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DOSBox - GUI preference?


Tanooki

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I decided a few days ago to pick up a copy of Heretic Shadow of the Serpent Riders and realized I still had copies of the old DOS Sim City, Civ1, and Wolf3D lying around too and re-installed DOSBox. I don't mind using the command prompt, but I was wondering what may be the best choice for a solid GUI for it you can tweak stuff from within not having to really meddle with those annoying config files.

 

I've seen some comments lean towards DOSBox Game Launcher which the pics look nice, but there's also the trusted D-Fend Reloaded (which brought back DFend that was canned.)

 

Maybe one of them is the best, maybe not? Looking for any preferences if some of you use the stuff.

 

 

I made that thread about having a floppy drive again and was getting into a situation where I think I'd like to find some non-GoG (or gone freeware/pd) stuff I used to care for that's stuff in licensing hell or purgatory.

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I am too which is why I stopped using it years ago. Problem is that licensing hell causes some stuff just not to appear I'd like to take a crack at again. Ever notice how like the large part of the Epic/Epic Megagames library is missing and there's no re-release of just the first Civilization? There are some solid holes and this is the only fix.

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I decided a few days ago to pick up a copy of Heretic Shadow of the Serpent Riders and realized I still had copies of the old DOS Sim City, Civ1, and Wolf3D lying around too and re-installed DOSBox. I don't mind using the command prompt, but I was wondering what may be the best choice for a solid GUI for it you can tweak stuff from within not having to really meddle with those annoying config files.

 

I've seen some comments lean towards DOSBox Game Launcher which the pics look nice, but there's also the trusted D-Fend Reloaded (which brought back DFend that was canned.)

 

Maybe one of them is the best, maybe not? Looking for any preferences if some of you use the stuff.

I use my own UI that can tweak config files, but I don't recall DOSbox needing many config tweaks? Seems like a single config handles most of my games? you can also specify multiple config files on the command line, so you can load your base config first, then overlay it with a game-specific file that changes a few options.

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I've always been intrigued by the ExoDOS collection -- a crap-ton of old games running in a custom launcher.

 

eXoDOS_Collection_v2.0

 

I have probably downloaded and deleted it a few times, but never got around to doing anything with it, because ... well, it's thousands of computer games and I have enough time playing what I already have.

 

Edit: LOL that collection is > 350GB. If you wanted to pick and choose subcomponents, I'll bet you could do so from the torrent.

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The DOS Box Config file easy to modify, I use an original DOS Menu Utility called Power Menu.

 

1. In Windows, create "C:\DOS" in the root of the hard drive.

 

2. Install DOSBox; the default install which is fine will be under the Program Files (x86) directory.

 

2. Copy games in C;\DOS folder creating subfolders for each game.

 

3. Modify the DOSBox "dosbox-0.74.conf.txt" file under the [autoexc] section, adding text.

-- Text for mount your created hard drive folder, disc reader drive letter and if needed a virtual floppy drive folder.

-- Add the menu as the start program.

 

4. Use the menu program running in DOSBox to add your DOS games.

 

post-27490-0-31603700-1519416047_thumb.jpg

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good gravy that's ugly!

 

it's as if it were coded in DOS, for DOS! ;)

 

:grin: For me, that is the beauty of it. DOS native Menu program adding to nostalgia and keeping everything inside DOSBox. The Menu and Games folders all came direct from my original DOS 6.22 hard drive installs. Since the menu is running inside DOSBox, an easy update as I add more game folders from my CD Rom DOS hard drive backup discs.

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:idea: Dig out your old DOS Hard Drives or CDRs of backed up DOS game folders and rediscover your old gems The old IDE (PATA) drives can easily be transferred to modern PC and even a laptop with an external USB hard drive enclosure.

 

I put together a DOSBox Guide over at Racketboy, this utilty so easy to do and has advantages over GOG.

 

DOSBox Guide - Run DOS Games in Windows - http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1125643#p1125643

 

dosbox-e1469346049979-300x157.png?resize

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The DOS(box) Game Launcher I almost loaded, but then it wanted me to put Java and other stuff on here I want nothing to do with, so I went with the reborn D-Fend Reloaded. It's very easy, just not as colorful, and added the few things I have that GoG lacks.

 

I'll just at this point want that one dudes Thrift Store games thread as PC stuff appears in there usually DOS era at times, and other local sources along with just ebay which sucks but it is what it is. It was nice to fire up old Civilization 1 and see and hear that again after so long.

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Get Launch Box... It comes with it's own version of Dosbox, you can add games by pointing to the EXE or BAT files, it can get box art and other infomation for you and even makes it easy to install DOS games from a download or CD-ROM.

 

I use it to combine my DOS games from Steam, GOG and Origin into a single launcher.

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Huh you've fascinated me. I'm working (and slacking partly) at the moment but I'll try and google that here shortly and see what you're talking about. I'm not married to that GUI in the least bit and barely added a thing, but what you're saying there really seems like an ideal situation. I have quite a few DOS based GoG titles, and if I can get it to bandit that stuff and run it through something in a unified way that would be fantastic.

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