You need to make separate dosbox conf files per game. Just copy the default conf, make your changes and add your commands at the bottom.
Then run Dosbox with the -conf parameter specifying the desired game conf. You can put that line in a shortcut target or batch file.

You can change cycles on the command line or thru batch file if you wanted to: config -set cycles=xxxx

>if you wanted to: config -set cycles=xxxx

DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set "cpu cycles=2000" doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set "cycles=2000" doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x -exit config -set cycles=2000 doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 -exit doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -conf dosbox2222.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 -exit doesnt work

CONFIG -set "section property=value"
config -set "cpu cycles=10000"
i think someone said that -set command, maybe a decade ago, was broken

That's not how you're meant to pass executable commands as parameters. You're passing one command there, "PLAY.BAT".

curvedline wrote on 2025-02-22, 15:46:

>if you wanted to: config -set cycles=xxxx […]
Show full quote

>if you wanted to: config -set cycles=xxxx

DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set "cpu cycles=2000" doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set "cycles=2000" doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x -exit config -set cycles=2000 doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 -exit doesnt work
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -conf dosbox2222.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 -exit doesnt work

CONFIG -set "section property=value"
config -set "cpu cycles=10000"
i think someone said that -set command, maybe a decade ago, was broken

Sorry I should have been more specific - I meant from within DosBox.

according to the manual
Both "-set" and "-get" work from ******************* !!!!! batch files !!!!!***************************
and can be used to set up your
own preferences for each game. Although it may be easier to use separate
DOSBox's configuration files for each game instead.

i didnt realize"PLAY.BAT" could cause a problem. because sending in all different batches has been working, calling for a dosbox.exe.. or most dos games would havent been run if it hadnt taken a batch form

play.bat had this
cls
opening
vgal %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
closing
pause
cls

i changed and tired , dune2.exe runs without a batch
DOSBox.exe dune2.exe -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set "cpu cycles=2000" doesnt work
DOSBox.exe dune2.exe-conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set "cycles=2000" doesnt work
DOSBox.exedune2.exe -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 doesnt work
DOSBox.exe dune2.exe-conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x -exit config -set cycles=2000 doesnt work
DOSBox.exe dune2.exe -conf dosbox.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 -exit doesnt work
DOSBox.exe dune2.exe -conf dosbox.conf -conf dosbox2222.conf -scaler normal2x config -set cycles=2000 -exit doesnt work
the results were the same, all didnt work.

----------------------------------------
since -set isnt wokring but manual said it can, at the end i adapted like below ... series of -confs ..... after much struggles
DOSBox.exe PLAY.BAT -conf dosbox.conf -conf dosbox1-1.conf -conf dosbox2.conf -conf dosbox3-1.conf (or -conf dosbox3-2.conf , or -conf dosbox3-3.conf )
an elaborate batch can choose which conf to use

-conf dosbox1-1.conf - for desktop
-conf dosbox1-2.conf - for laptop

-conf dosbox2-1,2,3,4,5,6.conf - resolution for desktop
-conf dosbox2-1,2,3,4,5,6.conf - resolution for laptop. depends on choosing

-conf dosbox3-1.conf - cycles=max which is located in dosbox installed dir
-conf dosbox3-2.conf - cycles=auto which is located in dosbox installed dir
-conf dosbox3-3.conf - cycles=customized cycles which is located in each game dir that requires low cycles.

-----------------------------------------------------
so the part of my batch looks like this
IF /I %V4%==1 SET CC2=dosbox-con2-1.conf
IF /I %V4%==2 SET CC2=dosbox-con2-2.conf
IF /I %V4%==3 SET CC2=dosbox-con2-3.conf
IF /I %V4%==4 SET CC2=dosbox-con2-4.conf
IF /I %V4%==5 SET CC2=dosbox-con2-5.conf
IF /I %V3%==6 SET CC2=dosbox-con2-6.conf
SET C2=%CC2%

IF /I "%V5%"=="c31" SET "CC3=%S0%\dosbox-con3-1.conf"
IF /I "%V5%"=="c32" SET "CC3=%S0%\dosbox-con3-2.conf"
IF /I "%V5%"=="c33" SET "CC3=%~dp1!dosbox-con3-3.conf"
SET "C3=%CC3%"
REM c31 c32 are at dosbox dir but c33 is at game dir
REM ---------------
SET EE1=-scaler %E1%
IF /I %E1%==1 SET EE1=-scaler normal2x
IF /I %E1%==2 SET EE1=-scaler normal3x
IF /I %E1%==3 SET EE1=-scaler advinterp2x
IF /I %E1%==4 SET EE1=-scaler advmame2x
IF /I %E1%==5 SET EE1=-scaler hq2x
SET E1=%EE1%
REM ---------------------------------
IF /I %E2%==0 SET E2=""
IF /I %E2%==1 SET E2=-fullscreen

IF /I %E3%==0 SET E3=""
IF /I %E3%==1 SET E3=-EXIT
REM ----------------------------------------------
dosbox.exe %V1% -conf "%S0%\%C0%" -conf "%S0%\%C1%" -conf "%C3%" %E1% %E2% %E3% - desktop
dosbox.exe %V2% -conf "%S0%\%C0%" -conf "%S0%\%C2%" -conf "%C3%" %E1% %E2% %E3% - laptop

You are not running the config commands from a batch file. You are passing them to DOSBox.exe as individual arguments. That is not going to work.

>You are not running the config commands from a batch file. You are passing them to DOSBox.exe as individual arguments. That is not going to work.
but according to the manual
Both "-set" and "-get" work from ******************* !!!!! batch files !!!!!***************************
then this is a misleading
i have no intention to start a dosbox.exe alone before starting a game then
type in something like this config -set "cpu cycles=2000" for every different game for the best cycles i found, and i could never remember those numbers for all games
C:\>config -set "cpu cycles=2000"

the series of -conf worked, it was good enough for me, although i hoped it worked like dosboxx's -set for a simplicity

curvedline wrote on 2025-02-23, 05:52:

but according to the manual
Both "-set" and "-get" work from ******************* !!!!! batch files !!!!!***************************
then this is a misleading

No it's not. When did you ever try putting those commands in a batch file and running it inside DOSBox?
Never mind that this isn't even your thread, and you've completely hijacked it...