Long before VR gaming and microtransactions and downloadable content, games came on disks.
Floppy disks and optical discs, they were installed on a PCs hard disk drive before playing.
You may recall this from using Windows XP through to Windows 8.
But what about the days before that, when games were all designed for MS-DOS?
What happened to those games, and how do you run them today?
One option is to emulate MS-DOS with software called DOSbox.
But for a more authentic experience, you need an operating system that boots straight into a DOS-like environment.
For that, you need Dosbian.
What Is Dosbian?
Developed by Carmelo Maiolino, Dosbian is a Debian-based Raspberry Pi distro that boots straight into an MS-DOS-like environment.
It is based on DOSBox and features various improvements introduced by the community around that software.
Floppies, HDDs, and CD-ROMs can be mounted using a special utility.
Of course, you could simplyinstall DOSBox on your Raspberry Pi OS.
But that isnt quite what were after.
Because it is x86-compatible, that means it can run classic IBM-PC compatible software, without emulation.
Thats where the Raspberry Pi comes in.
The weeCee is a great solution, but its not easy to get hold of.
Thats what makes a Raspberry Pi running Dosbian a particularly good alternative.
Sadly, we can’t tell you where to find old DOS games to run on Dosbian.
Ourexplanation of abandonwareshould help you understand why.
Install Dosbian on the Raspberry Pi
Installation of Dosbian is straightforward.
First, download the 7z file and extract the compressed IMG file.
Our guide toinstalling an operating system on the Raspberry Piexplains this in greater detail.
It also outlines other installation options.
Youll see the Dosbian splash screen, which displays classic-style PC boot details such as processor speed and RAM.
The screen wil also confirm whether any additional USB storage is attached.
Once this passes, youll see a standard DOSBox interface, and a C:\ prompt.
Another option to consider here is Launchbox, enabled by pressing8and rebooting the Raspberry Pi.
Launchbox is a mouse- or keyboard-driven DOS interface for easily selecting and launching software.
Start by copying your collection of DOS games to the USB stick and connecting it to the Raspberry Pi.
With the Dosbian menu running, hitMto open Midnight Commander.
Then, simply drag and drop the files onto the Pis microSD card, within the Dosbian file structure.
Our guide tocopying data from a PC to a Raspberry Piexplains this in detail.
This is as easy as switching to the directory using the cd command and initiating the EXE.
While you might get by with cd and dir, its easier if you know a few more.
To learn these, bang out
And hit enter.
This will provide an overview of the supported MS-DOS commands in Dosbian.
To quit Dosbian, enter
Then, in the Dosbian menu, hitSto shut down the computer.
Your Own DOS Gaming PC Thanks to Raspberry Pi
That’s all there is to it.
it’s possible for you to buy aVortex86 moduleandRasteris host boardfor around $200 and assemble your own system.
The Raspberry Pi is capable of emulating many retro computing platforms.
Once youre done with MS-DOS games, why not revisit the Amiga?
