DOS Games Discussion

Notes:
This was tested with Ubuntu 8.04LTS (Hardy Heron)
I've basically shamelessly ripped off Dosraider's guide, but changed a few words and instructions here and there.


If you're reading this it means you have discovered a simple fact:
You can't run dosgames in Linux.
Luckily there is help: Dosbox.
Dosbox will emulate a dos environment, so that the dosgames can run through it. It will handle all those dos instructions that Linux lacks.
--> It is a safe to use program, it will NOT harm your linux partition.

This is meant as a short intruction to help you on the way with that program, so that you can play most of those ol'gems in linux. It's not meant as an elaborate nor complete howto. If you need more explainations please use the Get Games To Work forum.

Before posting for help:
-> Read the dosbox readme. (/usr/share/doc/dosbox/README.gz)
-> Use the forum search, plenty games have already a topic with the needed solutions.


If you still need help:
-> Give your system specs (OS-HARDWARE).
-> State as clearely as possible your problem.
-> If you get an error message post it as correctly as you can.
-> Post what you did up to now to get your game running.
-> Post your mount lines, command lines you use to get the game running, the setup choices you made .....
-> Please don't forget to post about WHAT game you need help for.
-> Full original game? Downloaded? ISO? Ripped one? Downloaded from one of our sites?


First steps:
-> Download the latest dosbox version from your repository:
$ sudo apt-get install dosbox
-> You should create a directory in your home for your games: $ mkdir ~/games
-> You need to make a file in ~ to store your configuration settings:
$ touch ~/.dosboxrc
-> The repository didn't add it in automatically, so I had to build it from the bottom up (not that it's a lot of work)...

Here's mine:
Save and exit.
Run dosbox, if you done it all correctly this is what you will see:

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/ ... dosbox.png">

**If you get an error message, you made some mistakes, check everything and correct where needed.

Basic dosbox sound settings

The most compatible soundsettings in dosgames with a default dosbox configuration are:
Soundblaster or Soundblaster 16

Adress 220
IRQ 7
DMA 1
HDMA 5

Midi adress 330.

Handy dosbox keystrokes:
dosbox readme wrote:

================
5. Special Keys:
================

ALT-ENTER Switch to full screen and back.
ALT-PAUSE Pause emulation.
CTRL-F1 Start the keymapper.
CTRL-F4 Change between mounted disk-images. Update directory cache for all drives!
CTRL-ALT-F5 Start/Stop creating a movie of the screen. (avi video capturing)
CTRL-F5 Save a screenshot. (png)
CTRL-F6 Start/Stop recording sound output to a wave file.
CTRL-ALT-F7 Start/Stop recording of OPL commands.
CTRL-ALT-F8 Start/Stop the recording of raw MIDI commands.
CTRL-F7 Decrease frameskip.
CTRL-F8 Increase frameskip.
CTRL-F9 Kill DOSBox.
CTRL-F10 Capture/Release the mouse.
CTRL-F11 Slow down emulation (Decrease DOSBox Cycles).
CTRL-F12 Speed up emulation (Increase DOSBox Cycles).
ALT-F12 Unlock speed (turbo button).

These are the default keybindings. They can be changed in the keymapper.


The ones you will need the most are:
ALT-ENTER Switch to full screen and back.
CTRL-F10 Capture/Release the mouse.
CTRL-F11 Slow down emulation (Decrease DOSBox Cycles).
CTRL-F12 Speed up emulation (Increase DOSBox Cycles).

Highest time to play some game: installing running/games

Lets download/install/run Commander Keen 4 as tryout.( Always loved that one).

Download commander Keen4 from:
$ mkdir ~/games/keen4/
$ cd ~/games/keen4/
$ wget ftp://ftp.3drealms.com/share/4keen.zip
$ unzip ~/games/keen4/4keen.zip

Run dosbox, will start on x drive
$ dosbox

Input at the dosprompt:
cd keen4
install
You will get an install screen for C:\Keen4, alter the install directory (folder) to x:\keen4
Let the installer run completely, it will leave you in x:\keen4
Input
keen4e

Here ya go, you can configure the game via the ingame configuration panel at your wish.( sounds-input methods- .......)

Next time you want to play Commander Keen 4:
Run dosbox and input:
x:
cd keen4
keen4e

One question: Why not mount a C instead of a X ?

Force of habit. When I'm in windows, I always used X instead of C namely because I used to have 2 optical drives, 2 external drives, and a crap ton of other things in that computer, so the easiest letter to guess that wouldn't be put to use any time soon was x. lol

The only issue I've got with the dosbox in linux is that it only looks in the pwd for dosbox.conf, that means that if you're in say, /home/dosraider/pictures when you put in the dosbox command, and your dosbox.conf is in /home/dosraider, it won't load it up.

I tried moving the .conf file into /usr/bin/ (which is where the executable is) and that didn't do the trick.


[edit: 3:07am]
got it figured out. Linux uses ~/.dosboxrc for a permanent always-working dosbox.conf. the .conf file is more of a temporary thing I guess for more-specific files... or something. It seems a tad bit useless.

wardrich wrote: [edit: 3:07am]
got it figured out. Linux uses ~/.dosboxrc for a permanent always-working dosbox.conf. the .conf file is more of a temporary thing I guess for more-specific files... or something. It seems a tad bit useless.

'3.07 Am' ....

FYI : dosbox reads ~/.dosboxrc and then executes the commands in the user dosboxconf.

And about your 'X'
That's now exactly one of the many charmes of dosbox, no matter what letters are in use on your host OS, dosbox always can work with C as virtual drive.
So your X to be sure that the drive letter is free is pretty useless.
Same goes for your CDdrive in dosbox, it can always use D for that.

True, it doesn't really matter much in Linux, since drives aren't letter-assigned.

But really, if you need extra help with this, and you're using Linux, you might want to consider switching back to Windows.

Mr. Worm wrote:But really, if you need extra help with this, and you're using Linux, you might want to consider switching back to Windows.

Yeah, kind of I guess...

**Update: dosbox and Ubuntu 10.04 **

Short version:
<- click

<- click

<- click

<- click



<- click



[Edit]
Maybe this can be helpful
<- click

<- click
[/edit]

<- click

Testrun Commander Keen 4

<- click

<- click

<- click

If you need more help than this, get back on Windows or MacOS.

I just did a fresh install of 10.04, and I am loving it thus far.

Thanks for reminding me that I need to install the DOSbox!!

UPDATE.
*******

Ubuntu is now on ver 11.04, it's been a while already, means it's mature enough to install it.

Looks outstanding, feels good, and of course: steady as always.
For dosbox, not much is changed, follow the 10.04 rules and all will go swell.


Maybe some CD game tips:
Don't use your CDs but create an image with the excellent Brasero, ISO or BIN/CUE created with Brasero are fully dosbox compatible.

If you have no idea about the differences between ISO and BIN/CUE always go for BIN/CUE, works always....

Use imgmount in dosbox.


As usual, if you need more help than this, get your ar*e back on Windows or Mac ......

Ubuntu 12.10 LTS is out for a while now, means most (small) probs are ironed out and the needed updates are euuurhhhh... updated.

Time to install it and test dosbox 0.74(and a lot of other freeware softs....)

In short telegram style:
















Heheh .....

About time to try the latest one, Ubuntu 13.10
This time I choose the AMD64 desktop release.
Not much changed, bit other "look feel" , and of course better support for modern hardware.
Installed:


First thing to try out of course


No problems


One of the classics


Notice: Ubu 13.10 is not a LTS release, means that within a month or 9 you'll have to reinstall next version.
If you want LTS support simply stay on 12.04 till next LTS release.

Is it worth to get 13.10 ? Depends, if you run it on recent hardware: depends, but for myself 'yes'.
As said improved hardware support, and it's bloody fast on a AMD64b quad core architecture.

And of course, tons of free software !!!!!

I hated Unity when they first rolled it out... but I've learned to love it. I actually haven't been in Linux now for a while. I really miss it - it's nice to be able to work with an OS that is visually appealing and functional

The luxury of having several PCs on ya desk ......

But even then I use a swappable HD in a HD tray for the OSses.
Cheap and trustworthy.
Some 250 GB/10,000 RPM for the OSses.
And one extra 1TB/7500 RPM for data, is shared by the OSses.

Only problem I face nowadays, 250GB becomes scarce, will have to switch to 500 GB, what a waste of space for OS only HD :/

Worth mentioning for those who are 'affraid' of Linux based OSses : Zorin.
Been a while now I testrun this on Ubu based OS, and it delivers.

It's not Ubu, it has a more Windows oriented feel and look, if you can handle Windows you will be easily be able to find your way around in Zorin.
Comes of course as the usual Ubu distri with a ton of free software ......

Some screens:




Meheh....


Also worth a special mentioning:
comes with WINE bundled with 'playonlinux', a kind of WINE frontend, makes it easy to run win based games on linux. Hasslefree.

Comes soon : updated Ubu 14.04 LTS ..... urgently need to look at that one.