Set up a DOS VM with networking (and shared folders).

Overview

Below you find tips on how to set up host/guest networking. The guest is a DOS 6.22 VM. My host system is a typical WinXP machine with 1280*1024 display. I used VirtualBox 1.4.0.

Prerequisites

What do you need (apart from having a basic DOS 6.22 VM):

• MS Client for networks (two self-extracting files DSK3-1.EXE, DSK3-2.EXE)
• wg1049.exe
• netshar.exe
• Microsoft KB 128800 - on how to add extra NDIS2 drivers to the client setup
• AMD NIC drivers

All the above is available at the web; e.g. check contributions by Johannes Helmig on connecting DOS clients. I used these AMD drivers: "NDIS2 driver for Windows 3.1 - 166 KB" which results in a file wfw31.exe Important: create a host interface .e.g VM1 external, and select Host Interface networking for your DOS VM, connecting it to VM1 external. See the VirtualBox manual for additional explanation and details.

Add AMD NDIS driver to MS Client setup

With the AMD drivers available and the files dsk3-1.exe and dsk3-2.exe:

• run dsk3-1 and dsk3-2 in a temporary directory
• follow MS KB 128800 instructions on how to add the AMD NDIS drivers to the setup routine

MS Client setup

Run setup from the temporary directory above. Hints:

• give host and guest the same workgroup name
• select basic redirection (to save memory in the DOS VM)
• when done: set filesharing to yes in the \NET\SYSTEM.INI file.

The default protocol is the NWlink one and that should do. No need to add e.g. NetBEUI. Additional steps:

• copy netshar.exe and wg1049.exe to the \NET directory
• run these two executables there, they'll add and/or overwirte some files.

Host preparations

Before creating the DOS VM I created a Host Interface (see the VirtualBox manual). Using WinXP Network setup I modified TCPIP proterties to use this IP address: 192.168.0.1 (subnetmask 255 255 255 0). If you want to share your c:\ drive: allow c:\ to be shared (e.g. as C, and allow users to modify your files as well; this will give read/write access to your c:\ drive (note: not recommended for security reasons). Be sure to have the same workgroup for both machines - host and guest.

Client preparations

Once your VM reboots you can export and import drives. Assuming that the VM computer name is DOSCLNT:

C:\> net share dosc c:\

and assuming that your host computer name is XPHOST:

C:\> net use e: \xphost\c

Results can be schecked by the follwng tow commands:

C:\> net share
C:\> net use

Now you should be able to read from and write to the host.

Final result

Now I can read from and write to my hosts drive from the VB DOS machine ! Internet access via the physical host IC is still possible including keeping the host firewall alive. I did not care much about optimisation, just wanted to get it up and running. Limitations:

• I was not able to read guest files from the host.
• for security reasons I would not recommend sharing your root drive with anyone.