Difference between revisions of "Drives"
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| − | DOSBox, in an effort to emulate a | + | DOSBox, in an effort to emulate a DOS environment, needs some location to emulate a virtual Hard Drive. Commonly MS-DOS users would be greeted with a <code><pre>C:\></pre></code> prompt once a computer is done booting. The hard drives currently in your system are most likely many times larger than the kinds of hard drives that existed back when MS-DOS was commercially available. Also, they contain software that is not suited for DOSBox. In order to create a realistic (and safe) environment to run your DOS software you should define a path somewhere on your hard disk that will be treated as a virtual hard disk. |
Note that upon starting DOSBox the prompt instead reads <code><pre>Z:\></pre></code> which is a virtual drive in memory (RAMDrive) where the OS Tools are stored. Users cannot write data to the Z:\ and it exists only for DOSBox purposes. See the [[ZDrive]] section for more information | Note that upon starting DOSBox the prompt instead reads <code><pre>Z:\></pre></code> which is a virtual drive in memory (RAMDrive) where the OS Tools are stored. Users cannot write data to the Z:\ and it exists only for DOSBox purposes. See the [[ZDrive]] section for more information | ||
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Navigation between different drives is done by typing <tt>C:</tt> where C is the letter of the drive you wish to go to. By default DOSBox, like Windows, will detect [[Floppy|Floppy Drives]] connected via floppy cables as the A:\ and B:\ respectively. | Navigation between different drives is done by typing <tt>C:</tt> where C is the letter of the drive you wish to go to. By default DOSBox, like Windows, will detect [[Floppy|Floppy Drives]] connected via floppy cables as the A:\ and B:\ respectively. | ||
| − | ==Mounting a C: | + | ==Mounting a C: drive== |
| − | It bears repeating that '''unsafe''' to mount one's entire drive into DOSBox, particularly if another OS is already installed on it. For that reason, it's recommended only to mount a subdirectory (subfolder) of the drive where DOS files will be stored and have DOSBox fool it's games/applications into thinking that is the C: | + | It bears repeating that '''unsafe''' to mount one's entire drive into DOSBox, particularly if another OS is already installed on it. For that reason, it's recommended only to mount a subdirectory (subfolder) of the drive where DOS files will be stored and have DOSBox fool it's games/applications into thinking that is the [[CDrive|C: drive]]. Ideal locations for a virtual hard disk are |
=== Windows === | === Windows === | ||
| − | <code><pre>C:\DOSROOT</pre></code> | + | <code><pre>C:\DOSROOT |
| − | + | MOUNT C C:\DOSROOT</pre></code> | |
=== Linux === | === Linux === | ||
| − | <code><pre>~/DOSROOT</pre></code> | + | <code><pre>~/DOSROOT |
| − | + | MOUNT C ~/DOSROOT</pre></code> | |
=== Mac OSX === | === Mac OSX === | ||
| + | <code><pre>~/DOSROOT | ||
| + | MOUNT C ~/DOSROOT</pre></code> | ||
=== BeOS === | === BeOS === | ||
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| − | Note that you can have more than one Drive defined if you want to recreate complex configurations, but it is generally easier to have a single drive that will be [[MOUNT|mounted]] | + | Note that you can have more than one Drive defined if you want to recreate complex configurations, but it is generally easier to have a single drive that will be [[MOUNT|mounted]] as your C: drive. |
Revision as of 00:56, 27 January 2008
DOSBox, in an effort to emulate a DOS environment, needs some location to emulate a virtual Hard Drive. Commonly MS-DOS users would be greeted with a
C:\>
prompt once a computer is done booting. The hard drives currently in your system are most likely many times larger than the kinds of hard drives that existed back when MS-DOS was commercially available. Also, they contain software that is not suited for DOSBox. In order to create a realistic (and safe) environment to run your DOS software you should define a path somewhere on your hard disk that will be treated as a virtual hard disk. Note that upon starting DOSBox the prompt instead reads
Z:\>
which is a virtual drive in memory (RAMDrive) where the OS Tools are stored. Users cannot write data to the Z:\ and it exists only for DOSBox purposes. See the ZDrive section for more information
Navigation between different drives is done by typing C: where C is the letter of the drive you wish to go to. By default DOSBox, like Windows, will detect Floppy Drives connected via floppy cables as the A:\ and B:\ respectively.
Mounting a C: drive
It bears repeating that unsafe to mount one's entire drive into DOSBox, particularly if another OS is already installed on it. For that reason, it's recommended only to mount a subdirectory (subfolder) of the drive where DOS files will be stored and have DOSBox fool it's games/applications into thinking that is the C: drive. Ideal locations for a virtual hard disk are
Windows
C:\DOSROOT
MOUNT C C:\DOSROOT
Linux
~/DOSROOT
MOUNT C ~/DOSROOT
Mac OSX
~/DOSROOT
MOUNT C ~/DOSROOT
BeOS
OS/2
Note that you can have more than one Drive defined if you want to recreate complex configurations, but it is generally easier to have a single drive that will be mounted as your C: drive.
