DosBox (5.19, Pi)

Has anyone had any success getting DosBox (http://www.riscos.info/packages/EmulationDetails.html#DosBox) to run on RISC OS 5.19 (the Pi Alpha)? When I attempt to run it, it appears to hang the machine – I can move the mouse pointer about but can’t click or type anything.

(I see Colin Gransden has a new version running but doesn’t appear to have released it – see http://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=11877&page=2#120801

Any help would be appreciated!

The version of DosBox on riscos.info has problems with sound. You can download a version with better sound from here. You’ll also need !UnixHome to store it’s settings. You can download unixhome from here.

It’s best to run DosBox in fullscreen otherwise it starts stuttering (killing the portable module stops it happening). Press Alt-Enter.

There’s also an armv7 enhanced version (Pandboard and Beagleboard based hardware) available from here. It’s about 50% faster on a Pandaboard.

Ah, hello, Chris. Will this new DosBox be remaining at that URL for the forseeable future, or would it be possible to make it available somewhere more permanent (riscos.info, say)? I found myself wondering what to do about DosBox and its dodgy sound when going through the ‘Emulation’ section of the compatibility list – especially as you’d already mentioned the existence of the new version, but I couldn’t find a download link anywhere. A fixed, ARMv7 OK and ‘Supported’ version would be a great improvement.

Ah, hello, Chris. Will this new DosBox be remaining at that URL for the forseeable future, or would it be possible to make it available somewhere more permanent (riscos.info, say)?

Once it’s confirmed this version works OK the version on riscos.info can be updated.

The version at riscos.info just locks up my Pi (apart from being able to move the mouse pointer). The version above at Chris Gransden’s site also appears to lock up the Pi but at least the DosBox window now appears. I’ve installed !UnixHome, DRenderer and obviously the SharedUnixLibrary module but I’m not sure how to progress. My RISC OS skills are very rusty (just getting back into it with the Pi Alpha) so I’d be grateful for any info on how to start to track down the problem (assuming that someone has actually got it running on the Pi).

Thanks!

It worked fine when I tried it on a Pi using the latest rom (11/10/12) and alpha distro.

Hi Chris did you do a new port of pyton??

I’ve done a port of python 2.7.2. You can download a test version from here. I’ve haven’t added all the RISC OS support yet. Gui stuff won’t work and the path handling might not be 100%. Pure python scripts and modules should work. An example of a useful script that works is youtube-dl for downloading Youtube videos.

It worked fine when I tried it on a Pi using the latest rom (11/10/12) and alpha distro.

Good to know! I’ll give it another crack tonight.

With a clean install of the alpha and the latest update, DosBox works fine – thanks a lot! Obviously I had installed something else that wasn’t playing nicely on my system.

I’ll need to play with it to try and get a decent speed out of it for Civilization but it’s good to see it working at all.

I’ve uplooaded a slighter faster version which may help a bit. Setting ‘cycles=max’ in the config file helps too.

bq.I’ve uplooaded a slighter faster version which may help a bit. Setting ‘cycles=max’ in the config file helps too.

Actually, the new version does seem to make a difference – unscientific quick test but I’m pleased, thanks!

(The new version asks for SharedUnixLibrary 1.13 which I don’t think ever got “officially” released. Some quick Googling found me a link at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.acorn.programmer/ikgkytw4eCA/jC28Ixya1O4J)

I have released !FastDosbox, that may bring a significant speedup, it works on RPi.
Can be downloaded on http://www.norisc-nofun.co.uk/downloads/fastdosbox_1.0.zip

Tell me how it goes.

I have played around with the DOSBox and installed Daggerfall . But only runs on the Panda useful. Is on the xM with DOSBox and FastDosBox very very very very slow.
FasterDosBox: mount the DOS directory, for DOSBox rename the DOS to !DOS and then doubleclick (The filer must have seen DODBox.) It is the English version. If necessary, I would also have a German Alpha.
Anyone wanting to use it under Linux, you must change the paths in z.cfg in Dagger. Start in DOS “fall.exe z.cfg”.