[Guide]Adding MS-DOS games using eXoDOS and sduensin's import-eXoDOS script

edmaul69

with new stuff there is no longer a need for .sh files unless you are using real cd disc drives. it can boot the games from the .conf files now. reading .conf files means universal files for dosbox and lr-dosbox

edmaul69

This post is deleted!

zerojay

I believe the error is line 83, not 182,

DIRLIST[i++]="!DOS"

Gotta add a slash before the ! in !DOS. Everything works after that.

BiZzAr721

I did some research before getting involved with adding DOS. From what I saw, it seemed lr-dosbox still has some hiccups to iron out (like slowdowns on games). Also, adding meta data was a concern. Many games wouldn't scrape. Using the script & ExoDOS, Metadata is already there, along with a basic image. All I have to do is some minor tweaking, and that's only if I want to add video and change out the boxart.
What benefits does loading through a config file give vs. Sh?
Also, is there a standard for scraping dos Metadata?

nighthurdles

Really sorry to open up an old thread but it seems to be the only place to get any english language info on this I can see.
Firstly, I must say, BiZzAr721... thanks for your guide!...
I've spent about 3 days solid trying to get eXoDOS to work on my retropie setup off the back of the limited info out there. Thanks to this guide and some (russian sites with a translator) I have managed to install a full complete eXodos pack on the retropie using the script from sduensin.

The script finally ran perfectly (after I renamed everything using 3rd party software - without the script - because the pi seemed to ignore the az>AZ command stating that it was already there, but then wouldnt access the ini files due to them not being INI (capitals) etc... so after all that was understood and fixed (with my limited understanding of linux systems and whatnot) Finally after the script ran against my capitalised eXoDOS files - I saw all the scriptfiles show up and meta data scraped and whatnot in the gamelist and on my retropie pc ports menu, but the issue I have now is that even though all the files are seemigly sorted and organised, autoexecs and script files, in the menu etc... none of the games actually load... and I mean NONE of them not even the simplest non cd game. They all kick me straight back to the retropie menu. I've checked the scriptfiles and the autoexec.bat files and they all seem to be pointing to correct files (All caps files and folders). I'm pretty damn sure I got install with the script spot on... I'd be grateful to anyone with any ideas whether I could be missing something simple? I'm using the standard dosbox emulator (non lr) with no settings changed. Getting desperate after the amount of time I've spent gettign them to show up!
Thanks for any help in advance!! Cheers

zerojay

Look at the runcommand log.

nighthurdles

@zerojay cheers for speedy reply... i dont see a log under dev/shm/runcommand.log... which is where google seems to think it should be? sorry for the newbness.

nighthurdles

@zerojay

hi... ignore previous comment! fixed - I/it deleted the +start DosBOX.sh somewhere along the line! No worries :D

zerojay

I installed Dosbox-sdl2 and I found i also had to symlink the executable and the conf file.

dje33

I have a problem
when i do :

cd /home/pi/RetroPie/roms
chmod +x import-eXoDOS.sh
./import-eXoDOS.sh /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pc

i have this error
-bash: ./import-eXoDOS.sh: Permission non accordée

VictimRLSH

375GB?!? OK, I'm going to do this, but it will have to wait. LOL...

KN4THX

To enhance nostalgia purposes I am going to download this with my 14.4k modem and copy it to my a: drive as a multidisk installation. See you guys in the Trade Wars tournament.

VictimRLSH

@TheDataCereal Do I DARE want to calculate how long that will take and how many 1.44mb floppies that will occupy?!?

KN4THX

@VictimRLSH That'd be like a modern day Ping Of Death to the modern landline infrastructure..and floppys? Pfff I used to work at AOL back in the day, do you know how many Floppies and CDs I've had shipped back to me out of spite? Heck, I used to mail them back to myself out of self hatred!

VictimRLSH

OK, just for giggles, I actually DID calculate that. Under IDEAL conditions it would take 6.7 years and occupy only 267,857 1.44mb floppy discs.

GrandMasterLynx

@BiZzAr721

Sorry for bumping this but I tried to do the command for the es_systems.cfg and it’s not working for me at all I really could use the help on this

BiZzAr721

@GrandMasterLynx I believe es_systems.cfg lists .exe your extension type. You must ~~add~~ change to .SH & .sh since you will be running games from scripts. Anyway you make those changes will do. (if you keep .exe listed, you will have a bunch of game subfolders listed in ES)

The way I mentioned above, the first command will create a copy of es_systems.cfg in your config folder. The 2nd command will give you proper permissions. (you can now easily view & edit es_systems.cfg from the config folder in samba share)

nighthurdles

Hello again almost a year later. I'm in the process of a fresh install of my SD card as my old one was giving me grief... I do have backups but they are a bit bloated and I want the install to be as clean as possible... My exoDOS setup and for that matter, all roms and gamelists are on a USB harddrive. Could anybody let me know what (if any) issues may arise when trying to get the exoDOS collection working again? Which files on the SD card will need reconfiguring from a fresh dosbox install? Or... (even worse)... have I screwed up anything major by trying to go about the retropie reinstall this way (fresh retropie installation on new SD card?)

Thank you for those listening and those who helped in the past, for any help is greatly appreciated!

Edit: Turns out that it seems the gamelist for the exoDOS stuff is obviously not with the roms, as they now dont show up at all having installed dosbox and restarting the retropie. I could still grab the gamelist.xml from the old SD card if its on there instead. Would this be the recommended action? Thanks again!

Edit: I'll have a go at copying over the gamelist.xml and make sure that the es_systems.cfg file only looks for dosbox .sh extensions I'll let you know how I get on!

nighthurdles

Worked out absolutely fine! No issues once the gamelist was back all was perfect again :)

VictimRLSH

I need to get this done, have the massive download, just need time to work on it...