How do I work dosbox? I get the window with all the text and have no idea what to type in. I attempt to type in C:\whatever the games EXE file is and then Nothing happens. Whats the dealus?

Hi, Dosbox works just like DOS. If you are not familiar with how to use DOS, try these links.

http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

Document on installing Dosbox under Linux, but might have something useful for you as well.

http://www.geekytechguy.net/index.php?topic=topicdosbox

Jim

DOSBox works just like DOS, except for, you have to use DOSBox "mount" command before you can access any directory.

Example.

Z:\>mount c c:\
{Drive c mounted as c}
Z:\>mount d f:\ -t cdrom
{Drive f mounted as d (cd-rom)}
Z:\>d:
D:\>setup
{install completes}
D:\>c:
C:\>cd lolg
C:\LOLG\>lolg.exe

ETC....

"Z:\>mount f d:\ -t cdrom"

I haven't used dosbox for quite a while, but doesn't this make drive d mounted as f, instead of the other way around?
Meaning that the cdrom (which is usually d:\) called f in dosbox after this?

Dark Knight ez wrote:

"Z:\>mount f d:\ -t cdrom"

I haven't used dosbox for quite a while, but doesn't this make drive d mounted as f, instead of the other way around?
Meaning that the cdrom (which is usually d:\) called f in dosbox after this?

Yes it does mean that.

Whoops! You caught me. A typo. 😁

Saying that you can't learn DOS now is silly - DOSBOX is much simpler than MS DOS ever was. You don't have to endlessly fiddle with memory settings, drivers, etc. anymore to be able to run a game for one and it's much more compatible than most hardware at the time.

A few months ago, I decided to try old Amiga games because there were a lot of Amiga games that were predecessors to famous PC games or were just great games that were never released in the same way on PC (the graphics were superior than those of a PC for many years).

It took me a week to understand most of it, but now I can virtually run any game on the Amiga emulator - and trust me, it's more complicated than DOSBOX.

Me think, users who want to play dos games should now dos basics.
Users who want to play dos games have to read the "manual".
Users who want to use windows have to read the "manual".
Users who want to use any softw have to read the "manual".
Just ban them for a few days if they ask things that are explained in the manual.
Dont touch my dosbox its perfect as is.
It is a DOSbox after all, not a supereasywithguibox

learn how to make a gui !
Learn how to make a gui !

Now after that ... MAKE A README that is NOT a brag about your programming skills. Make a readme that anwsers questions quickly , and correctly. Make a readme that is REALVENT TO RUNING GAMES ! . All I got from 30k of wasted harddrive space on my computer is you got a bonar from programming half the functions in the game (only reason you would go on for paragraphs about worthless functions) .

After that , Make a gui . Noone wants to use dos ,its stupid , its old , we want a gui , you know this , you just refuse to accept it . You refuse to accept that windows is dominant too. I have mounted a folder onto the c drive , yet I cannot get out of the z drive. It doesnt matter what I do. I can use Cd/chdir (or whatever your IMMITATION of cd is) and I am still in the z drive. Its bullshit

bugmenot wrote:

learn how to make a gui !
Learn how to make a gui !

After that , Make a gui . Noone wants to use dos ,its stupid , its old , we want a gui , you know this , you just refuse to accept it .

If DOS is so 'stupid' and 'old' then why would you ever want to play DOS computer games in the first place? If you wish to put a Windows GUI as a front-end to DOSBOX- feel free to write and program one. Then you can make a real "to the point" README that will impress the hell out of everyone who reads it - letting them play any DOS game after reading your single paragraph README.TXT file.

The GUI would have nothing to do with the core of DOSBOX, just as the GUI to Oracle Tools has nothing to do with the underlying Oracle Database... You evidently are a child without a sense of computer history, nor work experience which would make you familiar with the changes in the presentation layer of computer technology which has occurred over the past 25 years.

What would you have said to an Apple II in 1979? Bah, humbug?? Look the way out of your problem is just agree NOT to play any of these stupid old DOS games at all - then you won't have to fool around with a DOS emulation command-line interface. Stick to Windows 3.1 to WinXP games and you should remain happy - an leave the rest of us adults alone.

dvwjr

bugmenot wrote:

learn how to make a gui ! Learn how to make a gui ! […]
Show full quote

learn how to make a gui !
Learn how to make a gui !

Now after that ... MAKE A README that is NOT a brag about your programming skills. Make a readme that anwsers questions quickly , and correctly. Make a readme that is REALVENT TO RUNING GAMES ! . All I got from 30k of wasted harddrive space on my computer is you got a bonar from programming half the functions in the game (only reason you would go on for paragraphs about worthless functions) .

After that , Make a gui . Noone wants to use dos ,its stupid , its old , we want a gui , you know this , you just refuse to accept it . You refuse to accept that windows is dominant too. I have mounted a folder onto the c drive , yet I cannot get out of the z drive. It doesnt matter what I do. I can use Cd/chdir (or whatever your IMMITATION of cd is) and I am still in the z drive. Its bullshit

Ok Mr. Troll your posts are getting a little out of hand. If you want help or want to make a valid suggestion then act like a mature adult, not a little kid with a bone to pick.

You want a GUI? I believe thats what the tools section of the download page was for. Get a front end like D-fend instead of bad mouthing that which you do not understand.

The goal of dosbox is to emulate the functions of a dos environment with full functionality for games....not to help people with no knowledge of DOS or the era play older games. Unless you are willing to sit down and learn DOS then there really is no reason to download dosbox is there?

> I have mounted a folder onto the c drive ,
> yet I cannot get out of the z drive.
> It doesnt matter what I do. I can use Cd/chdir

I like those three sentences. It depicts your problem precisely.
Indeed it is not in the readme, because it is assumed that
people who need a dos emulator remember the very basic commands.
In this case, it is "c:" which changes the drives, not "cd".
I'm not sure if things like this should be included in the
readme, to be honest nobody really ever thought this would
cause problems.
If you continue to have problems, try to read an old book about
dos commands/msdos in general, or search the forum for dosbox
specific problems.

i have DosBox and it had taken me considerable amount of time for me to change settings for mounting using instructions provided with the download and it is fully operational and perfect. i guess if u dont read the instructions, you'll get nowhere. i highly value DosBox

sp1nfer wrote:

I think that DOSBox is already great the way it is, it doesn't need to change

DOSBox IS user-friendly , it's NOT idiot friendly

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Despite what the idiots may think, DOS is simple and Windows is at least a thousand times more complex. Hands up all of you who have had to spend half an hour searching the Windows Registry for some stupid elusive value to change. THAT is complex. Having to type "cd games\rott<enter>rott.exe" to play your favourite game is not.

I don't think of complaining users to be idiot (that is a little harsh to say) but they may be lazy bastards. 😁

eL_PuSHeR wrote:

I don't think of complaining users to be idiot (that is a little harsh to say) but they may be lazy bastards. 😁

I think "lazy" is putting it mildly. The DOSBox README and the comments in dosbox.conf are plenty sufficient for anyone with some brains to figure out how to use and configure the program. If the users are too stupid to understand those files, they have no place going anywher near a computer. Computers were never designed for lazy bastards who refuse to read any form of documentation and what's more, they never will be.

It kind of makes me wonder what the world would be like if the GUI had never been invented. Would we be better off?

Agreed, but I still think you are mistaking lack of knowledge with intelligence.

eL_PuSHeR wrote:

Agreed, but I still think you are mistaking lack of knowledge with intelligence.

Stupid people think that their problems are caused by other people, and that they themselves are innocent victims.

Intelligent people think that their problems are a chance to learn something new, and that they are part of the solution.

MiniMax wrote:

Stupid people think that their problems are caused by other people, and that they themselves are innocent victims.

Intelligent people think that their problems are a chance to learn something new, and that they are part of the solution.

And intelligent people tend to recognise when they themselves caused the problem.

A sample scenario:

DOSBox is running too slow, despite user having set it to run at 40000 cycles.

Stupid User: "#$%@ing piece of crap! Stupid programmers can't even make something that requires a 386 to run work!"<Posts on forum about how crappy they think DOSBox is and refuse to listen to any explanations as to why their game was running slow.>

Intelligent User: "Whoops! I must have set the cycles too high and my computer can't cope with the demands." <Turns down the cycles to 20000> "Aha! That's fixed it. Note to self: DOSBox can't run more than about 20000 cycles on this computer."

In my case, the computer can't handle more than around 30000 cycles. [sigh]