DOS ain't dead

Quick question about hxdos (DOSX)

posted by Rugxulo , Usono, 05.07.2010, 16:22

> Just been using hxdos ( http://www.japheth.de/HX.html ) in freedos along
> with the windows version of qemu (version 0.9.0). I've managed to run
> an old copy of win95 successfully (though I no longer use windows)
> and basiclinux, both seem to be a bit slow but usable.

BasicLinux supports UMSDOS, so it should run native speed atop FreeDOS.
Win95 probably can also run (via image file) with GRUB4DOS, but I've never tried. (QEMU is not known for blazing speed, or at least not when I tried it.)

> The first problem which seems to affect all machines is the mouse
> seems to be very stuttery or jerky. Is there any way I can make
> the mouse pointer move more smoothly?

What mouse driver are you using? Cutemouse 2.1b4 is the latest, IIRC, so try that (and/or 2.0 and 1.9). However, it could be a BIOS bug. At least my laptop doesn't work with Cutemouse due to that. But I remember DOS386 and Japheth always complaining about various bugs in keyboard handling and mouse support. (Or maybe I'm thinking of BOCHS, I forget.) So it might just be a "bug" in QEMU itself!

> The second problem is more serious though. The 3 machines I'm using are a
> AMD Phenom II quad core (4GB Ram, desktop),

Yes, let those other three cores sleep, they deserve a break.

> a Pentium 4 machine (1GB Ram,

whhhhiiiirrrrrrrr *fan*

> desktop) and an EEEPC (1GB Ram).

Heh, I could never help but laugh at that name, esp. with all the anti-MS sentiment in the Linux community.

> The problem concerns hxdos and the "-full-screen" option. I can get qemu to
> run, but if I try to use the "-full-screen" option on either of the desktop
> PCs (the EEE PC works fine) I get this error message;
>
> dkrnl32: exception
> dkrnl32: fatal exit!

Could be a bug in HXGUI, but ...

> Both desktop PCs give this error if I do something like this;
>
> dpmild32 -g qemu.exe -L . -m 32 -hda hdd -boot c -full-screen
>
> but the EEE PC gives no error at all!

Hmmmm....

> Does anyone know why full screen wouldn't work (and how to make the mouse
> smoother?)

Might be a VESA BIOS bug as they all have subtle quirks. You could try UNIVBE and see if that helps, but don't get your hopes up.

---
Know your limits.h

Complete thread:

• Quick question about hxdos - ljones, 05.07.2010, 00:13
  • Quick question about hxdos - rr, 05.07.2010, 10:12
  • Quick question about hxdos - Rugxulo, 05.07.2010, 16:22
    • Quick question about hxdos - Arjay, 05.07.2010, 22:14
  • Quick question about hxdos - ljones, 05.07.2010, 21:29
    • Quick question about hxdos - Arjay, 05.07.2010, 21:59
  • Quick question about hxdos - Japheth, 06.07.2010, 15:53