This repository attempts to modernize the DOSBox codebase by using current development practices and tools, fixing issues, and adding features that better support today's systems.

Linux, Windows, macOS

Development builds.

• Clone the repository (one-time step):

  git clone https://github.com/dosbox-staging/dosbox-staging.git

Read BUILD.md for the comprehensive compilation guide.

DOSBox Staging has the following library dependencies:

Install build dependencies appropriate for your OS:

# Fedora
sudo dnf install ccache gcc-c++ meson alsa-lib-devel libatomic libpng-devel \
                 SDL2-devel SDL2_image-devel SDL2_net-devel opusfile-devel \
                 fluidsynth-devel iir1-devel mt32emu-devel libslirp-devel \
                 speexdsp-devel libXi-devel

# Debian, Ubuntu
sudo apt install ccache build-essential libasound2-dev libatomic1 libpng-dev \
                 libsdl2-dev libsdl2-image-dev libsdl2-net-dev libopusfile-dev \
                 libfluidsynth-dev libslirp-dev libspeexdsp-dev libxi-dev

# Install Meson on Debian-10 "Buster" or Ubuntu-20.04 and older
sudo apt install python3-setuptools python3-pip
sudo pip3 install --upgrade meson ninja

# Install Meson on Debian-11 "Bullseye" or Ubuntu-21.04 and newer
sudo apt install meson

# Arch, Manjaro
sudo pacman -S ccache gcc meson alsa-lib libpng sdl2 sdl2_image sdl2_net \
               opusfile fluidsynth libslirp speexdsp libxi pkgconf

# openSUSE
sudo zypper install ccache gcc gcc-c++ meson alsa-devel libatomic1 libpng-devel \
                    libSDL2-devel libSDL2_image-devel libSDL2_net-devel \
                    opusfile-devel fluidsynth-devel libmt32emu-devel libslirp-devel \
                    speexdsp libXi-devel

# Void Linux
sudo xbps-install -S SDL2-devel SDL2_image-devel SDL2_net-devel alsa-lib-devel \
                     fluidsynth-devel libiir1-devel libmt32emu-devel \
                     libpng-devel libslirp-devel opusfile-devel \
                     speexdsp-devel libatomic-devel libXi-devel

# NixOS 
# With Home Manager on home.nix (Recommended Permanent Installation)
home.packages = [ pkg-config gcc_multi cmake ccache SDL2 SDL2_image SDL2_net \ 
                  fluidsynth glib gtest libGL libGLU libjack2 libmt32emu libogg \ 
                  libpng libpulseaudio libslirp libsndfile meson ninja opusfile \
                  libselinux speexdsp stdenv alsa-lib xorg.libXi irr1 ]

# Note: the same package list will work with environment.systemPackages 
# on configuration.nix

# macOS
xcode-select --install
brew install cmake ccache meson libpng sdl2 sdl2_image sdl2_net opusfile \
     fluid-synth libslirp pkg-config python3 speexdsp

• Checkout the main branch:

  # commit or stash any personal code changes
  git checkout main -f

• Pull the latest updates. This is necessary every time you want a new build:

  git pull

• Setup the build. This is a one-time step either after cloning the repo or cleaning your working directories:

  meson setup build

  The above enables all of DOSBox Staging's functional features. If you're interested in seeing all of Meson's setup options, run: meson configure.

• Compile the sources. This is necessary every time you want a new build:

  meson compile -C build

  Your binary is: build/dosbox

  The binary depends on local resources relative to it, so we suggest symlinking to the binary from your PATH, such as into ~/.local/bin/ -- Have fun!

First, you need to setup vcpkg to install build dependencies. Once vcpkg is bootstrapped, open PowerShell and run:

PS:\> .\vcpkg integrate install

This step will ensure that MSVC can use vcpkg to build, find and links all dependencies.

Start Visual Studio and open file: vs\dosbox.sln. Make sure you have x64 selected as the solution platform. Use Ctrl+Shift+B to build all projects.

Note, the first time you build a configuration, dependencies will be built automatically and stored in the vcpkg_installed directory. This can take a significant length of time.

Instructions for other build systems and operating systems are documented in BUILD.md. Links to OS-specific instructions: MSYS2, MacPorts, Haiku, NixOS.

Upstream commits are imported to this repo in a timely manner, see branch svn/trunk.

• svn/* - branches from SVN
• forks/* - code for various abandoned DOSBox forks
• vogons/* - community patches posted on the Vogons forum

Git tags matching pattern svn/* are pointing to the commits referenced by SVN "tag" paths at the time of creation.

Additionally, we attach some optional metadata to the commits in the form of Git notes. To fetch them, run:

git fetch origin "refs/notes/*:refs/notes/*"

Please refer to the documentation guide before making changes to the website or the documentation.