Running Score on Windows Vista using DOSBox

[ Method  |  To adjust "dosbox.conf" manually  |  Sample dosbox.conf file  |  Sample dosbox.conf file: plain text version  |  Recommended directory setups (and plain text versions: 1 or 2  |  Further advice ]

Andrew Parker:

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Go direct to the download page at http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1

You need to get just the Win32 installer version (at the top of the list).

These notes relate to setting it up so that it runs straight into Scor4 and out again.

This was done as an "ordinary unprivileged user" on Vista, so that any strange messages about security will be encountered.

The main thing is that DOSBox doesn't know about Vista Program Files folders having reduced accessibility as compared to XP,

so you need to change the permissions (giving the admin password, if asked) and allow full control of the DOSBox-0.72 folder in

Program Files, and also set a couple of folders NOT to be read only.

Method:

• Install DOSBox 0.72. Accept the defaults (it installs to \Program Files\DOSBox-0.72).
• Go to start menu | computer | [windows_drive] | Program Files
• Right click DOSBox-0.72 folder and select Properties
• Ensure that ReadOnly is unchecked.
• Select Security tab.
• Select Edit
• (Give administrator password, if required!)
• Select Users from "Group or user names"
• In "Permissions for Users" click "Full control"
• Click Apply
• Now navigate into DOSBox-0.72 and select the file "dosbox.conf"
• Right click for properties.
• Ensure that ReadOnly is unchecked.
• Click Apply
• Do the same with the folder "Capture"

You can now either adjust the dosbox..conf file, as detailed below, or you may like to try a sample one which is optimised for

running Score. But note, if you elect to use the pre-configured file, you may still need to edit the path information at the end of

the file which controls the virtual directories mounted when DOSBox runs.

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To adjust "dosbox.conf" manually, I suggest the following changes:

in the first block:

#fullresolution=original

fullresolution=1024x768

#windowresolution=original

windowresolution=800x600

#output=surface

output=ddraw

in the final block – this assumes that c to be your Vista drive:

[autoexec]

# Lines in this section will be run at startup.

mount c c:\

c

cd \scor4

scor4

exit

Save this new version of the dosbox.conf.

Create a shortcut to DOSBox.exe as desired.

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When you run DOSBox, you will now get Score in a window. When you exit Score, the DOSBox will close.

To get similar DOSBoxes for other Score fullscreen utilities, just start DOSBox with a different config file on the

command line. For example, the alternative config files can have the autoexec parameters to mount the Vista

drive and run the utility directly. Alternatively, you can have a config file with no autoexec parameters (apart

from the mount command, perhaps) and then use the command line normally.

To capture the mouse inside the DOSBox, just place your mouse over the area

and click. To free the mouse, either do an alt-tab switch to another

window or press Ctrl-F10.

You will need the normal XP-type pref.scr with the mouse interrupt set to

irq 5, and so on.

Andrew Parker

31 March 2008

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Sample dosbox.conf file:

[sdl]

# fullscreen -- Start dosbox directly in fullscreen.

# fulldouble -- Use double buffering in fullscreen.

# fullresolution -- What resolution to use for fullscreen: original or fixed size (e.g. 1024x768).

# windowresolution -- Scale the window to this size IF the output device supports hardware scaling.

# output -- What to use for output: surface,overlay,opengl,openglnb,ddraw.

# autolock -- Mouse will automatically lock, if you click on the screen.

# sensitivity -- Mouse sensitivity.

# waitonerror -- Wait before closing the console if dosbox has an error.

# priority -- Priority levels for dosbox: lowest,lower,normal,higher,highest,pause (when not focussed).

# Second entry behind the comma is for when dosbox is not focused/minimized.

# mapperfile -- File used to load/save the key/event mappings from.

# usescancodes -- Avoid usage of symkeys, might not work on all operating systems.

fullscreen=true

fulldouble=false

#fullresolution=original

fullresolution=1280x800

#windowresolution=original

windowresolution=800x600

#output=surface

output=ddraw

autolock=true

sensitivity=100

waitonerror=true

priority=higher,normal

mapperfile=mapper.txt

usescancodes=true

[dosbox]

# language -- Select another language file.

# memsize -- Amount of memory dosbox has in megabytes.

# machine -- The type of machine tries to emulate:hercules,cga,tandy,pcjr,vga.

# captures -- Directory where things like wave,midi,screenshot get captured.

language=

machine=vga

captures=capture

memsize=16

[render]

# frameskip -- How many frames dosbox skips before drawing one.

# aspect -- Do aspect correction, if your output method doesn't support scaling this can slow things down!

# scaler -- Scaler used to enlarge/enhance low resolution modes.

# Supported are none,normal2x,normal3x,advmame2x,advmame3x,hq2x,hq3x,

# 2xsai,super2xsai,supereagle,advinterp2x,advinterp3x,

# tv2x,tv3x,rgb2x,rgb3x,scan2x,scan3x.

frameskip=0

aspect=false

scaler=normal2x

[cpu]

# core -- CPU Core used in emulation: normal,simple,dynamic,auto.

# auto switches from normal to dynamic if appropriate.

# cycles -- Number of instructions dosbox tries to emulate each millisecond.

# Setting this value too high results in sound dropouts and lags.

# You can also let DOSBox guess the correct value by setting it to max.

# The default setting (auto) switches to max if appropriate.

# cycleup -- Number of cycles to increase/decrease with keycombo.

# cycledown Setting it lower than 100 will be a percentage.

core=auto

cycles=max

cycleup=500

cycledown=20

[mixer]

# nosound -- Enable silent mode, sound is still emulated though.

# rate -- Mixer sample rate, setting any devices higher than this will

# probably lower their sound quality.

# blocksize -- Mixer block size, larger blocks might help sound stuttering

# but sound will also be more lagged.

# prebuffer -- How many milliseconds of data to keep on top of the blocksize.

nosound=false

rate=22050

blocksize=2048

prebuffer=10

[midi]

# mpu401 -- Type of MPU-401 to emulate: none, uart or intelligent.

# device -- Device that will receive the MIDI data from MPU-401.

# This can be default,alsa,oss,win32,coreaudio,none.

# config -- Special configuration options for the device. In Windows put

# the id of the device you want to use. See README for details.

mpu401=intelligent

device=default

config=

[sblaster]

# sbtype -- Type of sblaster to emulate:none,sb1,sb2,sbpro1,sbpro2,sb16.

# sbbase,irq,dma,hdma -- The IO/IRQ/DMA/High DMA address of the soundblaster.

# mixer -- Allow the soundblaster mixer to modify the dosbox mixer.

# oplmode -- Type of OPL emulation: auto,cms,opl2,dualopl2,opl3.

# On auto the mode is determined by sblaster type.

# All OPL modes are 'Adlib', except for CMS.

# oplrate -- Sample rate of OPL music emulation.

sbtype=sb16

sbbase=220

irq=7

dma=1

hdma=5

mixer=true

oplmode=auto

oplrate=22050

[gus]

# gus -- Enable the Gravis Ultrasound emulation.

# gusbase,irq1,irq2,dma1,dma2 -- The IO/IRQ/DMA addresses of the

# Gravis Ultrasound. (Same IRQ's and DMA's are OK.)

# gusrate -- Sample rate of Ultrasound emulation.

# ultradir -- Path to Ultrasound directory. In this directory

# there should be a MIDI directory that contains

# the patch files for GUS playback. Patch sets used

# with Timidity should work fine.

gus=true

gusrate=22050

gusbase=240

irq1=5

irq2=5

dma1=3

dma2=3

ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

[speaker]

# pcspeaker -- Enable PC-Speaker emulation.

# pcrate -- Sample rate of the PC-Speaker sound generation.

# tandy -- Enable Tandy Sound System emulation (off,on,auto).

# For auto Tandysound emulation is present only if machine is set to tandy.

# tandyrate -- Sample rate of the Tandy 3-Voice generation.

# disney -- Enable Disney Sound Source emulation.

pcspeaker=true

pcrate=22050

tandy=auto

tandyrate=22050

disney=true

[joystick]

# joysticktype -- Type of joystick to emulate: auto (default), none,

# 2axis (supports two joysticks), 4axis,

# fcs (Thrustmaster), ch (CH Flightstick).

# none disables joystick emulation.

# auto chooses emulation depending on real joystick(s).

# timed -- enable timed intervals for axis. (false is old style behaviour).

# autofire -- continuously fires as long as you keep the button pressed.

# swap34 -- swap the 3rd and the 4th axis. can be useful for certain joysticks.

# buttonwrap -- enable button wrapping at the number of emulated buttons.

joysticktype=auto

timed=true

autofire=false

swap34=false

buttonwrap=true

[serial]

# serial1-4 -- set type of device connected to com port.

# Can be disabled, dummy, modem, nullmodem, directserial.

# Additional parameters must be in the same line in the form of

# parameter:value. Parameter for all types is irq.

# for directserial: realport (required), rxdelay (optional).

# for modem: listenport (optional).

# for nullmodem: server, rxdelay, txdelay, telnet, usedtr,

# transparent, port, inhsocket (all optional).

# Example: serial1=modem listenport:5000

serial1=dummy

serial2=dummy

serial3=disabled

serial4=disabled

[dos]

# xms -- Enable XMS support.

# ems -- Enable EMS support.

# umb -- Enable UMB support.

# keyboardlayout -- Language code of the keyboard layout (or none).

xms=true

ems=true

umb=true

keyboardlayout=none

[ipx]

# ipx -- Enable ipx over UDP/IP emulation.

ipx=false

[autoexec]

# Lines in this section will be run at startup.

mount c c:\

c:

cd \scor4

scor4

exit

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Two alternate recommended subdirectory [folder] setups:

DOSBox may show an error if setup to operate in the root directory of the C:\ drive. DOSBox is better mounted in a subdirectory (secondary folder). If Score is installed in its default configuration, in C:\Score with the Preference files and Library files in C:\LIB, with DOSBox mounted in a subdirectory, then Score is unable to find the Preference files and Library files and will not function.

1.
Andrew Parker recommends the following directory (folder) setup to correct this problem:

Score data files must be included in the SCOREDB subdirectory [folder] as well.

2.
Thomas Weber suggests (tested with Score 4):

[The editor, Gordon J. Callon, is very interested to learn of any who have tried either of these suggestions and of the results.]

Some more advice:

Anthony Maydwell suggests (tested with Score 4):

The simplest way to address the issue of directories is to have Score in the D: drive (for reasons suggested above).

One advantage: The user can shift the entire directory onto another platform without "installation".

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[This is one of several possibilities. Obviously, the CD line will vary with each user. The last line refers to Score version 4; this will be different for other versions of Score.]

Note that the working directory is defined so it is not necessary to CD [change directory] from the root every time Score is started.