All about Dosbox, operation, starting, instructions, sound config and more !

1. What is DOSBox ?
2. Where does the name come from?
3. Which games are supported ?
4. Which OSes are supported ?
5. Links to interesting websites
6. Info about starting with Dosbox
7. Infos about control Dosbox
8. Dosbox step by step guide with screenshots
9. DOS commands in Dosbox
10. German keyboard layout with internal program
11. Dosbox completely in German with external programs
12. Accelerate Dosbox !
13. keyboard shortcuts
14. Gravis Ultrasound Emulation
15. Info about CVS versions of Dosbox
16. Play over network with Dosbox

• You have the possibility to try out different soundcards
• Speed can be set during the game
• make screenshots
• Record wave files of the game
• 100 Hz refresh rate for Dos games and more (Dos has only max 70/60 Hz)
• Graphics filter for better graphics quality
• Each game can be assigned its own config file.
• Dosbox is freeware
• Simple memory handling (EMX,XMS,RAM size)
• No more problems with conventional main memory (640 KB)
• It is possible to take screenshots of old Dos based games
• It is possible to make video recordings of old Dos based games

The name Dosbox, is actually the meaning for the "MS-DOS command prompt" that has been used since the "operating system" Windows95. If you now let the prompt be displayed in a window, then the window is colloquially called a "Dos-Box".

( Dos-Box, Windows XP)

• DosBox
  There is also a good forum, in English language.
• angryBoard
  Here I have put an own forum online. If someone has a question about Dosbox, then come in here with it.
• Dosbox Readme in English (Version 0.70)
• Dosbox Wikipedia(English)
• New Dosbox CVS releases of Dosbox DAUM Cafe
  There are always relative new CVS versions of Dosbox, but they are not necessarily stable must, because they are developer versions. You can also find interesting information and updates / patches for Dosbox here.

1. The first way to start a game with Dosbox is to drag and drop the file you want to run onto the Dosbox.exe. see here

2. The second possibility is to call a game by command. For example, this could look like this:
dosbox c:\colonization\viceroy.exe -c -conf colonization.conf

3. The third option is to specify within the "dosbox.conf" file which commands should be executed automatically when starting Dosbox.

4. The fourth option is to use a frontend for Dosbox. Here is a selection of frontends:

1. DOSSHELL
2. DBFrontend
3. Jamyda
4. Dosbox Game Launcher
5. D-Fend Reloaded

Step by step Instructions for starting a game with DosBox

.

Step	Description	Screenshot
1. download and installation	First you download DosBox from the developer homepage. (Here a screenshot from 04.07.2006 in the picture the version 0.65)(Picture 1) Then install it by double clicking on the setup file (DOSBox0.65-win32-installer.exe). The target path of an installation is up to the user.(Picture 2) In my example I'll use the following path: C:\Programs\DOSBox-0.65	(Image 1) (Image 2)
>2. start DOSBox	Next you start Dosbox either via the shortcuts in the start menu of Windows or directly in Explorer with a double click on the Dosbox.exe Now Dosbox opens and two windows should open. One window is the program itself and looks like a DOS window.(Picture 3) The other window is the program itself. displays information, e.g. if you increase the Cycles(speed) or make other settings (Screnshot,Video Capture,etc....). In the Info window you can see if an action worked or not.(Picture 4)	(Image 3) (Image 4)
3. mount a directory	Now you should mount the directory of the game you want to start.(Picture 5) The command to mount is: MOUNT[Virtual drive letter] [Local directory] Like, for example: MOUNT C: D:\SPIELE\DOOM2 If you want to mount a directory that has a name with more than 8 characters, just put the path in quotation marks. The same must be done if there is a space in the name.(Picture 6)	(Image 5) (Picture 6)
4.Start the game / Program	If you have now mounted the desired directory, then you can start the game, you only have to start the .EXE (Executable). If you don't know the name of this start file for this game, you can look it up in Explorer or type DIR /P, so you get all files in one directory. (To show only .EXE files, type DIR *.EXE in) You just need to enter the name of the correct file to start it. FOR EXAMPLE: DOOM2 The program or game should then be started. If not, then see further at point 5.	(Image 7)
5. configuring the .CONF file	If you don't want to start a game, it may be due to the settings in the configuration file, e.g.: "DOSBOX.CONF" There you can set many things, from memory management to CPU emulation, or using graphic filters. It is also possible to enter commands under [autoexec], which should be executed automatically when starting on Dosbox. (e.g.:Mounting a drive,etc...) You can easily open the file DOSBOX.CONF with the NOTEPAD of Windows, you just have to set it to show *.CONF files. (Figure 8) After that you can configure different parameters in the CONF file. (Figure 9) The explanations for each parameter can be found in the README.TXT.(Dosbox Readme in English)	(Image 8) (Image 9)
6. Who helps if something doesn't work ?	We recommend to first read the README file to solve the problem. There are also many forums where you can ask for help.

Step	Description	Screenshot
1. loading of the internal Keyb program	To get the german keyboard layout, enter KEYB GR immediately after starting Dosbox. This will load the German keyboard layout. But be careful, the Y is a Z in the English keyboard layout. The parameter GR after calling the program KEYB specifies the country whose keyboard layout is to be loaded. In this example GR=DEUTSCHLAND is used. (see below)	(Figure 1) Dosbox
Overview of country abbreviations	Australia=us Belgium=be Bosnia/Herzegovina=yu Brazil=br Bulgaria=bg Chile=la Denmark=dk Germany=gr Ecuador=la Finland=su France=fr Greece=gk Ireland=uk Iceland=is Italy=it Japan=jp Yugoslavia=yu Yugoslavia (Cyrillic)=yc Canada (English)=cf Canada (French)=cf Colombia=la Croatia=yu Latin America=la Macedonia=yc Mexico=la New Zealand=us Netherlands=nl Norway=no Austria=gr Poland=pl Portugal=po Romania=ro Russia=ru Sweden=sv Switzerland=sf Serbia/Montenegro=yc Slovakia=sl Slovenia=yu Spain=sp South Africa=us Czech Republic=cz Turkey=tr Hungary=hu USA=us Venezuela=la United Kingdom=uk

Step	Description	Screenshot
1. download and installation(unpack)	First download the following archive -> German language for Dosbox. After that you have to unpack the files (picture 1). For unpacking you need a packing program like WinRAR (Shareware) or 7 Zip (Freeware). The files must be unpacked into the installation folder of DosBox. I installed my Dosbox e.g. in the following path C:\oldie cd\Tools\DOSBox-0.65\ .	(Picture 1)WinRAR
2. german language in Dosbox - comments - instructions - readme	Now that you have the files in your DosBox directory, the first step is done. The archive also contained a German version of the Readme file. To have all comments in Dosbox in German you have 2 possibilities to do this. 1. You start Dosbox with the following call "C:\oldie cd\Tools\DOSBox-0.65\dosbox.exe - lang deutsch.lng"(Replace the path with your own if necessary) The best way to do this is via the "Command Prompt" (fig. 2)+(fig. 3) or you can create a small .bat file to call Dosbox in the future. (Simply copy the start string above into a .txt file and then change the file extension to .bat) Or create a shortcut (e.g. on the desktop) to Dosbox.exe and add the option-lang deutsch.lng to the properties of the shortcut.	(Figure 2) Command prompt (Figure 3) Command prompt
2. continued - comments - instructions - readme	2. (recommended) In the Dosbox.conf enter that this file "deutsch.lng" (that is the language file) will be selected as the language file in the future. Open the file "dosbox.conf" in the Dosbox folder with a text editor and search for the location language=. (Fig. 4) Now simply write the name of the language file behind the equal sign. This will look like language=deutsch.lng (Figure 4). However, it is necessary that you have the file in the "DosBox" directory, as indicated at point 1 (see above). So every time DosBox is started, the specified language file is loaded.	(Figure 4) dosbox.conf / notepad++
3. German keyboard layout	To get a German keyboard layout in Dosbox in a simple way you don't have to do anything else than use the program keyb.exe (Under GPL license, Archive), including the language file gr.kl (language file for the program keyb.exe)(both contained in the Archive) For this you have to mount the folder within Dosbox, where the program KEYB is located (+language file). After starting DosBox you do this with the following command: mount y "D:\oldie cd\Tools\DOSBox-0.65\" (Replace the path with your own if necessary) (Figure 5). Help for English keyboard layout : characters key : SHIFT+Ö " SHIFT+Ä \ # * SHIFT+8 - SHIFT+? Z Y	(Figure 5) Dosbox
3. continued	If you have mounted the correct directory, change to the corresponding drive Y :and issue the following command KEYB GR. After that you have a German keyboard layout, if everything worked out.(Picture 6)	(Figure 6) Dosbox

Step	Description	Screenshot
Download of the GUS driver	To enjoy Ultrasound you have to install some drivers, you can find them here FTP Server. All 6 files Download with the name gus411a.zip to gus411f.zip	( Image 1 FTP Server)
Unpack	The 6 Zip files must now all be unpacked into one directory e.g. in : "C:\Gravis"	( Image 2 7Zip)
Configure Dosbox	Before starting Dosbox you should make sure that the "GUS Sound" is switched on. Under [GUS] the line gus=true should be set to =true, then GUS is also activated. The following lines normally do not need to be changed. Otherwise you have to take care that the IRQ5 is not used by other devices at the same time, e.g. the Soundblaster. The second important line is this ultradir=C:\ULTRASND it is set there so Dosbox should search for the GUS drivers. This directory is already the default directory for GUS drivers, so it's best to leave it like this.	( Image 3 dosbox.conf / Notepad++)
mount and install	Now you start Dosbox and mount the directory "C:\Gravis" where the drivers are located with the following command: mount c c:\Gravis Then start the driver installation with c:\Install.exe	( Figure 4 Dosbox 0.70)
Installation guide Gravis Patches	Through the installation you can simply click through with Enter. You should select the following points: Page 1 Install Ultrasound Software (Picture 5) Page 2 Installation on C: (Image 6) Page 3 The directory C:\ULTRASND keep existing (Picture 7) Page 4 If no Windows was found, just click again with Return/Enter, unless Windows has been installed under Dosbox, then enter the corresponding path here. (Picture 8) Page 5 When you have arrived at the Ultrasound setup, you can immediately go back to Exit. The sound emulation is configured via dosbox.conf and not via this program, so the settings here are not necessary. It also doesn't work. (Picture 9)	( image 5) ( Image 6 ) ( image 7) ( Image 8) ( Image 9)
Configuration, example in game "Tie Fighter"	If the soundcard "Gravis Ultrasound" was selected in the game, it may look a little strange. As here at the example Tie-Fighter. But don't worry the sound works anyway.	( Image 10)
Sound Comparison Adlib<>F4-OP FM<>GUS	The relatively low effort is definitely worth it! If you are not convinced yet, you can listen to some output sounds. As an example I took a piece of the intro from the game Tie-Fighter incl. Imperial March and the sound tests in the sound configuration program.	Emulation Example 1 Example 2 F4-OP FM Config. Test( 60 KB) not available Adlib Config. Test( 60 KB) Tie-Fighter Intro(1,6 MB) Gravis Ultrasound Config. Test( 60 KB) Tie-Fighter Intro(1,6 MB)

1. AEP CVS versions of the official Dosbox versions. Beside these daily updated CVS builds there is also a version which speeds up the image output several times. Especially for 3D shooters.
   Installation: Simply unpack files from the archive into the existing Dosbox directory and start.
2. DOSbox Daum Cafe On this page there is a CVS version with a menu in Dosbox , as well as Direct3D support and Glide Support for Dosbox.
   
   1. OpenGL support
   2. Direct3D support
   3. MT32 sound support
   4. GLIDE support
   5. Improved IPX network support
   6. PhysFS support
   7. Overscan Border Patch
3. Gulikoza's page This CVS version includes the following changes from the official release:
   
   1. A possibility to change the CPU core during operation
   2. OpenGL support
   3. Direct3D support
   4. MT32 sound support
   5. Experimental SVGA Patches
4. H-A-L 9000's Page Here are CVS versions with the following features:
   
   1. debuging support, which stores the log in the dosbox path.
   2. Parallel port support for direct printing.
   3. Serial port support to play a Dos game via null modem cable.
   4. IPX Support
   5. External tool:An IPX tunnel server
5. Changelog of the current Dosbox CVS

Step	Description	Screenshot
1. configure the network support	First you have to set in the configuration file *.conf that network support is active. The parameter ipx=true is responsible for this. Only the IPX protocol is supported. Netbios e.g. is not included in Dosbox. For this you would have to use an extra driver.	(Figure 1) Dosbox Conf file
2. Start the IPX Server	The IPX network in Dosbox always consists of one server and several clients that have to connect to the server. Accordingly we start Dosbox and enter the command ipxnet startserver to start the PC as IPX server. (see Figure 2) Dosbox uses the TCP/IP protocol to connect to another Dosbox computer. This means the IPX protocol is tunnelled through TCP/IP.	(Figure 2) Start IPX Server
3. disable firewalls (Windows)	As soon as the IPX server is started the Windows Firewall (here Win XP) asks if you should allow a connection. This should be confirmed with "Yes", otherwise the connection will not be established. The IPX support uses port 213 by default (according to the readme). You can also explicitly specify a different port number. (see below)	(Figure 3) Windows XP Firewall
4. Start the IPX client(s)	The start of the client happens with the command: ipxet connect 192.168.1.9. After the command ipxnet connect the IP address of the client must be entered. In this example the server has the IP address 192.168.1.9. The own IP address can be found under Windows XP among other things with the command ipconfig, which you have to enter in the Dos prompt. When the connection is established, you can e.g. play a game against each other like e.g. Warcraft 1 Orcs&Humans. This works fine without any problems.	(Image 4) Start IPX Client
5. overview of the network commands	IPXNET STARTSERVER -> -> Starts the IPX Dosbox Server IPXNET STOPSERVER -> Stops the IPX Dosbox Server IPXNET CONNECT (IP address) (port number) -> Connects to an IPX Dosbox Server IPXNET DISCONNECT -> -> Terminates the connection to an IPX Dosbox Server IPXNET PING -> -> Outputs a status to all connected clients or a server IPXNET STATUS -> -> Shows what role this PC has in server or client and whether started or stopped