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DosBox Printing to Network printer via LPT port

First of all I am aware that DosBox is intended for gaming but it is the only program that will allow 16 bit apps in a 64 bit enviornment.

I am trying to make DosBox print to an lpt port in windows 7 64 bit. I found a version of DosBox that is supposed to allow you to do this but cant get it to work.

This is a version of DosBox thats supposed to enable LPT ports
http://home.arcor.de/h-a-l-9000/

And then I read this and it seems that you need a driver to support LPT
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=19764

And this is the link to the porttalk software
http://www.beyondlogic.org/porttalk/porttalk.htm

Thanks for your help,
Stuart

Steve Knight

I have used DosBox myself but don't have a 64 bit machine here to try it out on at the moment. What does spring to mind though is an "easier" solution. Install VMWARE Server or Virtual PC and setup a Windows 98 "DOS" or whatever ... with VMWARE I know you can map a virtual parallel port on a VM to either a 'real' parallel port or a file. I have used this to connect to a file called "Lpt3" where lpt3 is mapped using net use to a networked printer OK.... and you can also specify file as \\server\printshare.

Bit convoluted but it works... just about (though i does seem to need the parallel port disconnecting to trigger the print to close ... this may be better when an app opens and closes the port properly?)

Steve Knight

Would probably be OK with Window 2000 or XP as the guest OS too I guess..

beatified

ASKER

Thanks for the suggestion. I have been trying to accomplish this with VPC since it is free. Appearently the only free ver of VM is the player which means I wont be able to create my DOS VM with out the full version.

Right now I cannot use VPC since it requires Hardware virtualization on the CPU which my current test pc doesn't have but the one I will use in the future will.

Do you have any experiences with VPC?

Steve Knight

I have used PC but vmware I like better... though trying out HyperV now too.
VMWARE server is free btw... just after bought vmware workstation licenses! That will happily run on XP etc.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

beatified

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SilverHandCZ

Hello, the Accepted solution is nice and may work but it is so complicated
1. Download http://ykhwong.x-y.net/xe/?module=file&act=procFileDownload&file_srl=325&sid=44d849c45c69312619ad1786301dea34
This is DOSBox SVN build which supports printing.

2. Unzip it into some dir on HDD. Right-click EXE file use PROPERTIES and disable protection. I suggest u make it on all DLL files!
3. IMPORTANT!!! Copy roman.ttf from subdir /FONTS in DOSBOX root directory, directly to DOSBOX root directory. !IMPORTANT! Without it the prints will be blank!!!!!
4. Edit file "dosbox.conf" located in DOSBOX root dir us follows:
a) Find [printer] section and change "printer=true", "printoutput=printer", multipage=true
b) Find [parallel] section and change "parallel1=printer". This means if you use "dir > lpt1", it will be redirected. If you want to use other LPT just change "parallelX=printer" where X is 1 or 2 or 3
5. Now start DOSBOX.

When you use "dir > lpt1" and after it press "CTRL+F2" the standard windows dialog "Printer selection" will appear, where you can select any installed printer in windows and DOSBOX will send the print to this selected printer. I am using it too on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit. And works great. Just do not miss any of the steps above.

Silver