# Install dosbox-x with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, winget DOSBox with accurate emulation and wide testing. Version 2026.07.02 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-03. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dosbox-x ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dosbox-x ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install dosbox-x ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: emulators/dosbox-x/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install dosbox-x ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: dosbox-x from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#dosbox-x ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/do/dosbox-x/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install extras/dosbox-x ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/dosbox-x.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id joncampbell123.DOSBox-X -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: joncampbell123.DOSBox-X from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dosbox-x - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2026.07.02 - **Source summary:** DOSBox with accurate emulation and wide testing - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-03T03:35:34Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - dosbox-x (cli) - dosbox-x (alias) ## Dependencies - fluid-synth - freetype - gettext - glib - libpng - libslirp - sdl2-compat - sdl2_net ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2026.07.02 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-03 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x - Upstream latest detected: dosbox-x-v2026.07.02 (current) ## Project history and usage DOSBox-X is a DOSBox-derived emulator that expands beyond DOS gaming into accurate, highly configurable emulation for DOS applications, Windows 3.x/9x/ME environments, PC-98/DOS/V use cases, development, testing, and preservation. ### Project history The official README says DOSBox-X began as a fork of the original DOSBox project around mid-2011. Maintainer Jonathan Campbell wanted to make broad emulator changes, many of them non-game-related, without depending on upstream acceptance in a project whose primary focus was DOS games. DOSBox-X later incorporated features and improvements from DOSBox SVN Daum and from other projects including DOSBox ECE, DOSBox Staging, DOSVAX/DOSVAXJ3, and vDosPlus. The project identifies itself as a separate project from DOSBox because the two have different schedules and priorities. GitHub release history shows public Windows release artifacts by February 2018, and the README describes a monthly release pattern in which new versions are normally made public at the start of each month. ### Adoption history DOSBox-X's adoption is strongest among users who need more than a game-focused DOSBox profile: people running old DOS applications, Windows 3.x/9x/ME software, PC-98 programs, networking, printing, save states, menu-driven configuration, and development or preservation workloads. The project publishes Windows, Linux, macOS, and DOS builds, and source facts list distribution through Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and winget. ### How it is used Users run dosbox-x as a configurable virtual DOS machine for games, applications, Windows-on-DOS setups, and hardware-accuracy testing. The wiki is the main user guide for setup and operation, while the README points builders to INSTALL and BUILD documents. Its monthly release model and wide option surface make it attractive for packagers who want frequent upstream fixes, but it also means package maintainers need to watch config compatibility, SDL build choices, and optional platform-specific features. ### Why package nerds care DOSBox-X is significant because it is the sprawling, preservation-heavy DOSBox branch: it values knobs, hardware coverage, and compatibility experiments that a simpler game launcher might avoid. For package nerds, it is the variant you reach for when emulation coverage and configurability matter more than minimalism. It also documents the genealogy of DOSBox forks unusually clearly, naming its relationship to DOSBox, DOSBox SVN Daum, DOSBox ECE, DOSBox Staging, DOSVAX, and vDosPlus. ### Timeline - 2011: DOSBox-X starts as a fork of the original DOSBox project. - 2018: GitHub release artifacts show public DOSBox-X Windows builds. - 2020s: The project documents a monthly release pattern with new versions normally published near the start of each month. - 2026: Releases continue under date-based dosbox-x-vYYYY.MM.DD tags. ### Related projects - DOSBox-X is related to original DOSBox, DOSBox SVN, DOSBox SVN Daum, DOSBox ECE, DOSBox Staging, DOSVAX/DOSVAXJ3, vDosPlus, DOSLIB/DOSLIB2, and HX DOS Extender. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for dosbox-x. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: dosbox-x.conf ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** dosbox-x - **Version Scheme:** 1 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Requirements:** xcode - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - dosbox-x - 2025.02.01+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: dosbox-x from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | DOS emulator with complete, accurate hardware emulation | https://dosbox-x.com - Debian apt - dosbox-x-data - 2025.02.01+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: dosbox-x-data from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | DOS emulator with accurate hardware emulation - data | https://dosbox-x.com - Nix - dosbox-x: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/do/dosbox-x/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - dosbox-x - 2024.03.01+dfsg-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dosbox-x from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | DOS emulator with complete, accurate hardware emulation | https://dosbox-x.com - Ubuntu apt - dosbox-x-data - 2024.03.01+dfsg-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dosbox-x-data from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | DOS emulator with accurate hardware emulation - data | https://dosbox-x.com - MacPorts - dosbox-x: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: emulators/dosbox-x/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Scoop - extras/dosbox-x: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/dosbox-x.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - joncampbell123.DOSBox-X: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: joncampbell123.DOSBox-X from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Game and emulation packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/game-emulation-tools/) - Matched game or emulation metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [fluid-synth](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fluid-synth/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [freetype](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/freetype/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libpng](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libpng/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [sdl2-compat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sdl2-compat/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dosbox-staging](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dosbox-staging/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cross-platform, dos, emulation, emulator. - [mupen64plus](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mupen64plus/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cross-platform, emulation, emulator, games. - [ppsspp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ppsspp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cross-platform, emulation, emulator, games. - [quasi88](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/quasi88/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emulation, emulator, games, retro-computing. - [blastem](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/blastem/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emulation, emulator, games. - [fceux](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fceux/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emulation, emulator, games. - [huexpress](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/huexpress/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emulation, emulator, games. - [joyce](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/joyce/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emulation, emulator, games. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dosbox-x.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dosbox-x.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph