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Re: Buying new computer - what operating systems will work with Xywrite
- Subject: Re: Buying new computer - what operating systems will work with Xywrite
- From: peregrine@xxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:59:04 -0400
I've just succeeded today in launching both XyWrite IV and XyWrite III+ on Ubuntu Linux, running within DOSBOX on a Dell Optiplex GX1 (Pentium 3, 640MB RAM).
The operating system is a purely default install of Ubuntu 7.0 from a CD image downloaded from http://www.ubuntu.com
... I then updated that installation using the "alternate" CD update to version 7.04 (I updated this way because the default installation did not recognize either my onboard network interface or sound card). This may not be the ideal, as it's the "bleeding edge" stable version of Ubuntu rather than the "long term service" version 6.06, but I imagine there's little difference as far as XyWrite is concerned (Ubuntu 6.06 also failed to recognize my NIC, which is why I tried 7.0).
I installed DOSBOX after downloading it from
http://packages.ubuntu.com/feisty/otherosfs/dosbox
... and after installing a few other things that DOSBOX depends on for its functionality. Most of these will not actually be needed for XyWrite, but DOSBOX looks for them because it is designed mainly to run old DOS-based games. XyWrite does indeed work, though! All that remains for me now is to change the paths in a few of the Xy configuration files (startup.int and U2 for sure).
One possible problem that may be a little more difficult (but I know it can be done): One way or another, I'll have to remap the keyboard file for XyWrite or for DOSBOX. DOSBOX has its own hotkeys that conflict with some of Xy's. Ctrl-F9, for example, instantly shuts down DOSBOX (and XyWrite, or anything else running within DOSBOX). So that's got to change, or I can't switch into Xy's "expanded" mode. Tedious, and I guess I'll have to recondition myself to different presets, but I'm still trainable.
I will eventually figure out how to configure this computer for internet access under Ubuntu. Installing and uninstalling Linux programs ("packages") is extremely simple with an internet connection, somewhat complicated without one. I have had better luck with Ubuntu Linux installations on other (newer) computers, which were instantly configured correctly for internet access, so this is unlikely to be an issue for most of you if you ever decide to try it. But if it IS a problem, I have saved all the files I needed for installation and will keep them in a ZIP file I can share.
I will try to find time soon to write out some simple instructions for how to do all this, and maybe we can post the zipped file and the instructions on the XyWwweb site, xywrite.com and elsewhere?
Jeff