Why the extra small font??

Here's an idea of what I use, it's a .bat file to be run within DosBox, you'll need an SVN build and 4dos.

1@echo off
2:mainmenu
3cls
4echo [1;32mPlease choose a new configuration using the character before the parenthesis.
5echo [1;34mGeneral Midi Configurations:
6echo [0;31m1[0m) SVGA machine. (default)
7echo [0;31m2[37m) VGA machine.
8echo [0;31m3[37m) EGA machine.
9echo [1;34mMT-32 Configurations:
10echo [0;31m4[0m) SVGA machine.
11echo [0;31m5[0m) VGA machine.
12echo [0;31m6[0m) EGA machine.
13echo [0;31m7[0m) CGA machine (Alt-F11 changes the colours for composite mode).
14echo [1;34mTandy Configurations:
15echo [0;31m8[0m) SVGA machine.
16echo [0;31m9[0m) Pure Tandy machine.
17echo [1;34m__________________________________
18echo [0;31mS[0m) Special Configurations Menu
19echo [0;31mX[0m) Change nothing.
20inkey /k"123456789sx" [1;32mPlease choose an option ([0;31m1-9[1;32m,[0;31mS[1;32m, [0;31mX[1;32m):[0m %%choice
21if %choice == 1 goto gmsvga
22if %choice == 2 goto gmvga
23if %choice == 3 goto gmega
24if %choice == 4 goto mtsvga
25if %choice == 5 goto mtvga
26if %choice == 6 goto mtega
27if %choice == 7 goto mtcga
28if %choice == 8 goto tandysvga
29if %choice == 9 goto tandy
30if %choice == s goto specialmenu
31if %choice == x goto done
32:specialmenu
33cls
34echo [1;32mChoose a special configuration using the character before the parenthesis.
35echo [0;31mC[0m) Carmageddon.
36echo [0;31mW[0m) Earthworm Jim.
37echo [0;31mM[0m) Main Menu.
38echo [1;34m__________________________________
39echo [0;31mX[0m) Exit.
40inkey /k"cmwx" [1;32mPlease choose an option ([0;31mC[1;32m,[0;31mM[1;32m,[0;31mW[1;32m,[0;31mX[1;32m):[0m %%choice
41if %choice == c goto carma
42if %choice == w goto worm
43if %choice == m goto mainmenu
44if %choice == x goto done
45:gmsvga
46config -r -conf gmsvga.conf
47:gmvga
48config -r -conf gmvga.conf
49:gmega
50config -r -conf gmega.conf
51:mtsvga
52config -r -conf mtsvga.conf
53:mtvga
54config -r -conf mtvga.conf
55:mtega
56config -r -conf mtega.conf
57:mtcga
58config -r -conf mtcga.conf
59:tandysvga
60config -r -conf tandysvga.conf

61:tandy
62config -r -conf tandy.conf
63:carma
64config -r -conf carma.conf
65:worm
66config -r -conf ewj.conf
67:done

You want it in Windows?
You can use powershell, an example of what I used to use.

1System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
2function startall
3{
4Invoke-Item "C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe"
5#Invoke-Item "C:\Program Files (x86)\Rainlendar2\Rainlendar2.exe"
6}
7function stopall
8{
9#stop-process -name rainlendar2
10stop-process -name sidebar
11}
12function checkrunning
13{
14$running = 0
15if (Get-Process 'sidebar' -ea SilentlyContinue)
16{
17$running = 1
18}
19if ($running -eq 1)
20{
21stopall
22}
23}
24function do_gm
25{
26checkrunning
27c:
28cd "\mydosbox"
29start -argumentlist "-conf gmsvga.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
30}
31function do_mt
32{
33checkrunning
34c:
35cd "\mydosbox"
36start -argumentlist "-conf mtsvga.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
37}
38function do_gm_vga
39{
40checkrunning
41c:
42cd "\mydosbox"
43start -argumentlist "-conf gmvga.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
44}
45function do_mt_vga
46{
47checkrunning
48c:
49cd "\mydosbox"
50start -argumentlist "-conf mtvga.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
51}
52function do_tandy_svga
53{
54checkrunning
55c:
56cd "\mydosbox"
57start -argumentlist "-conf tandysvga.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
58}
59function do_tandy
60{

61checkrunning
62c:
63cd "\mydosbox"
64start -argumentlist "-conf tandy.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
65}
66function do_close
67{
68$running = 0
69if (Get-Process 'sidebar' -ea SilentlyContinue)
70{
71$running = 1
72}
73if ($running -eq 0)
74{
75startall
76}
77$form.close()
78}
79function do_cga
80{
81checkrunning
82c:
83cd "\mydosbox"
84start -argumentlist "-conf mtcga.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
85}
86function do_mt_ega
87{
88checkrunning
89c:
90cd "\mydosbox"
91start -argumentlist "-conf mtega.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
92}
93function do_gm_ega
94{
95checkrunning
96c:
97cd "\mydosbox"
98start -argumentlist "-conf gmega.conf" -filepath "c:\mydosbox\dosbox.exe"
99}
100#Create the selector form
101$form = New-Object Windows.Forms.Form
102$form.text = "Bloodbat's Simple DosBox Selector"
103$form.size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(300,450) 
104#General MIDI Button
105$button1 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
106$button1.text = "General MIDI"
107$button1.add_click({do_gm})
108$button1.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
109$button1.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,10
110#MT-32 Button
111$button2 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
112$button2.text = "MT-32"
113$button2.add_click({do_mt})
114$button2.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
115$button2.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,50
116#GM VGA only Button
117$button3 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
118$button3.text = "General MIDI VGA only"
119$button3.add_click({do_gm_vga})
120$button3.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
121$button3.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,90
122#MT-32 VGA only Button
123$button4 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
124$button4.text = "MT-32 VGA only"
125$button4.add_click({do_mt_vga})
126$button4.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
127$button4.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,130
128#Tandy svga button
129$button6 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
130$button6.text = "Tandy SVGA"
131$button6.add_click({do_tandy_svga})
132$button6.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
133$button6.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,170
134#Tandy button
135$button7 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
136$button7.text = "Tandy"
137$button7.add_click({do_tandy})
138$button7.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
139$button7.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,210
140#CGA button
141$button8 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
142$button8.text = "CGA"
143$button8.add_click({do_cga})
144$button8.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
145$button8.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,250
146#EGA MT-32 button
147$button9 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
148$button9.text = "EGA MT-32"
149$button9.add_click({do_mt_ega})
150$button9.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
151$button9.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,290
152#EGA GM button
153$button10 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
154$button10.text = "EGA General Midi"
155$button10.add_click({do_gm_ega})
156$button10.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
157$button10.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,330
158#Exit
159$button5 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Button
160$button5.text = "Exit"
161$button5.add_click({do_close})
162$button5.size = New-Object Drawing.Point 200,30
163$button5.Location = New-Object Drawing.Point 37,370
164#Add the buttons to the form
165$form.controls.add($button1)
166$form.controls.add($button2)
167$form.controls.add($button3)
168$form.controls.add($button4)
169$form.controls.add($button5)
170$form.controls.add($button6)
171$form.controls.add($button7)
172$form.controls.add($button8)
173$form.controls.add($button9)
174$form.controls.add($button10)
175#Display the form
176$form.showdialog()

Extra small font makes it hard to read on mobile devices...

I want it to run right inside DOSbox - some sort of a program that uses a simple config for the list of items, preferably with sub-menus
Writing a lengthy batch can be troublesome, that's why I want it to be a simple "menu tool".
It should be a tool with easy management of entries. Sub-menus are wanted for genres.

This one is shareware, but is the absolute *BEST* (and *highly* customizable) DOS menu utility hands-down... NeoSoft's "QuikMenu III" GUI menu shell for DOS.

Hmmm... seems that NeoSoft has recently removed *ALL* of their older programs and utilities from their web site at http://www.neosoftware.com .

DAMN... the end of an era! They must have recently (only within the past few months or so) discontinued their older product line, and utilities and programs for DOS 🙁 🙁

Anyhow, I had used QuikMenu III for literally DECADES on my older DOS/Win3.x rigs, and had tossed around the idea on several occasions of using it under DOSBox 😀

P.S. Back in my DR-DOS days I used an oldie called "Point and Shoot" (can't remember the company who developed/sold it), but it too was a quite-capable DOS menu utility (with a text-mode GUI, unlike QuikMenu III's 16-color graphics GUI).

Anyways, I recommend either of those, but I think you'ld like QM3 better 😀

P.P.S QM3 (customized and set up the way I liked it) running in my old 486 PC -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Weeds_486DX4-100_04.jpg 😀

Some pics of a fresh default installation of QM3 in action under DOSBox 😀

QM3

Well, QM3 is a whole desktop, I could've used any other desktop for that. Would Point-and-shoot work properly in DOSbox?

Sadist boar wrote:

Well, QM3 is a whole desktop, I could've used any other desktop for that. Would Point-and-shoot work properly in DOSbox?

Yeah, no reason why it shouldn't. But it too, is a "desktop" menu shell sort of thing... only it has a text-based GUI.

The thing is with QM3; it's REALLY easy to set up and operate (hehe like Windows, you can eben create/use your own icons), it supports submenus, and requires NO memory whatsoever to run anything (your games and apps). It simply writes temporary batch files to do it's magic, requiring no overhead when any given game or app is run from it.

Hehe, now I'm really reminiscing here <grin>.

I copied over my customized version of QM3 (from a backup drive) that I used to have running on my old 486, and fired it up under DOSBox... man, those were the days 😀

P.S. My customized main-menu was simply my way of thumbing my nose at Windows 95 at the time 🤣! 😀

P.S. Here are screenies of "Point and Shoot v3.0" (the company was "Varteck, Inc."), and another that I just remembered, "Direct Access v5.1" (by "Fifth Generation Systems").

A buddy of mine used Direct Access back in the day (late 80's/early 90's or so), but I never cared much for that one... it was a memory hog when running games and programs from it.

Point and Shoot wasn't a memory hog like DA was, but it too required precious memory (back in the day) when running programs from it.

Anyhow, QM3 doesn't any require memory at all when stuff is run from/under it, it's EXTREMELY easy to set up and operate... at it looks quite pretty as well 😀

P.S. Your only other alternative is a batch file. But, of course, that can be sort of a PITA. Something along the lines of this (note that this requires DOS/Window's "CHOICE.COM"):

1@ECHO OFF
2
3:Top
4CLS
5@ECHO Your Main Menu
6@ECHO --------------
7@ECHO Option [1]
8@ECHO Option [2]
9@ECHO Option [3]
10@ECHO Option [4]
11@ECHO Option [5]
12@ECHO.
13@ECHO [Q]uit
14@ECHO.
15CHOICE /C:12345Q
16IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO Quit
17IF ERRORLEVEL 5 GOTO Option5
18IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO Option4
19IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO Option3
20IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO Option2
21IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO Option1
22
23:Option1
24CLS
25@ECHO This is Option 1!
26@ECHO Press any key to return to the main menu...
27PAUSE>NUL
28GOTO Top
29
30:Option2
31CLS
32@ECHO This is Option 2!
33@ECHO Press any key to return to the main menu...
34PAUSE>NUL
35GOTO Top
36
37:Option3
38CLS
39@ECHO This is Option 3!
40@ECHO Press any key to return to the main menu...
41PAUSE>NUL
42GOTO Top
43
44:Option4
45CLS
46@ECHO This is Option 4!
47@ECHO Press any key to return to the main menu...
48PAUSE>NUL
49GOTO Top
50
51:Option5
52CLS
53@ECHO This is Option 5!
54@ECHO Press any key to return to the main menu...
55PAUSE>NUL
56GOTO Top
57
58:Quit
59CLS
60@ECHO Hasta la vista, Baby!

61@ECHO Press any key to exit...
62PAUSE>NUL

Can't find PAS

you want Gekko Menu 😀

Nah, you want Access 🙄

Quikmenu III Supremacy 😁

My first PC came with it and even today I use it on all my old DOS boxes...

yes, that looks great, too 😀

Access seems to be a cheap block at the tip of win3
Gekko - too bad it's DE, plus still GUI. =_!_=
Couldn't find PAS, so I am trying QM3 now (I even found a serial for it)

I am looking for a (preferably) CLI program that lets you make simple menus (or a program that writes a batch-menu based on your list entries)
For now, my [autoexec] section looks like:

1@echo off
2mount a ../install
3mount c ../disk
4c:
5cd qm3
6qm

@echo off - hides some "set" commands at startup
../install is where I throw diskette installers (like QM) into
(../install and ../disk are d:\games\dosbox\install and d:\games\dosbox\disk, respectively)
c: - go to c: drive
qm3 - QM3 folder
qm - execute the QM desktop
For testing, I only have Kyrandia II icon there. 😐

Sadist boar wrote:

Can't find PAS

And I seriously doubt that you will. I dunno if it was all that popular back in it's day (that's all that we used back when I used to work for Milgo down in Miami (now, simply called "Racal" after they bought Milgo out)... but I don't think that I've EVER heard a mention of it anywhere on the Internet.

DonutKing wrote:

Quikmenu III Supremacy 😁

You betcha! 😀

Sadist boar wrote:

For testing, I only have Kyrandia II icon there. 😐

Trust me... if you spend a little time with QM3, you WILL come to the darkside and be assimilated <grin> 😀

["Those who control Norton Commander and QuikMenu III will control the world!"] 🤣!

P.S. Just stumbled upon this here (over at the "CD Text Files Archives") -> http://cd.textfiles.com/swextrav4/swextrav4-3 … menu/psmenu.zip 😀

I still say that QM3 is the way to go though 😀

In the mid-90s, I used to use MagicDesk... DONT HIT ME PLZ!!!

I find it funny a lot of these DOS menu frontends smell of Borland graphics libraries.

Found PAS confusing. 😲