Install DOS on the new VCS?

[pacman000]

Weird question: I know you can install Windows on the new VCS, but can you install DOS? Not DOSBox or an virtual machine running DOS, but just DOS? Anyone tried?

 

I've actually been wondering if it was possible to run DOS on a new PC without using some sort of emulator for a week or so now. Might as well ask here.

Edited June 2, 2021 by pacman000

[zzip]

3 minutes ago, pacman000 said:

Weird question: I know you can install Windows on the new VCS, but can you install DOS? Not DOSBox or an virtual machine running DOS, but just DOS? Anyone tried?

Generally DOS doesn't do well on modern hardware,  you're best off running it in PCem, DOSbox or other emulator/VM designed for that purpose

 

6 minutes ago, pacman000 said:

The taco posts were funny at first, since the project wasn't handled all that well, but after awhile folks began attacking people because they liked the idea of the Ataribox.

exactly.   The original claim was that it was a crowdfunding scam that would never see the light of day.   Well they proved that skepticism wrong, and  the other consoles announced around the same time that were supposed to be the real deal have yet to see the light of day.    I think that irritated the haters more.

[justclaws]

1 hour ago, pacman000 said:

Weird question: I know you can install Windows on the new VCS, but can you install DOS? Not DOSBox or an virtual machine running DOS, but just DOS? Anyone tried?

 

I've actually been wondering if it was possible to run DOS on a new PC without using some sort of emulator for a week or so now. Might as well ask here.

Actually, no, but I was intending on doing so! I just never got round to it. ?
I have just downloaded this again, and I may even boot it up from my USB floppy, or a bigger distribution from my USB DVD-RW. ?
https://www.freedos.org/download/

[Matt_B]

DOS will still run on a Ryzen PC with a bit of coaxing, and the VCS is one of those, sort of...

 

 

Just don't be expecting things like sound, more than very basic VGA graphics, USB mouse, Bluetooth, controllers, etc. to work.

 

FreeDOS might get you a little bit further but it doesn't emulate hardware, so you'll be stuck with what the VCS has and can be bodged onto it.

 

Stick with DOSBox for actually playing games.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Matt_B

[justclaws]

I ran up FreeDOS from a USB stick on my VCS, and no problem running it.
- It does require that the BIOS Boot option is set to "Both", to support BIOS and UEFI boot.

- My first experiment (not a lot of time free, right now) was with Tempest 2000, PC version.
That starts up, but does not complete. I think it requires expended memory manager also.
It does not crash, it just does not start.
I'll check it out later. I thought it supported VESA mode graphics so it should work, huh?
(Yes, T2K runs on the VCS perfectly via DOSbox, but this was just to check on it natively.)

I suppose I should try to install Windows 98 v2. ME was such a mess, no chance of that.

[zzip]

27 minutes ago, justclaws said:

I ran up FreeDOS from a USB stick on my VCS, and no problem running it.
- It does require that the BIOS Boot option is set to "Both", to support BIOS and UEFI boot.

- My first experiment (not a lot of time free, right now) was with Tempest 2000, PC version.
That starts up, but does not complete. I think it requires expended memory manager also.
It does not crash, it just does not start.
I'll check it out later. I thought it supported VESA mode graphics so it should work, huh?
(Yes, T2K runs on the VCS perfectly via DOSbox, but this was just to check on it natively.)

I suppose I should try to install Windows 98 v2. ME was such a mess, no chance of that.

Also keep in mind these old Windows versions only come in 32-bit flavors and can't use more than 4Gb of RAM, also finding the optimal drivers for VCS will likely be a problem

 

Both PCem and DOSbox can run these old Windows versions at period-correct speeds.   Any Windows XP and later will work under virtualization.   I'm not sure what need there is to run these old OS's natively..  it's asking for trouble :)

[Keatah]

Although I like to experiment from time to time. The best way to run any given OS is on period hardware using manufacturer's drivers. The next best ways would be virtualization and driver patching to new hardware, then emulation.

 

Anyhow I thought it was *T*H*E* shit to see and run Windows 3.1 on DosBox, but not totally surprised. Windows 3.1 is essentially a big-ass menu program with some memory management stuff mixed in. The novelty & nostalgia were running pretty high that day.

 

The notion to try it natively, thankfully, never occurred to me - for it would've been fraught with frustration. No doubt.

 

DosBox still has problems with speed and timing. Seemingly still needs to be adjusted for each individual game/application. PCEM seems much more consistent.

 

[justclaws]

I was quite interested just as an experiment to try FreeDOS, but it already irritated me.  
I only used it before to run things like BIOS update programs, not installed it, recently.
It's close to DOS, but sufficiently different in so many ways as to make it a real PITA. ?

As to using old software on real hardware or virtualisation, of course, I'd use virtualisation,
as I use virtualisation for work, daily life, but my first PC ran DOS; not my first computer.
I didn't expect that FreeDOS would make me remember so happily DOS 6, and DR-DOS 5.

Maybe a Windows 95 install would be more fun. I have an unopened copy of Crysis to hand.  
This kind of masochistic curiousity though, is not for a Friday night. Good luck to you guys!

[zzip]

26 minutes ago, Keatah said:

DosBox still has problems with speed and timing. Seemingly still needs to be adjusted for each individual game/application. PCEM seems much more consistent.

Dosbox-X has the ability to target the speed of specific PCs, such as '486DX2-66' or 'Pentium-90'.   I'd recommend using that version instead of vanilla DOSbox.

[Keatah]

Yes I've been meaning to play around with that build. Just been busy with one thing after another.

 

[mr_me]

FreeDOS is suppose to be MS-DOS compatible; if you prefer Msdos it should run no problem as long as the computer is set to emulate legacy BIOS.  The issue comes with application software compatibility is it's up to each DOS program or game to support hardware like sound cards and game controllers.  Setting up expanded or extended memory shouldn't be an issue and neither should VGA compatibility with Freedos or Msdos.  But DOS games typically require old style ISA Soundblaster compatible hardware and a Game Port interface for game controllers.  The other issue is some games are hardware speed sensitive but there are software solutions that slow down the system so these game can run properly.  Standard DOSBox is a PC emulator and has the ability to emulate different cpu speeds.

Edited June 5, 2021 by mr_me