FreeDOS Networking with VirtualBox 4.x

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Introduction

Running a FreeDOS guest in VirtualBox is a bit complicated. Especially exchanging files with the host is tricky. A networked FreeDOS guest would solve the problem, as it could exchange the files over the network. To make things a bit easier I have built a FreeDOS Virtual Machine with an already activated network.

Bug: High CPU usage of DOS installations in VirtualBox

You may note increased fan activity when running a DOS / FreeDOS installation in VirtualBox. Please read this document carefully to learn more about the problem and to prevent possible damage to your real computer.

Ulrich Hansen, October 11th, 2011

Installation

Download the FreeDOS virtual machine (VM) from

http://lazybrowndog.net/freedos/virtualbox/FreeDOS_1.1beta-network.zip

and unzip the included VDI-file to a folder of your choice. The installation process is much the same as with version 1.0 - so here again the nessary steps:

Run VirtualBox 4.0.0 or higher on the platform of your choice (Mac, GNU/Linux, Windows).
Choose "New".
Give the VM a name. Choose "Operating System: Other", "Version: DOS"

Choose 32 MB RAM

Choose "Use Harddisk" and navigate to the downloaded VDI file.
Choose "Finish"

After the installation choose the new VM on the left side of the VirtualBox window. On the right side scroll down to the "Network" section and click on "Network".
Enable the network adapter. Choose "Bridged Adapter". In the section "name" choose your hosts connection to the network (WLAN or Ethernet/eth0).

Start the FreeDOS VM.

Startup

VBox Bootmenu

The bootmenu options are:

1. FreeDOS (minimal, without most drivers and memory management)
2. FreeDOS (minimal, with CD drive support)
3. FreeDOS 1.1 with a loaded packet driver and the network available.
4. FreeDOS with MS-Client and TCP/IP drivers
5. FreeDOS with MS-Client and NetBEUI drivers
6. FreeDOS with MS-Client and IPX drivers

The last two options (NetBEUI and IPX) are only useful, if you have another client in the network that is still running these protocols.

After FreeDOS started, you can use the shortcut "mc" or "nc" to start up the Norton Commander clone Doszip and get an overview over the FreeDOS system.

Vbox Norton Commander

Networking with the FreeDOS virtual machine

Boot with option 3 activated (or 4,5 or 6 if you need MS-Client).

Networking applications preinstalled are:

mTCP - a collection of TCP/IP programs including a new FTP server
Arachne - a web browser
wget - command line file retriever
Sioux - a webserver
ftpsrv32 - another FTP server
SSH2DOS - a SSH client

and basic networking applications like ping, ftp, etc. that come as part of these TCP/IP software packages:

WATTCP
WATT32
and mTCP.

Configuration

DHCP

Some apps like Arachne, mTCP and wget are configured automatically with DHCP. So if you have a router with DHCP activated (default) and broadband internet, you just can start to surf the web by typing "Arachne" or download files with wget.

VBox Arachne

DHCP is configured for Arachne, mTCP and wget in C:\FDOS\WATTCP.CFG

The only thing you have to correct manually is the IP of your router. Preconfigured is the IP 192.168.1.1.

mTCP

The mTCP apps are configured by running "DHCP.EXE" from the directory C:\NETWORK\APPS\MTCP.

I already added the command DHCP.EXE to the AUTOEXEC.BAT as you may have noted. Change it, if you don't find it useful.

Fixed IPs

In some configurations you need to use fixed IP adresses. The programs in C:\NETWORK\WATTCP and C:\NETWORK\WATT32 need fixed IPs. And also NTCPDRV (the Sioux webserver) needs fixed IPs

You can set fixed IP in these configuration files:

C:\FDOS\WATTCP.CFG
C:\NETWORK\DRIVERS\NTCPDRV\NTCPCFG.BAT

Preconfigured in NTCPCFG.BAT is the IP "192.168.1.80" and the Router/Gateway/DNS server as "192.168.1.1". In most cases you want to change these settings.

In AUTOEXEC.BAT the mTCP DHCP client is automatically started. Please deactivate the line, if you like to work with fixed IPs in mTCP and configure C:\FDOS\MTCP.CFG manually instead.

MS-Client

Please set the name of your workgroup in the following lines of C:\NETWORK\MSCLIENT\SYSTEM.INI:

workgroup=

logondomain=

By default MS Client works with DHCP. If you need fixed IPs, set them in the section [TCPIP] of the file C:\NETWORK\MSCLIENT\PROTOCOL.INI.

How to exchange files between your host and your FreeDOS client.

FTP

The easiest way to exchange files between host and FreeDOS guest is FTP.

Start the mTCP FTP-Server in the FreeDOS client:

ftpsrv

This shortcut starts the server C:\FDOS\BIN\ftpsrv.exe. Then login from the host with a graphical FTP client like Filezilla or Cyberduck (Mac).

To connect with Filezilla open the Site Manager and add a new site. Enter the IP address of the server into the line "Host:". Normally mTCP ftpsrv should have retrieved an IP automatically by your DHCP server. It is shown at boot. Or look into C:\FDOS\MTCP.CFG to see the IP.

The preconfigured username is "freedos" and the password is "freedos". Please change this in the mTCP password file C:\FDOS\FTPPASS.TXT as soon as possible.

After your FTP session stop the server by typing CTRL-C in the FreeDOS guest.

FTP with WATT32 ftpsrv32

mTCP ftpsrv is still in development. If you prefer the older FTP-server ftpsrv32 of the WATT32 applications, please start the server by entering

ftpd

Please be sure you have configured the configuration file C:\FDOS\WATTCP.CFG manually to use fixed IPs. The server doesn't seem to run with DHCP.

WATT32 ftpsrv32 doesn't need a password. So use "Anonymous" as Logon Type in Filezila.

Settings for Filezilla

After your FTP session stop the server by typing ESC in the FreeDOS guest.

Warning: The ftpsrv32.exe FTP Server accepts anonymous login only. So be careful to have a firewall or a router between the machine and the internet!

MS Client

Set up a shared folder on your Host. Allow read and write access.

Boot the FreeDOS VM with MS Client TCP/IP support.

Type
net view

in your FreeDOS client. The name of your host should show up.

Type
net view \\hostname

to show the shared folders of your host.

Now map a drive to that share by the following command in the FreeDOS client:
net use E: \\hostname\share

That's it. Change to E: in the FreeDOS client to work with the shared folder of your host.

Have fun !

CHANGELOG: Changes to FreeDOS 1.1 Beta:

I did some changes to the original Beta:

I updated the mTCP software in C:\FDOS\BIN to the new version (2011-10-04). The new FTP server works much better than the old one and better than any other in DOS.
I updated the UIDE drivers in C:\FDOS\BIN to the new version (2011-09-30). The new version contains an /E switch for virtual machines that prevents errors.
I added the Webbrowser ARACHNE from FreeDOS 1.0 and updated it to the latest version 1.95.
I added a C:\UTIL directory that contains applications I find helpful: DOSZIP - a Norton commander Clone, INIFILE - a utility I use for configuring MS Client at boot, LXPIC a picture viewer that shows you the nice freedos fish at boot, and PEDIT a freeware editor.
I added a C:\NETWORK directory with networking applications, with drivers for the VirtualBox AMDPD NIC and other drivers to experiment with DOS networking. And there is a directory for MS Client 3.0, Microsofts freely distributed program to integrate a DOS machine into a Windows workgroup.
I added EMM386.EXE from FreeDOS 1.0 to FreeDOS 1.1 C:\FDOS\BIN. I experienced better stabilty. Of course memory optimizing seems to be a hobby of all DOS users, so you are free to change it back.
I also added the file KEYBOARD.SYS from FreeDOS 1.0 to FreeDOS 1.1 C:\FDOS\BIN. The new KEYBOARD.SYS is saved as KEYBOARD.V11 in the same directory. The 1.1 version kept crashing when used with JEMMEX.
Of course AUTOEXEC.BAT and FDCONFIG.SYS are changed to get the network up. As usual, the original files can be found as AUTOEXEC.TXT and CONFIG.TXT in C:\FDOS\.