VOGONS

Search

Common searches

Recommended DOS Replacements

Topic actions

First post, by rishooty

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

So I'd like to make a companion project of slipstreamed recommended dos replacements and drivers, sortof as a companion to my 9x packs. The user input in that thread was great, so I figured I'd start a new thread as it's more or less a different topic.

What do you recommend, and which do you know have compatibility issues. There's been no real definition of what files are essential for full dos compatibility while still being optimized.

What I know/My Research

  • * At best, you don't manage memory at all and you create a startup menu to pick different memory configurations, i.e. phils easy ms-dos mode. But sometimes this is even too little from what I've been reading, and games such as blood can require lots of memory. This is especially the case when you have to load pci audio drivers and the like.

    * This page mentions a few necessary files: https://flaterco.com/kb/DOS_W98SE_general.html

    FreeDOS has a better installer and bundles superior, enthusiast-maintained replacements for many of the DOS programs that come with W98SE. As a compromise, one can take the kernel, COMMAND.COM, FORMAT.COM, FDISK.EXE, and SYS.COM from W98SE for better MS-DOS compatibility, but throw out everything else and use free replacements.

    I'm unsure about command.com, does 4DOS have any issues?

    * There's one set of drivers that nobody has actually given a good, thorough review of: the Jack Ellis Drivers. I know most alternative disc drivers and memory managers can cause problems, yet not one person (from what I've seen) has said they've had issues with XMGR to replace HIMEM or XDVD2 as a CD/DVD driver.

    * UMBPCI has had varying opinions. Many people swear by it, but some say it does hurt compatibility with some games, and you're better off with emm386.

    * Pretty much nobody argues against write-combining, i.e. FastVid, mtrrlfbe, k6wcx, setk6v3.

    * I know shsucdx and the great majority of memory managers except HIMEM.EXE, EMM386.EXE, and XMGR(?) have issues.

    * Whats the opinion of some of the files mentioned here: http://www.mdgx.com/mem7.htm?
    NANSI.SYS, RECALL, ZENO174, XMSDSK, HyperKey vs setting MODE.COM to it's highest setting, DOSMAX, SHELLMAX.

    * Are LFNs necessary? If so, which implementation?

    * Is FDAPM or DOSIDLE recommended?

    * Is it true that MSDOS 7 is exactly the same compatibility wise as 6, so long as you have a FAT16 partition to store incompatible games on?

Reply 1 of 76, by Warlord

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Regarding long file names, I had this all sorted out and will dig it up and hand it over in a bit. Basically. DOSLFN or DOSLFNMS can be loaded. Program like Volkov commander latest version with CP437UNI.TBL file or the TBL file of your languarge in its cp437 folder then can read long file names and write long file names under DOS 7.10.

There is other LFN aware drivers and programs like SHSUCDX not all versions are the same btw. Is CD/DVD driver that will work with DOSLFN and long file names ON cd will work. NTFS Professional is also LFN aware if lfndos is resident allowing you to read from NTFS drives with long file name support.

4DOS is a LFN aware command interpreter.

---------------------
QHimem2 is another well known DOS memory manager written by Jack Ellis

Reply 3 of 76, by Warlord

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Major thing to understand is while yes DOS has came a long way, and you can do a lot with it. When it comes to gaming the most important thing is your conventional memory, and your memory in general because it is so small you cannot load a bunch of things besides the things you need to play a game most of the time unless that game uses XMS or something because, you wont have enough memory to run the game.

Reply 4 of 76, by rishooty

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Warlord wrote:

Major thing to understand is while yes DOS has came a long way, and you can do a lot with it. When it comes to gaming the most important thing is your conventional memory, and your memory in general because it is so small you cannot load a bunch of things besides the things you need to play a game most of the time unless that game uses XMS or something because, you wont have enough memory to run the game.

Fair enough. Makes sense why phil's dos setups are so minimal. So I guess the focus is more on replacements then. Things I could directly overwrite the original with on an MS-DOS floppy image or Win9x CD that are typically loaded by default anyway. Basically:

  • * HIMEM.EXE --> XMGR, HIMEMX, JEMMEX?
    * EMM386.EXE --> JEMM386, UMBPCI?
    * COMMAND.COM --> 4DOS or supplement with GNU fileutils (doesn't replace it)?
    * POWER --> FDAPM?
    * RAMDRIVE.SYS --> XMSDSK, RDISK?
    * ANSI.SYS --> NANSI.SYS?
    * DOSKEY.COM --> RECALL.COM?
    * MODE.COM --> HyperKey?
    * MSCDEX --> SHSUCDX?

    Performance Enhancing Non-Replacements
    * ZENO174? (Text mode video BIOS accelerator)
    * FastVid, mtrrlfbe, k6wcx, setk6v3? (Enable write combining for PCI/AGP graphics cards and certain cpus)

Reply 6 of 76, by keenmaster486

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

JEMMEX and FDISK from FreeDOS.
Vide-CDD and SHSUCDX instead of OAKCDROM and MSCDEX
CTMOUSE instead of MS Mouse Driver
SBMIX for changing SB mixer settings without TSR

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 8 of 76, by dr_st

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
keenmaster486 wrote:

Vide-CDD and SHSUCDX instead of OAKCDROM and MSCDEX

I use VIDE-CDD with MSCDEX. MSCDEX is not so heavy once you use /E and some say it has better compatibility than SHSUCDX (I haven't tested).

keenmaster486 wrote:

CTMOUSE instead of MS Mouse Driver

Using that.

keenmaster486 wrote:

SBMIX for changing SB mixer settings without TSR

Which SB? PnP Creative SB cards use MIXERSET which is not a TSR.

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 11 of 76, by rishooty

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
kolderman wrote:

Anyone used this? http://paulhoule.com/doskey/index.php

Oooh autocomplete without replacing command.com sounds awesome.

Last edited by rishooty on 2019-09-15, 07:53. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 12 of 76, by Caluser2000

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Can you run Windows 3.1 in 386Enhanced mode yet in FreeDos? FreeDos primarily aims for 386 systems up and you are better of with a traditional Dos for lower spec systems. Personally I've no real issues with traditional Dos. Right up to IBMs PC Dos 2000 it was backwards compatible with XT class systems. No need for special kernals. DR Dos 5 up had features none of the other single user Dos variants had out of the box. If I want Fat32 support I you China Dos Unions 2 disk distro, no Win9x to deal with and build from there. The way it should be. A CD Rom full of Dos programs is over kill in imho.

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 13 of 76, by kolderman

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
rishooty wrote:
kolderman wrote:

Anyone used this? http://paulhoule.com/doskey/index.php

Oooh autocomplete without replacing command.com sounds awesome.

I just gave it a try under dos622 and it does what it says. Very nice. Life without autocomplete is not very good 😁

Reply 14 of 76, by rishooty

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
kolderman wrote:
rishooty wrote:
kolderman wrote:

Anyone used this? http://paulhoule.com/doskey/index.php

Oooh autocomplete without replacing command.com sounds awesome.

I just gave it a try under dos622 and it does what it says. Very nice. Life without autocomplete is not very good 😁

Very nice!

In response to Caluser 2000, yeah that's why I've switched focus to just replacements for things already loaded by default. I'm just trying to see if there are any which don't break compatibility in some way. Good to know videcdd is a good candidate for CD ide drivers so far.

Reply 15 of 76, by Tiido

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

http://lfntools.sourceforge.net/
These things are very useful to have in your DOS install.

T-04YBSC, a new YMF71x based sound card & Official VOGONS thread about it
Newly made 4MB 60ns 30pin SIMMs ~
mida sa loed ? nagunii aru ei saa 😜

Reply 16 of 76, by dr_st

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Tiido wrote:

http://lfntools.sourceforge.net/
These things are very useful to have in your DOS install.

I actually discourage any use of long files names in DOS. Since you cannot add native support to every level, at some point something will break.

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 17 of 76, by Tiido

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Those programs are a standalone set that do things on filesystem level, they don't add any native support to anything. I have had good use for them when I had to move around files in DOS without mucking up the filenames and they are in my toolbox in case I need to do any such stuff again.

T-04YBSC, a new YMF71x based sound card & Official VOGONS thread about it
Newly made 4MB 60ns 30pin SIMMs ~
mida sa loed ? nagunii aru ei saa 😜

Reply 18 of 76, by SaxxonPike

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

I tried FreeDOS and have had somewhat good experience with it. But there are some incompatibilities with some of the memory managers that have prevented me from using anything but MS-DOS for some games. Maybe someday I’ll write up which games have the issue.

I know when I’ve hit one when the memory manager crashes, spits out a register dump, and freezes the machine.

Sound device guides:
Sound Blaster
Aztech
OPL3-SA

Reply 19 of 76, by rishooty

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
SaxxonPike wrote:

I tried FreeDOS and have had somewhat good experience with it. But there are some incompatibilities with some of the memory managers that have prevented me from using anything but MS-DOS for some games. Maybe someday I’ll write up which games have the issue.

I know when I’ve hit one when the memory manager crashes, spits out a register dump, and freezes the machine.

I guess that's my question. It isn't necessarily what games, because I want the "default" I create to have max compatibility. The question is, which memory managers cause problems at all and which are viable replacements? So far it looks like xmgr is the only alternative candidate.

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to General Old Hardware
Close window
Close window