DOSBox Staging is a fork of the original DOSBox aimed at getting new features in faster, along with a better overall experience for users.
A new release with version 0.79.0 is out adding in lots of audio improvements like the ultra-rare AdLib Gold surround sound daughterboard is now emulated, DOSBox Staging can now accurately emulate the low-pass filter (and sometimes a high-pass filter too) that most DOS-era sound cards feature, filtering for small-speaker audio systems (PC Speaker, PS/1 Audio, Tandy, and the various LPT DAC options) to give a better experience and a new crossfeed option to mix the channels for some audio that might only play on one ear. There's even more like a chorus effect, adding stereo movement and increases the perceived stereo width, which is especially noticeable on purely mono signals on headphones.
There's also various graphical improvements like a shader reload shortcut, it is possible to override the default, canonical interpretation of the 16-colour CGA/EGA RGBI palette, improved scaling, window transparency support, a new Constant Frame Rate (CFR) presentation mode, which presents a constant frame rate defined by the emulated DOS rate and more.
The ability to mount physical CDs is now (re-)implemented in DOSBox Staging for better compatibility with games like Under a Killing Moon, System Shock, and The Pandora Directive. There's a huge amount more to it that you can read about here.
For Linux users, Luxtorpeda also has support for this new release so you can easily use it with Steam games. You can install it via ProtonUp-Qt two tools I've covered numerous times now like here and here.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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13 comments
no_information_here Sep 22, 2022
I am super thankful for DosBox Staging since we use it for old business software. None of the audio/graphics upgrades matter to me since I don't use it for gaming, but I am very glad there is still an active dev community!
3 Likes, Who?
Craggles086 Sep 22, 2022
So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
1 Likes, Who?
So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.Just to be clear, despite the name, this is a separate fork and project from the original DosBox:
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
https://dosbox-staging.github.io/about/
(Yes, it's a confusing name considering the Wine and Wine-staging relationship which is quite different.)
Both projects might reach 1.0 at some point, but they have different developers and different goals.
4 Likes, Who?
this is a separate fork and project from the original DosBox
they have different developers and different goals.
The original project has been stagnant for years now, so I don't expect they have any goals?
3 Likes, Who?
Craggles086 Sep 23, 2022
So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.Just to be clear, despite the name, this is a separate fork and project from the original DosBox:
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
https://dosbox-staging.github.io/about/
(Yes, it's a confusing name considering the Wine and Wine-staging relationship which is quite different.)
Both projects might reach 1.0 at some point, but they have different developers and different goals.
What goals do the guys behind DOSBox staging have besides continuing / improving development?
Ok, so I approve of some goals..
- Improve the out-of-the-box experience for new users.
Not sure I approve of all the goals..
- [we are Not] Being the fastest DOS emulator on x86 hardware. Linux users interested in emulation speed should look at dosemu2.
Pinball Dreams had some brilliant sound effects on the old PC hardware, which the current DosBox struggles to reproduce because it runs too slow. I gather DosBox staging will not be improving things here, despite its emphasis on games.
Future goals.. Support for VR??
Hardly mission critical for a Dos emulator..
https://github.com/dosbox-staging/dosbox-staging/projects/3
Last edited by Craggles086 on 23 September 2022 at 3:58 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
[quote=Craggles086][quote=whizse]
Am I missing something? VR is in the suggested features list, not the planned ones. Besides, emulating old dos-connected vr devices on modern ones would certainly be suitable for a gaming-centered dos emulator.
Last edited by emphy on 23 September 2022 at 4:52 am UTC
...
Future goals.. Support for VR??
Hardly mission critical for a Dos emulator..
https://github.com/dosbox-staging/dosbox-staging/projects/3
Am I missing something? VR is in the suggested features list, not the planned ones. Besides, emulating old dos-connected vr devices on modern ones would certainly be suitable for a gaming-centered dos emulator.
Last edited by emphy on 23 September 2022 at 4:52 am UTC
0 Likes
Craggles086 Sep 23, 2022
[quote=emphy][quote=Craggles086]
Ok,
But if you hope to have DosBox running on all platforms, then it would just be mean spirited to rule out Occulus.
...
Future goals.. Support for VR??
Hardly mission critical for a Dos emulator..
https://github.com/dosbox-staging/dosbox-staging/projects/3
Am I missing something? VR is in the suggested features list, not the planned ones. Besides, emulating old dos-connected vr devices on modern ones would certainly be suitable for a gaming-centered dos emulator.
Ok,
But if you hope to have DosBox running on all platforms, then it would just be mean spirited to rule out Occulus.
0 Likes
So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
Yes but dos box is not in active development so never for 1.0 but dosbox staging may well do as it's actively in development
0 Likes
slaapliedje Sep 24, 2022
It's even sillier to think that DosBox-X is yet another project as well.So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.Just to be clear, despite the name, this is a separate fork and project from the original DosBox:
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
https://dosbox-staging.github.io/about/
(Yes, it's a confusing name considering the Wine and Wine-staging relationship which is quite different.)
Both projects might reach 1.0 at some point, but they have different developers and different goals.
Curious; Luxtorpeda supports DosBox Staging? I thought Boxtron would be the one to support that, as Luxtorpeda is more about installing native open source engines that are available for Windows only games (for example, Morrowind, Arx Fatalis, etc). Roberta is for ScummVM games of course.
1 Likes, Who?
I seem to remember hearing that Boxtron kind of ran out of steam a little while ago. Maybe Luxtorpeda is sort of extending to fill the gap, or something.It's even sillier to think that DosBox-X is yet another project as well.So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.Just to be clear, despite the name, this is a separate fork and project from the original DosBox:
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
https://dosbox-staging.github.io/about/
(Yes, it's a confusing name considering the Wine and Wine-staging relationship which is quite different.)
Both projects might reach 1.0 at some point, but they have different developers and different goals.
Curious; Luxtorpeda supports DosBox Staging? I thought Boxtron would be the one to support that
0 Likes
slaapliedje Sep 24, 2022
It seems to be in a very sure and slow development. Initial release was in 2002... latest was 2019. So it's still being worked on, just gets really slow releases, though some of that is because there are a lot of industrial uses for it, so it needs to stay stable.So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
Yes but dos box is not in active development so never for 1.0 but dosbox staging may well do as it's actively in development
0 Likes
slaapliedje Sep 27, 2022
Ah, that makes sense. Though I thought they were all developed by the same people? Maybe it merged? Guess I should try Dark Forces with it. Funny enough I have TRIED getting MIDI working with my Roland SC88 Pro with Windows and failed miserably. Boxtron works great under Linux.I seem to remember hearing that Boxtron kind of ran out of steam a little while ago. Maybe Luxtorpeda is sort of extending to fill the gap, or something.It's even sillier to think that DosBox-X is yet another project as well.So the official DOSBox is version 0.74-3, and this Staging is version 0.79.Just to be clear, despite the name, this is a separate fork and project from the original DosBox:
No one thinks we might be ready for a version 1 yet, after how many years of DOSBox?
https://dosbox-staging.github.io/about/
(Yes, it's a confusing name considering the Wine and Wine-staging relationship which is quite different.)
Both projects might reach 1.0 at some point, but they have different developers and different goals.
Curious; Luxtorpeda supports DosBox Staging? I thought Boxtron would be the one to support that
0 Likes
Craggles086 Sep 28, 2022
Is there any way that Wine 32 bit might compete against DosBox some day?
Wine has no problems with the speed side of things while DosBox can sometimes struggle here.
If you stripped all the DirectX stuff out of Wine and created a version more focused on late Dos / Early windows (say 3.1 - 98)
Wine has no problems with the speed side of things while DosBox can sometimes struggle here.
If you stripped all the DirectX stuff out of Wine and created a version more focused on late Dos / Early windows (say 3.1 - 98)
0 Likes
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