Difference between revisions of "DOSBox"
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| − | == | + | ==Overview== |
DOSBox is capable of emulating many older computer games that are otherwise very difficult if not impossible to play on modern operating systems and hardware. It has very high compatibility, as it can be configured to emulate the environment of many machines, with support for various display modes, including CGA, EGA, Hercules, Tandy, and VGA. With some work, it is even possible to install and load old Windows operating systems, such as Windows 3.11 and Windows 95, thus potentially being able to play games made for those platforms. | DOSBox is capable of emulating many older computer games that are otherwise very difficult if not impossible to play on modern operating systems and hardware. It has very high compatibility, as it can be configured to emulate the environment of many machines, with support for various display modes, including CGA, EGA, Hercules, Tandy, and VGA. With some work, it is even possible to install and load old Windows operating systems, such as Windows 3.11 and Windows 95, thus potentially being able to play games made for those platforms. | ||
| − | ==Frontends | + | ===Frontends=== |
| − | + | Because DOSBox doesn't have a GUI, two projects were made to fulfill that role. | |
| − | |||
| − | + | ;[http://dfendreloaded.sourceforge.net/ D-Fend Reloaded] | |
| − | + | :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. | |
| − | + | ;[http://members.quicknet.nl/blankendaalr/dbgl/ DOSBox Game Launcher] | |
| − | + | :Another frontend based on Java that is said to be inspired by the D-Fend's. | |
| − | ===[http:// | + | ==Forks== |
| − | + | Some of these forks have been covered at [http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/SVN_Builds#Enhanced_SVN_builds DOSBox's official wiki]. | |
| + | {{Infobox emulator | ||
| + | |title = DOSBox-X | ||
| + | |developer = Jonathan Campbell | ||
| + | |version = {{Version|DOSBox-X}} | ||
| + | |platform = Windows, macOS, Linux, DOS | ||
| + | |target = [[Intel CPUs]]<br/>[[PC-98 emulators|NEC PC-98]] | ||
| + | |active = Yes | ||
| + | |website = [https://dosbox-x.com dosbox-x.com] | ||
| + | |license = GNU GPLv2 | ||
| + | |source = [https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x GitHub] | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | ===[https://dosbox-x.com/ DOSBox-X]=== | ||
| + | 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 Windows 3.x and 9x (which it should be able to accelerate in the future, as well as running ME). The project also has its own [https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/wiki wiki] which contains extensive documentation on DOSBox-X, and a summary of all the added features can be seen [https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/wiki/DOSBox%E2%80%90X%E2%80%99s-Feature-Highlights here]. The wiki is also accessible from the [https://dosbox-x.com/wiki 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. | ||
| − | |||
===[https://dosbox-staging.github.io/ dosbox-staging]=== | ===[https://dosbox-staging.github.io/ dosbox-staging]=== | ||
| − | dosbox-staging | + | 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. |
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===[http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/win31dosbox.html Win31DOSBox]=== | ===[http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/win31dosbox.html Win31DOSBox]=== | ||
| − | Win31DOSBox | + | Win31DOSBox aims to be an easy method of running Windows 3.x games through a DOSBox fork. Among its many features, it adds an easy setup program and the ability to print from Windows 3.11. The maintainer of Win31DOSBox has since recommended using [[WineVDM]] instead. |
| − | To get started | + | To get started, you first need a copy of either Windows 3.11 or WfW (Windows for Workgroups) 3.11. Once you have that, you need to put in either the 6 (Windows 3.11) or 9 (WfW 3.11) floppy images, or the ISO file, or the MSDN self-extracting .exe. After that, running InstallWin31DOSBox.exe which will automatically install Windows 3.x for you. Once it's finished, check that everything works and then install Video for Windows and Quicktime which is located in the Video folder in Program Manager. It is also recommended to install WinG and Win32s as well. |
| − | + | 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. | |
| − | |||
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| + | ===Others=== | ||
| + | ;[http://win9xbox.sourceforge.net/ 9xbox] | ||
| + | :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. | ||
| + | ;[http://ykhwong.x-y.net/ DOSBox SVN Daum] | ||
| + | :Was an enhanced build of DOSBox by ykhwong, with support for Direct3D and HLSL shaders, Glide, Ethernet, 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 [[#DOSBox-X|DOSBox-X]] fork. | ||
| + | <!-- | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| − | + | --> | |
[[Category:Emulators]] | [[Category:Emulators]] | ||
[[Category:Windows emulation software]] | [[Category:Windows emulation software]] | ||
[[Category:Linux emulation software]] | [[Category:Linux emulation software]] | ||
[[Category:macOS emulation software]] | [[Category:macOS emulation software]] | ||
Revision as of 14:42, 6 November 2020
| |
| Developer(s) | DOSBox Crew |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 0.74-3 |
| Active | Yes |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and more |
| Emulates | 286 and 386 |
| Website | DOSBox.com |
| Programmed in | C++ |
| License | GNU GPLv2 |
| Source code | tgz |
DOSBox is an open-source, high-level 286 and 386 emulator written in C++.
Contents
Downloads
  
|
Latest Dev Builds |
  
|
Latest Stable Builds |
Overview
DOSBox is capable of emulating many older computer games that are otherwise very difficult if not impossible to play on modern operating systems and hardware. It has very high compatibility, as it can be configured to emulate the environment of many machines, with support for various display modes, including CGA, EGA, Hercules, Tandy, and VGA. With some work, it is even possible to install and load old Windows operating systems, such as Windows 3.11 and Windows 95, thus potentially being able to play games made for those platforms.
Frontends
Because DOSBox doesn't have a GUI, two projects were made to fulfill that role.
- D-Fend Reloaded
- 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.
- DOSBox Game Launcher
- Another frontend based on Java that is said to be inspired by the D-Fend's.
Forks
Some of these forks have been covered at DOSBox's official wiki.
| Developer(s) | Jonathan Campbell |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 2024.03.01 [+] |
| Active | Yes |
| Platform(s) | Windows, macOS, Linux, DOS |
| Emulates | Intel CPUs NEC PC-98 |
| Website | dosbox-x.com |
| License | GNU GPLv2 |
| Source code | GitHub |
DOSBox-X
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 Windows 3.x and 9x (which it should be able to accelerate in the future, as well as running ME). The project also has its own wiki which contains extensive documentation on DOSBox-X, and a summary of all the added features can be seen here. The wiki is also accessible from the website.
While DOSBox-X currently supports the IBM PC/XT/AT, Tandy, PCjr, and 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 emulation in the event that other programmers want to add that functionality.
dosbox-staging
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.
Win31DOSBox
Win31DOSBox aims to be an easy method of running Windows 3.x games through a DOSBox fork. Among its many features, it adds an easy setup program and the ability to print from Windows 3.11. The maintainer of Win31DOSBox has since recommended using WineVDM instead.
To get started, you first need a copy of either Windows 3.11 or WfW (Windows for Workgroups) 3.11. Once you have that, you need to put in either the 6 (Windows 3.11) or 9 (WfW 3.11) floppy images, or the ISO file, or the MSDN self-extracting .exe. After that, running InstallWin31DOSBox.exe which will automatically install Windows 3.x for you. Once it's finished, check that everything works and then install Video for Windows and Quicktime which is located in the Video folder in Program Manager. It is also recommended to install WinG and Win32s as well.
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.
Others
- 9xbox
- 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.
- DOSBox SVN Daum
- Was an enhanced build of DOSBox by ykhwong, with support for Direct3D and HLSL shaders, Glide, Ethernet, 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 DOSBox-X fork.
