“It appears that you are up the proverbial estuary without a means of locomotion.” –Space Quest

Index →

Marc’s DOSBox Framework

How I use it, and what that means for all of us.

Configuration.

There is a configuration file in Hobbies → DOSBox. It goes in ~/.dosbox/
It contains an autoexec.bat.
It contains resolution settings so you get a bigger window.
These instructions were delivered by a robot.

You can make one of these configuration files per-game and list it as a command line parameter when you run DOSBox. (More Below in Advanced)

Above: A gameplay screen in Sea Rogue

Where stuff is located.

• Games and apps are located in ~/apps/DOSBox/

• Some of the things in there are actually standalones that CONTAIN DOSBox, so no need to run those in DOSBox.

Important Keyboard Shortcuts

• CTRL-F9: Kill DOSBox. (Think kill -9)

• CTRL-F10: Capture / release the mouse cursor.

• CTRL-F11/F12: Decrease / Increase cycles (slow / speed up emulation)

• CTRL-F6: Start / Stop recording to .wav file in capture folder.

• CTRL-F5: Save a screenshot.

• Alt+Pause: Pause emulation.

• More keyboard shortcuts.

In an editor like PEdit or in DN, you can use the Alt key for navigating to menu items. Like Alt-S to save, etc.

Favorite stuff to do.

1. Listen to MIDI files!

2. Play Doom2...try cheat codes ;-)

3. Play PGA Tour Golf…

4. Use PEdit

Interesting Software

• Directory Navigator: /shells/dn151/dn.com – Offers a command line and other midnight-commander-like stuff.

  • It is from 1999. If you hit F10 to go to the menu, and navigate to the hamburger menu at left, you can play Tetris under “Game”…

To-Do List

• Add new games to XFCE launcher...

Advanced Stuff

Using DOSBox for “standalone apps” you can launch directly from your desktop

You can do this. Here is the method:

• Copy DOSBox.conf to another file, like sea-rogue.conf

• Add autoexec commands to the bottom of that file, like cd \games\rogue etc.

• Then make a launcher on your desktop UI that launches DOSBox using the -conf switch to specify that new conf file.

Mounting a CD-ROM image

• Open DOSBox

• Type imgmount e [path] -t iso [or cue or bin]

• Then type e: and you’re on your CD-ROM

Convert a BIN file to ISO format in Linux

• install iat (sudo apt install iat)

• iat BINFILE.BIN BINFILE.iso

• That’s it!

Links

Free Software for DOS (FSFD)

Ideas for Use, Play, and Learning

GAMES

I mean, some of these are on IA, too...which might make them easier to play...

Arcade: Alien Rampage; Realms of Chaos

Dungeon crawls: Rogue, etc.

Flight sims: MS, Jane’s USNF, Aces of the Pacific? Others? Helicopter flight sims? Gunship? Hind? Etc.? Space: X-Wing?

Other Space: Rebel Assault; Elite; Space Rogue; Starflight; MAX Mechanized Assault and… ;

Racing: Grand Prix II; Slipstream 5000; Screamer Rally; GT Racing; Fatal Racing; Network Q Race Rally

RPG: Curse of the Azure bonds? Rogue; Eye of the Beholder

Strategy: Armored Fist? Steel Panthers? Airborne Ranger? Caesar II, Imperium Galactica, Capitalism

Simulation: SimCity 1989?

Other: Skyroads; Erik Pohl’s Gateway; Links 386 Pro;

PRODUCTIVITY

Admin: Cron jobs possible? Interesting? Cron runs QB which updates some information which…? FTP possible? Hmmm!

Music: Play some mod files? Create some? Compose MIDI?

Publishing: Try a website builder?

Log

2019-09-19: Updated.

2018-08: Started. --Marc Carson