Running Windows 3.1 in Linux

Requirements:
1. DOSBox, ways to download it:
a. Open the terminal and type sudo apt-get install dosbox
b. Open Synaptic and download it (assuming you’re using ubuntu).
c. Go to its website and download it.

2. Windows 3.1, finding this was a problem, but I found a website that lets you download it for free, but you’ll have to make an account. Here’s the link: http://vetusware.com/download/Windows%203.1/?id=3391

Steps:
1. Move the -downloaded- Windows 3.1 file/folder to a directory of your choice (Do not change its place after placing it, cause some steps depend on its path), extract it if it was zipped.
2. Open the directory that contains Windows 3.1’s files, you’ll find several folders named “Disk1”, “Disk2”, “Disk3”, …, “Disk7”.
3. Make a new folder named “CombinedFiles”.
4. Return to the directory that contains the disks. Now, move all the files in every disk folder to “CombinedFiles” folder.
5. Open “CombinedFiles” the folder that contains all the disks files, search for a file named “SETUP.EXE”, and open it with DOSBox. Once you’ve pressed it, DOSBox should start running, and then the installation begins.
6. Install it, it wont take time, and every time it asks you to put another disk press “Enter”. The installation should finish without any problems.
7. You’ll be asked whether if you’d to restart your computer or switch to MS-DOS, at that point switch to MS-DOS and quit DOSBox. So type in “exit” and press “Enter”. If that didn’t work, press “Ctrl + F9”. FYI If you didn’t exit DOSBox, Windows will not work in a good way and -probably- you wont be able to use your mouse.
8. Now go to “/home/YourName/” and make a new text file and name it “dosbox.conf”, copy and paste the following (don’t forget to change the path):
============================================
[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup. Type the following in on a new line:
#mounting
mount C: /home/...path.../CombinedFiles/
C:
============================================
9. Now you have two ways to run Windows 3.1:
a. Open DOSBox, type “cd WINDOWS“, and then type “win” and hit the “enter”.
b. Open any *.EXE from “CombinedFiles” with DOSBox, type “cd WINDOWS“, and then type “win” and hit the “enter
“.

Notes:
1. To kill DOSBox press “LeftCtrl + F9”
2. To get out your mouse from DOSBox prss “LeftCtrl + F10”
3. It boots in 3 seconds! (if not less)

…enjoy!

Anxious Nut

5 thoughts on “Running Windows 3.1 in Linux

  1. So you’re a computer geek but don’t own the original 6-floppies of DOS? :p

    I talked a friend of mine to use VMware ESXi virtualization and he ended up using FreeDOS and installed some old skool DOS games on it! hehehe.

  2. @MBH: Yo I’m 17, I don’t think there is any 17 years old guy that owns 3.1 disks! unless if somebody gave it to him! and by the way i can have the originals, my father has a lot, examples: 3.1(but i think some are missing), word Perfect(Dos), lotus 123, office 4, … a lot! and … yeah he has some old Dos viruses!!!

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