Difference between revisions of "Drives"

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(cleaned up some small mistakes and links)
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DOSBox, in an effort to emulate a class MS-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.
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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:\==
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==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:\.  Ideal locations for a virtual hard disk are
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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>
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<code><pre>C:\DOSROOT
mount c C:\DOSROOT
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MOUNT C C:\DOSROOT</pre></code>
  
 
=== Linux ===
 
=== Linux ===
<code><pre>~/DOSROOT</pre></code>
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<code><pre>~/DOSROOT
mount c ~/DOSROOT
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MOUNT C ~/DOSROOT</pre></code>
  
 
=== Mac OSX ===
 
=== Mac OSX ===
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<code><pre>~/DOSROOT
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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]] a your C: drive.
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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]] 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.