[The Fifth Horseman]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mighty Midget @ Jul 25 2007, 01:15 PM) [snapback]301270[/snapback]</div>

If the DOSBox configuration file is the same for all PCs, then how about offering a standarized config autoexec, and make it PERFECTLY clear that the ONLY thing the newbies have to do is to create a folder with a GIVEN name at a GIVEN location for them to unzip their games into?

Let's say for instance:
"Before you copy and paste these lines into your DOSBox config file, at the END, BELOW the line that says "autoexec", MAKE SURE you have created a folder on your C: drive named Dosgames, so that you have a C:\Dosgame folder."

Then have the copy/paste lines ready for all.

Of course, any often occurring problems that can be standarized can be addressed this way.
[/b]

I'd say... No. Not that the idea is bad in itself, but then we'll start getting hordes of newbies who DON'T create the folder and can't figure out why the hell DOSBox doesn't work.

Upon instalation you have to choose where you want to install DOSBox anyway. How about if intalation creats a DOSGAMES folder on the same drive?[/b]

Not bad idea, though adding an additional step during the installation would be more flexible. In that step, the user would have the option to pre-configure the directory used as the default C:\ mount (and the installer would create it if neccesary), so that it is added to the autoexec during the installation process (along with the C: command to automatically switch there).
I don't think it would be much of a problem to add that to the installer, and it should help out most newbies with the very basics. Of course, more experienced users can also choose to disable that step and have fun configuring it all manually.

From what I've read, d-fend and those aren't flawless but have issues that DB doesn't have.[/b]

As for frontends... I've tried a few, and DBGL seems to be the best one out there, all things considered. According to Data, it doesn't have any known issues with DOSBox, and the entire thing is really just a pretty and user-firendly config manager/launcher.