MSDOS/DOSBOX Games - How do you create SH files to point to the correct file name?

Kookamunga · 25 Mar 2018, 01:59

Hey guys,

I'm trying to clean up my DOS games in the PC folder, and I would like to create .SH files for each game so that the games become "scrapable". I've read somewhere that the this is the best way to accomplish this, and that I would need to move the actual game data to a separate folder. Currently I have all the games in their own folder within the PC folder, and I have to navigate the folder and find the correct file name to launch the game. I'm not very familiar with commands in Retropie, but I imagine that for example, I could create a folder under roms called "DOS", then move each games data to it. Then I imagine I would need to create a text document called "Game Name.SH", put this in the PC folder, and fill it with something along the lines of:

Run "/roms/dos/GameName/GameName.EXE"

I know that the command I just wrote above is completely wrong, and likely my terminology, but I hope that someone gets the gist of what I'm trying to do.

If someone could either provide me with a "fill in the blank" type command I could put in the SH file, or provide me with a better solution, I would appreciate it.

mitu · 25 Mar 2018, 05:32

@kookamunga There's recent support for .conf based launch files for PC games, which is better, since you can also add game specific configuration to the files - see the following topics

Kookamunga · 6 Jun 2019, 18:11

@mitu Awesome, that was exactly what I needed!
I did end up needing to make a separate folder for the game data, just to get them off the game list on screen, and clean it up, but now my games are scrapable, and I can launch it from selecting a single file.

What I ended up doing was the following:

Move my game data to a folder called PCDOS under roms, so that when I'm moving the data onto the pi, the folder shows up directly below pc

Then create a GameName.conf file under PC containing the following:

[joystick]
timed=false

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
# You can put your MOUNT lines here.

mount c "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pcdos/GameName"
c:
Game.exe

And that seemed to do the trick, Thank you @mitu!

2Play · 6 Jun 2019, 18:11

@Kookamunga
add exit to go back to ES

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
# You can put your MOUNT lines here.

mount c "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pcdos/GameName"
c:
Game.exe
EXIT

edmaul69 · 7 Jun 2019, 15:39

@2Play if you install windows 3.11 you need to choose /pcdos/ as the c: drive. Then do command “cd WINDOWS” Otherwise you will start installing all your windows games and software in the windows folder creating a huge disaster. There are a couple dos games you need to actually install the soundblaster drivers and set the c drive as /pcdos/ as well so it can find the soundblaster drivers folder. Personally i set my “pcdos” (i use a different name) folder as c: and “cd “game folder name”” on all games to avoid any conflicts.