DOS ain't dead

I have a very old DOS based database. dBaseIV. And it's run just fine up to MS deciding to stop supporting 16 apps for 64 bit operating systems.

So I now need to emulate this database.

I've tried lots of things. I can't run the database in Virtualbox or VMware under and XP guest.

So I'm now interested in trying a DOS guest. That is, loading an emulated DOS operating system inside of a VM where I'll run the database.

The database makes use of network shares, network printers, etc. And so to set up this guest operating system in the VM, I need to be able to get DOS to do these things.

I've played around with some programs that appeared to give FreeDOS access to network shares. But while the dos operating systems appear to have the NET command and can ping the server... they cannot map the network share to a drive letter or share their own file system with the network.

I always get one of a couple different errors.


The VM people threw me at your forum. So please don't throw me back at those guys. I'm getting bounced around here.

I'd be perfectly happy with a downloadable drive image for Virtualdub with Freedos and functional SMB file sharing capability.

I've tried to download those in the past and while they appear to work they fail to actually either share or access shares on the network. Which is really the whole point.


I'm trying some other programs such as vDos with some success. Let me know the options.


I appreciate this is an usual request but we're trying to keep an old database functional in an increasingly hostile computer environment.

Currently, we're only keeping it working by putting it on a 32bit terminal server and then having people RDP into an XP host... where they then run the database.


Its not a viable long term solution. The 32bit host won't be compatible forever. Any help keeping the database going in the 21st century would be appreciated.

I have never run dosbox in Windows because I got rid of Windows here on my
systems quite a few years ago.

However, I _can_ say that dosbox works like a charm in Linux.

So perhaps this is what you might like to try.
http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1

> I have a very old DOS based database. dBaseIV. And it's run just fine up to
> MS deciding to stop supporting 16 apps for 64 bit operating systems.
>
> So I now need to emulate this database.
>
> I've tried lots of things. I can't run the database in Virtualbox or VMware
> under and XP guest.
>
> So I'm now interested in trying a DOS guest. That is, loading an emulated
> DOS operating system inside of a VM where I'll run the database.
>
> The database makes use of network shares, network printers, etc. And so to
> set up this guest operating system in the VM, I need to be able to get DOS
> to do these things.
>
> I've played around with some programs that appeared to give FreeDOS access
> to network shares. But while the dos operating systems appear to have the
> NET command and can ping the server... they cannot map the network share to
> a drive letter or share their own file system with the network.
>
> I always get one of a couple different errors.
>
>
> The VM people threw me at your forum. So please don't throw me back at
> those guys. I'm getting bounced around here.
>
> I'd be perfectly happy with a downloadable drive image for Virtualdub with
> Freedos and functional SMB file sharing capability.
>
> I've tried to download those in the past and while they appear to work they
> fail to actually either share or access shares on the network. Which is
> really the whole point.
>
>
> I'm trying some other programs such as vDos with some success. Let me know
> the options.
>
>
> I appreciate this is an usual request but we're trying to keep an old
> database functional in an increasingly hostile computer environment.
>
> Currently, we're only keeping it working by putting it on a 32bit terminal
> server and then having people RDP into an XP host... where they then run
> the database.
>
>
> Its not a viable long term solution. The 32bit host won't be compatible
> forever. Any help keeping the database going in the 21st century would be
> appreciated.

---
--
http://glennmcc.org/

Its not for commercial programs and shows with its poor support for network shares, printing, etc.

They go to great pains to say its for games and will often outright refuse to help you with anything that isn't a game.

They direct you to alternatives like vDos which I did install and try.

vDos appears to work but throws up some weird errors on some operations that I'd like to avoid having to debug. The program doesn't need to be debugged if run on an XP system. And sadly only a native XP system not a VMed guest version of XP.


In any case, I'm hoping to run a version of FreeDos or MS DOS in a VM with windows share support and the ability map shared printers to the LPT1 port.


This was easy in XP... just a couple NET commands. But DOS is of course its own special animal.

I'd love it if I could get my hands on a VM image that just worked. Short of that, I'll install one from scratch but its not an OS that I have a deep understanding for beyond whatever is similar between windows Batch script and DOS. I know the batch script is based on dos but I suspect they've diverged over the years

> I have never run dosbox in Windows because I got rid of Windows here on my
> systems quite a few years ago.
>
> However, I _can_ say that dosbox works like a charm in Linux.
>
> So perhaps this is what you might like to try.
> http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
>
> > I have a very old DOS based database. dBaseIV. And it's run just fine up
> to
> > MS deciding to stop supporting 16 apps for 64 bit operating systems.
> >
> > So I now need to emulate this database.
> >
> > I've tried lots of things. I can't run the database in Virtualbox or
> VMware
> > under and XP guest.
> >
> > So I'm now interested in trying a DOS guest. That is, loading an
> emulated
> > DOS operating system inside of a VM where I'll run the database.
> >
> > The database makes use of network shares, network printers, etc. And so
> to
> > set up this guest operating system in the VM, I need to be able to get
> DOS
> > to do these things.
> >
> > I've played around with some programs that appeared to give FreeDOS
> access
> > to network shares. But while the dos operating systems appear to have
> the
> > NET command and can ping the server... they cannot map the network share
> to
> > a drive letter or share their own file system with the network.
> >
> > I always get one of a couple different errors.
> >
> >
> > The VM people threw me at your forum. So please don't throw me back at
> > those guys. I'm getting bounced around here.
> >
> > I'd be perfectly happy with a downloadable drive image for Virtualdub
> with
> > Freedos and functional SMB file sharing capability.
> >
> > I've tried to download those in the past and while they appear to work
> they
> > fail to actually either share or access shares on the network. Which is
> > really the whole point.
> >
> >
> > I'm trying some other programs such as vDos with some success. Let me
> know
> > the options.
> >
> >
> > I appreciate this is an usual request but we're trying to keep an old
> > database functional in an increasingly hostile computer environment.
> >
> > Currently, we're only keeping it working by putting it on a 32bit
> terminal
> > server and then having people RDP into an XP host... where they then run
> > the database.
> >
> >
> > Its not a viable long term solution. The 32bit host won't be compatible
> > forever. Any help keeping the database going in the 21st century would
> be
> > appreciated.

DOSbox is indeed not primary meant for professional or "serious" application however it usually works OK. Sometimes you can observe a colision between DOSbox shortcuts (like CTRL-F11) and your program.

Around networking, printing, etc.: Sometimes is better to use some alternative build - some of them have more advanced printer or network or whatever support.

Some of such builds are listed here: http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/SVN_Builds

---
DOS-u-akbar!

> Some of such builds are listed here:
> http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/SVN_Builds

I use DosBox builds from this site http://ykhwong.x-y.net/
I didn't tried networking yet but it should have some support of NE2000 emulation and packet driver or so... First I would try if DB will run in DoxBox without crash and then start messing with net/printer stuff.

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> I have a very old DOS based database. dBaseIV. And it's run just fine up to
> MS deciding to stop supporting 16 apps for 64 bit operating systems.
why don't you use Win7 32-bit?
or even 8.1 32 Bit?
this should support good old DOS programs for another few years

even Windows XP will work for many more years, if you keep it off the www

> I've played around with some programs that appeared to give FreeDOS access
> to network shares. But while the dos operating systems appear to have the
> NET command and can ping the server... they cannot map the network share to
> a drive letter or share their own file system with the network.
NET is using a very old LAN Manager protocol, which is no longer accepted by
modern OS (younger the XP) for very good security reasons

you didn't specify what your VM is; however most VM's have some sort of 'shared folders' feature where some host resources are made available for the guest; YMMV


> I appreciate this is an usual request but we're trying to keep an old
> database functional in an increasingly hostile computer environment.
you can still use old software on old operatings systems on modern hardware

Tom

> why don't you use Win7 32-bit?
> or even 8.1 32 Bit?
> this should support good old DOS programs for another few years
>
> even Windows XP will work for many more years, if you keep it off the
> www

Based upon experience with Vista 32-bit's buggy NTVDM (much worse than XP's), I seriously doubt that newer Windows have better compatibility. It's not worth relying upon at all. It probably won't work. Unless you (or someone you know) has explicitly tested something there, it's safer to assume it won't work at all.

Seriously, MS doesn't care about NTVDM at all, they have other priorities (like IE/HTML5 and "mobile first, cloud first" hoopla).

> you didn't specify what your VM is; however most VM's have some sort of
> 'shared folders' feature where some host resources are made available for
> the guest; YMMV

http://www.freedos.org/software/?prog=vmsmount

No idea if Hyper-V (Win8 Pro 64-bit with VT-X, only!) works with DOS.

> Seriously, MS doesn't care about NTVDM at all, they have other priorities
> (like IE/HTML5 and "mobile first, cloud first" hoopla).

Hehe, there was discovered many several security vulnerabilities in NTVDM code during last years (some exists only on Vista and newer) and the easiest way to fix them is to disable some functions or kick out NTVDM at all...
BTW in Windows 8 is NTVDM disabled by default and when you run a DOS program 1st time it asks you to allow install and enable NTVDM. It's preparation for final termination

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.