Dosbox.conf

dosbox.conf is a configuration file located inside the same folder as the DOSBox binary. It contains various system settings and initialization values that define your emulated environment. Everything can be controlled by editing this file or if you like through more graphically oriented Front Ends. You can also create separate dosbox.conf files for multiple host environments (which is helpful in playing various DOS games that expect various types of hardware).

The configuration file is broken into separate sections which contain section settings. Many of these settings do not need to be fully understood to configure DOSBox, but it is helpful to know where to look. You should also be aware that anything to the right of the a # to the end of the line is considered a comment as is totally ignored by DOSBox when it loads.

[sdl]

This section contains all of the low level system settings for how DOSBox interacts with your real hardware. You can define what resolutions are emulated, how DOSBox should treat errors or listen to your keyboard and mouse. You can often achieve a fair level of optimization by working with these setting, though for the most part leaving them at their default settings will create the best experience. These settings are passed on to the SDL Library which handles low level things like input and thread priority. (more)

[dosbox]

These are emulator environment settings like language, display type, and amount of available memory. You can also define the folder where captured audio and video is stored. (more)

[render]

Here you can define display specific settings like the frame skip and any resolutions scalers. (more)

[cpu]

Here you can define how the CPU is emulated, as well as the pace (similar to its speed) at which is emulated. (more)

[mixer]

Here you can define the quality of emulated audio. (more)

[midi]

Here you can define any MIDI related settings. The term MIDI is commonly used to refer to background music found in games, but specifically it refers to synthesizer audio (which can be passed directly from emulated games to modern hardware. (more)

[sblaster]

Sound Blaster related settings. (more)

[gus]

Gravis Ultra Sound related settings. (more)

[speaker]

PC Speaker related settings. (more)

[joystick]

Joystick related settings. (more)

[serial]

Serial Port related settings. (more)

[dos]

Conventional Memory and Extended Memory related settings as well as the keyboard layout. (more)

[ipx]

IPX Networking related settings. (more)

[autoexec]

Here you can define the contents of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file (which is executed immediately after DOSBox is initialized). (more)