MAME DOSbox tutorial? HELP ME I'M GOING NUTS!

[crashwg]

I just aquired a computer that's not exactly the most advanced one I've seen and I'm thinking about playing arround with MAME and DOS and seeing what I come up with.

Is there some sort of guide on how to set up mame in dos?  Like all the ins and outs of the whole thing.  I'm particualarly interested in direct booting into some sort of front end and arcade controllable game selection.


[edit]

Well, I figgured that I probably wouldn't get much help tonight so I went ahead and tried to figgure it out for myself...  It seems as though I don't even know how to install DOS!    

I downloaded DOS 7 from a .torrent site, opened the programs, one at a time, which then formatted a floppy and placed it's files on the disk.  I then put disk 1 into the fresh computer and nothing happend.  It said it was an invalid system disk!

Now, I'm not a total computer newb or anthing like that I've just never had the need to mess arround with dos.  Heck my first computer had windows 98 on it!

So anyways, I'm going to need information on how to setup a MAME DOS box from the start, formatted drive to inserting coin.

[JoyMonkey]

I don't know of a step-by-step guide to setting up DOS Mame.

Try installing the DOS 7.10 that is available here:
http://newdos.yginfo.net/msdos71
They even have a bootable cd-rom image that you can use just like a Windows install. As far as I can remember, it should let you format and partition your hard drive during the install.

After that, read through The Purple Mame Page to get an idea of how you need your autoxec.bat and config.sys setup (they'll probably be fine unless you're using an arcade monitor). Generally, if you're just using a PC monitor you shouldn't need to change anything, but you will need to add some lines to get your soundcard working and get your frontend to startup.

Here's some bare necessities that most DOS tutorials already assume that you know:
Config.sys runs when the computer first starts up. Among other things, it tells the PC what memory manager to use and how to setup the CD-Rom.
Autoexec.bat runs right after config.sys. It tells the PC how to set your soundcard (points it towards your DOS dirvers), how to setup your video card to work properly on whatever monitor you have, and whatever else you want the PC to do on startup. For a DOS Mame box, the last few lines of autoexec will tell it to run ArcadeOS or another DOS frontend.
Both these files are located at the C:\ root. To edit them from the C:\ prompt, type:
edit autoexec.bat

Hope this helps a little. Let me know if I'm being too basic here.

Edit: A couple of years ago there was a bootable CD that formatted your hard drive, installed the minimum of DOS that Mame needs, ArcadeOS and Mame. I think it was called "Fraggle's Boot CD", but I think it has since dissappeared. There is a similar bootable CD called Omnicade but I've never tried and the RetroBlast review wasn't too kind on it.

[crashwg]

Try installing the DOS 7.10 that is available here:
http://newdos.yginfo.net/msdos71
They even have a bootable cd-rom image that you can use just like a Windows install. As far as I can remember, it should let you format and partition your hard drive during the install.

That sounds perfect.   Unfortunatly the website's down right now, but I'll keep checking it until it's back up.  Thanks Paul

[crashwg]

OMFG this is more trouble than it's worth!

After reading the official guide on what PC I need to run mame, I've come to the conclusion that I want MAME v0.36b12.  Only problem is mame.net doens't host that file for some reason.  SO... I've been searching the web for a couple hours now and have come up empty handed.

Also, I need a set of roms to go with 36b12 because all I have is .80 and it will take forever to seperate all the ones that go with 36b12.  So, is there some sort of program that will do this for me?  If not, could you PM me and point me in the right direction?

[DrewKaree]

OMFG this is more trouble than it's worth!

After reading the official guide on what PC I need to run mame, I've come to the conclusion that I want MAME v0.36b12.  Only problem is mame.net doens't host that file for some reason.  SO... I've been searching the web for a couple hours now and have come up empty handed.

Also, I need a set of roms to go with 36b12 because all I have is .80 and it will take forever to seperate all the ones that go with 36b12.  So, is there some sort of program that will do this for me?  If not, could you PM me and point me in the right direction?

I have 36b11, several other versions of b12 (I dunno which one is which), and a RomCenter .dat file, which is what you'll need to weed out the excess, although it may leave you with roms that still won't work for that version, I think.  

Lemme know if you think this'll  work for you, and if you want me to send it somewhere for ya.  If you need, I can give you an invite for g-mail so I can e-mail these to ya.

[menace]

Also, I need a set of roms to go with 36b12 because all I have is .80 and it will take forever to seperate all the ones that go with 36b12.  So, is there some sort of program that will do this for me?  If not, could you PM me and point me in the right direction?

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=24040

I've had good luck doing this--might be worth a try.

[SirPeale]

1) Get a Windows 98SE bootdisk from http://www.bootdisk.com.  Write this image to a floppy.

2) Make your PC so it boot from the floppy first, not the HD or the CDROM.

3) Boot from this floppy.

4) You'll be at a command prompt.  I'm assuming that you have no interest on what is on the drive now. Type 'FDISK' at the prompt.  Follow the prompts to first delete all existing partitions, then create new ones.  It's your choice how you want to split the disk up.

5) Reboot.  You should be prompted to do so.  Once you're back at a prompt, type this:

FORMAT C: /s

and it'll format your drive, plus transfer the system files.

6) You should now have a fully bootable, but very bare, drive.  Reboot again (from floppy)

7) change to the C drive.  Make a directory in the root of the drive:

MKDIR DOS
CD \DOS

copy all the files from the A drive to the directory you just made.

COPY A:\*.* C:


Presto, you should now have a fully working DOS partition.  You won't have the complete DOS set, but you will have the most important tools, like himem.sys, edit.com, mscdex.exe and the like.

You'll have to roll your own autoexec.bat and config.sys for your particular system, but other than sound drivers, this should be a snap.

[JoyMonkey]

You can get Mame 36b12 here:
http://patpend.net/ftp/emulators/arcade/mame

I don't know if it's the official build or not, it has the 36b12 whatsnew.txt so maybe it is. It's there in regular, PentriumPro, AMD and source flavours.

[GodSend25]

Did you download an actual dos install disk, or just a zip file of all the dos utilities (ie c:\dos).

A dos boot disk needs to be formatted with the /s option to install the system files, you can not simply copy files onto a floppy to make it bootable.

try this.

format a: /s

then copy all the other files onto the floppy (c:/dos).  Once you can boot from the floppy just repeat the above steps but in reverse.

format c: /s

then copy everything else back off the floppy.  

I just aquired a computer that's not exactly the most advanced one I've seen and I'm thinking about playing arround with MAME and DOS and seeing what I come up with.

Is there some sort of guide on how to set up mame in dos?  Like all the ins and outs of the whole thing.  I'm particualarly interested in direct booting into some sort of front end and arcade controllable game selection.


[edit]

Well, I figgured that I probably wouldn't get much help tonight so I went ahead and tried to figgure it out for myself...  It seems as though I don't even know how to install DOS!    

I downloaded DOS 7 from a .torrent site, opened the programs, one at a time, which then formatted a floppy and placed it's files on the disk.  I then put disk 1 into the fresh computer and nothing happend.  It said it was an invalid system disk!

Now, I'm not a total computer newb or anthing like that I've just never had the need to mess arround with dos.  Heck my first computer had windows 98 on it!

So anyways, I'm going to need information on how to setup a MAME DOS box from the start, formatted drive to inserting coin.

[SirPeale]

Did you download an actual dos install disk, or just a zip file of all the dos utilities (ie c:\dos).

A dos boot disk needs to be formatted with the /s option to install the system files, you can not simply copy files onto a floppy to make it bootable.

try this.

format a: /s

then copy all the other files onto the floppy (c:/dos).  Once you can boot from the floppy just repeat the above steps but in reverse.

format c: /s

then copy everything else back off the floppy.  

Isn't that what I just said two posts above?

[General Zod]

Something to consider after your DOS setup is complete, is the VAntAGE Project. You can read more about it here ...

http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/vantage.html

For older PC's, I've had much success using this emu. And though it may be only for vertical classics, its still pretty solid and playable.

Just my  

[Hoagie_one]

Fragals boot cd

[Tiger-Heli]

OMFG this is more trouble than it's worth!

After reading the official guide on what PC I need to run mame, I've come to the conclusion that I want MAME v0.36b12.  Only problem is mame.net doens't host that file for some reason.  SO... I've been searching the web for a couple hours now and have come up empty handed.

Also, I need a set of roms to go with 36b12 because all I have is .80 and it will take forever to seperate all the ones that go with 36b12.  So, is there some sort of program that will do this for me?  If not, could you PM me and point me in the right direction?

http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/arcadepanels/faq.htm#What are the significant MAME "milestones"?

R36b12 is part of the PONG dynasty.  It is also a DOS build.  If you want a Windows build, you will need at least R37b15.

Almost all of you 0.80 roms should work, (might need re-naming), but you will have a lot of wasted HD space if you dump all the non-supported one's on the older PC.

[Matt, GoC]

Just throw down Linux onto it.  It's much more advanced than DOS will ever be, and they're still porting the new MAME's to it.  Start with a so-called "minimalist" distribution.  Then add X-MAME and whatever it needs to run.  And also the command line Linux is similar to DOS.  I'd rather run MAME on something the world's best programmers have collaberated on than something Bill Gates bought from a guy because he didn't know how to write an operating system (and it shows).  Note that was AFTER he licensed MS-DOS to IBM, no less.

[crashwg]

Just throw down Linux onto it.  It's much more advanced than DOS will ever be, and they're still porting the new MAME's to it.  Start with a so-called "minimalist" distribution.  Then add X-MAME and whatever it needs to run.  And also the command line Linux is similar to DOS.  I'd rather run MAME on something the world's best programmers have collaberated on than something Bill Gates bought from a guy because he didn't know how to write an operating system (and it shows).  Note that was AFTER he licensed MS-DOS to IBM, no less.

How about I take the HD out and send it to you, you can do all the Linux type stuff, get it all up and running with an easy to use front end and then send it back?

I don't have the patience to learn linux.  DOS I'm at least somewhat fammiliar with.  I know how to things such as

Code: [Select]

copy *.* c:\mame\roms for instance.  Now I know that's not a whole lot of DOS knowledge but it's enough to get buy...

[Matt, GoC]

The syntax for most commands is practically identical, and the whole command line interface is practically identical.  No giant bridge to cross.  That same amount of knowledge will get you about as far in Linux.  You also missed my point.  DOS is meant for 16-bit processors (at least the old DOS is, the one that Win98 runs on for example is meant for 32-bit., but lets not get over-technical here).  You'll have much better luck finding Linux drivers for that less-than-new PC than you will finding decent DOS drivers (if at all).  You'll also get more performance out of that computer as far as MAME goes.  DOS wasn't designed for that much multimedia-intensive processing.  My point is, if you're going to go to the trouble of learning a command line operating system enough to get MAME and a frontend running, you might as well learn a better operating system.  Besides, you'll be surprised how much you'll already know about DOS by learning Linux, and vice versa.  Also, the DOS frontends I've seen aren't much more than a list of games on screen with maybe a screenshot.  It wouldn't take much tinkering to write a shell script that lists games, gets the choice from the player, and then tells mame the right command line options to play the game.  Someone could whip one out in no time for you if you found the right person.  As for the offer to send me your drive, Even if I could hook it up to my computer (which I can't because it's a laptop), the truth is I'm still tinkering with Linux myself.  I just figured you'd get much better performance out of the old computer with it, and getting everything set up is about as difficult either choice.

[tep0583]

Something to consider after your DOS setup is complete, is the VAntAGE Project. You can read more about it here ...

http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/vantage.html

For older PC's, I've had much success using this emu. And though it may be only for vertical classics, its still pretty solid and playable.


Just my  

[GodSend25]

If you begin entering a post and I begin entering a post at almost the same time I do not see yours untill you hit submit... Funny how that works.

Thanks for getting your digs in.

Did you download an actual dos install disk, or just a zip file of all the dos utilities (ie c:\dos).

A dos boot disk needs to be formatted with the /s option to install the system files, you can not simply copy files onto a floppy to make it bootable.

try this.

format a: /s

then copy all the other files onto the floppy (c:/dos).  Once you can boot from the floppy just repeat the above steps but in reverse.

format c: /s

then copy everything else back off the floppy.  

Isn't that what I just said two posts above?

[SirPeale]

If you begin entering a post and I begin entering a post at almost the same time I do not see yours untill you hit submit... Funny how that works.

Thanks for getting your digs in.

There's like ten minutes between posts.  

And you call that a dig?  Please...

[crashwg]

Ok, I'm lost... What the he|| is a "dig"?

[Thenasty]

whats you gonna do with SOUNDS ? You know you SB card ? There are links for sound card drivers for DOS. But first is first, get it booting to the prompt, then worry about the next.

[SirPeale]

Ok, I'm lost... What the he|| is a "dig"?

A dig is something nasty you say to someone.  It can be small, or large.  Just something to get under the skin.