Hi Folks,
I am a newbie to Linux, been at it about 1 month. I downloaded dosbox, and it works great. So far I have downloaded 4 front ends for it and cannot get any of them to work. It seems that if i don't use synaptic for a download, it won't install correctly. So, do I have to expand my repositories to include one that has Dosbox, or do I need to learn a lot more about install downloads?
Also, while I have your attention, how do I change my desktop picture; more importantly where do I get new pictures from?

Thanks,

Chris

don't know about dosbox - something I've never played with.

As for your background image, well it depends on which desktop environment you use. Ubuntu tends to come with gnome as a default. I can't give you exact instructions for that - I hate it with a passion (OK, so i've tried gnome about 4 or 5 times and never got on with it).

Under KDE (hint - sudo apt-get install kubuntu desktop) you can just right click anywhere on the desktop and select "configure desktop" - with that dialogue open you can (provided you have a working net connection) just hit the "get new wallpapers" button and it queries the kde-look site for various subjects (newest, most popular, etc etc) and you can choose/download from there - you'd even get a preview with most of them.

I'd suggest that you google for "gnome wallpapers" and see what you get. If I look at the kde-look site directly, and then view any of the available ones theres usually instructions for downloading and installing - I'm presuming that you'd find the same - In fact, having just checked for you, I'd say that this is probably a good place to start (it looks the same as kde-look so ......).

regards

John

Hi Folks,
I found out that I had no source files, so I dl'ed the source files for my kernel and installed them and "viola" I now have a dosbox frontend working, now to get the darn pharo GPS 360 working, but that is another thread . . .

-Chris

well done. 9 out of 10 times, "it's" achievable.

Bit annoying really as now I've got to go and find out what in hells name "Dosbox" is.

regards

John

Hi John,
Dosbox is a dos emulator for playing older dos based games. I enjoy this game called "Masters of Magic" by Microprose. Games is now freeware and so is dosbox. the game is like Civilization but with magic added. ( It also happens to be a Sid Meier creation)

-Chris

p.s.: Thanksfor the link, John. I have changed my desktop 3x so far.

I have been using DosboxFE, with dosbox and have found that the CPU cycles only go up to 32000 in DosboxFE, and my old pc can run Dosbox at something like 180000 (with the cpu at about 85%). This makes the difference between being able to play Doom or not.

I think frontends do not always get updated as quickly as dosbox.

I have only tried one, which one are you using?

I am using dosboxer, and it tops out at 40,000

Thanks, I didn't realise there were more. I think I am going to try setting up a dosbox.conf file to get round my problem of the cpu cycle settings.

New problem,
Dosboxer works when I install it, but when I shut down and restart my computer i get a NulObject error, what does this mean?

Thanks,
Chris

p.s. If I re-install, everything works fine, til I shut down.

You might find it easier not to use dosboxer, but to set up separate dosbox config files for the games you want to play. Once you have a config file you can set up a shortcut on your kde menu.

You can create the config file from within dosbox e.g. type
This creates the file /home/username/lemmingsdosconf. You can add in the bits you need to start the game in the autoexec part of this config file. e.g. This is the one I have set up for lemmings

You can add the game to the KDE menu, setting the command field in KDE Menu Editor to:
Then you can run it just like any other software from the KDE menu. The dosbox website explains the other settings you can change in the config file.

Doesn't really answer your question, but may help.

(btw I was wrong about the cpu cycles I have it set to 13000 in doom2 not 180000!)

Thanks for the help.
Not using KDE, have Ubuntu and gnome. Most of the what you posted worked, just can't put dosbox where I can click it easily, still have to search in nautilus for it.

-Chris

If you right click on your gnome menu, does it give you the option to edit it? That is how you can do this in KDE.

Alternatively can you write click on the desktop somewhere and select 'create new short cut'?

You might need to include the full directory in the command, e.g.

This will depend on where the doxbox software is installed, if it is not in the path it will not find it unless you tell it where it is. You should be able to get this location from nautilus.

I think you can see the path by typing something like "echo $PATH"

Found it, did it, playing my game, thank you all. BTW, now the sound is kinda choppy.

-Crimsonkil

Might be worth looking at dosbox site for your game, you sometimes get tips on what config settings are needed posted there.

Also if it worked ok using dosboxer you could see if you can find the config file that dosboxer used and use that instead.

It could be that the cpu cycles are too high. To get it working I tend to open a command window and type 'top', and also run 'Dosbox' in a window playing the game. I can then see what percentage of cpu is being used, and then change it with alt-f12 and alt-f11 (might be ctrl-f12 and f11). Then change the config file when I am happy with the setting (I try to keep it below 90%).

What game are having a problem with?

Masters of Magic,
an Old Sid Meier/Microprose civilization type game, but with magic instead of technology.