Emulating DOS on XP

[Jassi]

Hello,

I need to port an ap that was developed in 86 (or around there) to a system using XP. The reason is that the ap uses dos interrupts and is not compatible with XP. I found BOCHS online and I was wondering if there are any other applications that I can use. The only other requirement is that the software must either be free or open source.

Thanks,
Jassi

 

[bsobel]

I was going to suggest VmWare but the free or open source comment shoots that down.... sorry...
Bill

 

[jhu]

try qemu. it's much faster than bochs.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Text

 

[Jassi]

I have talked it over with my superiors and they have agreed to give VMware a shot. I need to use the serial port with a program that uses dos interrupts. Can VMware be set up to run DOS exactly the way it runs on a dos machine while using XP?

 

[Smilin]

Give this a try. It's cheaper.

Edit: and it runs DOS, not just 'like dos'.

 

[CTho9305]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Text

This free program emulates a computer running MS DOS. It's open source too, if that's at all relevant, and not time-limited like virtual PC / vmware trial licenses. I'm not sure how well it handles serial ports.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: CTho9305

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Text

This free program emulates a computer running MS DOS. It's open source too, if that's at all relevant, and not time-limited like virtual PC / vmware trial licenses. I'm not sure how well it handles serial ports.

umm, that is the one i linked

 

[bsobel]

umm, that is the one i linked

Yep, but which link 'text' or 'This free program' you think people notice? (Not a flame, you obviously where helping, but some descriptive text may have made it more obvious)

Bill

 

[Smilin]

I also found an answer on this thread.

 

[Jassi]

I have been trying with Dosbox but I havent been able to make the original program work. I need to mess aorund with it.

Is it a problem that XP uses NTFS and DOS uses FAT file format? I havent been able to get a clear answer on this either.

 

[CTho9305]

Originally posted by: bsobel

umm, that is the one i linked

Yep, but which link 'text' or 'This free program' you think people notice? (Not a flame, you obviously where helping, but some descriptive text may have made it more obvious)

Bill

Exactly. The OP didn't reply to Schadenfroh's link, so I figured I'd clarify what it was. For an OP in a thread titled "funny picture" or "kobe rapes girl", a message consisting of "Text" is clear enough, but in this case, it really wasn't. As a first reply, "Text" can also be clear enough, but not as a third .

 

[Jassi]

Also, can Virtual PC let a DOS program access the serial ports? It needs to talk to a robot through the serial port.

I am trying to get a program compiled in the 80's to run on a XP computer as a temporary solution while I create my own XP compatible version.

 

[Smilin]

Yes.

 

[travanx]

What makes the program not work in DOS? I ask because we have a survey program in the office that uses a Dongle. The program sucks and needs the stupid dongle in dos. This caused problems in Win2k and we needed a driver for the dongle so it would work. But that slowed the program down. Then in XP magically it works without that driver. Just wondering if you are in the same situation? I wish we could get a dongleless version of the software, it would get rid of some big problems with the program. Oh and the company no longer supports it which makes sense, but still sucks if a dongle is broken, lost etc. I assume you already tried all the little dos options in XP?