[gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[David Relson]

Greetings,

For a work related project I've got a DOS program (Borland C++ with
graphics library) that I want to run under FreeDOS, DOSEMU, and Linux.
The graphics are pretty simple - lines, bars, and an alphabetic font.

When I start DOSEMU from a Gnome terminal window, the DOS program
correctly displays its graphic just fine.  When I use a command line,
i.e. don't have X running, the program clears the screen but doesn't
display its graphics.  

Since the target machine is an embedded 486SX with limited mass
storage, operation without X is a  must.

I've got dosemu version 1.4.0.1 built with flags "X gpm -debug -svga".

Anybody knowledgeable about DOSEMU and its pitfalls for the unwary
newbie (namely me :-)

TIA,

David

Re: [gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[Willie Wong]

On Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 04:38:16PM -0400, Penguin Lover David Relson squawked:
> Since the target machine is an embedded 486SX with limited mass
> storage, operation without X is a  must.
> 
> I've got dosemu version 1.4.0.1 built with flags "X gpm -debug -svga".
> 

[06:33 PM]wwong ~ $ euse -i svga
global use flags (searching: svga)
************************************************************
[-    ] svga - Adds support for SVGAlib (graphics library)

local use flags (searching: svga)
************************************************************
no matching entries found
[06:33 PM]wwong ~ $ emerge --search svgalib
Searching...   
[ Results for search key : svgalib ]
[ Applications found : 1 ]
 
*  media-libs/svgalib
      Latest version available: 1.9.25
      Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
      Size of files: 963 kB
      Homepage:      http://www.svgalib.org/
      Description:   A library for running svga graphics on the console
      License:       BSD


Perhaps you should try to enable the svga use flag?

W
-- 
Murphy's Law of Government:
  If anything can go wrong, it will do so in triplicate.
Sortir en Pantoufles: up 939 days, 21:20

Re: [gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[David Relson]

On Sat, 4 Jul 2009 18:34:21 -0400
Willie Wong wrote:

> On Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 04:38:16PM -0400, Penguin Lover David Relson
> squawked:
> > Since the target machine is an embedded 486SX with limited mass
> > storage, operation without X is a  must.
> > 
> > I've got dosemu version 1.4.0.1 built with flags "X gpm -debug
> > -svga".
> > 
> 
> [06:33 PM]wwong ~ $ euse -i svga
> global use flags (searching: svga)
> ************************************************************
> [-    ] svga - Adds support for SVGAlib (graphics library)
> 
> local use flags (searching: svga)
> ************************************************************
> no matching entries found
> [06:33 PM]wwong ~ $ emerge --search svgalib
> Searching...   
> [ Results for search key : svgalib ]
> [ Applications found : 1 ]
>  
> *  media-libs/svgalib
>       Latest version available: 1.9.25
>       Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
>       Size of files: 963 kB
>       Homepage:      http://www.svgalib.org/
>       Description:   A library for running svga graphics on the
> console License:       BSD
> 
> 
> Perhaps you should try to enable the svga use flag?

Worth a try, though VGA graphics are all that's needed ...

Re: [gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[Walter Dnes]

On Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 07:39:31PM -0400, David Relson wrote

> > Perhaps you should try to enable the svga use flag?
> 
> Worth a try, though VGA graphics are all that's needed ...

  You need svgalib not for the resolution, but for the ability to do
graphics on a text console.  Before you build anything I recommend doing
2 things...

1) putting "-svga" in USE in /etc/make.conf

svga has to pound away directly at I/O ports in order to do graphics in
a text console.  This requires root-level permissions.  So dosemu will
need to run either setuid or setgid.  If you put "svga" in your main USE
variable, you'll find *A LOT* of stuff will eventually be linked to the
svga libs and it will all need to run either setuid or setgid

2) putting the line...

app-emulation/dosemu svga

...in /etc/portage/package.use so that only dosemu links to the svga
libs and needs to run setuid/setgid.

  Note that you should really be running dosemu *FROM A TEXT CONSOLE* in
order to emulate running in DOS on a 486SX.  An optional flag is "gpm",
which links in support for using the mouse on a text console.  Does your
program, or any other program you run in dosemu, require mouse support?

  Plan B) If all else fails, enter the line...

games-emulation/dosbox svga

...in /etc/portage/package.use and remember "-svga" in USE.  Then
"emerge --ask dosbox".  Same notes about svga apply here.  dosbox is
damn good for DOS emulation.  I've run QBASIC, and dBASE IV complete with
DOS-4GW memory extender under dosbox, as well as a bunch of *REALLY* old
DOS games.  What takes the cake is that I was actually able to install
Windows 3.1 in dosbox, just like the "good-ole-days" when you installed
Windows over DOS.  This was to run an ancient Chessmaster 3000 game.  It
runs under either Win3.1 or Win95, but I never could get it working
under WINE.  Under Windows 3.1 on dosbox, the emulation is perfect, and
Chessmaster 3000 whips me mercilessly, just like before.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>

Re: [gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[David Relson]

Hello Walter,

Your response is much appreciated (see notes below).

David

On Sun, 5 Jul 2009 09:24:41 -0400
Walter Dnes wrote:

> On Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 07:39:31PM -0400, David Relson wrote
> 
> > > Perhaps you should try to enable the svga use flag?
> > 
> > Worth a try, though VGA graphics are all that's needed ...
> 
>   You need svgalib not for the resolution, but for the ability to do
> graphics on a text console.  Before you build anything I recommend
> doing 2 things...
> 
> 1) putting "-svga" in USE in /etc/make.conf
> 
> svga has to pound away directly at I/O ports in order to do graphics
> in a text console.  This requires root-level permissions.  So dosemu
> will need to run either setuid or setgid.  If you put "svga" in your
> main USE variable, you'll find *A LOT* of stuff will eventually be
> linked to the svga libs and it will all need to run either setuid or
> setgid

svga isn't in /etc/make.conf, so dosemu was built with -svga.

> 2) putting the line...
> 
> app-emulation/dosemu svga
> 
> ...in /etc/portage/package.use so that only dosemu links to the svga
> libs and needs to run setuid/setgid.

has been added

>   Note that you should really be running dosemu *FROM A TEXT CONSOLE*
> in order to emulate running in DOS on a 486SX.  An optional flag is
> "gpm", which links in support for using the mouse on a text console.
> Does your program, or any other program you run in dosemu, require
> mouse support?

The target device has limited storage and doesn't have X.  For sure,
the goal is "command line; _no_ X". Running on the application on the
target just gives a black screen, so I needed to see if another
environment would give a different result.  Also, I was using a
pre-built binary of dosemu and don't know what options it was built
with.

FWIW, my 32-bit gentoo system has an AMD Geode LX graphics chip and
DOSEMU complains of access to port 0xAC1C which is part of the linux
kernel's geode drive which is defined in asm/geode.h as

    #define VSA_VRC_INDEX     0xAC1C

Does DOSEMU have any expectations of a kernel built with a generic VGA
driver?


>   Plan B) If all else fails, enter the line...
> 
> games-emulation/dosbox svga

I am but vaguely aware of dosbox and it's on my list of things to try.
I appreciate your mentionning it.

> ...in /etc/portage/package.use and remember "-svga" in USE.  Then
> "emerge --ask dosbox".  Same notes about svga apply here.  dosbox is
> damn good for DOS emulation.  I've run QBASIC, and dBASE IV complete
> with DOS-4GW memory extender under dosbox, as well as a bunch of
> *REALLY* old DOS games.  What takes the cake is that I was actually
> able to install Windows 3.1 in dosbox, just like the "good-ole-days"
> when you installed Windows over DOS.  This was to run an ancient
> Chessmaster 3000 game.  It runs under either Win3.1 or Win95, but I
> never could get it working under WINE.  Under Windows 3.1 on dosbox,
> the emulation is perfect, and Chessmaster 3000 whips me mercilessly,
> just like before.
> 
> -- 
> Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>

Re: [gentoo-user] DOSEMU

[Walter Dnes]

On Sun, Jul 05, 2009 at 12:01:36PM -0400, David Relson wrote

> Does DOSEMU have any expectations of a kernel built with a generic VGA
> driver?

  Sorry, I don't use DOSEMU, so I'm not familiar with it.  There is a
DOSEMU mailing list which you can subscribe to.  For instructions, see
http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>