How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Discussions about using non Windows and Linux guests such as FreeBSD, DOS, OS/2, OpenBSD, etc.
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SteveD
Posts: 2
Joined: 19. Nov 2016, 18:37

How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by SteveD »

I am new to both VirtualBox and FreeDos so please forgive me if the following seems a little obvious or naive. I wish to port a DOS based system into FreeDOS under VirtualBox running on several Win-10 workstations...

I have a network of several Win-10 workstations. One of these workstations is designated a fileserver. The other workstations have mapped their Windows-10 drive P: to be one of the directories on the fileserver (using "NET USE P: ..." within windows).

I want to "pull through" this mapping into Free-DOS, i.e. Drive P: within Free-Dos refers to a folder on the remote fileserver Win-10 workstation. I need to have R/W access to the files on drive P: with the 'normal' file share locking etc.

Also, within the network, there are several Dot matrix printers attached to various Win-10 workstations. Each Win-10 workstation can print to any of these wrinters (using "NET USE LPT1 ..." etc within windows). I need to access these printers (LPT1: ... LPT9:) from within FreeDOS.

So far I have installed VirtualBox onto a workstation and have used the FreeDos.vdi as an image.

I have searched for a solution but the answers I find seem to relate to accessing FreeDOS folders from the Host OS, not the other way round.

I would be grateful for any guidance. It is years since I have set up a DOS system so I am extremely rusty.

Thanks,
SteveD

PS: (I have looked at wiki/Sharing_files_with_DOS entry but unfortunately the links to DSK3-1.EXE and DSK3.2.EXE are broken!)
ChipMcK
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Re: How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by ChipMcK »

look at Set up a (Free)DOS VM with networking (and shared folders)
SteveD wrote: unfortunately the links to DSK3-1.EXE and DSK3.2.EXE are broken!)
Update
erroneous I was able to access via FireFox browser, but not Google Chrome, Safari. :oops:

the files may be downloaded from an archive/mirror site FileWatcher File Search
SteveD
Posts: 2
Joined: 19. Nov 2016, 18:37

Re: How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by SteveD »

Thanks, I have successfully downloaded DSK3-?.EXE from FileWatcher.

I will now try again at file sharing and get back here with the results.
prairie
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Joined: 16. May 2011, 00:26
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
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Re: How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by prairie »

SteveD - were you successful? I want to do similar to have bi-directional shared folders with FreeDOS<->hostOS. Want to use Win10 as one host and macOS 10.12 as an alternative host. My customer has Windows and I have a Mac where I run Win10 as a guest. I have FreeDOS as a guest within VirtualBox on both Win10 and macOS, and am in process of running the setup for the DSR3 stuff in FreeDOS. I'm a bit unsure what network adapter to select and am going to see what FreeDOS has and if it is in the Setup list.

Would be confidence building if I know you had been successful since your last posting.

Thanks
prairie
Posts: 31
Joined: 16. May 2011, 00:26
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Win7, Ubuntu 11.04

Re: How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by prairie »

SteveD, and anyone else who wants to join in,

I"m stuck with needing a network adaptor when running Setup. I don't think FreeDOS has any network adaptors; please let me know if I am wrong. I'm doing my development on Win10 running as a client under Virtual Box on macOS and then have FreeDOS as a client to VirtualBox Win10 host OS. What I see is a PCNET-FASTIII as a bridged adapter to my iMac's WiFi (Airport). WGET in FreeDOS executes fine but what adapter do I specify when running the Setup program? I"m out of my depth here because my DOS knowledge is very basic.
eag
Posts: 5
Joined: 21. Feb 2017, 03:16

Re: How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by eag »

I too, am attempting to get FreeDos 1.2 guest in VirtualBox 5.1.14 (Windows 7 host) to access files on the host. Looking at instructions Steve D referred to, "set up DOS VM with Networking and Shared Folders" , it appears that I first need to run DSK3-1.exe, DSK3-2.exe and AMD NDIS2 on "client". By "client", I assume he means the guest VM. But if I download these files, they will be on the host, and if the guest can't access files on the host, how can I even get started on this??

Sorry if I'm being very naive, but this is not making sense. Unless I am completely misinterpreting "client". It would be nice if the instructions used "host" and "guest" consistently. Did any of you act get this to work?

Alternatively, how can I install any DOS software, or get any of my files on to the guest VM? I have enabled "drag and drop" and "shared clipboard", host-to-guest, but neither of those works. If I could get those going I might not need shared folders. The only external source FreeDos VM sees are hardware devices (or images) - i.e. floppy, optical drive.

Thanks for any suggestions. E.G.
ChipMcK
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Re: How to access to Host Folders from within FreeDOS Guest

Post by ChipMcK »

eag wrote:Looking at instructions Steve D referred to, "set up DOS VM with Networking and Shared Folders" , it appears that I first need to run DSK3-1.exe, DSK3-2.exe and AMD NDIS2 on "client". By "client", I assume he means the guest VM.
DSK as in floppy disk.
You need a floppy drive and a controller as part of the VM.
The *.exe files are compressed.
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