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@××××××××.org>