Using CD Images with MS-DOS Hard Drive Image \ VOGONS

Using CD Images with MS-DOS Hard Drive Image

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First post, by Great Hierophant

Posted on 2012-03-07, 14:50

Great Hierophant Offline

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I cannot seem to get a CD drive working with my MS-DOS hard drive image in DOSBox. I start here in dosbox.conf :

imgmount c c:\dosbox\msdos.img -t hdd -fs fat -size 512,63,16,1024
imgmount d c:\dosbox\kq5.iso -t cdrom
boot c:\dosbox\msdos.img -l c

Now, since I have MS-DOS 5.0 installed on the hard drive, I would like to use it with CD images as well as floppy images. My autoexec.bat and config.sys are pretty basic :

config.sys :

device=c:\dos\himem.sys
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems
dos=high,umb
files=40
devicehigh=c:\oakcdrom.sys [or vide-cdd.sys] /d:mscd001

autoexec.bat :

@echo off
prompt $p$g
set blaster=a220 i7 d1 h5 t6
path=c:\;c:\dos
lh mscdex /d:mscd001
lh ctmouse

Now my problem is that the device drivers (Oak or Vide) will not find a CD Drive. So MSCDEX will not load and no D: will be available. Any solution?

http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/ - Nerdly Pleasures - My Retro Gaming, Computing & Tech Blog

Reply 1 of 5, by ripsaw8080

Posted on 2012-03-07, 15:18

ripsaw8080 Offline

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cdrom device drivers don't work because DOSBox does not (yet) implement the ATA/ATAPI interface for storage devices, only INT 13 stuff works when booting.

The workaround is to use a virtual cdrom drive running inside DOSBox, such as shsucdhd or old DOS versions of Daemon Tools. Of course your HD image must be large enough to also contain the cdrom image.

Reply 2 of 5, by Jorpho

Posted on 2012-03-07, 16:24

Jorpho Offline

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ripsaw8080 wrote:
old DOS versions of Daemon Tools.

Gee, I can't remember hearing about those before. Are they superior to shsucdhd? Do they support redbook audio tracks?

Reply 3 of 5, by Great Hierophant

Posted on 2012-03-07, 16:37

Great Hierophant Offline

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It sounds like, for practical purposes, we are stuck with native DOSBox's CD handler for the time being.

I don't know of too many games these days that will not install off its CD, but I have read of some odd installer on a legitimate compilation (shovelware) CD that used an "exotic" external command like JOIN, APPEND or SUBST. Supposing one had a DOS directory on the hard drive, how could you point the installer in the direction of those files? (AUTOEXEC PATH variable)

http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/ - Nerdly Pleasures - My Retro Gaming, Computing & Tech Blog

Reply 4 of 5, by Jorpho

Posted on 2012-03-07, 16:41

Jorpho Offline

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Great Hierophant wrote:
Supposing one had a DOS directory on the hard drive, how could you point the installer in the direction of those files? (AUTOEXEC PATH variable)

DOSBox supports PATH. There's nothing special about it that requires autoexec.bat, y'know.
http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/PATH

Reply 5 of 5, by ripsaw8080

Posted on 2012-03-07, 16:51

ripsaw8080 Offline

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Jorpho wrote:
ripsaw8080 wrote:
old DOS versions of Daemon Tools.
Gee, I can't remember hearing about those before. Are they superior to shsucdhd? Do they support redbook audio tracks?

I've only heard rumors of DT for DOS, so don't have firsthand experience. shsucdhd and fakecd/fakedr are the DOS-based virtual cdroms that I've used (with some success) in DOSBox.

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