OrCad for MSDOS

[PA0PBZ]

Keep at it, looking good ! 

The interface is horrible and it looks like I lost my muscle memory for this 25 years ago 

[PA0PBZ]

Now look at that, doesn't that bring back memories?

[pcprogrammer]

So this means that the files on archive.org don't need the dongle and just work. Well that is interesting.

[Vince]

Oh yes PA0PBZ, that does look really really really nice, well done, thanks for that  !

Super cool.... I was about to get to bed, tired, but decided to refresh this thread one last time quick.... glad I did !
I will now make sweet dreams, imagining meself tomorrow, downloading the thing from archives.org and trying to get it to work in a DOS emulator or a VM on my Linux box !Hopefully I can manage that...
First I will need to find MS-DOS "images" so I can install MSDOS in the VM !
..... well, hoping the VM can even run MSDOS... I am using VirtualBox.

So no Dongle nightmare anymore, yeah !


 

[Zoli]

So this means that the files on archive.org don't need the dongle and just work. Well that is interesting.

And it supposed to run in dosbox, too

[rsjsouza]

Keep at it, looking good ! 

The interface is horrible and it looks like I lost my muscle memory for this 25 years ago 

Wow, those images immediately brought me many decades back, including the unparalleled color scheme and the old interface quirks, such as the mouse that only went up and down on that open menu - it must be PTSD...

[Ed.Kloonk]

So this means that the files on archive.org don't need the dongle and just work. Well that is interesting.

Intusoft's ICAP spice program required a dongle. I had intended to circumvent it when suddenly they sent me all new floppies with 32-bit versions of the programs for use with the then new Win 95. The new version didn't ask for a dongle or a code or anything. 

[PA0PBZ]

For anyone going to have a play: I made an error earlier, It's not the PCB disk that is missing the DISK.ID, it's disk 4 of 5 of the schematic editor. Be sure that you create the file before starting the install.

OrCAD/SDT
v1.20
Disk 4 of 5

[Vince]

OK I have managed to install MS-DOS 6.22 in a VirtualBox VM.... was much easier than I thought. VB can handle MS-DOS, it offers this choice, and DOS disk images are easy to find it appeared.

So now I have DOS running just fine in the VM.... the problem now is making a trillion disk images from the very numerous Orcad "disk" folders..... on Linux. I am googling, googling, but so far only command-line stuff, and nothing relevant to the particular use case here. Still searching. I can't believe there is not a GUI to make that easier for newbies like me, I just can't believe...

Getting there... I hope....

[pcprogrammer]

Yes that is linux for you. Lots of command line stuff. Getting this done, would for me also mean a lot of googling

[PA0PBZ]

I have all the disks in FLP format, that's for VMWare player, not sure if you can use them. Otherwise you could do what I did, create an ISO from the install folders, mount that in the VM and then create numerous virtual disks, mount them one by one and copy the correct contents to each. Then during installation mount the appropriate disk images when asked for.


EDIT: If you go that way create one, format it and then copy+rename until you have enough

[Vince]

I just realized that " FLP " appears to be one of the valid floppy image file formats that VirtualBox supports, look ! 

Can you upload your FLP images to DropBox or a GoogleDrive or something if you have that ?

Gonna take a while... maybe if you could just send me only one image first (The main / first install disk), to test if it works,  via e-mail maybe ?

I will send you a PM with my e-mail address...

[PA0PBZ]

Since the files are free to get on archive.org I guess I can attach it here. If not and it disappears I will upload it somewhere.

[Vince]

Thanks !


Unfortunately it doesn't work.. the VM fails to boot from it, says "Non-System disk or disk error" 

Oh well, was worth a shot I guess !

[nctnico]

I guess you'll need to install MSDOS in the VM first and then run the Orcad installer. However, I think Orcad should run OK on WinXP or even Windows7 in a DOS box.

[Vince]

I guess you'll need to install MSDOS in the VM first

See above, I have already done just that 2 hours ago ! 

This part works...

and then run the Orcad installer.

Yes, that's what I am now trying to do, but I need disk images for that... the VM won't take directories as an input (not that I can see anyway), only disk images.

However, I think Orcad should run OK on WinXP or even Windows7 in a DOS box.

Yes but my Vintage computer is not "available" at the moment, so to speak... so for now I am trying to get it to work in a VM on my main / Linux computer, hence I need to be able to make disk images.

Am still Googling for that... one day maybe I will find the answer...

I think I will just end up buying a cheap USB floppy drive and write the install disks on actual floppies (I have dozens of them, maybe soe of them are still good/usable, who knows...), then I can get the VL to use the actual floppy drive rather than an image file...

I meant to buy a USB floppy drive anyway, for other purposes, like using on old Tektronix TDS scopes, or my messing around with vintage computer in general.

[pcprogrammer]

How about using this dosbox thingy https://www.dosbox.com/. I think someone mentioned this too. No idea how it works and if it can mount floppy disk images.

But looking at what I have on my old HDD, I don't see anything special that needs to be installed. Don't know what is on the disks, but they could just be a multi volume archive. So who knows if it is possible to do the extracting on your linux machine itself.

[PA0PBZ]

Unfortunately it doesn't work.. the VM fails to boot from it, says "Non-System disk or disk error" 

Did you create a C: drive and did you install MS-DOS on there? If not, do that first and then make sure that the BIOS is set not to have the A: drive (removable media?) as first boot option!

[Vince]

D'OH !!!!! 

Thanks people for stating the obvious, I guess I did need it ! 

Why the hell did I want to BOOT from this freaking floppy ! I am not trying to install an operating system  FFS !!! 

Oh boy....

OK, so it works much better now... I just boot MS-DOS, tehn I can go to the floppy, display all the files in it.. so the image works it seems, cool ! 

But.... when I run the " Install.bat " file... it loads up  then I get a black screen, and the VM is stuck/frozen, unresponsive to the keyboard.... so I have to reset the VM, I try again... and get again a black screen.

I don't know....

DOSBOX : I did try it briefly before trying VirtualBox, however I was not impressed and had to give up after a few seconds... I can't even use the keyboard, it uses a QWERTY layout but I need AZERTY here.  I don't know how to load a floppy image either.

I will try to find a user manual on-line to see how to use it, at least how to set the keyboard layout to French so I can then type commands at the prompt to use the integrated help system.

[PA0PBZ]

When I run the install.bat file this is what I see after a brief 'popup' kind of message. I have no idea why it doesn't work for you apart from the fact that I use VMWare player and you are using VirtualBox. Is there a VMWare player for Linux?

[Vince]

Making progress... DOSBOX starts with a 'Z' directory. I listed the files there, found a few executable files / programs. Found "KEYB.COM".

Typed "KEYB FR "... worked, I now have a French K/B and can type stuff at the command line easily now...

I see there is another program called IMGMOUNT, sounds promising....  but nee dto create a ' C 'drive first somehow, otherwise the ORCAD install program won't be happy for sure....

[Vince]

When I run the install.bat file this is what I see after a brief 'popup' kind of message. I have no idea why it doesn't work for you apart from the fact that I use VMWare player and you are using VirtualBox. Is there a VMWare player for Linux?

Thanks for the screenshot.

Yes VMware is available for Linux (both the player or the complete thing), but the problem is that it's not open-source (unlike Virtualbox), so it requires its own installer, which bypasses the packages management system of Linux, it's messy.   I just downloaded it anyway. Takes some fiddling though, so will take a little time maybe.

[pcprogrammer]

DOSBOX : I did try it briefly before trying VirtualBox, however I was not impressed and had to give up after a few seconds... I can't even use the keyboard, it uses a QWERTY layout but I need AZERTY here.  I don't know how to load a floppy image either.

Ah yes, that is true you froggies have these silly keyboards

That is why I have to buy my computers abroad 

P.S. I have to respond to what you wrote elsewhere about the French not speaking English, and I have to acknowledge this. I was at the hairdresser last Thursday and I just speak a little bit of French and understand way less. At some point it came up that I'm not English but Dutch, but I do speak English. Then the daughter of the woman cutting my hair chimed in with some English. Could not understand what she was saying. "blu dri" it sounded like. Eventually she looked it up on her phone and spelled it. (b l o double v d r y) "blow dry". Hilarious

[PA0PBZ]

Re: VMWare vs VirtualBox - I have both and sometimes one does the stuff better, sometimes the other. I think VirtualBox did put up a fight with USB when I tried to run GNU Radio on Linux in a VM. That was a few years ago so it might be totally different now 

[Vince]

Your hair dresser sounds like fun.... but I am condused now... why do you speak English with hair dresser to begin with ?! 
... or does that mean you don't leave in Dutch-land but rather some English speaking country ?!

Making progress with Dosbox.. I followed the on-screen instructions to mount / created a ' C ' drive. My C drive in DOSBOX corresponds to the folder on my hard-drive where I downloaded ORCAD.

So, I loaded the ORCAD install.bat file from the hard-drive, and bingo, it loads up !!! 

Of course it fails to install ORCAD, it expect to be run from the floppy drive, not from the hard drive.

So I now need to see how to mount a floppy image.... and how to change them on the fly while DOSBOX is running... that part sounds rather difficult to me... because there are no menu bar in the DOSBOX application window. So once you have the ORCAD installer on the screen how on earth can you tell DOSBOX to change the floppy miage file for a different one ?! 

But I will figure it out hopefully !