DOS ain't dead

DOSBox-X 0.83.7 is now released. As a cross-platform DOS emulator, it provides official DOS version (in addition to other platforms), which is self-contained so that you can simply unzip the file and type DOSBOX-X to run in DOS.

You can directly download the latest 0.83.7 packages from the project homepage:

https://dosbox-x.com/

There are quite a few new features and improvements in the latest version. The release notes for version 0.83.7 can be found here:

http://dosbox-x.com/release-0.83.7.html

Direct download for the DOS version:

dosbox-x-mingw-hx-dos-20201103155348.zip

Note: The DOS package has been double-checked to make sure it will run properly without external requirements.

Instead of the official HX-DOS approach (mentioned above), you can now also run DOSBox-X from a DOS environment with the help of the LOADLIN program. With this approach it basically launches LOADLIN from DOS and then automatically runs a Linux version of DOSBox-X. Unlike the HX-DOS package, one advantage of this approach is that with it you are able to run DOSBox-X right from DOSBox-X's DOS shell (set "memsize=127").

The DOS LOADLIN package for DOSBox-X 0.83.7 is available from:

dosbox-x-dos-0.83.7-loadlin.zip

See the README.TXT file inside package for more information. This approach is made possible due to the work of the user grapeli.

This version works in contrast to the previous version which ended with an exception.
Thanks!

> This version works in contrast to the previous version which ended with an
> exception.

For me partially. I have MS-DOS 7.1 based system with JEMMEX memory manager with EMS memory set (so system is running in V86 mode)

If I run DOSBOX-X normaly - it runs
But if I firstly run the SoundBlaster Live! emulation driver (via SBEINIT.COM) then it hangs with this error message

I have set the environment variable HDPMI=512
(not sure if it has some meaning with this build-in version of HX-DOS)

---
DOS-u-akbar!

> > This version works in contrast to the previous version which ended with
> an
> > exception.
>
> For me partially. I have MS-DOS 7.1 based system with JEMMEX memory manager
> with EMS memory set (so system is running in V86 mode)
>
> If I run DOSBOX-X normaly - it runs
> But if I firstly run the SoundBlaster Live! emulation driver (via
> SBEINIT.COM) then it hangs with
> this error message
>
> I have set the environment variable HDPMI=512
> (not sure if it has some meaning with this build-in version of HX-DOS)

The %HDPMI% setting should have effect. But if it does not run with the SB Live! DOS driver (SBEINIT.COM) then it likely means there is still some compatibility issue between HX DOS Extender and SBEINIT.COM.

How do I mount disk drives in this version? It cannot access my DOS disks. When I mounted the root I cannot see any /dev/sdx or hdx devices to mount. What kernel does it use? Would work native with my SB Audigy?
Also it has some menu drawing problem that some block of menu background are drawn to the top of screen and doesn't cleared when menu is closed.
http://www.rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/dosbox-x.jpg

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> The %HDPMI% setting should have effect. But if it does not run with the SB
> Live! DOS driver (SBEINIT.COM) then it likely means there is still some
> compatibility issue between HX DOS Extender and SBEINIT.COM.

Well, some compatibility issue between HXDOS and SBEINIT.COM is possible. However I have sound errors also on my second machine with ISA slot and original Sound Blaster 16Vibra.
I run the DOSBOX-X, it succefully boots up but after few moments is the screen flooded by waterfall of repeating error message:
"SDL windib audio warning: Timeout waiting for audio to complete, possible audio driver problem. Forcing reset."

---
DOS-u-akbar!

> How do I mount disk drives in this version? It cannot access my DOS disks.
> When I mounted the root I cannot see any /dev/sdx or hdx devices to mount.
> What kernel does it use? Would work native with my SB Audigy?
> Also it has some menu drawing problem that some block of menu background
> are drawn to the top of screen and doesn't cleared when menu is closed.
> http://www.rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/dosbox-x.jpg

Since this alternative package was developed by grapeli, I posted your questions in this thread of the DOSBox-X issue tracker, and he answered the following:

--- grapeli's reply ---

I created this to test run DOSBox-X in DOSBox-X. I also check how it works in Qemu (basically mainly under it, a better build could be created strictly for it).

> How do I mount disk drives in this version? It cannot access my DOS disks.
> When I mounted the root I cannot see any /dev/sdx or hdx devices to mount.
> What kernel does it use? Would work native with my SB Audigy?

Linux kernel 4.4.241 (longterm). Here is config. config.txt

Does not have built-in SATA/SCSI/USB etc. support.
Works under - processor family (486).
Has built-in support:
-generic ATA/ATAPI disk support
-IDE/ATAPI CDROM
-Intel PIIX/ICH chipsets support (ATA)
-ISA sound devices / Sound Blaster 16
File systems: Ext2, ISO 9660, MSDOS fs

Configure the kernel according to your needs and build it.

> Also it has some menu drawing problem that some block of menu background are > drawn to the top of screen and doesn't cleared when menu is closed.

This is the mouse cursor pointer.

OK, is there some reason why to use modern kernel but stripped by many necessary drivers like SATA and PCI audio subsystem? If it would be intended for old computers with ATA and ISA sound they don't need DOS emulation and can run programs native...

I could recompile the kernel, I'm not familiar how the dosbox-x image is packed (DOSBOX-X.SQF) if I could then simply replace the kernel. But currently not much time to play with, I can boot my linux and use dosbox without restrictions...

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> OK, is there some reason why to use modern kernel but stripped by many
> necessary drivers like SATA and PCI audio subsystem? If it would be
> intended for old computers with ATA and ISA sound they don't need DOS
> emulation and can run programs native...
>
> I could recompile the kernel, I'm not familiar how the dosbox-x image is
> packed (DOSBOX-X.SQF) if I could then simply replace the kernel. But
> currently not much time to play with, I can boot my linux and use dosbox
> without restrictions...

grapeli provided with further information:

Disk Image support.
linux.par needs to be modified (do not blindly copy C/H/S):

...
ro
ide-core.chs=0.0:32,16,63
# ide-core.noprobe=0.0
# ide-core.noprobe=0.1
ide-core.noprobe=1.0
ide-core.noprobe=1.1
...

More information about ide-core.

dosbox-x (host) config:

[ide, primary]
enable = true

From dosbox-x

imgmount 2 /tmp/hda.img -t hdd -fs none
imgmount d c:\cdrom.iso -t iso -fs none
linux.bat

From linux.

# dmesg
# mount /dev/hda /mnt
# mkdir /tmp/cdrom
# mount /dev/hdb /tmp/cdrom
Write-mounted filesystems must absolutely be unmounted before exiting dosbox-x (host).

Regarding the questions in your post, he answered the following:

> The next person will ask for support for Gravis UltraSound, and another one for Aureal Vortex.
> Suggest to install real Linux with Xorg, OpenGL, etc.

He mentioned that compiling a kernel is very easy:

ARCH=x86 make menuconfig
ARCH=x86 make
cp arch/x86/boot/bzImage /tmp/dosbox-x/vmlinuz

He also added the following:

> After all, this is only a sketch, template, suggestion, proposal for others to assemble a better version for their own needs.
> Again, I advise against running this package as is anywhere except dosbox-x and qemu.

> > The %HDPMI% setting should have effect. But if it does not run with the
> SB
> > Live! DOS driver (SBEINIT.COM) then it likely means there is still some
> > compatibility issue between HX DOS Extender and SBEINIT.COM.
>
> Well, some compatibility issue between HXDOS and SBEINIT.COM is possible.
> However I have sound errors also on my second machine with ISA slot and
> original Sound Blaster 16Vibra.
> I run the DOSBOX-X, it succefully boots up but after few moments is the
> screen flooded by waterfall of repeating error message:
> "SDL windib audio warning: Timeout waiting for audio to complete, possible
> audio driver problem. Forcing reset."

I got the time to try the DOS package of DOSBox-X 0.83.7 on an old computer that has the SB AWE ISA sound card. The computer is old so DOSBox-X loads and runs very slowly. But it does boot up successfully and I am able to type commands in its DOS shell just fine. Since the computer is slow I am not able to test the sound inside DOSBox-X, but the DOS sound driver for the sound card is correctly set up and loaded and I can hear sound from other DOS programs. So the DOS package does indeed work here with the SB AWE ISA sound card.

I'm still thinking about the point of this. It proved to support legacy HW/SB but it's too slow to be usefull there and it doesn't support modern HW where it would be usefull. And all that probably would be needed is to not remove working kernel drivers and subsystems, just it would be some more megabytes bigger...

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> How do I mount disk drives in this version? It cannot access my DOS disks.
> When I mounted the root I cannot see any /dev/sdx or hdx devices to mount.
> What kernel does it use? Would work native with my SB Audigy?
> Also it has some menu drawing problem that some block of menu background
> are drawn to the top of screen and doesn't cleared when menu is closed.
> http://www.rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/dosbox-x.jpg

I want to mention that the menu background issue will disappear when you choose "Fit to aspect ratio" from the "Video" menu.

> I'm still thinking about the point of this. It proved to support legacy
> HW/SB but it's too slow to be usefull there and it doesn't support modern
> HW where it would be usefull. And all that probably would be needed is to
> not remove working kernel drivers and subsystems, just it would be some
> more megabytes bigger...

I think this one is talking about the official DOS package based on the HX DOS Extender. The latest HX DOS Extender only supports SB Pro or 16 sound cards (either real or emulated). There was a fork of HX DOS Extender by Ruslan called HX+ to support modern sound cards, but unfortunately it is not being updated any more, and its source code is not publicly available. Even Japheth does not have access to that source code apparently.

On the other hand, the alternative DOS package we had discussed is based on LOADLIN, developed by the user grapeli, not me. If you prefer, you can ask him to add the drivers you would like to have in the following thread of the DOSBox-X issue tracker:

https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/issues/1830

Hmm...
It looks that I have some hardware problem on my SB16 Vibra. (or on the mainboard?) Only the MIDI syntesis works but digitized sounds not. It is a quite long time I turned on that computer and since this time has something gone broken. (it does not work nor in the normal DOS setup nor the minimal DOS boot nor in the Knoppix live linux distro)

---
DOS-u-akbar!

You only need winmm.dll, dsound.dll and dpci.dll from HX+, so you can always add these files to your current HX.DOS package as sound card drivers. It's not the perfect solition, but mostly works. Perfect for DOSbox-X with the latest release from Japheth. For older versions of DOSBox, mouse behavour may be glitchy if you don't use the corresponding DKRNL32.DLL a well, this is why I use a heavily scripted, morbidly mixed Frankenstein HX package, but currently it works. Properly written batch scripts place the appropriate alternate files to a directory on a RAM-disk according to the program I want to execute or according to the keyboard I use (I modified HXGUIHLP.DLL for my laptop so it can accept alternative manu keys). The real problem is not that it's not updated anymore, the problem is that it's not modular enough. It'd be useful if HX had an easy way to replace the sound card driver and the sound card driver ONLY, so it could be developed independently of HX itself.

---
DOS isn't about why. It's about why not.

> this is why I use a heavily scripted, morbidly mixed
> Frankenstein HX package, but currently it works.

I didn't checked it but what is HX DLLs search path priority? If the highest priority is loading a DLL from current dir or dir with called executable then you can copy specific DLL to program dir and keep HX dir in default state without mods.

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

This is the "brute force" approach, which is not KormaX enogh. Also, creating DLL-hell in DOS would be an actual insult :D No. Each DLL (and each version of those of which I use multiple versions) is present in one copy, inside a specific directory that specifies it and/or with a unique name I've given to them. Now, in my %PATH%, Z:\HX precedes C:\HX, where Z:\ is my RAM-disk. Z:\HX contains a copy of HXGUIHLP.DLL and a version of HXGUIHLP.INI (created when my AUTOEXEC.BAT detects whether DOS is booted with a 4:3 external CRT activated or with my 1366:768 built in screen activated [or when I explicitly define a screen resolution for a program like Links {or when I explicitly modify it with a simple command only for this purpos}]). Now, whenever a program with special needs is executed, the proper DLLs are copied into Z:\HX. What's more, there is a subdir Z:\HX\480p, containing an alternative hxguihlp.ini, so whenever this subdir is INDIR'ed in order to execute a HXGUI application, HXGUI initializes in 640x480 VESA. Technically, your method works, but THIS is the KormaX way of doing that :D On the other hand, if a Win32 program run ONLY with additional libraries that are not present in HX at all, like GNASH, for example, than I add those DLLs from somewhere, such as from ReactOS, or free DLL sites, to the program's directory.

---
DOS isn't about why. It's about why not.

OK, I understand that you have your system. It seems you use HX more extensively than me...

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.