DOSBox emulation

As DOSBox is available on Haiku, why not giving it a try?

Installation

The installation is very easy as DOSBox is available through Haiku Depot.

Open the application and type "dosbox".

In the "All packages" tab select the DOSBox entry as per below :

Proceed with the installation.

Setup

In order to finalize the DOSBox installation, let's edit the config file :

cd config/settings/dosbox
lpe dosbox-0.74-3.conf &

In order to have the windowed mode scaled, modify the below line :

scaler=normal3x

We are good to use DOSBox now :)

Duke Nukem 3D

Duke Nukem 3D was a famous game from the 90's.

It's a first person shooter which was released a few years before Quake.

We will review how to use the demo version of Duke Nukem through DOSBox emulator.

First, let's create a dedicated directory for DOSBox, but also for Duke Nukem :

mkdir DOSBox
cd DOSBox
mkdir DukeNukem
cd DukeNukem
open .

Download the demo version of Duke Nukem 3D available at the URL : https://dnr.duke4.net/shareware.php.html

Then extract this zip into the "/boot/home/DOSBox/DukeNukem" folder:

You should have the below files visible :

Now you can launch DOSBox application from this folder in a Terminal :

cd /boot/home/DOSBox/DukeNukem
DOSBox

You might need to specify the keyboard (french for instance) and you have to mount the C: drive as the current directory :

keyb fr
mount c: .
c:

Let's review the files available :

dir

Ok let's install Duke Nukem 3D now :

INSTALL.EXE

Confirm the installation :

Let the installation folder as per default:

The installation will extract the archived files and will require a few minutes :

Once completed you will have the below files available :

Let's launch Duke Nukem : DUKE3D.EXE

As you can see, we must before finalize the setup :

Launch the setup : SETUP.EXE Select the "Sound Setup" :

Let's specify the old famous "Sound Blaster" card :

And confirm with all the default values. In the main menu, select the "Screen setup" :

Select VESA mode :

And indicate the maximum resolution 800x600 :

Now let's save and launch Duke Nukem :

Ok it's now launching correctly :

We are ready to start :)

Let's select a new game :

The three episodes below are displayed, but only "L.A.Meltdown" is available:

You can select the level of difficulty you want :

You start on the roof of a building, and you need to find the exit:

Shooting on the bottles of gas should do the job :

The exit is available just on the right of the bottles of gas once exploded.

The adventure can now start and you need to kill all ugly enemy monsters :)

Do not expect the city to be quiet, even the cinema is not safe :)

You can use the "Page Up/Page Down" to quickly look above/below you:

But you can also use the "Home/End" keys to change the way you look.

"Home" to change the vision a little bit upper, and "End" to change it a little bit lower :

The "Tab" key can also be useful to have an upper view of the game:

And if you want to kick the ass of the enemies, just hit the key just above the "Tab" :

At that time, the game was a "shareware", meaning you need to buy it to play to all the levels and to have additional weapons :

Duke Nukem 3D through DOSBox is a nice game to play under Haiku. Its game play is really smooth.

Simplify game's launch

Tired of typing each time the various commands to play the game ?

Let's write a script for that !

Under DukeNukem folder edit a new file named "launch.bat" :

lpe launch.bat & 

As you can see, the content of this file is just the list of commands we have reviewed before :

keyb fr
cd duke3d
duke3d.exe
exit

You don't have to specify a keyboard, so maybe you can remove the line with the "keyb" command.

The "exit" command is useful to quit DOSBox when the game is finished.

Now let's test it :

DOSBox launch.bat

The game is now started automatically :

Note : if you are outside the DukeNukem directory, you can also use:

DOSBox DukeNukem/launch.bat

Great !

If you want to launch the game more easily, you can also create a bash script which will call the DOSBox application.

For that you can use the same solution which was used in the Quick launch a RetroArch game article.

Mounting a CD image

In case you own a game with an ISO CD image, below is the way to use it.

For instance, suppose you have the ISO of the Dune game.

In order to mount it the command is :

imgmount <drive> <image> -t iso

The image can be a ".iso" or a ".cue" file.

Now the script to launch Dune game is as below :

keyb fr
imgmount d Dune.iso -t iso
dunecd\dune.bat
exit

From the main DOSBox folder, if you launch the command :

DOSBox Dune/launch.bat

Then you should see the below screen :)

You must - of course - own the games you play with under DOSBox, depending on their license.

Additional games

DOSBox is a great application to play on old school games you own.

According to the DOSBox website, more than 1000 games are supported!

Below is a quick demo tour of the possibilities under Haiku.

• Day of the Tentacle

• Starwars : Dark Forces

• Lemmings

• Epic Pinball

• WarCraft II

• Raptor Call of the Shadows :

• Destruction Derby 2

• Another World

As you can see, the DOSBox emulator is doing a great job with SDL under Haiku.

It will let you do some nice hours of retrogaming sessions :)