Can we use EMM386.EXE instead of QEMM or JEMMEX? Or is that a big no-no?

My understanding is no. It depends on a very specific version of Jemmex, and/or QEMM version at least 7

I tested Wing Commander with SBEMU. It crashes

stamasd wrote on 2023-03-11, 10:50:

BTW, I did more testing with version 5.84 of Jemmex. It absolutely refuses to enable UMBs no matter what parameters I used to load it. And in one instance, when using the SPLIT option, it locked the computer hard at boot (no error messages, just a message that it is loaded but the computer became unresponsive and needed a power cycle).

Please do not pollute this thread with jemmex bug reports, especially if they have nothing to do with sbemu! Jemmex bug reports must be made in github.

Also, the EMS it enables is not usable by some games. This does not happen with Jemmex v.5.79 - neither the UMB nor the EMS problem.
This again happens on the Zotac Zbox ID80, the exact specs of which you can see here: https://www.zotac.com/us/product/mini_pcs/id80 It is configured with 2x2GB DDR3-1067 modules.

If jemmex crashes, use qemm instead...

MSI X470 GAMING PLUS MAX
AMD Ryzen 1800x
6700xt
Onboard audio

MS-DOS 6.22, and the games I've tested are:

Big Red Racing
Command Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle

Sound works great!

2d:00.3 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller

Registered as snd_intel_hda (to my recollection)

Edit:

Doom: Soundblaster music works, same with Adlib, but Soundblaster sound effects makes computer hang at title screen with music stuck in a hang.

stamasd wrote on 2023-03-11, 10:50:

I tested Wing Commander with SBEMU. It crashes

no problem, play the win9x versions from the kilrathi saga.

Did some more testing on my IBM Thinkpad T42 and I discovered that when using the DOS USB Drivers from Bret Johnson (https://bretjohnson.us/forum/download/file.ph … aa19c6bd0416531) for my USB mouse it would hard crash the laptop when starting a game like Doom.

There is a beta USB mouse driver which solved this (https://bretjohnson.us/forum/download/file.ph … aa19c6bd0416531) and it now works perfectly.

So maybe not a problem caused by SBEMU but hopefully will help others when they hit the same problem.

I've tested it with my Athlon XP which has a nFORCE2 SPP / MCP-T chipset. Worked beautifully with the few games I tried.

zyzzle wrote on 2023-03-07, 04:22:

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-03-06, 19:52:

Dang, trying to remember what I was doing in 1996 to just turn on CD input to a card all the time, so if you were in DOS and stuck a CD and hit play on the drive, you just heard it, no messing. So I'd hope, that would stick in a game that just put out CD audio and hoped you had it turned on.

Need MSCDEX.EXE and a CDROM driver interface driver loaded. SHSCD.SYS by Jason Brooks (?) works well, as many other such as OAKCDROM.SYS. But, not sure about modern SATA-drives in DOS. I think Jason Brooks DOS utilities, which include a dos RAM DISK and Virtual CD-ROM emulator as well, will work with real physical SATA CD / DVD drives in DOS.

You also need that audio cable, as already mentioned, physically connected from the CD drive to the motherboard or sound card itself. Don't think many "modern" motherboards, particularly laptops even have such a connector any more.

Were i can find Jason Brooks DOS utilities? I searched the web and find nothing. Can you please share the link?

I trying to put the command "Jload QPIEMU.DLL" on my Autoexec.bat, but for some reason it wont load.

The error message: "JLoad: qpiemu.dll cannot be opened".

This command works fine when i type it on the prompt.

There's no way to put it on Autoexec.bat?

sergio_prado wrote on 2023-03-11, 22:57:

I trying to put the command "Jload QPIEMU.DLL" on my Autoexec.bat, but for some reason it wont load. […]
Show full quote

I trying to put the command "Jload QPIEMU.DLL" on my Autoexec.bat, but for some reason it wont load.

The error message: "JLoad: qpiemu.dll cannot be opened".

This command works fine when i type it on the prompt.

There's no way to put it on Autoexec.bat?

Use the complete path when loading from autoexec.bat. For example: c:\sbemu\jload c:\sbemu\qpiemu.dll.

Well, my congratulations on this.

It's an excellent idea that was just waiting for someone to do it!

I have tested it on a "TQ Mini" industrial mini computer with a Vortex86MP SoC that contains a Realtek AC97 Codec.

It is detected as "Intel ICH" audio (pretty incorrect) but nonetheless it is working.

I have to do more extensive tests but for now Ultimate DOOM, Duke Nukem 3D and Dune II work to some extent.

Again, congratulations.

Ok, going with tested games.

Games that work OK:

• Blake Stone
• DOOM II
• Duke Nukem II
• Duke Nukem 3D Atomic Edition (some slowdowns due to not enough CPU)
• Dune II
• Final DOOM
• Heretic Shadow of the Serpent Riders
• Hexen
• Master of Orion
• Master of Orion II
• Monkey Island 2
• Raptor Call of the Shadows
• Rise of the Triad (but hangs on exit)
• The Secret of Monkey Island
• Tie Fighter CD
• UFO Enemy Unknown / X-COM UFO Defense
• Ultimate DOOM
• WarCraft
• WarCraft II
• X-Wing Collector's (needs EMS)

Games that work almost OK:

• Descent (SB Pro mode sounds high pitched, SB16 mode sounds good but can get heavy slowdowns due to CPU)
• Epic Pinball (same high pitch problem in SB Pro mode, SB16 sounds good)
• X-COM Terror from the Deep (same high pitch problem but in-game only, intro sounds OK)

Games that do not work:

• Ascendancy (DOS/4GW makes HDPMI exit with error 0007, needs reboot. Trying DOS32A just exists without error, does not need reboot)
• Lemmings (JEMMX exception 0D, works with FreeDOS included JEMMX in another computer so dunno if CPU bug or what)
• Pinball Fantasies (crashes in logo while the speakers start outputting sounds from damned souls from hell)
• X-COM Apocalypse (setup and game crash, not errors, nothing, just hang)

Yoghoo wrote on 2023-03-11, 23:32:

sergio_prado wrote on 2023-03-11, 22:57:

I trying to put the command "Jload QPIEMU.DLL" on my Autoexec.bat, but for some reason it wont load. […]
Show full quote

I trying to put the command "Jload QPIEMU.DLL" on my Autoexec.bat, but for some reason it wont load.

The error message: "JLoad: qpiemu.dll cannot be opened".

This command works fine when i type it on the prompt.

There's no way to put it on Autoexec.bat?

Use the complete path when loading from autoexec.bat. For example: c:\sbemu\jload c:\sbemu\qpiemu.dll.

It worked. Thanks!

I’ll be an ordinary person with “I’m following the guide but it’s not working, help me”

The laptop is Toshiba Satellite 5205 with sound device Yamaha F753 @ Intel 82801CAM ICH3-M - AC'97 Audio Controller [B1] PCI

Windows 98 installed, I’m entering dos via command prompt only option on f8 menu

My current config.sys only holds required option:

rem device=C:\DOS7\HIMEM.SYS
rem DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=jemmex.exe
rem device=C:\DOS7\EMM386.EXE
rem device=C:\DOS7\IFSHLP.SYS
rem Install=C:\DOS7\clarus.com /q
rem Country=007,866,country.sys

I also created simple bat file to run all other commands and see how it goes:

jload qpiemu.dll
pause
hdpmi32i -r -x
pause
sbemu
pause

That's what i have when loading command line, looks perfectly fine. (Sorry for some mistakes, it’s phones ORC)

JennEx u5.84 [02/06/23]
System memory found at e800-efff, region might be in use
Using page frane d000
JennEx loaded

Then

C:\> jload gpienu.dll
JLoad: 'gpienu.dIl' loaded successfully.

C: hdpmi32i -p -x
HDPMI32 now resident

C: \>sbenu
Found sound card: ICH AC9?
Real mode support: enabled.
Protected node support: enabled
OPL3 emulation enabled at port 388h.
Sound Blaster Pro enulation enabled at Adress: 220, IRQ: 7, DNA: 1

But then I run doom or duke3d and they both crash with wall of text…

vorob wrote on 2023-03-12, 09:03:

I’ll be an ordinary person with “I’m following the guide but it’s not working, help me” […]
Show full quote

I’ll be an ordinary person with “I’m following the guide but it’s not working, help me”

The laptop is Toshiba Satellite 5205 with sound device Yamaha F753 @ Intel 82801CAM ICH3-M - AC'97 Audio Controller [B1] PCI

Windows 98 installed, I’m entering dos via command prompt only option on f8 menu

My current config.sys only holds required option:

rem device=C:\DOS7\HIMEM.SYS
rem DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=jemmex.exe
rem device=C:\DOS7\EMM386.EXE
rem device=C:\DOS7\IFSHLP.SYS
rem Install=C:\DOS7\clarus.com /q
rem Country=007,866,country.sys

I also created simple bat file to run all other commands and see how it goes:

jload qpiemu.dll
pause
hdpmi32i -r -x
pause
sbemu
pause

That's what i have when loading command line, looks perfectly fine. (Sorry for some mistakes, it’s phones ORC)

JennEx u5.84 [02/06/23]
System memory found at e800-efff, region might be in use
Using page frane d000
JennEx loaded

Then

C:\> jload gpienu.dll
JLoad: 'gpienu.dIl' loaded successfully.

C: hdpmi32i -p -x
HDPMI32 now resident

C: \>sbenu
Found sound card: ICH AC9?
Real mode support: enabled.
Protected node support: enabled
OPL3 emulation enabled at port 388h.
Sound Blaster Pro enulation enabled at Adress: 220, IRQ: 7, DNA: 1

But then I run doom or duke3d and they both crash with wall of text…

72B6CD0E-BE29-4F90-B452-AF4222E844AB.jpeg

Try adding NOAUTO to DOS=HIGH,UMB string.
I think I had problems when it was not there.

Will check soon. For now I’ve checked another laptop, Compaq N410c with no native dos sound support. Worked flawlessly. Even made a video: https://youtube.com/shorts/rRuJxorpDVA

Thanks again!

I noticed a strange behavior on SBEMU:

After running SBEMU, if i do Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart the machine and start Windows (ME), the sound on Windows will not work at all. To make the sound on Windows work again, i have to shutdown the machine.

Also, if some random bug happen with SBEMU when i run some game, it will not work properly when i restart the machine with Ctrl+All+Del. To make it work again i have to shutdown the machine.

It's weird. Restarting the machine shouldn't clean the RAM and any trace of SBEMU?

So a soft boot will not reset the state of each device in your computer, a hard boot will do so.

Great job man!

I can confirm that it is not (yet?) working on an SIS7012 based on SIS741(GX/CX) and RTL ALC203 Codec. I attached the codecs whitepaper.

If you want to implement this i can assist you with my machine.