Dos Abandonware On Ubuntu?

[Efrain Valles]

Hello Everyone...

I just Flawlessly installed dosemu and dosbox. I was wondering if any of you got any of the old DOS game working on your system. I tried downloading from this site www.abandonia.com ... some a free...


I tried
wolf 3d (WOLFEStEIN 3d)
and it worked on DOSBOX... not dosemu :(

thnx

[J-B]

This is great info, thanks! I can't believe they have Betrayal at Krondor for free, this is awesome. Bummer that Alone in the Dark isn't though. I would so be playing that game again.

[J-B]

Well, I've managed to get Betrayal at Krondor, Blood, and Albion working in DosBOX, but they're running incredibly slow. I mean far far far too slow to be playable. I'm not sure what's causing, I'll tinker with it a bit more. I tried running Dosemu, but it crashes almost as soon as it loads. Have to check that out too. This is an awesome resource though. Brings back alot of memories.

[Efrain Valles]

I read somewhere in the forum that someone Had ran MONKEY ISLAND... and other games... I´ll check the ones you installed and see if they run... DOSEMU seems to be very picky with games... it´s a shame cuz it has more options for DOS games...

Did you ever play Sherlock Holmes....

[J-B]

I don't think I ever played Sherlock holmes. I did play monkey island!

I figured out the speed issue with dosBOX. You have to hit ctrl-F12 to up the CPU cycles because they're set really low by default. Can't get a single game to utilize sound though.

[SlugO]

Use ScummVM (http://www.scummvm.org/) for Monkey Island.
It runs the old LucasArts adventure games (and similar) flawlessly :)

[NiceGuy]

I haven't found a better abandonware site than this one!
http://www.the-underdogs.org/

(download speed sucks but they have LOADS of games)

[Biased turkey]

I read somewhere in the forum that someone Had ran MONKEY ISLAND... and other games... I´ll check the ones you installed and see if they run... DOSEMU seems to be very picky with games... it´s a shame cuz it has more options for DOS games...

Did you ever play Sherlock Holmes....

I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes ( As a matter of fact, I ordered last week the complete DVD collection of the greatest detective ) but was completely unaware of the game.
I already installed DOSBOX so running Sherlock Holmes should be easy

P.S. I'm a big fan of my fellow countryman too: Hercule Poirot ( I'm Belgian )

Thanks for the information Efrain Valles

[Artificial Intelligence]

Just as a reminder:


Enforcement of copyright

Abandonware's copyright is frequently no longer defended. This can be due to intentional non-enforcement by its owners due to the software's age or obsolescence, but sometimes because the corporate copyright holder went out of business without transferring ownership, leaving no one to defend the copyright. (Copyrights owned by an individual who dies become the property of the person's estate.) Nevertheless, some companies vehemently defend their rights to old games from which they're no longer making profit.

Proponents of abandonware argue that it is more ethical to make copies of such software than new software that still sells. Some who are ignorant of copyright law have incorrectly taken this to mean that abandonware is legal to distribute, although no software is old enough for its copyrights to have expired, and even in cases where the original company no longer exists, the rights usually still belong to someone.

Transfer of this software is still technically unlawful in most jurisdictions (except in cases of owner dissolution) as the copyright is still in effect. Abandonware changes hands based on the presumption that the time and money that a copyright holder would have to spend enforcing the copyright is greater than any money the holder would earn selling software licenses. Often the availability of abandonware on the Internet is related to the willingness of copyright holders to defend their copyrights. For example, unencumbered emulators and games for Colecovision are markedly easier to find on the Internet than unencumbered emulators and games for Mattel Intellivision in large part because there is still a company that makes money by selling Intellivision games while no such company exists for the Colecovision.

Companies do sometimes voluntarily relinquish copyright on software, putting it into the public domain, or re-license it as freeware or open source. id Software is notable as an early proponent of this practice, releasing older titles under an open source license. Another example is Amstrad, who support emulation and free distribution of ZX Spectrum hardware ROMs and software. Transfer of public domain or free software is perfectly legal, distinguishing it from abandonware. However, relinquishing copyright is uncommon — the copyright ownership of all portions is often unclear, creating difficulties in open-sourcing, and there is rarely an economic incentive to do so. Also, limited time promotional free downloads are often mistaken for a proper freeware release.

source: here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandonware#Legal_.22abandonware.22_titles_for_dow nload)

[Artificial Intelligence]

Both link which a shown are approved as legal.

[meborc]

thanks for the tip guys... i'm just playing F1 GP in dosbox... btw - dosbox is in repos too :)

[curuxz]

Suprised this thread is alowed, there is no such legal state as abandonware, its simply something made up to lagitimise older warez programs. freeware dos games im sure would be fine but all the site links listed are allow illegal game download, it does not matter if copyright is being defended its still a crime in USA, UK and EU.

[Biased turkey]

its still a crime in USA, UK and EU.

I don't give a damn, I live in Canada lol

[Thirsteh]

curuxz, I strongly doubt that you are a qualified attorney or anything similar, so please leave the political and judicial yelling and screaming to the people who actually know what they are talking about and can present eligible proof of such. You are ruining a rather joyful topic with your nonsense, and I believe the only intention you had when you posted it was to stir things up among the users and act as if you had superior knowledge. Maybe a vain attempt at seeking acknowledgement?

[Efrain Valles]

I´m sorry ... where I am ... there is a law tha protects software. but unfortunatelly there is nobopdy to enforce it... I think a lot of people are doing nastier things than just downloading old games on the net. Like downloading movies burning them and selling them... or downloading complete music catalogs of artists... which I don´t do... I just play games... games I just can´t find originals to...

and if a moderator should think this thread should be closed.. then I encourage you to get one and close this thread (I didn´t start a thread to discuss what´s right and wrong)...

[curuxz]

curuxz, I strongly doubt that you are a qualified attorney or anything similar, so please leave the political and judicial yelling and screaming to the people who actually know what they are talking about and can present eligible proof of such. You are ruining a rather joyful topic with your nonsense, and I believe the only intention you had when you posted it was to stir things up among the users and act as if you had superior knowledge. Maybe a vain attempt at seeking acknowledgement?


Im not sure what the hell your problem is...but anyway your ranting aside.

Copyright takes 75 years to expire (without extra protection being added, which most games take out). So unless you have no concept of how long computers have been around there is not a single game which is 'abandonware' for a good 25-40 years.

These game downloads are illegal. This thread therefore breaks the forums rules. If you want to discuss warez go somewhere else but don't call it something else and try and pretend its legal.

[RagerX]

For a faster version of DOSBox get the CVS build from here:
http://ykhwong.x-y.net/page.htm

For more information the DOSBox forum here is a great resource:
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/index.php?c=7

Happy gaming! :D

[Efrain Valles]

Dear curuxz:

I have contacted two forum masters, I have asked them tol delete this thread beacuse indirectly ilicits people to do illegal things (it was not my intent). again it was not my intention to make anyone upset. should I be banned from the forum, I bid you all happy gaming. and have a great UBUNTU life...

LONG LIVE UBUNTU...

Efrain Valles
Maracaibo, Venezuela

[curuxz]

Im not asking anyone be baned, mearly the posts with links removed since it violates the forum rules by advocating illegal activity, as Artificial Intelligence stated in his post abandonware is illegal im simply agreeing and asking dicussion be on legal gaming issues, I have not found a single game (and i play alot of old dos games) that could not be legaly purchased I realy dont want abandonware and piracy spreading into linux or this forum and I agree with the rules put in place to prevent that happening.

I was not attacking you mearly pointing out I think this discussion is not helpfull due to the legal implecations.

[Efrain Valles]

NOTE: you check the site I recomended. they are pretty good about knowing who is claiming rights to the games. if you look for a game and the game is still on sale it has a dollar sign next to it. and have the ESA logo next to it and they also have a section explaining a bit more... check

http://www.abandonia.com/main.php?nav=esaprotected

and do check

http://www.theesa.com/about/index.php

they also provide with contacts for you to obtain (buy) the game you wish to play.

I have learned a lot more than just installing dosemu and dosbox with this thread.

thanks to all of you...

[Thirsteh]

Im not asking anyone be baned, mearly the posts with links removed since it violates the forum rules by advocating illegal activity, as Artificial Intelligence stated in his post abandonware is illegal im simply agreeing and asking dicussion be on legal gaming issues, I have not found a single game (and i play alot of old dos games) that could not be legaly purchased I realy dont want abandonware and piracy spreading into linux or this forum and I agree with the rules put in place to prevent that happening.

Curuxz, you ruined the thread. Are you happy now? Gosh. It surprises me to see that you go on and on trying to prove a point that is poorly argumented for in so many ways, even though a forum moderator has already approved of the website in question. Please keep in mind that you are a forum user, not a forum administrator or moderator. It is not you who decides what is wrong and what is right on this forum.

[Rumor]

Well, I appreciated the thread. I downloaded a game for which I still have the floppy discs, but one of them is corrupt AND I have no floppy drive on my PC. The game runs fine with dosbox.

[Efrain Valles]

Same happend to me like 7 years ago...

I still have the Lucasart´s Classic game archive 1 in 1994 ( the one tha brings Zack Macracken, Maniac Mansion, Loom, Monkey Island (VGA), Indiana Jones and the lat Crusade (VGA)) and disk 5 got damaged.. I couldn´t play Indy... those games made me love using my computer.

[Galoot]

I'm enjoying the original Might and Magic series (I - III) all over again using DOSBox.

Other stuff in my Dos directory that runs without a hitch:
Atomino (A cross between Atomix and Tetris)
Beast (Freeware, text graphics. A similar graphical Linux game is Monster Masher (http://www.cs.auc.dk/~olau/monster-masher/))
The Cyberbox puzzle games
The Commander Keen series
The Duke Nukem platform games
The Kroz series
I haven't installed anything heavy, though.

And yes, I purchased all of these (aside from the freeware and demos) back in the day and didn't resell them, so I have no issues with reacquiring them through "Abandonware" sites.

As for curuxz, he's right. Copyright doesn't expire just because the original developer no longer supports or sells a program. Downloading a copy of something you don't have the rights to is illegal no matter how much we wish it weren't.

[Rumor]

The Commander Keen series

And yes, I purchased all of these (aside from the freeware and demos) back in the day and didn't resell them, so I have no issues with reacquiring them through "Abandonware" sites.


Aliens Ate My Babysitter (from the Commander Keen series) was the first shareware game I ever registered (I think). My kids *loved* it and I'll admit I spent more than a few hours trying to beat it. I might even still have the floppy around here somewhere. :)

[Efrain Valles]

we aren;t the only ones talking about it ...

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=115724

:p

[BoyOfDestiny]

Im not sure what the hell your problem is...but anyway your ranting aside.

Copyright takes 75 years to expire (without extra protection being added, which most games take out). So unless you have no concept of how long computers have been around there is not a single game which is 'abandonware' for a good 25-40 years.

These game downloads are illegal. This thread therefore breaks the forums rules. If you want to discuss warez go somewhere else but don't call it something else and try and pretend its legal.

Actually the owner of the copyright (or someone with the right) is the only one allowed to enforce that copyright. I know for a fact abandonia removed games which are protected by the ESA.

As for all the downloads being illegal, some have been made freeware. Such as Tyrian2k.

Also, if a company has gone bankrupt, and didn't pay someone like the ESA it's essentially public domain. Example: ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US! MOVE ZIG!

Zerowing! Anyway Toaplan is bankrupt, and didn't get a penny from the "fad". In fact someone else registered a domain with their company name.

I am not a lawyer, but I don't enjoy jackasses spreading FUD either. Someone with real legal expertise feel free to correct me. If this is not the case however, who would be able to sue? Especially since dev's more often than not sign away their rights to the company...

Anyway, good retrogaming all. For those that want to go more "legit", there is always ebay, and um... time travel to stores that have it in stock. I tell ya though, I might need a USB 5.25" floppy drive either way... ;)

Also,
http://www.reloaded.org/
Abandonia Reloaded is all freeware

http://www.liberatedgames.com/
Liberated Games
Games that have been made freeware or allowed to have some sort of free distribution

http://www.pdroms.de/
Public Domain Non-commercial Roms

EDIT: Was looking at wikipedia, "The failure of a copyright holder to bring a timely lawsuit against known infringers may later block such a claim by establishing an implied license, as may other acts or omissions that could informally signal consent to use the work." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement

Again, I wouldn't mind a real lawyer clarifying...

[Biased turkey]

Slightly O.T.
I really would like to purchase "The lost files of sherlock holmes" but abandonia.com doesn't list or mention any store and I didn't even find the game on ebay Canada.
Any suggestion ? ( except pirating the game of course lol )
tia

[megamania]

Im not asking anyone be baned, mearly the posts with links removed since it violates the forum rules by advocating illegal activity, as Artificial Intelligence stated in his post abandonware is illegal im simply

hmmm. Interesting point.

So we can't talk about guns, because they can be used to kill, and the same goes for kitchen knives, golf balls, etc.

We can't even talk about viruses (or viri) or point to a virus-website, because we "advocate illegal activity".

Do you think we can at least think about what we want, or should we report to the police our bad thoughts?

Gosh, live in peace and let people speak, come on...