How to run Medley for DOS on DOSBox-X

[pamoroso]

These instructions explain how to install, configure, and run Medley for DOS on DOSBox-X. They're based on my experience with Linux reported in #1790, but should work the same way or similarly on all the platforms DOSBox-X supports.

The instructions assume you already installed DOSBox-X and will install Medley under C:\MEDLEY. If not, you'll have to adapt them to your setup.

About DOSBox-X

DOSBox-X is a cross-platform MS-DOS emulator. It's a fork of the more well known DOSBox but geared towards ease of use, general emulation, and software preservation.

DOSBox-X can mount a directory on the file system of your host operating system as a DOS drive, a feature you'll use to exchange files between the environments.

Configure DOSBox-X

First, on your host create a directory to map to the C: drive, for example /home/username/dosbox. Next, launch DOSBox-X, edit AUTOEXEC.BAT with Main > Configuration tool > AUTOEXEC.BAT, and add these commands:

MOUNT C /home/username/dosbox
PATH=%PATH%;C:\MEDLEY
SET LDEINIT=C:/MEDLEY/LIBRARY/SITE-INI.LIS

The first command mounts the host directory /home/username/dosbox as the DOS drive C:, the next ones set up the Medley environment.

If you use a non English keyboard be sure to add to AUTOEXEC.BAT the appropriate KEYB locale command such as KEYB IT for an Italian keyboard. This will work only in DOS and not Medley though.

To enable 3-button mouse support set these options in the DOSBox-X configuration:

• Main > Configuration tool > Keyboard > auxdevice > 3button
• Main > Configuration tool > SDL > middle_unlock > none

Confirm the edits with OK, click Save..., and click Save. This is important to preserve the changes which otherwise don't persist across sessions.

Download and install Medley

I packaged in a ZIP file all the required Medley files in a ready to run directory tree you only need to unpack at the appropriate location. On the host, download the MEDLEY-DOS.ZIP file and unpack it under /home/username/dosbox, which will extract the files on the DOS side under the directory tree rooted at C:\MEDLEY.

If you still have DOSBox-X open, to make the file system changes visible to DOS you'll need to restart the session with Main > Restart DOSBox-X instance.

Configure Medley

You're almost done. On the host, edit the file /home/username/dosbox/MEDLEY/LIBRARY/SITE-INI.LIS and append this code:

(setq directories
    '("{dsk}c:/medley/library/"))

(setq lispusersdirectories (copy directories))

If needed restart the DOSBox-X session with Main > Restart DOSBox-X instance.

Run Medley

At this point you're ready to run Medley.

Launch DOSBox-X, which displays the command prompt of a DOS session with Z: as the system drive. At the top is a menu bar of DOSBox-X commands and settings.

Change to che Medley directory:

C:
CD MEDLEY

Launch Medley:

MEDLEY LISP.SYS -M 16 -VESA102

The command launches Medley in SVGA mode 800x600 (-VESA102) using 16 MB of RAM (-M 16). If it doesn't work try VGA mode 640x480:

MEDLEY LISP.SYS -M 8 -VGA

For more details on Medley for DOS see Medley DOS User's Guide

Issues

Medley for DOS is supposed to support SVGA mode 1024x768 via the -VESA104 option:

MEDLEY LISP.SYS -M 16 -VESA104

However, on my Linux system Medley displays a corrupted screen with duplicate prompt and Exec windows. It's worth trying on your own system though.

Middle-clicking on a wheel mouse does nothing in Medley for DOS. DOSBox-X likely needs to be configured for 3-button mouse operation but so far I haven't figured how.

Finally, like on other platforms, Medley for DOS doesn't support non-US keyboard layouts.

[pamoroso]

Thanks to advice from the DOSBox-X forum I enabled 3-button mouse support and now Medley correctly handles middle clicks. To enable 3-button support set these options in the DOSBox-X configuration:

• Main > Configuration tool > Keyboard > auxdevice > 3button
• Main > Configuration tool > SDL > middle_unlock > none

I updated the original post with this information, along with a note on how to use non English keyboards in DOS (but not Medley).

Here is SEdit's middle-click menu: