dosbox-automation vs Retro-DOS
dosbox-automation
dosbox-automation.orgRetro-DOS
github.comSide by side
| Figure | dosbox-automation | Retro-DOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 0 |
| Spec score · MS-DOS Emulators | 7.9 (#10) | 7.0 (#22) |
| License | The independent project is licensed under GNU GPL v2+ and is based on DOSBox Staging. | The repository is marked GPL-2.0, and the README notes separate terms for the bundled FreeDOS image and demonstration program. |
| Purpose | dosbox-automation is a DOSBox Staging fork that lets launchers, test harnesses, and scripts launch, drive, and inspect DOS applications and games. | Retro-DOS is a DOS games launcher and emulator for handhelds, built on DOSBox-X with an SDL3 and Dear ImGui frontend. |
In their own words
dosbox-automation
dosbox-automation is a free DOSBox Staging fork for automating the launch, control, and inspection of DOS applications and games. Its HTTP REST API uses bearer-token authentication and includes Swagger UI, while a sandboxed Lua engine can drive execution and input with frame-accurate timing. It can record and replay keyboard and mouse input, capture frames and video, read text in text modes, and inspect memory and CPU registers. TOML recipes can automate installations, including disk swaps, through the API and Lua engine. The project includes DOSBox Staging functionality, added fixes and hardening, and a FluidR3 General MIDI soundfont enabled by default. Official builds are available for Windows and Linux; the Linux build is statically linked and targets x86_64. There are no official macOS builds, and compiling from source is described as untested. The webserver is disabled by default. When enabled, it binds to localhost by default, requires a bearer token, restricts mounted paths, and runs Lua without filesystem or process access. Windows 9x is not supported.