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USAGE.md

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DOSee

Usage & customisations

It is easy to customise DOSee to load other MS-DOS programs by using HTML5 <meta> elements. An index.html file is an identifier which contains nine meta elements used by DOSee for handling emulation information and customisation.

<!-- DOSee initialisation options -->
<meta
  name="dosee:zip:path"
  content="dos_programs/program_0/agi_demo_pack_1.zip"
/>
<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="sierra.com" />
<meta name="dosee:capture:filename" content="screenshot.png" />
<meta name="dosee:utilities" content="false" />
<meta name="dosee:width:height" content="640,480" />
<meta name="dosee:speed" content="auto" />
<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="tandy" />
<meta name="dosee:audio" content="none" />
<meta name="dosee:audio:gus" content="false" />

Required

<meta name="dosee:zip:path">

DOSee uses ZIP file archives to simulate a hard disk drive. Any ZIP file provided to dosee:zip:path the emulator will mount path as MS-DOS drive C:. The C: drive will be accessible to all DOS commands such as dir C: and any included DOS programs available to run.

The meta content attribute must be a relative path from the webroot and must point to a ZIP file archive.

✓

<meta name="dosee:zip:path" content="dos_programs/example/dosgame.zip" />

✗ Invalid absolute path in the content attribute

<meta
  name="dosee:zip:path"
  content="/home/me/DOSee/dos_programs/example/dosgame.zip"
/>

<meta name="dosee:run:filename">

The filenames of the MS-DOS programs or DOSBox commands DOSee should launch. Any programs need to exist in the ZIP archive provided to dosee:zip:path.

DOS usually uses the following file extensions to identify a program: .exe .com .bat. Other than these, there is no standard file naming convention to identify which file should launch a piece of DOS software.

Multiple programs and commands can be chained together using an && separator.

If the content is left blank or the filename doesn't exist in the archive, DOSee will launch into a DOS C: prompt.

✓

<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="game.exe" />

✓

<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="CLS&&@ECHO Loading game&&game.exe" />

Optional

<meta name="dosee:capture:filename">

The filename used by the capture tool to save emulator screenshots. The PNG images should include the .png file extension.

✓

<meta name="dosee:capture:filename" content="game.png" />

✗ An invalid filename that's missing the file extension.

<meta name="dosee:capture:filename" content="game" />

<meta name="dosee:utilities">

When set to true, it tells DOSee to mount a collection of MS-DOS utilities and tools accessible from the U: drive. The default option is false.

✓

<meta name="dosee:utilities" content="true" />

✓

<meta name="dosee:utilities" content="false" />

<meta name="dosee:width:height">

Configures the initial pixel width and height of the emulation loading screen and canvas. The canvas may readjust itself after the emulator runs depending on the graphics hardware selection, scale options and aspect correction settings. The default canvas and screen size is 640px x 480px.

✓

<meta name="dosee:width:height" content="640,400" />

✗ Invalid width and length values.

<meta name="dosee:width:height" content="640px,400px" />

<meta name="dosee:speed" content="auto" />

The default and initial selection for the Speed and CPU hardware. Possible values are:

  • auto automatic (default)
  • 8086 slow (8086) The first era of PCs using real address mode.
  • 386 medium (80386) The third generation of PC CPUs using protected mode.
  • max faster (80486) Unlocked, runs the emulator at maximum speed permitted by the browser.

DOSBox core=dynamic is not supported by em-dosbox so there is no Pentium emulation.

✓

<meta name="dosee:speed" content="auto" />

<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="tandy" />

The default and initial selection for the Graphic adapter hardware. Possible values are:

  • svga
    SuperVGA Emulates an S3 Trio64 supporting much higher resolutions than VGA.
  • vga (default)
    VGA Supports 256 colors at 320x200 resolution or 16 colors at 640x480.
  • ega
    EGA Supports a limited selection of 16 colors up to 640x350 resolution.
  • tandy
    Tandy Emulates the Tandy 1000 series or the IBM PCjr, which uses a variant of CGA that has 16 colors and enhanced audio.
  • cga
    CGA Generally offers 4 colors at 320×200 resolution or monochrome at 640x200.
  • herc
    Hercules Supports monochrome at 720x348 to improve the legibility of text.

✓

<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="tandy" />

<meta name="dosee:audio" content="none" />

The default and initial selection for the Audio addon hardware. Possible values are:

  • gus
    Gravis UltraSound offers high quality 14 channel, 16-bit, 44 KHz digital playback.
  • covox
    Covox Covox Speech Accelerator is an external audio device and speaker with mono digital playback.
  • sb16
    Sound Blaster 16 Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 offers stereo, 16-bit, 44 KHz digital playback.
  • sb1
    Sound Blaster 1.0 Creative Labs Sound Blaster v1.0 offers mono, 8-bit, 22 KHz digital playback.
  • none
    none Do not use any addon audio hardware. Internal PC, PCjr or Tandy 1000 speaker audio will be in use.

✓

<meta name="dosee:audio" content="none" />

Placeholders

<meta name="dosee:audio:gus">

When set to true, it tells DOSee to mount a collection of Gravis UltraSound audio drivers and tools accessible from the G: drive. These drivers are always loaded by DOSee whenever the Gravis UltraSound audio option is selected. So this should still be left to false.

Sample programs

There are three additional sample programs included in this repository that you can try out. In the index.html update the following <meta> elements.

<!-- DOSee initialisation options -->
<meta
  name="dosee:zip:path"
  content="dos_programs/program_0/agi_demo_pack_1.zip"
/>
<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="sierra.com" />
<meta name="dosee:speed" content="auto" />
<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="tandy" />
<meta name="dosee:audio" content="none" />

Sample program 1, Lucasfilm adventure demo

<meta name="dosee:zip:path" content="dos_programs/program_1/loom.zip" />
<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="SAMPLER.EXE" />
<meta name="dosee:speed" content="386" />
<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="ega" />
<meta name="dosee:audio" content="sb1" />

Sample program 2, Verses by Electromotive Force

<meta name="dosee:zip:path" content="dos_programs/program_2/emf_vrs2.zip" />
<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="VERSES.EXE" />
<meta name="dosee:speed" content="max" />
<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="vga" />
<meta name="dosee:audio" content="gus" />

Sample program 3, Intro by Hybrid

<meta name="dosee:zip:path" content="dos_programs/program_3/hyb605.zip" />
<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="hyb605.exe" />
<meta name="dosee:speed" content="max" />
<meta name="dosee:graphic" content="vga" />
<meta name="dosee:audio" content="sb16" />

Add new software, an example

Create a new program subdirectory. For your implementation, there is no requirement to follow this dos_programs/ directory naming structure.

cd DOSee
mkdir -p dos_programs/program_5

Download the Space Quest 3 non-interactive demo and save it to the new program subdirectory.

wget -O dos_programs/program_5/sq3-demo.zip https://www.scummvm.org/frs/demos/sci/sq3-dos-ni-demo-en.zip

Update the DOSee index.html to launch the demo and enjoy the confusing mess that is the MS-DOS era of computer games.

<!-- DOSee initialisation options -->
<meta name="dosee:zip:path" content="dos_programs/program_5/sq3-demo.zip" />
<meta name="dosee:run:filename" content="SQ3DEMO.BAT" />

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