How to use Basebox Windows version in Wine API in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

This seems to be a crazy project, to run a DOS Emulator in a Windows API in a Linux operating system like Ubuntu 20.04 LTS?

It probably is, but it is the only way for the moment to try the Basebox emulator in Linux/Ubuntu if you don’t have a Windows computer. Basebox is based on DOSBox Staging, so if you need setup information like for example how to configure the conf file for Basebox, you can consult DOSBox and DOSBox-Staging documentation. The primary (alpha?) version of Basebox supports the cute wheel mouse driver by Konstatin Meyer. Don’t worry, Basebox is stable. There are things to adjust in the installation in the conf file, there is also probably issues like sound which needs to be configured in Wine. The instructions below might be used for other Linux distributions, but with the adaption of how to install Wine in that specific version of Linux. You will probably find articles on the internet describing how to do it. 

The first thing you need to do is to install Wine 5.0 in Ubuntu 20.04. Here is a link to how to do it:

https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-wine-on-ubuntu-20-04/#disqus_thread

Install version 5.0 of Wine. When done, jump to Configuring Wine in the article by running Winecfg. The instruction failed for me, Mono and Gecko was not installed, it might differ for you. I solved it by google-ing “Install Mono in Wine 5.0” and followed that instruction. I did likewise with Gecko, google-ing “Install Gecko in Wine 5.0”. I picked the latest versions of Mono and Gecko and installed them. Mono and Gecko needs to be installed separately in Winecfg.

When this is done, jump to the next headline in the article “Installing NotePad++ on Ubuntu” and follow the instructions to install Notepad ++. The installation of Notepad ++ have dual reasons. First, it is a test that Wine is really works. The Notepad ++ is needed to edit the .conf file of Basebox.

Now that Notepad ++ works, start “wine explorer” in the Terminal of Ubuntu, if it is not started already, the command is case sensitive, so beware of it. The next step is to copy the “binnt” folder from the Basebox package to the “Program Files (x86)” folder in Wine. You might need to unzip the Basebox package first to a suitable folder in your laptop, it can be done in Ubuntu. Then switch to Wine, you can reach the unzipped Basebox package from Wine. Copy the binnt folder to the “Program Files (x86)” in the (C: ) disk in Wine Explorer. Now you are done with the Basebox installation in Wine in Ubuntu!

Next is to configure Basebox for PC/Geos/Ensemble. Like other flavours of DOSBox, you need to start Basebox once, to create the conf file. Click on the Basebox.exe in the binnt-folder. Two “terminal” like windows will open, one Status window and one Dosbox-Staging window. Once started, in the DOSBox-Staging window, type exit. Now you have created the conf file and you can open and edit the “dosbox-staging-git.conf”-file. You find the file in “C:\users\your username\Local Settings\Application Data\DOSBox” folder. The italics “your username” correponds to you your username, in my case the path looked like this: “C:\users\hans\Local Settings\Application Data\DOSBox”. Now start Notepad ++ in the Program FIles (x86) folder, browse to the conf file, and open it according to the path above, to edit the conf file. Mount the drive which have stored your PC/Geos/Ensemble installation, as you would in other flavours of DOSBox. I was able to use the Ubuntu linux path for mounting the drive. Add other command you want to the [autoexec.bat] section. There might also be other issues you need to adjust in the conf file. For me I had a ghost/dual mouse pointer which I fixed by changing the “capture_mouse” from seemless middlegame to onclick. the ems setting is also unnecessary, so it can be set to none. Basebox supports Konstantin Meyers Cute Mouse driver, default. It is built into Basebox, you don’t have to load it in Basebox, but you have to set it up in Ensemble.

Now start Basebox with Ensemble. Click on the Basebox.exe in the binnt-folder. Two “terminal” like windows will open. Start Ensemble in the DOSBox-Staging window, as you have configured it. Enjoy Ensemble. Done.

Remember this. There is no icon for Wine, since it is a Windows API for running Windows programs/applications in Linux. To start Wine, you need to start it from the Terminal by typing “wine explorer” without the quotation marks, and in lower caps as it is case sensitive. There are probably ways to automate this and add an icon, but I will not dive into it.

There are issues running Basebox in Wine in Ubuntu, it is kind of layer on layer on layer, and this will of course, create issues to solve. For the moment I hear no sound from Ensemble, but I guess it is something in Wine towards Ubuntu. Maybe a missing driver or configuration. There is probably other issues, too. Like setting up the internet. I will dive into that later on, and if I find a solution, I will post it here.

This is it. Please comment, if you find any  errors in the text above.

Enjoy!

Hans