Chris - this sound onerously cumbersome.
2011/6/20 Chris Pedersen <[email protected]> > Ok, > > Spent quite a few hours testing the various versions I outlined before. Of > the 4 Dos emulators I've tried to date, it looks to me as if DOSBox is the > best. > > Here are a few notes that I have made in case others want to get started > with Dosbox as well. > > > 1. DOSBOX natively doesn't support lpt1 printing or network operations. > For DataPerfect purposes therefore, we have to use a version thats been > compiled called MegaBuild. At this point I've tested MegaBuild6 for a few > days. Available: http://home.arcor.de/h-a-l-9000/ > (Scroll to the bottom for the download locations). > > 2. Configuration options will not work correctly if installed under > \Program Files. Suggest you install to a folder under your C:\. For > example c:\dp. > > 3. Your network card has to be capable of emulating an Ne2000. > > 4. Dosbox uses configuration files. You can specify your own, or use > variations of the default configuration file dosbox.conf (which is what I > recommend). Under older versions of DosBox you had to cause dosbox to > manually write out the configuration file (start doxbox and from the console > config -writeconf <filename>). However, the newer versions have an option > to edit the conf file directly. > Under your start menu entry, choose configuration, then edit configuration. > > 5. If you are operating in a network environment, have drive and printer > mappings set up. > > For example: > > Net use lpt1 \\<ip address>\<Printer NetBios Name> /persistent:yes > Net use lpt2 \\<ServerName>\<PrinterName> /persistent:yes > > Net use N: \\<ServerName>\<Directory> /persistent:yes > > So for example in my case: > > net use t: \\10.168.0.123\public\archive /persistent:yes > net use lpt1 \\10168.0.11\canonir3 /persistent:yes > > 6. At the end of the DOSBOX configuration file, we have to tell Dosbox to > mount the drives, and to run dataperfect etc. > > At the bottom of the dosbox.conf there is an autoexec section - commands > which dosbox will execute everytime it is run. > > So I put: > > Mount c t:\test (My data perfect test directory is > \\10.168.0.123\public\archive\test) > c: (Changes directory to the new "c" drive) > dp26yu main14 > (my DP executable name, followed by the application.) > > I would also suggest investigating the /d-<location> with dataperfect. > Configuring DataPerfect as I have done here keeps the temp files on the > network - and it means that operation is slower than it should otherwise > be. Ideally, your temp files should be stored locally, and probably your DP > executable should be as well, with only your application residing on the > network. > > 7. Printer support: In the configuration file you will find several lines > that say "parallel=". > > For Network printers > parallel1=file dev:lpt1 > parallel2=file dev:lpt2 > etc. > > I understand (but have not tested) that for local printers: > parallel1=reallpt > > > Timeout: > > A bit higher up in the configuration file there is a line that says > timeout=. > Dataperfect writes a bit out to the lpt1 port, and then runs, writes.. for > a time, then runs. > If your timeout setting is set to low (and it defaults to 0 on my version) > your reports will generate a new page (due to the timeout) every time DP > stops writing data. > > Conversely if your timeout is set too high, your resports will be a long > time in closing and printing. I set timeout=10000, although any value from > 10000 to 30000 is probably fine. > > > > 8. Other settings > > DataPerfect will run pretty well on any machine with enough horsepower to > run system 7. > However, it can (and should) be sped up. > > There is a line in the configuration file that says cycle=. > If you run dosbox with task manager open, you can increase dosbox's usage > of the CPU as you desire; you will find that up until dosbox is consuming > about 95% of the system resources it performs faster and faster. (And > after that it will slow down). (Ctrl-F12 to consume more resources, > Ctrl-F11 to consume fewer). > > On my computer, cycles=100000 seems to work well. You also have the option > of setting cycles=max. However, while that is supposed to set the value to > the maximum sustainable value, in practise my cpu usage never got over 3-5% > setting cycles=max. > > > 9. Other useful bits: > > Once you've gotten Dosbox working as you like it, On the desktop shortcut > for Dosbox, include a "-noconsole". This prevents the console window from > opening in the background and makes the overal package and presentation > neater. > > > Ctrl-F5 for screen prints (which will be found in capture directory). > Cut & Paste works using mouse. > I have not tested with DPMouse or shell > Alt-Enter still works to switch between window and fullscreen mode. > > > _______________________________________________ > Dataperf mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.dataperfect.nl/mailman/listinfo/dataperf > > -- *Don Friedman ProfessionalRecords.Com LLC PRS Data Systems 205 S Main Street Pittsburgh, PA 15215 412-784-1600 - 1-800-PRS-FILE 412-784-1615 Fax*
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