My last experiment with DosBox concerned usage of DosBox in AROS. Here are my results.

DosBox 0.73b for AROS supports dynamic CPU core, so emulation is not only faster than on eg. OS4/MorphOS, but also more compatible. I successfuly copied my Windows filedisks and configuration files from DosBox (Windows) to AROS and tried few games and game demos.

My cofiguration is (PC of my brother):
Hardware: Core 2 Q6600 2400 MHz, NVidia GeForce 8600GT, 8 GB RAM
Software: Icaros Desktop 1.2.6

I can reach Pentium 200 MHz performance on this hardware, all games and applications I tested run fast enough.


Screenshots can say more than my lame english:

Windows 95:


MS Works 4.0 - moderately long master thesis (133 pages of formated text with footnotes):


Civilization 2:


Diablo:


Test Drive 2:


Dungeon Keeper (Windows version):


Myth the Fallen Lords:



Dhrystone 2.1 results:



Standard DosBox has some severe limitations (no CDROM in Windows, filedisks no greater than 500 MB etc.). Alternative solutions could be Bochs (but it has much slower CPU emulation and also GFX is slower - at least in the Windows version) or QEMU (not that trivial task to port it).

Installation of Windows in DosBox is a little bit more complicated. I can write small guide, if someone is interested.

@pavlor

DosBox is definitely must application for everyone interested in retro gaming. Steel Panthers rocks.

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Amiga 500, Efika, Mac Mini and PowerBook

@pavlor

Gratz. After all these years Diablo is still a playable game :)

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@pavlor

So if you have a X86 system, why not dualboot with windows. No need to use dosbox ??

@eder
Hi, DOSBOX has been created mostly by and for WindowsXP-users to play classic games which doesn't work on too new WIndows systems.

And than again: Who says that we have Windows on our machines : p

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@phoenixkonsole

Ok, that makes sence.

Always nice to see people using m my work :) For the record that Dosbox version is quite old, Ive done a 0.73c and 2 versions of 0.74 since. Not only are they more stable (although the 1st 2 versions I did of 0.73 are quite stable), but theyre also somewhat faster (not to mention the fact that I fixed joystick/joypad support in 0.73c and 0.74's). CD support is hopefully also now fixed (only images worked in 0.73 and 0.73b). Not exactly relevant, but Im now doing a 68k version (Im an amithlon user too).

Download link for 0.74
http://www.sendspace.com/file/in802x

There is a quirk with mouse locking inside Dosbox window when fullscreen in that build (Ive fixed it, but not uploaded new build yet). The "workaround" for now is to set sensitivy above 100 in the config file. For me it worked at 200 when using a desktop resolution of 800x600 and a friend said it worked better for him at 150 on his netbook. Id hazzard a guess its relative to the original resolution. Once youve changed that you can then "break out" of the box the mouse in locked into. This only applies to fullscreen mode however so far as I recall. Windowed mode is fine.

Last edited by fishy_fis on 22-Aug-2011 at 04:21 AM.
Last edited by fishy_fis on 22-Aug-2011 at 01:42 AM.
Last edited by fishy_fis on 22-Aug-2011 at 01:41 AM.

@fishy_fis

Wow, sounds great. When you say a 68K version, does that mean we could run some early versions of programs like MS Office on Workbench (assuming we have a halfway decent CPU) in a way similar to Shapeshifter?

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@Darrin

Yes and no. Relative to "real" 68k cpus, Dosbox has pretty high requirements. Additionally it also uses SDL, so at very least a 68k user will need an rtg system. On top of this there's no jit style emulation for anything but x86 in Dosbox (a big part of why the x86 AROS version is so much faster than the ppc versions). Judging by some of the numbers posted in recent Dosbox theads and the old 68k version (v0.58 I believe) Id expect a typical winuae user to get roughly the same results as the SAMs get with ppc DOSBox (assuming a c2d/phenom2/etc. spec machine). Linux users should probably knock another 25% off of that, and amithlon users can probably add another 50%. All rough figures of course :)

To be brutally honest I dont think it's really all that useful unless a person is using amithlon (which I am), or a stripped down AmigaOS dedicated Winuae box. PC-Task is quite a bit faster (in fact Id be interested to see benchmarks of 68k pc-task running on mos/os4 vs native ppc DOSBox running the same systems such is the difference). All credit to the core devvers of DOSBox though, for something so portable it is quite fast, but really it has no hope of competing with a program written to target a particular machine using asm.
The only reason Im doing dosbox as well for 68k/OS3.x is that it's somewhat friendlier, and more convenient sometimes. Not to mention Im more tha a little familiar with the sourcecode :)

Quote:

pavlor wrote: Installation of Windows in DosBox is a little bit more complicated. I can write small guide, if someone is interested.

write write.

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@fishy_fis

Quote:

Download link for 0.74 http://www.sendspace.com/file/in802x

"Sorry, the file you requested is not available."
Sigh.

Fishy, why don't you use archives.aros-exec.org to upload your files? It's extremely reliable and your files would be available forever (unless you don't "overwrite" them replacing a old one with a newer version, or explicitly ask for removal).

@pavlor

Great new for all AROS users, but if its fast 68k DOSBox its benefit to all - UAE users, MOS and OS4 users (if proven faster or anyway better then older PPC native versions) Natami users etc.

So much hated DOS becomes everyones friend

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@fishy_fis

Cheers for that info. I was kind of hoping it would outperform PC Task, but I guess not. I'd still like to try it on my A4000 with a Radeon card. :)

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@fishy_fis

Quote:

For the record that Dosbox version is quite old, Ive done a 0.73c and 2 versions of 0.74 since.

Good! However, what is not on Aminet or Aros Archives doesn´t exist for the general public.

Quote:

but Im now doing a 68k version (Im an amithlon user too).

Thanks. Another nice toy for my WinUAE box.

@Darrin

Quote:

Wow, sounds great. When you say a 68K version, does that mean we could run some early versions of programs like MS Office on Workbench (assuming we have a halfway decent CPU) in a way similar to Shapeshifter?

No. Most Windows applications can´t run without dynamic core (it is more compatible than normal core). Speed wouldn´t be such problem - my MS Works 4.0 works good even with only 3000 CPU cycles.

@itix

Dosbox.... i just use an old pc I bought for 5 euro if I want to do x86 retrogaming. Nothing ever beats the original.

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@Aminicle

The original is always original but where you put that bulky ATX case? I already have three small computers in my living room (Mac mini, Efika and XP laptop) and one in my guest room (Amiga 500 with a huge 21" CRT). One computer more and my friends start thinking I am a nerd

Nevertheless I have to Pentium 90 with Windows 95 and it is real classic machine. Its gfx card refuses to co-operate with my 24" TFT so it is completely useless now but I used to play many classics from 90s on it. It is quite surprising how timeless Windows 95 is. You can get it online and chat with friends or surf on the web.

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Amiga 500, Efika, Mac Mini and PowerBook

@itix

Quote:

The original is always original but where you put that bulky ATX case?

That is why I use my 486SX notebook.

Quote:

It is quite surprising how timeless Windows 95 is.

Good desktop, useful concepts (taskbar etc.) and even stable (if you pray enough...). For me, it is even more pleasant to use than OS/2.

@pavlor

Quote:

Good desktop, useful concepts (taskbar etc.) and even stable (if you pray enough...). For me, it is even more pleasant to use than OS/2.

Perhaps the best Windows ever.

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Amiga Developer
Amiga 500, Efika, Mac Mini and PowerBook

@itix

Well I do have the place to store the machines. I have to admit my "slowest" is a Pentium 2 - 450Mhz with Windows 98SE. I also have a nice collection of videocards that covers most of the games. Also having 4 of these in a network and some friends that also like retrogames ( and beer ) ... fun !

Slower machines like 486dx or very early pentiums aren't that easy to find anymore in good working order.

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The Belgian Amiga Club on FACEBOOK !

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