Dosbox and IPX/SPX support \ VOGONS

Dosbox and IPX/SPX support

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First post, by darkphen

Posted on 2006-07-13, 15:04

darkphen Offline

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Hi, i'm in charge of a windows to linux migration.
For this there is an old program in DOS that have to work.
This program use a old btrieve database and have to be accessed through a requester.
There is 2 versions for DOS, one with TCP that requiere a TCP stack (a total mess and impossible with DosBOX) and another with IPX/SPX.
When i try to execute, the initialisation is OK but i get a error saying : SPX is not supported on this workstation.

Of course i set the IPX support to true.
I play with the ipxnet tools, i'm able to start a server but not to connect. I'm using dosbox 0.65 under a Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper.

I also try qemu, and dosemu (same problem), but i'm not lucky with those tools too.
What can i do? have i to set something in linux to support the spx network? How does the ipx/spx calls work?

Thanks.

Reply 1 of 9, by h-a-l-9000

Posted on 2006-07-13, 15:21

h-a-l-9000 Offline

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1. Make a "native IPX" for Linux. The "normal" Dosbox does not touch the IPX/SPX stack of the host but uses UDP tunneling. (I have one for Windows but nobody uses it).

2. If you really need SPX you have to implement:
Int 7A/BX=0011h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - ESTABLISH SPX CONNECTION
Int 7A/BX=0012h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - LISTEN FOR SPX CONNECTION
Int 7A/BX=0013h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - TERMINATE SPX CONNECTION
Int 7A/BX=0014h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - ABORT SPX CONNECTION
Int 7A/BX=0015h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - GET SPX CONNECTION STATUS
Int 7A/BX=0016h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - SEND SPX PACKET
Int 7A/BX=0017h - Novell NetWare - SPX Driver - LISTEN FOR SPX PACKET
(copied from Ralf Brown's Interrupt List)

Reply 2 of 9, by darkphen

Posted on 2006-07-15, 10:41

darkphen Offline

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So i just have to set the IPX stack on linux, for DOSBOX behaving like it has a IPX stack under DOS ?
Sorry but i'm developping, i don't know what to do with these calls...
Do I need an SDP driver?

Reply 3 of 9, by h-a-l-9000

Posted on 2006-07-15, 21:13

h-a-l-9000 Offline

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It has to be implemented in Dosbox source code.

1+1=10

Reply 4 of 9, by darkphen

Posted on 2006-07-17, 14:23

darkphen Offline

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So like the SPX calls are not implemented, isn't there a way to catch them with a IPX/SPX driver? i read somewhere that novell used to have a IPX.COM file to launch. Nobody have an idea? :s

Reply 5 of 9, by h-a-l-9000

Posted on 2006-07-17, 21:09

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IPX.COM needs a NIC driver and a NIC driver needs a NIC. Dosbox does not have a NIC.

1+1=10

Reply 6 of 9, by darkphen

Posted on 2006-07-18, 08:36

darkphen Offline

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OK thanks, the problem is that is the same for Dosemu, both have an IPX support but doesn't have SPX supported either TCP...
Nobody knows a way to have an IPX/SPX support or a TCP support with a dos emulator under linux?

Last try 🙁

Reply 7 of 9, by prompt

Posted on 2006-07-18, 10:47

prompt Offline

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qemu has tcp support (emulates a nic), and runs under linux.
See: http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/

Reply 8 of 9, by DosFreak

Posted on 2006-07-18, 11:07

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or Vmware mabye. Never tried IPX/SPX on it but assuming it's virtual NIC has the drivers then it should work....and it's free! (Vmware Server)

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Make your games work offline

Reply 9 of 9, by darkphen

Posted on 2006-07-19, 08:11

darkphen Offline

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I managed to get Dosemu working with TCP.
The problem is that it doesn't have NIC but an integrated driver packet. So for example Waterloo TCP apps are working.
Since i still need a TCP stack to get my btrieve app working, i don't know what to do... MS Lanman need an NDIS driver...
Same result with LAN Workplace by Novell, both are especting a hardware driver to run.

Forget about IPX, the btrieve server use TCP.
I will try qemu, i will post my results to help people, if they have the same problem than mine.

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