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Because DOSBox doesn't have a GUI, two projects were made to fulfill that role.

:A great frontend which allows custom per-game configurations to cut back on fiddling with settings just to run specific games well. It also lets you use your own build of DOSBox instead of the one it comes with, so it can be used with forks as well.

:Another frontend based on Java that is said to be inspired by the D-Fend's.

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|[https://dosbox-x.com DOSBox-X]

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|source = [https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x GitHub]

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DOSBox-X is vastly different from other DOSBox forks in that it aims to be a complete DOS emulation package. It features more flexibility by way of config options and an accompanying frontend to customize the DOS VM further, and beyond games it also supports standard software for DOS, as well as DOS-based Windows including Windows 3.x and 9x/ME (which it should be able to accelerate in the future). The project also has its own [https://dosbox-x.com/wiki wiki] which contains extensive documentation on DOSBox-X, and a summary of notable added features can be seen [https://dosbox-x.com/wiki/DOSBox%E2%80%90X’s-Feature-Highlights here]. The project is also accessible from the [https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x GitHub website].

While DOSBox-X currently supports the [[Intel CPUs|IBM PC/XT/AT]], Tandy, PCjr, and [[PC-98 emulators|NEC PC-98]] the maintainer, Jonathan Campbell, does not plan to add any other MS-DOS system. This limitation is mainly done to prevent bloating of the codebase, keeping it at a manageable level for himself while also staying organized. However, the codebase does contain stubbed source files for [[FM Towns emulators|FM Towns]] emulation in the event that other programmers want to add that functionality.

DOSBox Staging attempts to "revitalize DOSBox's development process". It bills itself as a "fork to end all forks" but, unlike DOSBox-X, still focuses on DOS games for the most part.

DOSBox ECE is a DOSBox fork that is based on DOSBox SVN commits but with some additional patches such as MT32, FluidSynth and Voodoo/Glide support.

===Others===

:Was an enhanced build of DOSBox focused on serial/networking support. Contains the NE2000 patch, parallel port passthrough, virtual printer, OPL passthrough, and others. However, it hasn't been updated in years, and most of what it added was covered by the actively maintained [[#Active forks |DOSBox-X]] fork.

:Was an enhanced build of DOSBox by ykhwong, with support for Direct3D and HLSL shaders, Glide, Ethernet, virtual printer, and a built-in UI. However, it hasn't been updated in years, and most of what it added was covered by the actively maintained [[#Active forks |DOSBox-X]] fork.

:There are multiple ways to get software onto the system. For folders and files, you can drag them into the C-DRIVE folder. If you have a physical CD you can just insert it into your CD drive. If it's a CD image you need to mount it using a software like Virtual CloneDrive. If it's a floppy disk image you need to drag the respective images over the Extract to A-Drive Folder.exe program which will extract them to the A-DRIVE folder.

:There was some interest in creating a version of DOSBox that would improve compatibility with Windows 95/98/ME. However, it never passed the theoretical stage.

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