SpyStyle boot CD, beta 1 J
August 24 2007
1. What is it?
This is my version of Fraggal's famous boot CD. With it you can get your DOS based arcade machine running with no knowledge of how to operate DOS!
2. What does it do?
It installs DOS 7, emulator(s) that you choose*, Game Launcher (front end), Sound drivers***, CD-Rom driver, Scitech display doctor (video driver), mouse driver, and some useful batch files to automate DOS tasks**
*you can choose from
1. Install MAME only
2. Install Vantage only
3. Install Raine only
4. Install Vantage & Raine
5. Install MAME & Vantage
6. Install MAME & Raine
7. Install MAME & Vantage & Raine
If MAME is chosen these releases are available to choose from:
1. MAME .36
2. MAME .55
3. MAME .65
4. MAME .75
5. MAME .85
6. MAME .95
7. MAME .100
and each release has the follwing versions to choose from:
1. Pentium II / III / 4 or Celeron (i686)
2. Pentium I (i586)
3. DOS MAME (best compatibility)
**you can automatically do the following at the C:> prompt (notice, all commands are without quotes)
"update" to add ROMs and snapshots from CD-Rom. This command will copy all contents of a CD to the mame directory exactly as is (so put your ROMs in a folder called "roms", and snap shots in a folder called "snaps")
"updateR" same as above but for Raine
"updateV" same as above but for vantage
"setup" to manually edit mame.cfg (MAME's configuration file)
"setupR" to manually edit raine.cfg (Raine's configuration file)
"setupV" to manually edit vantage.cfg (Vantage's configuration file)
"scan" to run Game Launcher's "MAME scan". This is done once, after you copy your ROMs, so Game Launcher will know what ROMs are present.
"setupGL" to manually edit glaunch.cfg (GameLauncher's configuration file)
"scandisk" Will check your hard drive for data errors and physical damage.
"speed" "quality" and "default" to optimize MAME. If your games are running slow try typing 'speed', on a fast computer try typing 'quality', or return to default by typing 'default'
(see explanation below at #7)
***Supported sound cards:
SoundBlaster ISA (recommended)
SoundBlaster Audio PCI 128
Creative AudioPCI
Sound Blaster 16 PCI
Sound Blaster PCI 128
Sound Blaster AudioPCI
Creative Ensoniq AudioPCI
Creative Vibra 128
Ensoniq's 1370, 1371, 1373, and 5880 chipsets
Sound Blaster Live! and Sound Blaster Audigy pci cards
VIA AC'97
3. Required hardware:
A computer with CD-rom drive, hard drive, and a sound card.
4. Why?
After trying to simplify DOS install, to illustrate in my arcade building tutorial, I came across Fraggal's boot CD. It had an exceptional concept but was very limited. Only the "foundation" from his original disk remains, I have replaced everything else. What is the concept? A CD that installs DOS and your emulator for you! You don't need to know how to operate DOS
Why DOS?
DOS is great for an arcade machine!
No Windows to crash and take a long time to load.
No Windows to hog system resources with things that aren't needed on a cab.
DOS can turn an old "anchor" computer into the "engine" of a home arcade machine.
One of the most common questions I am asked is "How much does it cost to build an arcade machine?". That really translates to "What is the least expensive method?". With DOS you can use a very inexpensive PC to play games on your arcade machine.
Or maybe you just like DOS because it is simple, small, and fast.
5. This is "beta" software, so if something is brok3n let me know and help me fix it
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MAME emulator is optional during install
*To use MAME*
1. Insert a CD containing MAME roms in a folder called 'roms'
and optionally a folder called 'snapshots' containg the snap shots
2. type 'update' at the C:> prompt to copy the files to raine directory
3. after, type 'scan' at the C:> prompt. This is done once so GameLauncher will know what MAME roms are present.
3. In GameLauncher press 'Left CTRL' to change the game list to MAME
4. You can edit MAME's configuration file by typing 'setup' at the C:> prompt.
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Raine emulator is optional during install
*To use Raine*
1. Insert a CD containing Raine roms in a folder called 'roms'
and optionally a folder called 'snapshots' containg the snap shots
2. type 'updateR' at the C:> prompt to copy the files to raine directory
3. In GameLauncher press 'Left CTRL' to change the game list to Raine
4. You can edit Raine's configuration file by typing 'setupR' at the C:> prompt.
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Vantage emulator is optional during install
*To use Vantage*
1. Insert a CD containing Vantage roms in a folder called 'roms'
and optionally a folder called 'snapshots' containing the snap shots.
2. type 'updateV' at the C:> prompt to copy the files to Vantage directory
3. In GameLauncher press 'Left CTRL' to change the game list to Vantage
4. You can edit Vantage's configuration file by typing 'setupV' at the C:> prompt.
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7. What does the MAME "optmizations" do?
It automatically changes these lines in mame.cfg
"fast"
triplebuffer = no
samplerate = 11025
resolution = 320x240
"quality"
triplebuffer = yes
samplerate = 44100
resolution = auto
"default"
triplebuffer = no
samplerate = 22050
resolution = auto
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Notice:
I have set up mame's configuration file to expect a "sound blaster 16" sound card
This is a line in mame.cfg
If you are not using "sound blaster" sound card you must edit mame.cfg line:
soundcard 1
to edit mame.cfg type "setup" (without quotes) from c:> prompt
Here are mame's soundcard codes:
0. Silence
1. Sound Blaster
3. Pro Audio Spectrum
4. Ultrasound Max (CS4231 codec)
5. Ultrasound
6. Windows sound system
7. Ensoniq Soundscape
Example, if you have an Ultrasound card you would change the line to:
soundcard 5
Note:
Running "optimizations" will reset mame.cfg to soundcard 1, so you will have to edit this line every time you run an optimization.
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Notice: I have set up Raine and Vantage to expect a "soundblaster 16" sound card. If you are using a different sound card you must edit their configuration file to reflect the sound card you have. Type 'setupR' to edit Raine's configuration and 'setupV' to edit Vantage's configuration.
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How to run MAME and Game Launcher "vertically"
It's very easy to rotate the screen in DOS. You just have to tell mame (mame.cfg) and your front end (in Game Launcher's case glaunch.cfg) that you have a vertical cab.
Edit those two files and you're vertical.
I'll do it now on my virtual PC MAME 36:
type 'setup' at the C:> prompt
change the following lines:
ror = ('yes' if rotate right, 'no' if rotate left)
rol = ('yes' if rotate left, 'no' if rotate right)
then to save and exit - press 'alt' 'enter' scroll down to 'exit' and press 'enter' twice
then type 'setupGL' at the C:> prompt
change the following lines:
menu_orientation = 1
Notice : if you run "optmiziations" you will have to re-edit mame.cfg each time (by typing 'setup' at C:> prompt)
Note : Vantage and Raine can also be run vertically
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Scitech display doctor (SDD)
I have included SDD as a generic video card driver. We all use a sound card driver so why not a video card driver? It is optional during install. In many cases it will speed up the video, but in some cases it may cause trouble.
It requires registration. All information must be capitalized. The registration information for it is:
"full name of owner"
MAME
"registration ID"
00000-BACF0141-00000
If you messed up the registration at install you can try again later by typing "reg" (without quotes) at the C:> prompt.
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Happy Gaming!
Craig
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p.s.
Legal:
This disk contains files from Windows 98 CD, do not use it unless you own a copy of Windows 98 - Most of us have that disk so it's not a big deal, if you don't have it you can pick up a used copy at the local computer store for a few dollars.