzon · 07-30-2006, 01:00 PM

^
I hear ya

d3ad connection · 07-30-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by someguy2435

I wish DOSBox worked with Redneck Rampage.

I just found my CD too.

Komb.at · 07-30-2006, 01:18 PM

Did anyone ever try to get Magic Carpet 2 running? anywhere, anyhow?

Damien_Azreal · 07-30-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by someguy2435

I wish DOSBox worked with Redneck Rampage.

I was able to get Redneck Rampage running with the instructions at www.deathmask.net

But those didn't work for PowerSlave... so I'll have to try DosBox.

Armakuni · 07-30-2006, 03:52 PM

That's cool.. not that DosBox was hard to use without menus though

Thank God for dosbox btw, I don't know what I'd do without it!

avatar_58 · 07-30-2006, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by someguy2435

I wish DOSBox worked with Redneck Rampage.

Define "work"

It does work, you just need a fast PC to get any playable speed out of it. I don't have the game so I couldn't tell you if my PC was enough or not, I can get Duke3D running decent in even 640x480, so I don't know if Redneck could work or not.

someguy2435 · 07-30-2006, 05:14 PM

The farthest I got was having the intro play without sound and then DOSBox locking up.

avatar_58 · 07-30-2006, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by someguy2435

The farthest I got was having the intro play without sound and then DOSBox locking up.

On the latest version? 0.63 had some dynamic CPU issues that caused crashes with Build games. On 0.65 I've played Duke3d for quite some time (few levels) and it didn't crash once.

Sang · 07-30-2006, 05:24 PM

Just tried to use Dosbox to run Battledrome.. I got as far as mounting a directory - I don't know how to use it though :/

Could someone point me to a quick 1-2-3 tutorial?

Damien_Azreal · 07-30-2006, 05:29 PM

Yeah, a step by step tutorial would make it easy for me to setup games like PowerSlave and System Shock.

avatar_58 · 07-30-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sang

Could someone point me to a quick 1-2-3 tutorial?

Thats a little complicated.

If you tell me what you need I'll try....but basically:

[MOUNTING]
(assuming dos is where you put your games and C: is your drive letter)

mount c: c:\dos

[SETUP]
(you can enter the dosbox.conf to make these permanent later)
Assuming you have 0.65 you can type this to change settings:

core dynamic
cycles 20000

Really its not too hard. What you need to determine is how many cycles the game needs. If its not a demaning game then 9000 ought to be fine. If its an older game then 500-3500 is perfect for no speedups. If its a post 95 game that needs some juice, then anything above 20000 is good with your limit being tied to your CPU.

If you don't feel like guessing and want to see if dosbox can determine it, use:

cycles auto

And it might work.

Dr. Kill · 07-30-2006, 05:49 PM

meh. I'll just get another monitor and hook up my Windows 98 pc.

Phait · 07-31-2006, 12:01 AM

In all my attempts with DOSBox, its remained just as troublesome as DOS itself.

avatar_58 · 07-31-2006, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phait

In all my attempts with DOSBox, its remained just as troublesome as DOS itself.

DOSBox wasn't created to make dos any easier, it was created to make dos games playable on other non-dos O/S like XP, Linux and OSX. To that end its achieved its goal and then some.

However I would argue its much easier than dos considering you no longer have to worry about free memory, bootdisks or incompatible memory managers.

Rassilon · 07-31-2006, 02:51 AM

Has anyone tried using MS Virtual PC 2004 to install DOS or Win98 to run Redneck Rampage, Blood and various other older OSs and Games?

Geir · 07-31-2006, 06:39 AM

Dosbox is slow for me, so I use VDMS (also it's just becasue I only need the sound to be fixed)

Phait · 07-31-2006, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avatar_58

However I would argue its much easier than dos considering you no longer have to worry about free memory, bootdisks or incompatible memory managers.

That's just the issue, I did have to worry about free memory and other shit. It made no difference. I'd still get memory errors, and I'd still have to choose which parameters to use - like I would in DOS.

avatar_58 · 07-31-2006, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phait

I'd still get memory errors.

For which game is this? DOSBox actually has more memory than dos ever could and its even adjustable, I don't understand how you could have errors. If you tell me the name of the games you need help with I can try. I have over 400 games all working so I tend to vouch on the side of DOSBox

Phayzon · 07-31-2006, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rassilon

Has anyone tried using MS Virtual PC 2004 to install DOS or Win98 to run Redneck Rampage, Blood and various other older OSs and Games?

Ive used VPC with Win95 for MechWarrior2 only. It doesnt emulate sound (well, not SB16/AdLib at least) AFAIK.

Hudson · 07-31-2006, 09:06 PM

I run DosBOX on my xBox, good shit.

Phayzon · 07-31-2006, 09:21 PM

^

Awesome

PimPamPet · 07-31-2006, 09:29 PM

A menubar would be nice, since many people still ask about how DOSBox works. For me personally, it doesn't really matter. I barely use the program (instead of emulating them, I just KEPT my 486 and Pentium machines) and even when I do I have no problem working with it the way it is now.

Damien_Azreal · 07-31-2006, 09:37 PM

Next week sometime I'm gonna sit down with DOSBox and mess around with it. Try and get my copies of PowerSlave and System Shock running.

I would also like to run some of my other old Dos based FPS.... it'll be a learning experience.

avatar_58 · 07-31-2006, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien_Azreal

Next week sometime I'm gonna sit down with DOSBox and mess around with it. Try and get my copies of PowerSlave and System Shock running.

I would also like to run some of my other old Dos based FPS.... it'll be a learning experience.

If I'm on let me know.

I enjoy helping people get games running. I have System Shock working so I know that one is fine.

Damien_Azreal · 07-31-2006, 09:42 PM

Okay.

It'll be next week before I have time to try. I work all this week, and this weekend I'm going out of town. So... expect to hear from me sometime next week.

avatar_58 · 07-31-2006, 09:45 PM

No problem

I extend that offer btw, if anyone needs help speak up. I don't like hearing "dosbox doesn't work" unless the game specifically does not work due to something that isn't emulated. 9 times out of 10 its the user's fault, as I've noted on the official forum helping out people.

Rellik66 · 07-31-2006, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sang

Just tried to use Dosbox to run Battledrome.. I got as far as mounting a directory - I don't know how to use it though :/

Could someone point me to a quick 1-2-3 tutorial?

obPlug for D-fend

D-Fend is a frontend that adds a GUI for configuring and playing games with DOSbox.

Attachment 3084

avatar_58 · 08-01-2006, 02:06 AM

Of course, D-fend is the string that ties Dosbox together. Its not a solution though - as you still have to know how to use dosbox and its features in order to set it up.

I have D-fend all setup and backed up onto DVDs. I personally never have to setup another dos game in my life if I don't get any more.

Just pop in the DVD and copy it over to my harddrive. Tell me that isn't easier than dos

jimbob · 08-01-2006, 08:17 AM

heh, this puppy did help me set up Mortal kombat 3 propperly finaly, next i`ll give witchhaven 2 a try, but i gues its too heavy a game to run smoothly

Komb.at · 08-01-2006, 09:18 AM

someone please try magic carpet 2

the worst thing about it is that it runs in realtime, so on everything above 300mhz it runs to fast, even on "svga"

Damien_Azreal · 08-01-2006, 05:27 PM

Well shit. For those of you out there wanting to play Redneck Rampage... if you have a WinXP machine with SP1 installed the instructions at deathmask.net will work.
But if you have SP2 installed your screwed.

It'll run on Bon's PC but not on mine. I just spent the past hour trying to get it running. Dammit.

avatar_58 · 08-01-2006, 08:24 PM

Why would sp2 change anything?

If the other build games run it ought to, but I can't confirm it since I don't have redneck rampage.

Phayzon · 08-01-2006, 09:33 PM

I take it it doesnt run well in Dosbox? (Never tried)

Xerxes · 08-01-2006, 09:56 PM

Should've made them commands instead of in a menu...

Then you could just make batch files for your games.

07-30-2006, 08:49 AM	#5
Damien_Azreal Super Moderator	Re: DOSBox for dummies Hmmm... maybe I need to spend some time with DosBox. Could be able to play PowerSlave that way. __________________ I am... the LAW!

07-30-2006, 05:29 PM	#16
Damien_Azreal Super Moderator	Re: DOSBox for dummies Yeah, a step by step tutorial would make it easy for me to setup games like PowerSlave and System Shock. __________________ I am... the LAW!

07-31-2006, 09:37 PM	#29
Damien_Azreal Super Moderator	Re: DOSBox for dummies Next week sometime I'm gonna sit down with DOSBox and mess around with it. Try and get my copies of PowerSlave and System Shock running. I would also like to run some of my other old Dos based FPS.... it'll be a learning experience. __________________ I am... the LAW!

07-31-2006, 09:42 PM	#31
Damien_Azreal Super Moderator	Re: DOSBox for dummies Okay. It'll be next week before I have time to try. I work all this week, and this weekend I'm going out of town. So... expect to hear from me sometime next week. __________________ I am... the LAW!

08-01-2006, 05:27 PM	#37
Damien_Azreal Super Moderator	Re: DOSBox for dummies Well shit. For those of you out there wanting to play Redneck Rampage... if you have a WinXP machine with SP1 installed the instructions at deathmask.net will work. But if you have SP2 installed your screwed. It'll run on Bon's PC but not on mine. I just spent the past hour trying to get it running. Dammit. __________________ I am... the LAW!

07-29-2006, 08:40 PM	#1
avatar_58	DOSBox for dummies I just wanted to show you something that the devs and coders were working on in the latest CVS of dosbox: A menubar! Now you can easily change CPU cores, speeds, cycles and even change the video scalers on the fly while in-game. There are still some bugs to work out but I think this is a mighty impressive step towards making dosbox user friendly. If you don't mind the bugs and working with experimental builds you can get a build here: http://ykhwong.x-y.net/page.htm

07-29-2006, 08:42 PM	#2
Odin	Re: DOSBox for dummies Total awesome!

07-29-2006, 09:57 PM	#3
Phayzon	Re: DOSBox for dummies Kick ass! __________________ I made the first post on the VB! "So I guess the news here is that not only is Australia the last to get anything new in regard to videogames, they're also the first to get them taken away." - LeadBullet "We're part-time internet superheros." - Hudson

07-30-2006, 07:18 AM	#4
Zegraphoob	Re: DOSBox for dummies What if you play fullscreen? The menu is hidden then, right?

07-30-2006, 08:51 AM	#6
someguy2435	Re: DOSBox for dummies I wish DOSBox worked with Redneck Rampage. __________________ Things go here. Rabble rabble.

07-30-2006, 01:00 PM	#7
Phayzon	Re: DOSBox for dummies ^ I hear ya __________________ I made the first post on the VB! "So I guess the news here is that not only is Australia the last to get anything new in regard to videogames, they're also the first to get them taken away." - LeadBullet "We're part-time internet superheros." - Hudson

07-30-2006, 01:18 PM	#9
Komb.at	Re: DOSBox for dummies Did anyone ever try to get Magic Carpet 2 running? anywhere, anyhow?

07-30-2006, 03:52 PM	#11
Armakuni	Re: DOSBox for dummies That's cool.. not that DosBox was hard to use without menus though Thank God for dosbox btw, I don't know what I'd do without it!

07-30-2006, 05:14 PM	#13
someguy2435	Re: DOSBox for dummies The farthest I got was having the intro play without sound and then DOSBox locking up. __________________ Things go here. Rabble rabble.

07-30-2006, 05:24 PM	#15
Sang	Re: DOSBox for dummies Just tried to use Dosbox to run Battledrome.. I got as far as mounting a directory - I don't know how to use it though :/ Could someone point me to a quick 1-2-3 tutorial? __________________ traB pu kcip

07-30-2006, 05:49 PM	#18
Dr. Kill	Re: DOSBox for dummies meh. I'll just get another monitor and hook up my Windows 98 pc.

07-31-2006, 12:01 AM	#19
Phait	Re: DOSBox for dummies In all my attempts with DOSBox, its remained just as troublesome as DOS itself. __________________ Music: http://www.oquilluksound.com Album: http://machinefaultred.blogspot.com Album Calendar Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/oquilluksound "but I promise you this, I'll always look out for you, that's what I do" -Coldplay

07-31-2006, 02:51 AM	#21
Rassilon	Re: DOSBox for dummies Has anyone tried using MS Virtual PC 2004 to install DOS or Win98 to run Redneck Rampage, Blood and various other older OSs and Games? __________________ ~When life gives you lemons, suck them!!!! ~What is life?, but natures way of keeping meat fresh.... Last edited by Rassilon; 07-31-2006 at 02:58 AM.

07-31-2006, 06:39 AM	#22
Geir	Re: DOSBox for dummies Dosbox is slow for me, so I use VDMS (also it's just becasue I only need the sound to be fixed)

07-31-2006, 09:06 PM	#26
Hudson	Re: DOSBox for dummies I run DosBOX on my xBox, good shit. __________________ Staying Frosty Since 09/06/07 - I love you Katie <3 “Software is like sex; it's better when it's free.” - Linus Torvalds “Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.” - Calvin & Hobbes [INSERT SYSTEM SPECS THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT HERE]

07-31-2006, 09:21 PM	#27
Phayzon	Re: DOSBox for dummies ^ Awesome __________________ I made the first post on the VB! "So I guess the news here is that not only is Australia the last to get anything new in regard to videogames, they're also the first to get them taken away." - LeadBullet "We're part-time internet superheros." - Hudson

07-31-2006, 09:29 PM	#28
PimPamPet	Re: DOSBox for dummies A menubar would be nice, since many people still ask about how DOSBox works. For me personally, it doesn't really matter. I barely use the program (instead of emulating them, I just KEPT my 486 and Pentium machines) and even when I do I have no problem working with it the way it is now.

07-31-2006, 09:45 PM	#32
avatar_58	Re: DOSBox for dummies No problem I extend that offer btw, if anyone needs help speak up. I don't like hearing "dosbox doesn't work" unless the game specifically does not work due to something that isn't emulated. 9 times out of 10 its the user's fault, as I've noted on the official forum helping out people.

08-01-2006, 02:06 AM	#34
avatar_58	Re: DOSBox for dummies Of course, D-fend is the string that ties Dosbox together. Its not a solution though - as you still have to know how to use dosbox and its features in order to set it up. I have D-fend all setup and backed up onto DVDs. I personally never have to setup another dos game in my life if I don't get any more. Just pop in the DVD and copy it over to my harddrive. Tell me that isn't easier than dos

08-01-2006, 08:17 AM	#35
jimbob	Re: DOSBox for dummies heh, this puppy did help me set up Mortal kombat 3 propperly finaly, next i`ll give witchhaven 2 a try, but i gues its too heavy a game to run smoothly __________________ "Check out the polygons on jimbob's girlfriend!" killerbyte "Jimbob, you're a god-damned genius" rollingbrass "You are a god among men" Water12356

08-01-2006, 09:18 AM	#36
Komb.at	Re: DOSBox for dummies someone please try magic carpet 2 the worst thing about it is that it runs in realtime, so on everything above 300mhz it runs to fast, even on "svga"

08-01-2006, 08:24 PM	#38
avatar_58	Re: DOSBox for dummies Why would sp2 change anything? If the other build games run it ought to, but I can't confirm it since I don't have redneck rampage.

08-01-2006, 09:33 PM	#39
Phayzon	Re: DOSBox for dummies I take it it doesnt run well in Dosbox? (Never tried) __________________ I made the first post on the VB! "So I guess the news here is that not only is Australia the last to get anything new in regard to videogames, they're also the first to get them taken away." - LeadBullet "We're part-time internet superheros." - Hudson

08-01-2006, 09:56 PM	#40
Xerxes	Re: DOSBox for dummies Should've made them commands instead of in a menu... Then you could just make batch files for your games.