Anyone use PURE DOS as the main OS ? Well here is a reason why you should..

[Thenasty]

I'm glad I do, since I had 3 blackouts today during the midst of an Asteroid Battle. No worries at all. Started right up again, and fire up my game and BINGO in about five minutes another Blackout. How are you WIN-OS users dealt with the blackouts today ?  

[maraxle]

I use FreeDOS, and life is good.  I can shutdown at any point and bootup time is super fast, even on my old Duron 600.  I wouldn't switch if you paid me.

[Tailgunner]

With a UPS.

[shmokes]

Well...you may find this hard to believe, but Windows workstations don't explode when they're shut down improperly.  I hope that you don't consider DOS superior to Windows XP simply because it handles blackouts nicely.  I'm not saying that there are no circumstances where DOS is a good candidate...like if you're running on a 300 Mhz processor.  But all things considered DOS can't hold a candle to Windows.

[Tailgunner]

Try multitasking 3 or more programs on a DOS box. I've done so before using Deskview, but it's not pretty.

[DaveMMR]

Well...you may find this hard to believe, but Windows workstations don't explode when they're shut down improperly.  I hope that you don't consider DOS superior to Windows XP simply because it handles blackouts nicely.  I'm not saying that there are no circumstances where DOS is a good candidate...like if you're running on a 300 Mhz processor.  But all things considered DOS can't hold a candle to Windows.

Thank you.  I'm not comparing DOS to Windows (it's all about preference to me) but, yeah, Windows shut down improperly numerous times (power outages, accidentally hit power button, etc.) without any problems.  The worst thing that has happened is that I lose unsaved work (which happens in DOS too).  

[maraxle]

Windows runs the risk of file corruption, particularly in-use DLLs, swap files, etc, when shutdown improperly.  You also can have the whole scandisk or safe mode thing popup afterward and disrupt your bootup sequence.  DOS just comes back up.

As for multitasking, why would you want to multitask on a MAME box?  Just curious.

[DaveMMR]

DOS just comes back up

Yeah but think of all the extra work I had to do to set it up in the first place.  

But, as I understand it, you're only supposed to shut down at a C prompt in DOS.  So if your computer shuts down while running a program, even in DOS, isn't there that remote possibility of messing it up anyhow?

It doesn't really matter - I'm not planning of cutting the power to my place anytime soon (and blackouts are not all too frequent).  

[maraxle]

DOS just comes back up

Yeah but think of all the extra work I had to do to set it up in the first place.  

But, as I understand it, you're only supposed to shut down at a C prompt in DOS.  So if your computer shuts down while running a program, even in DOS, isn't there that remote possibility of messing it up anyhow?

Honestly, it didn't take me any extra work to setup DOS on my machine.  I popped in the CD, ran the installer, and it was done.  Then there were the standard config things, just like you'd have to do on Windows, but that's it.

As for shutting down, it's best to shut down at the prompt, but as long as you're not shutting down in the middle of a write operation, the risk of file corruption is zero.  This is because of the difference between the way Windows and DOS handle file operations and memory.  The write operations are few and far between when using MAME and a frontend program, so at worst you might corrupt your high score file if you lost power at exactly the same time MAME was exiting and writing to that file.

[fredster]

I don't think it's easier. You can't find the #@! dos drivers anymore.  It's hard to find config files for '98 now.

I agree that dos would be simpler, but man it's a pain finding and using all the ram in a new machine. Dos can't handle the big files.

Can you even config a USB lightgun with Dos?

I gave up on it.  I got AdvanceMame to play pacman, but it couldn't find the right sound driver.

[maraxle]

I don't think it's easier. You can't find the #@! dos drivers anymore.  It's hard to find config files for '98 now.

That would be a problem if I were using newer hardware.  However, I'm using a Duron 600 with built-in AC97 sound.  AC97 DOS drivers are really easy to find.  Then I used CuteMouse drivers for my trackball.  Those are the only drivers I need.  I have no need to network my cabinet, but it is possible to do.

I agree that dos would be simpler, but man it's a pain finding and using all the ram in a new machine. Dos can't handle the big files.

I'm not sure I understand this one.  I have 160mb of RAM configured without a problem.  It's a one-liner to get that working.  I think DOS (at least FreeDOS) will let me use up to 512mb.  To be honest, even 160mb is overkill for my hardware, and I can play everything up to Street Fighter II or so without issues.

Can you even config a USB lightgun with Dos?

Not sure because I haven't found one of those that's not too ugly for my cabinet.    Actually, I've never even used one, and have no real interest in them, as I can't think of a single lightgun game that I like...

USB support for keyboards & mice under DOS is dependent on the motherboard.  Some of them will allow it and some won't.  So if the lightguns are treated like mice, the same rule would probably apply.

I gave up on it.  I got AdvanceMame to play pacman, but it couldn't find the right sound driver.

I found that if I left AdvanceMame on 'auto' for sound, it wouldn't work even when I had the right drivers installed.  When I configured it explicitly to use AC97, it worked.

If I were using newer hardware, I would use something else.  Windows is definitely better at handling the newer stuff.  But for anything 600-700 Mhz or less, I wouldn't bother with anything other than DOS.

[hyiu]

I have fuse breaker jump on me while I'm downloading...

and XP boots back up....

I was scared that time because I'm downloading and also ripping... (I mean heavy load on HD running...)

I guess I'm lucky...

but that also shows XP is not bad....

[Chris]

Try multitasking 3 or more programs on a DOS box. I've done so before using Deskview, but it's not pretty.

Yes, it is pretty!  DESQview was a wonderful thing!  

(I used to work for Quarterdeck, back when Windows was still 3.1...)

--Chris

[SirPoonga]

linux and ext3 or jfs or reiser

[maraxle]

linux and ext3 or jfs or reiser

ext2 would be faster because of its lack of journaling

[MadEditor]

With today's HD, power failure is not a big deal anymore, security are integrated in the HD itself...

The only trouble is data loss and in a MAME cab the only data loss you could have is a Hiscore which is NOT acceptable at all but...

[maraxle]

With today's HD, power failure is not a big deal anymore, security are integrated in the HD itself...

The only trouble is data loss and in a MAME cab the only data loss you could have is a Hiscore which is NOT acceptable at all but...

It's got nothing to do with the hard drive.  It's about the OS and how it handles virtual memory and file access.  The hard drive would effect you regardless of OS.

[Santoro]

I don't think it's easier. You can't find the #@! dos drivers anymore.  It's hard to find config files for '98 now.

That would be a problem if I were using newer hardware.  However, I'm using a Duron 600 with built-in AC97 sound.  AC97 DOS drivers are really easy to find.  Then I used CuteMouse drivers for my trackball.  Those are the only drivers I need.  I have no need to network my cabinet, but it is possible to do.

I have done a lot of searching and have not been able to find DOS AC97 drivers... Where did you find those?

Thanks!

[maraxle]

I don't think it's easier. You can't find the #@! dos drivers anymore.  It's hard to find config files for '98 now.

That would be a problem if I were using newer hardware.  However, I'm using a Duron 600 with built-in AC97 sound.  AC97 DOS drivers are really easy to find.  Then I used CuteMouse drivers for my trackball.  Those are the only drivers I need.  I have no need to network my cabinet, but it is possible to do.

I have done a lot of searching and have not been able to find DOS AC97 drivers... Where did you find those?

Thanks!

Here's one place to find it.  You just need the viafmtsr.com and viaudio.com files from the zip file.  I think you run viaudio and then viafmtsr from your autoexec.  If that doesn't work, run viafmtsr first.  I don't remember off the top of my head which needs to be run first, but it should be obvious when you try it.