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First post, by curvedline

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how do i make dosbox simulate or emulate printers?

printer fx/rx/lx or other possible simulating printer choices from the old scientific editor
and I hope DOSBOX to simulate or emulate a parellel port Hewlett Packard laser printer or to any modern laser printers that i can buy if it works.

do you mean DOXBOX is an exe DOS file emlulator and it doesnt do printers?
if so, is there a way to simulate or emulate printers? i cant lose this editor because i built its scientific fonts with my life back in old days.

Reply 1 of 14, by Wengier

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From DOSBox author:

DOSBox IS NOT SUITED TO RUN YOUR NON-GAMING DOS APPLICATION

To run your editor program, try something else which supports non-gaming purposes.

Last edited by Wengier on 2021-12-14, 01:31. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 3 of 14, by Wengier

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Plasma wrote on 2021-12-14, 01:03:

There were DOS games that used the printer...

Perhaps, I guess some do support printer use as an additional feature (rather than a core feature), although it should be apparent that the OP is not using any of them...

Last edited by Wengier on 2021-12-14, 02:56. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 5 of 14, by Wengier

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Plasma wrote on 2021-12-14, 01:34:

If OP wanted to print from a game would you give a different response? Why does it matter what is printing?

Did you even read the sticky thread from DOSBox author? So you mean it is something to be ignored? You can even run for example Windows 9x from DOSBox, but this is certainly not officially supported and will never be.

If OP wants to print from a game then I would of course give a different response. It is a feature request then.

Reply 7 of 14, by Wengier

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Plasma wrote on 2021-12-14, 02:40:

I am well aware of the official position that "DOSBox is only for games." It's a lazy excuse when the feature in question would also benefit games.

I think we can separate the issue into two: if the feature in question can be shown to also benefit games, then we can consider requesting the feature based on this evidence (rather than based on original non-gaming experiences, which can be very different). Meanwhile, it should be very clear that DOSBox is officially for games, so users who want to run non-gaming stuff are still advised to use something else for non-gaming purposes (there are many differences between gaming and non-gaming experiences, not just this specific feature, and as a whole the latter are not officially supported by DOSBox).

Reply 9 of 14, by curvedline

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vDOSplus : i can make batch files, operation things work just like DOS, every mouse using DOS program causes an error, i dont know how to mount a directory with an external batch at the windows's platform yet. XTGOLD works, norton's NCD didnt work, it runs things about 15 times slower than DOSBOX.

DOSbox-x (32 bit) : it runs certain DOS programs that even XP or DOSBOX doesnt run, running other programs are as stable as they can be. but you cant make batch files, you cant do DOS things as to what makes DOS a DOS , it runs things about 30 times slower than DOSBOX, you have to manually go places and just run DOS programs.

DOSbox-x (64 bit) : didnt work on all DOS programs i tired.

i havent tried the printer emulation capability with vDOSplus and DOSbox-x (32 bit) yet. they may solve my problem.

these DOS emulators were kind of fun.

Reply 10 of 14, by Wengier

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curvedline wrote on 2021-12-14, 11:56:
vDOSplus : i can make batch files, operation things work just like DOS, every mouse using DOS program causes an error, i dont k […]
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vDOSplus : i can make batch files, operation things work just like DOS, every mouse using DOS program causes an error, i dont know how to mount a directory with an external batch at the windows's platform yet. XTGOLD works, norton's NCD didnt work, it runs things about 15 times slower than DOSBOX.

DOSbox-x (32 bit) : it runs certain DOS programs that even XP or DOSBOX doesnt run, running other programs are as stable as they can be. but you cant make batch files, you cant do DOS things as to what makes DOS a DOS , it runs things about 30 times slower than DOSBOX, you have to manually go places and just run DOS programs.

DOSbox-x (64 bit) : didnt work on all DOS programs i tired.

i havnet tried the printer emulation capability with vDOSplus and DOSbox-x (32 bit) yet. they may solve my problem.
these DOS emulators were kind of fun.

vDosPlus has limited mouse support indeed. It mainly supports text-mode DOS applications without mouse, and you can mount directories with USE command, although I believe what you said about running things about 15 times slower is highly exaggerated or simply joking. In fact, it often runs faster than DOSBox from my experiences, depending on the applications.

For DOSBox-X, what do you mean you cannot make batch files? I think you should certainly be able to make batch files using e,g. “COPY CON file.bat” or “EDIT file.bat”. These are exactly how you make batch files in real DOS, and I confirm they work in DOSBox-X as they should. DOSBox-X also supports functions like Ctrl+Break and piping (|) as in DOS, which are not supported in DOSBox since they are not considered useful for gaming purposes. I have simply no idea what you meant by “you can’t do DOS things as to what makes DOS a DOS”. As for performance you can consider using the dynamic x86 core with max cycles to run programs faster by changing the config options, but I am sure it is very funny to say about running 30 times slower, or you may be simply joking. There are also drop-down menus so that you can also do things from there instead of having to do things manually.

Reply 11 of 14, by curvedline

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i didnt want to sign up in vDosPlus and DOSBox-X forums. i was reluctant to ask questions about them here.
i just learned about MOUSE=ON in vDosPlus, the result was the same, cursor set out of bounds, vDosPlus's mouse might work on "set mode 80" and not on VGA mode. the mouse probem is not that important at this moment.

program AA was a data base program, it just reads 250k bytes of data and shows them
DOXBOX took 1.4 sec
vDosPlus took 30 sec
DOSBox-X took 40 sec +

DOS program BB1 was a math based calculation program
DOXBOX took 11 sec
vDosPlus maybe took 80 sec
DOSBox-X maybe took 100 sec

Windows program BB2 was converted and ported from the same algorithm of BB1 done by true basic's windows version complier
BB2 took 1 sec under windows. the compiler i used is called "true basic" complier whose double precision calculation is still 2% faster than the C-compiler's single precision and is about 20% faster than the pascal compiler's speed.

simply adding from 1 to 10^(8)
pen4 takes 29 sec (maybe 17 sec)
core 3+ takes less than 17 sec (maybe 9 sec)
doing by vDosPlus , i waited for 10 minutes, i stoped it , couldnt wait for the result, i felt it might go to 2 hours
doing by DOSBox-X, i waited for 10 minutes , then i stoped it , couldnt wait for the result, , i felt it might go to 2 hours

DOS program CC is a text VGA editor 640x480, this is the one that i need to get the printer emulator working someday
i didnt feel the running speed difference between and from DOXBOX, vDosPlus, DOSBox-X

i couldnt write anyting to the drive Z:> where DOSBox-X was , maybe because i dont know enough about it as to how to change it.
i need DOSBox-X to be at C:\, because i can not change all the programs configurations to Z:\ for the DOSBox-X sake. some old programs dont load their own files' paths, i have to tell them where their fonts are and etc.

my DOS running style
1. i change path=c:\;c:\batch
2. i put few 100's batch files in c:\batch
3. i make
c:\xtgold, xtree (file manager)
c:\norton (path changer)
c:\all the rest
4. then i run the batches like playing piano

i will keep playing with vDOSplus and dosbox-x for now.
right now i need this kind of a command line from vDOSplus the most
dosbox.exe AAA.exe -conf "%~dp0\dosbox-style1.conf" -EXIT
each program must have its own configuration setting
or i may have to do 4 ~ 5 command inputs ( maybe 20 key stokes) for every change of programs.
...readme says something about moving autoexec.txt and config.txt to the target program's directory...

Reply 12 of 14, by Wengier

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curvedline wrote on 2021-12-14, 14:08:
i didnt want to sign up in vDosPlus and DOSBox-X forums. i was reluctant to ask questions about them here. i just learned about […]
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i didnt want to sign up in vDosPlus and DOSBox-X forums. i was reluctant to ask questions about them here.
i just learned about MOUSE=ON in vDosPlus, the result was the same, cursor set out of bounds, vDosPlus's mouse might work on "set mode 80" and not on VGA mode. the mouse probem is not that important at this moment.

program AA was a data base program, it just reads 250k bytes of data and shows them
DOXBOX took 1.4 sec
vDosPlus took 30 sec
DOSBox-X took 40 sec +

DOS program BB1 was a math based calculation program
DOXBOX took 11 sec
vDosPlus maybe took 80 sec
DOSBox-X maybe took 100 sec

Windows program BB2 was converted and ported from the same algorithm of BB1 done by true basic's windows version complier
BB2 took 1 sec under windows. the compiler i used is called "true basic" complier whose double precision calculation is still 2% faster than the C-compiler's single precision and is about 20% faster than the pascal compiler's speed.

simply adding from 1 to 10^(8)
pen4 takes 29 sec (maybe 17 sec)
core 3+ takes less than 17 sec (maybe 9 sec)
doing by vDosPlus , i waited for 10 minutes, i stoped it , couldnt wait for the result, i felt it might go to 2 hours
doing by DOSBox-X, i waited for 10 minutes , then i stoped it , couldnt wait for the result, , i felt it might go to 2 hours

DOS program CC is a text VGA editor 640x480, this is the one that i need to get the printer emulator working someday
i didnt feel the running speed difference between and from DOXBOX, vDosPlus, DOSBox-X

i couldnt write anyting to the drive Z:> where DOSBox-X was , maybe because i dont know enough about it as to how to change it.
i need DOSBox-X to be at C:\, because i can not change all the programs configurations to Z:\ for the DOSBox-X sake. some old programs dont load their own files' paths, i have to tell them where their fonts are and etc.

my DOS running style
1. i change path=c:\;c:\batch
2. i put few 100's batch files in c:\batch
3. i make
c:\xtgold, xtree (file manager)
c:\norton (path changer)
c:\all the rest
4. then i run the batches like playing piano

i will keep playing with vDOSplus and dosbox-x for now.
right now i need this kind of a command line from vDOSplus the most
dosbox.exe AAA.exe -conf "%~dp0\dosbox-style1.conf" -EXIT
each program must have its own configuration setting
or i may have to do 4 ~ 5 command inputs ( maybe 20 key stokes) for every change of programs.
...readme says something about moving autoexec.txt and config.txt to the target program's directory...

I think you should really seek for support in their own support channels or forums rather than here, posting any test programs (AA, BB1, etc) if necessary so that it is much easier to sort things out. For example, any performance issue may be caused by configurations (performance can vary a lot under different configurations). In any case, just FYI for vDosPlus you can indeed specify a different config.txt/autoexec.txt with e.g. the following command: "vDosPlus.exe /cfg config.new /set autoexec=autoexec.new". As for DOSBox-X the contents in drive Z: are indeed customizable, e.g. you can put your own programs or files in the "drivez" subdirectory in the program directory so that they will appear on the Z drive, replacing any existing files/programs with same names, or you can hide existing files via config options.

Reply 13 of 14, by BitWrangler

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How to check an em quick..

You copy xyzzy.txt to LPT1:

Nothing happens.

Unless you find the right place to use it.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 14 of 14, by curvedline

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i was very mistaken, i think i was too confused about where to mount.
it turned out DOSBOX could not mount a program elsewhere other than C: even if it was forced to make a 2ndary mount elsewhere with the SAME content. But the 2ndary mount does not share the same physical location of HDD, since it loses the directory name and only keeps the root drive name. therefore the moment that DOSBOX mounts a program, it loses the paths of all other utility programs that used to be at C: for some reasons , i thought i could have my central path and centralize the commands like old DOS. now i know where i can stand with dosbox , vdosplus and dosbox-x.

-------------------------------
SET P0=H:\AAA
SET P1=%P0%\BBB.EXE -conf "%~dp0\dosbox-mod1.conf" -c "MOUNT H %P0%" -EXIT

SET D0=%P0:~0,2%
ECHO ~0,2 => 0+1=1, 0+2=2 => A$[1:2]
ECHO %D0% has no place to go.

START DOSBOX.EXE %P1%
------------------------------
editing few 100's "startin", everytime i uses a different computer is not my idea of doing DOS.
once i have cantral paths, i can simply copy a few 100's batch files into the other computer in 1 ~ 2 sec , then i am ready to go. even in windows, i never make file associations made by windows or any other programs.

only DOS batch files can link the file associations. for example "SHELL-IMAGE-VIEWER.BAT" controls jpg, pcx, bmp and all other image files. when i am installing things into a new pc , it may take few seconds to directly inject them into the registries and i am ready to use the pc, for some people may take 6 months to set up their settings of the new computers.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\SHELL-IMAGE-VIEWER.BAT\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\AAA\\SHELL-IMAGE-VIEWER.BAT\" \"%1\""

these are several key lines of making registries that look for "SHELL-IMAGE-VIEWER.BAT"
SET "SID1=WMIC USERACCOUNT WHERE NAME="%USERNAME%" GET SID"
input data BMP DIB GIF JPG JPEG LBM PCD PCX PNG PSD SGI TGA TIF TIFF
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.%5]
Regedit.exe /s m:\aaa.reg

>>.... autoexec=autoexec.new... drive Z: ...
i tried to use autoexec.new to return to where C:\ and my central path were, it didnt work. but it is ok. i kind of understood where i could stand.

>>I think you should really seek for support in their own support channels or forums rather than here, posting any test programs (AA, BB1, etc) if necessary so that it is much easier to sort things out.
I will sign up there later, the last post made in vdosplus forum was like 4 years ago? i was a bit skeptical.
AA, BB1 ... they might say the numerical calculation are always terribly slower in the emulators