DOSBox is not intended to launch programs on the host system, its sole purpose is a games emulator.

Well... You're right about the DOSBox's primary intention. But it surely can run old programs as well, that is confirmed by the thread title "DOSBox Games/Apps" 😀

I guess the solution to my problem would require some coding in the DOSBox sources... So should I repost this question to the development-related thread?

It's called DDDDDOOOOOOSSSSSSbox and not WINDOWSbox for a reason.

OVZh wrote:

I guess the solution to my problem would require some coding in the DOSBox sources... So should I repost this question to the development-related thread?

Code change will be necessary, yes.

Just remember, DOSBox also runs on Linux, MacOSX, Solaris, PSP, and mobile phones, which I believe will make your task much harder.

You will not have much luck by posting it as a question/request. DOSBox is for running old games.

If you post working code, everyone will applaud, look at the code, and then ignore it.

Just to note... My problem is rather common I believe. There's a legacy DOS program which accesses the well-known Win32 DosPrinter (PrintFil analog) application for prininting to a non-DOS printer...

Anyway thank you guys 😀

Just to note... My problem is rather common I believe.

...but has nothing to do with dosbox.

Use HX DOS Extender within DOSBox.

Having DOSBox run tasks "outside" of the emulation, on the host OS, would be very, very problematic for a number of reasons. Emulation per se is not supposed to run anything on the host OS, not least for security reasons. You could try to play around with semaphore files, but i think you should look at a "real" x86 emulator (VMWare, BOCHS, etc.). You'd have to install DOS and Windows on that, of course.

Oh yeah true. Make an AutoIt script or something like that to watch a folder for batch files, have that same folder mounted in DOSBox, and make DOSBox echo C:\path\to\program.exe>batfile.bat on that mounted folder... AutoIt see's it, runs it, BAM! DOSBox can automate the host PC.

....i might add this feature to my planned DOSBox frontend/shell. *Writes it down* Wow, thanks people in this thread!!!

Thread starter could install Windows 3.1 (look at eBay for it)
within DOSBox which seems to be *the* windows version his game expects.

Oh yeah, too, enable DOS virusses running from within DOSBox to alter the host operating system.

Yes indeed, I think you should read the documentation that came with your game. It will probably say it (or parts of it) require Windows 3.1 or something.

U talkin about what I said IIGS_User?? (Virus thing)

Coz my idea just involves mounting a temporary folder that's already empty, and the host would have companion software that "watches" this folder for any flags to know when to perform a specific, pre-set task. Sorry, it DEFINATELY wouldn't be just an "execute batch files that appear from DOSBox" thing 🤣 - it'd have it's own syntax parsing I reckon, for security reasons.

Only security issue would be in DOSBox itself, or if the companion program was infected. It's not like it'd watch for a "DELTREE C:\WINDOWS\" command then do it.... >_<

It was just an idea. But to be honest, I see little to no point of such a feature/program. I mean, why would you want DOSBox - an emulator for GAMING - to automate your host Windows PC?

If the O.P. or anyone else would like to gimme some reasons/ideas why it might be fun or useful, then I might start on it. Otherwise, I won't bring it up again - kind of a waste of time.

danielc wrote:

Use HX DOS Extender within DOSBox.

How did you get that to work?

Best wishes,
Oscar

ovvldc wrote:

How did you get that to work? […]
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danielc wrote:

Use HX DOS Extender within DOSBox.

How did you get that to work?

Best wishes,
Oscar

Had to boot into MS-DOS 6.22 sadly, that was a while ago though and I had to hack around with 0.70. Havn't tried it in a while, but i'm working on my own "easy pack" of DOSBox GUI/distribution that will have it bundled and working... eventually.