Trying to get 256 colors in virtualbox.

[spoone]

I'm so confused by how i'm supposed to get it. The way websites are trying to explain it is way too complicated. Am I supposed to download something for virtual box? I also know you're supposed to do something with guest additions,but i've only just started with virtualbox. Also I'm using the windows 98 virtualbox. Please help.

[wildweasel]

Um, do you mean that you're trying to run Windows 98 through Virtualbox? Okay, sure - the problem is that the Guest Additions do not support Windows 98 (they require a Windows XP or later). I've heard of a few ways around this; one way is to install a shareware program called SciTech Display Doctor within Windows 98 (it will still be rather sluggish). Unfortunately, I don't have any useful links for you at the moment.

[merlin86]

When I installed a Virtual Machine with Windows 98 SE I used this guide: https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=32989 and this one: https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=59559 .

Be warned: the emulation speed of the guest O/S is the same of your host (so if you have a pretty fast CPU, let's say an i7, you will have a pretty fast experience).
So if you will use some game, or particular program, you could have some problems (sound stuttering, the program is too fast or even could crash, or having some strange behaviors).
If you ask these guys: http://www.vogons.org/ , you will found more answers because they play with any kind of emulation every day.

Better option: don't use a Virtual Machine/emulator and get an old PC like a Pentium/Pentium 2, with a Sound Blaster and some graphics card (I have a P2 with an AWE 64, S3 Virge and a Voodoo Card), but I know that's not an option for everyone...

[leileilol]

Retrogaming fans of Virtualbox tend to be rabid and blind about Vbox's issues with older games and OSes, so don't listen to them. It can't even run doom properly lol.


Your best option is to compile yourself a PCem build. That's far more relevant as emulators go, it can emulate a Pentium MMX 233 with Awe32, S3 Virge (with 3D!) and a 3dfx Voodoo Graphics (with 3D!)

(which is said to be pointless because "virtualbox exists" by the same fans, so lol. kind of like the epsxe/pj64 fanbase)

[merlin86]

Your best option is to compile yourself a PCem build. That's far more relevant as emulators go, it can emulate a Pentium MMX 233 with Awe32, S3 Virge (with 3D!) and a 3dfx Voodoo Graphics (with 3D!)

some months ago i've tried PCem with dynamic recompiler (otherwise IIRC you can't enable Pentium emulation), with the same emulated configuration, and it was pretty slow with an i7 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 8 GB Ram, Radeon HD 5770 and Windows 8.1 . Did they fixed some problems?

[leileilol]

It did have a recent speedboost lately but it still only works best on the Core iwhatevers.

it would also help to generate a performance profile and use it. you'll be emulating like this!!!


and finally don't frig around with adding compiler switches much. -march=i686 is enough. tacking -msse -mfpmath=sse -ffast-math etc. will only slow it down and give more crashes. Please disregard those 'how do i optimize gcc' guides on the internet for this one.

[XCVG]

Trying to get pre-XP Windows working nicely with VirtualBox was an exercise in frustration for me. Depending on what you're trying to do, you might be better off running a Windows XP VM or using DosBox. I've never heard of PCem before, but it looks like an interesting option.

[leileilol]

BTW as far as emulating the 6th generation Windows goes (1998-2000) there's still a big gap in that. You'll have best luck at just using wrappers (dgVoodoo2, DXGL, nGlide) within modern Windows for those.

[DaMan]

20 years later and that damn Turok jump still a bitch.