Subj : DOSBOX-X vs. dosemu issue
To   : Dumas Walker
From : Fzf
Date : Sun Aug 25 2024 09:00 pm

  Re: DOSBOX-X vs. dosemu issue
  By: Dumas Walker to ALL on Fri Aug 23 2024 11:05 am

 DW> Despite the connect speed being reduced from 115200 to 57600

It's only the reported speed.  The DTE speed can be set anywhere from 300 to 115200 bps and DOSBox-X will honor that rate.  But the software modem can only respond with "CONNECT 57600" when a connection is made.

 DW> Now that I have moved over to dosbox-x, there is a very noticable pause
 DW> betweenthe version screen and the ANSI screen.

This is where BRE v.988 gets a little weird.  It's actually scanning the entire BRE directory tree for known (at the time it was compiled, anyway) hacks and cheats.  On modern hardware this is finished in the blink of an eye.  On older, slower processors not so much.

Start by minimizing the files the game will scan in the BRE directory.  First, move or delete any subdirectories which the game did not create itself.  The scan pays particular attention to directories which are not part of the game.  Next, trim down the files in the game's root directory.  Every single file in there gets scanned.  If it isn't NEEDED by the game, move it elsewhere.  Just not into a subdirectory off this directory.  This includes README files, FILE_ID.DIZ, the original game archive, even the INSTALL.* and BREDATA files.

 DW> dosbox-x:
 DW> cpu core = auto
 DW> cpu type = auto
 DW> all other settings left to default

These settings result in an emulated 486 CPU with the speed of a 386SX-16.  That's actually fine for most everything a DOS BBS would need.  But it's not helping the BRE scan situation any.  If you've got some CPU time to spare, try boosting the cycles settings.  I would start off with:

cycles = auto 6000 15% limit 30000

I don't remember if the priority setting has any function under LInux or not.  Even so, set it to:

priority = normal, normal

This keeps the performance the same no matter what state the DOSBox instance is in.
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