DOSBox-X vs DOSBox — In Plain Words

What each project says it is

DOSBox, in its own documentation: The DOSBox Manual (v0.74-3) opens with this note: “While we are hoping that one day DOSBox will run all programs ever made for the PC, we are not there yet. At present, DOSBox running on a high-end machine will roughly be the equivalent of a Pentium I PC. DOSBox can be configured to run a wide range of DOS games, from CGA/Tandy/PCjr classics up to games from the Quake era.”

The DOSBoxWiki’s basic setup page describes DOSBox this way: “DOSBox is an emulator that recreates a MS-DOS compatible environment (complete with Sound, Input, Graphics and even basic networking). This environment is complete enough to run many classic MS-DOS games completely unmodified.”

And the DOSBoxWiki’s games page states the priority directly: “Gaming is the primary focus of DOSBox, and the needs of games tend to receive a higher degree of attention by the developers over the needs of an application.”

DOSBox-X, in its own documentation: The DOSBox-X About page says: “DOSBox-X is a DOS emulator derived from DOSBox that is designed to support different types of DOS software and systems, including serious DOS application usages (such as those requiring printing and SHARE functions) and East Asian systems (such as DOS/V and PC-98).”

The same About page says DOSBox-X “focuses on implementing accurate emulations (especially accurate reproduction of hardware behavior) and various ways to tweak and configure the DOS virtual machine, and also intends to be a great platform for emulating DOS-based Windows such as Windows 3.x and 9x/Me and software written for those versions of Windows.”

DOSBox-X also lists a non-goal on that page, in its own words: “Giving the best experience to DOS gamers who desire good performance, or being the fastest DOS emulator on x86 hardware” is listed under its “Non-goals.”

In plain words: DOSBox’s own pages put games first. DOSBox-X’s own pages describe a wider stated job — DOS applications, DOS-based Windows, and East Asian systems, with accurate emulation as the stated focus. Those are each project’s own words about itself.

DOS-based Windows, in each project’s own words

DOSBox side: The DOSBox Manual describes DOSBox’s scope in the note quoted above — a wide range of DOS games, from CGA/Tandy/PCjr classics up to games from the Quake era, on a machine it describes as roughly the equivalent of a Pentium I PC. The Manual’s BOOT entry says the BOOT command “will start floppy images or hard disk images independent of the operating system emulation offered by DOSBox” and “allow you to play booter floppies or boot other operating systems inside DOSBox.” The Manual does not present DOSBox as a platform for DOS-based Windows in the passages quoted on this page.

DOSBox-X side: DOSBox-X’s Feature Highlights page says: “One of DOSBox-X’s main goals is to become a great platform to run Windows 3.x and 9x/Me and their software. As a result we have made many improvements to their emulations.”

DOSBox-X also publishes its own “Microsoft Windows in DOSBox-X” guide. That guide says: “From Windows 1.0 up to Windows 3.11, you can typically run Windows directly from the integrated DOS provided by DOSBox-X,” and: “Later Windows 95, 98 and ME however require that you run the underlying DOS they came with, and as such instead of using the integrated emulated DOS that DOSBox-X provides, you will need to boot them inside DOSBox-X.”

In plain words: running Windows 3.x and 9x/Me is a stated main goal in DOSBox-X’s own documentation, with its own installation guide. DOSBox’s own Manual, in the passages above, states its scope in terms of DOS games and booting other operating systems from images.

Machine types each documentation lists

DOSBox side: The DOSBox Manual’s “-machine machinetype” entry says: “Setup DOSBox to emulate a specific type of machine. Valid choices are: hercules, cga, ega, pcjr, tandy, svga_s3 (default) as well as the additional svga chipsets listed in the DOSBox configuration file.” The DOSBoxWiki’s configuration page lists the machine setting as: “hercules | cga | tandy | pcjr | ega | vgaonly | svga_s3 | svga_et3000 | svga_et4000 | svga_paradise | vesa_nolfb | vesa_oldvbe.”

DOSBox-X side: DOSBox-X’s Feature Highlights page lists, among its examples: “Japanese NEC PC-98, AX, and J-3100 emulations — With DOSBox-X you can run the Japanese PC-98 system and PC-98 games and applications, as well as the Japanese AX (JEGA) and J-3100 systems. Set machine=pc98 or machine=jega in the config file to start DOSBox-X in the PC-98 or JEGA mode.”

DOSBox-X’s own PC-98 guide says: “Since DOSBox-X aims to be complete DOS emulation package, it officially supports the emulations of the Japanese PC-98 system,” and explains that setting “machine” to “pc98” starts DOSBox-X in PC-98 emulation mode.

In plain words: the machine lists printed in the two projects’ own documentation are different lists. DOSBox’s own list, as printed above, is a list of graphics machine types ending at the SVGA chipsets. DOSBox-X’s own documentation lists PC-98, AX (JEGA), and J-3100 machine modes in addition, in its own words.

Menus and changing settings

DOSBox side: The DOSBox Manual answers “I would like to change DOSBox’s options” by pointing to “Section 13. ‘The configuration (options) file’.” Section 13 describes a text configuration file: “The file is divided into several sections. Each section starts with a [section name] line. The settings are the property=value lines where value can be altered to customize DOSBox.” The Manual also describes the CONFIG internal program, which “can be used to change or query various settings of DOSBox during runtime,” and a Special Keys list (for example, ALT-ENTER for full screen and CTRL-F1 to start the keymapper).

DOSBox-X side: DOSBox-X’s own drop-down menus page opens with this sentence: “DOSBox-X features a GUI menu bar that does not exist in DOSBox, so you can achieve many things from the drop-down menu without typing commands.” It says there are 9 menus in the menu bar, named “Main”, “CPU”, “Video”, “Sound”, “DOS”, “Capture”, “Drive”, “Help”, and “Debug”.

DOSBox-X’s Feature Highlights page says the same in its own words: “DOSBox-X features a drop-down menu system so that you can do many things from the GUI menu instead of typing commands or so,” and: “You can configure DOSBox-X’s settings directly from its built-in GUI configuration tool instead of having to manually modify its config file (you can use either way).”

In plain words: DOSBox’s own Manual routes option changes through its configuration file, the CONFIG command, and special keys. DOSBox-X’s own documentation describes a drop-down menu bar and a built-in graphical configuration tool — and DOSBox-X’s own menus page is the source that says that menu bar does not exist in DOSBox.

DOS commands each documentation lists

DOSBox side: The DOSBoxWiki’s Commands page lists DOSBox’s commands, including BOOT, CD, CHOICE, CLS, CONFIG, COPY, DEL, DIR, EXIT, IMGMOUNT, IPX, KEYB, LOADFIX, LOADHIGH, MD, MEM, MIXER, MOUNT, RD, REN, RESCAN, TYPE, SET, and VER. On that same page, one entry is headed “MOVE (unsupported)” and says, in DOSBox’s own wiki words: “DOSBox has no MOVE command. Use the REN command to move files.” The DOSBox Manual likewise says: “DOSBox supports most of the DOS commands found in command.com. To get a list of the internal commands type ‘HELP’ at the prompt.”

DOSBox-X side: DOSBox-X’s Feature Highlights page states, as DOSBox-X’s own claim: “DOSBox-X includes many DOS commands that are missing in DOSBox, such as FOR, VOL, LABEL, ATTRIB, DELTREE, PROMPT, EDIT, FIND, and MOUSE.” DOSBox-X’s own Supported Commands page lists those commands, and it also lists MOVE as an external command: “Moves a file or directory to another location.”

In plain words: the command lists are different lists in the two projects’ own documentation. The MOVE example is attested on both sides in their own words — DOSBox’s wiki says DOSBox has no MOVE command, and DOSBox-X’s commands page lists MOVE.

CPU types each configuration page lists

DOSBox side: The DOSBoxWiki’s CPU configuration page lists the cputype setting as: “cputype = auto | 386 | 386_slow | 486_slow | pentium_slow | 386_prefetch,” and says “auto is the fastest choice.” The same page lists four CPU core choices: simple, normal, dynamic, and auto.

DOSBox-X side: DOSBox-X’s Feature Highlights page states, as DOSBox-X’s own claim: “DOSBox-X supports virtually all CPU types prior to Pentium 4 at this time, from 8086/8088 to Pentium Pro/2/3, including support for Pentium MMX instructions. DOSBox-X also allow you to emulate the speed of a specific CPU (from 8088 XT 4.77MHz to Pentium III) in terms of cycles.”

In plain words: the CPU type lists printed in the two projects’ own documentation cover different ranges, as quoted above — DOSBox’s own list runs from 386 to pentium_slow settings, and DOSBox-X’s own highlights describe a range from 8086/8088 to Pentium Pro/2/3.

East Asian languages and systems, as each describes them

DOSBox side: The DOSBox Manual’s Keyboard Layout section describes switching keyboard layouts and codepages: “DOSBox supports a number of keyboard layouts and codepages by default, in this case just the layout identifier needs to be specified (like keyboardlayout=PL214 in the DOSBox configuration file, or using ‘keyb PL214’ at the DOSBox command prompt).” The same section adds this note, in the Manual’s own words: “Note that the keyboard layout allows foreign characters to be entered, but there is NO support for them in filenames.”

DOSBox-X side: DOSBox-X’s East Asian language support guide says: “DOSBox-X is designed to be complete DOS emulator and provides official support for East Asian languages and systems, including (Simplified and Traditional) Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages in different emulation modes.” The same guide describes native DOS/V support, a J-3100 mode, a PC-98 mode started with machine=pc98, and an AX (JEGA) mode started with machine=jega.

DOSBox-X’s Feature Highlights page likewise says DOSBox-X implements “native DOS/V services for Chinese/Japanese/Korean language support, so that are these languages can be displayed without any external tools.”

In plain words: DOSBox’s own Manual describes keyboard layouts and codepages for entering foreign characters. DOSBox-X’s own guide describes official support for East Asian languages and systems, including DOS/V, PC-98, AX (JEGA), and J-3100 modes. Each description above is that project’s own documentation speaking about itself.

The difference, in one look

• Stated focus: DOSBox’s wiki says gaming is the primary focus of DOSBox. DOSBox-X’s highlights say DOSBox-X officially supports DOS applications, Windows 3.x and 9x/Me, in addition to DOS games, and focuses more on general emulation and accuracy.
• Origin: DOSBox-X’s About page describes DOSBox-X as a DOS emulator derived from DOSBox.
• Machine lists: DOSBox’s Manual and wiki list machine choices from hercules, cga, ega, pcjr, and tandy up to SVGA chipsets. DOSBox-X’s documentation lists PC-98, AX (JEGA), and J-3100 machine modes in addition, in its own words.
• Settings: DOSBox’s Manual points to its configuration file, the CONFIG command, and special keys. DOSBox-X’s documentation describes a drop-down menu bar and a built-in graphical configuration tool, and its menus page says that menu bar does not exist in DOSBox.
• Commands: DOSBox’s wiki says DOSBox has no MOVE command. DOSBox-X’s commands page lists MOVE, and its highlights page lists further commands it says are missing in DOSBox, including FOR, VOL, LABEL, ATTRIB, DELTREE, PROMPT, EDIT, FIND, and MOUSE.
• CPU types: DOSBox’s wiki lists cputype settings from 386 to pentium_slow. DOSBox-X’s highlights describe CPU types from 8086/8088 to Pentium Pro/2/3.

That is the whole comparison this page makes. Anything beyond these points was left out unless both projects’ own official documentation attested to it.