A good paractical way to use DOSBox.

[Gorf]

For Windows 2000/XP users

 

Running old Jaguar tools on a new PC OS's suck!

 

I was a bit sick and tired of DOSBox's window

crashing every few compiles. I did a little reading

up in the docs and found out that DOSBox is much

more useful than I thought. Turns out that you

dont need to keep DOSBox running. In fact, you can

use a shortcut for it to call it to run a make

file such as a jaguar make file and exit when

finished.

 

Here is how.

 

1st:

For the remainder of this text the 'x' simply means

the drive you have installed your jag tool or DOSBox

apps in.

 

 

2nd:

Install DOSBox 0.73

It's the one I tried this with. It may work as well

with later or previous versions but I did not test so.

 

 

3rd:

run DOSBox and create and register a config file.

at the DOSBox prompt:

 

Z\:> config -writeconf <filename>.conf <enter>

 

This will create and registera custom DOSBox config file.

You can have as many of these as you want(as far as I can tell.)

So if your Jag project's name is GORF3D

 

Z\:> config -writeconf gorf3d.conf <enter>

 

then.....

 

exit <enter>

 

to leave DOSBox.

 

4th:

Now open the custom config file and look for this line

at the bottom of the file.

 

# Lines in this section will be run at startup.

 

add the following.

 

mount x x:\
x:\
jag directory

 

'jag' is a bat file you will create with the lines below.

 

 

create a text file named 'jag.bat'

Put the following lines in it.

 

@echo off
x:

set RDBRC=x:\JAGUAR\BIN\RDB.RC
set DBPATH=x:\JAGUAR\BIN
set ALNPATH=x:\JAGUAR\BIN'
set MACPATH=x:\JAGUAR\BIN'
set GCC_EXEC_PREFIX=x:/JAGUAR/BIN

set PATH=%PATH%;x:\JAGUAR\BIN;x:\JAGUAR\BIN\;x:\JAGUAR\INCLUDE;x:\JAGUAR\LIB;x:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.73

set TEMP=x:

cd n:\%1

nmake

pause

exit

 

Save it to your root jag directory

 

Now Make a shortcut for DOSBox.

(Right click the .EXE and click "Create Shortcut")

 

Now Right click the short cut and click 'Properties'.

 

Enter the following for "Target:"

 

"x:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.73\dosbox.exe" -conf gorf3d.conf -noconsole

 

Enter the following for Start In:

 

"x:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.73"

 

Obviously if your directory is different, simply substitute

it for the above. Click ok to save the short cut.

 

Now you have a shortcut you simply double click and can

compile with any make file(nmake for Jaguar) and then

will exit when done. This above example actually waits

for a keypress so you can see any error reports.

 

Simply follow this procedure for each project.

Remember that you must create and register a config

file for each project before DOSBox will recognize it.

 

You only need ONE 'jag.bat' file in your Jaguar root.

That will cover all config files.

 

That's about it guys. it's much less of a hassle and

one less open window on your desktop.

[Gorf]

DISCLAMER:

To further prevent certain little crybabies from whinning and making up fairytales to puff oneself up, Let me be clear....

I did not think this up.....the DOSBox manual tells you if you actually read it(as my above post clearly states BTW.)