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Title: GOG games on real hardware?
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slaapliedje 20 Jun 2022
So I managed to copy some GOG games over to my little Pentium 3 600 Mhz Windows98 system last night. Ran Dungeon Keeper Gold... only to be stopped by a CD request! Thought all the DRM was ripped out, talk about rude!
GustyGhost 20 Jun 2022
GOG do not list Linux support on their store page. Are you running it through some external version of DOSbox?
slaapliedje 20 Jun 2022
Quoting: GustyGhostGOG do not list Linux support on their store page. Are you running it through some external version of DOSbox?
I actually downloaded it on my Mac via GOG Galaxy, yoinked the directory out of the .app bundle file and copied it to the Compact Flash card that is my hard drive for my Win98 computer.

I can certainly try it via Dosbox. (I still don't understand why any game that is DOSBox isn't just automatically given a Linux version)

But this was with Windows 98's internal DOS.
Hamish 20 Jun 2022
I am still annoyed that the GOG.com installers themselves no longer work on Windows 98.

Still, going back to the original discs is definitely more authentic. :whistle:
slaapliedje 20 Jun 2022
Quoting: HamishI am still annoyed that the GOG.com installers themselves no longer work on Windows 98.

Still, going back to the original discs is definitely more authentic. :whistle:
Ha, I mean almost all of this stuff is on the internet archive at this point. But one would think that it should be possible to run Good Old Games on Good Old Operating System Environments... (GOOSE!)

I actually did buy Civilization II and Test of Time, as they will run in Windows 3.1... the Chronicles of Civilization box set that I bought requires Windows 2000 at least, because of the installer...
whizse 20 Jun 2022
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Quoting: slaapliedjeSo I managed to copy some GOG games over to my little Pentium 3 600 Mhz Windows98 system last night. Ran Dungeon Keeper Gold... only to be stopped by a CD request! Thought all the DRM was ripped out, talk about rude!
Is your system CD-ROM equipped?

Not sure if it's the same issue, but at least one GOG game, Kings Quest 8, have problems with whatever no-cd/crack/workaround was used:

If the system does not have a CD the crack isn't activated and it keeps asking for the disc. The workaround (in Wine) was to add a virtual D: CD drive...
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: whizse
Quoting: slaapliedjeSo I managed to copy some GOG games over to my little Pentium 3 600 Mhz Windows98 system last night. Ran Dungeon Keeper Gold... only to be stopped by a CD request! Thought all the DRM was ripped out, talk about rude!
Is your system CD-ROM equipped?

Not sure if it's the same issue, but at least one GOG game, Kings Quest 8, have problems with whatever no-cd/crack/workaround was used:

If the system does not have a CD the crack isn't activated and it keeps asking for the disc. The workaround (in Wine) was to add a virtual D: CD drive...
Yeah, it has a DVD / CDRW in it.

I always wondered if they used the old NoCD cracks, or how they managed to remove the DRM... kind of looks like they don't, or not entirely.
Shmerl 21 Jun 2022
Supporting ancient systems is not free. I don't see why would GOG need to bother with that, if they can't even back modern Linux support with full resources.

It's possible their hacks for removing CD requests have some OS specific paths that aren't working on Windows 98 :)

Last edited by Shmerl on 21 Jun 2022 at 2:48 am UTC
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: ShmerlSupporting ancient systems is not free. I don't see why would GOG need to bother with that, if they can't even back modern Linux support with full resources.

It's possible their hacks for removing CD requests have some OS specific paths that aren't working on Windows 98 :)
I am not even asking for support, just found it odd. I think it would be interesting/ cool to get a downloader working for DOS to work with GOG games, but it looks like it would have to be tweaked on a game by game basis.
Hamish 21 Jun 2022
Out of curiosity, what are the full specs of your Windows 98 system slaapliedje?
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: HamishOut of curiosity, what are the full specs of your Windows 98 system slaapliedje?
I currently have two machines now.

1) Asus p2b-n, 512mb of RAM, Radeon 9250, ess solo-1 pentium 3 @ 600 mhz.
2) ASUS P2b, 768mb, Matrox Marvel g400 w/ voodoo1, Forget the sound card, but supports SBLlink, pentium 3 @ 1ghz
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
The first build makes me absolutely hate all other computers. It is so clean inside and small! NLX should be modernised...
denyasis 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: ShmerlIt's possible their hacks for removing CD requests have some OS specific paths that aren't working on Windows 98 :)
My guess, including the CD as some sort of virtual drive as part of the install works fine in a modern OS, but is detectable by the DRM in the old OS.

I had the same thing when I first switched to Linux and tried to play Morrowind. Copying the CD to a directory and calling it the CD drive in Wine; worked fine. Trying that in 98 or XP; no go.

I had to do it that way b/c I didn't know how to get wine to use my real CD drive with the disk in it! Lol. Still have my Morrowind disks (all 5) packed away some where.
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: denyasis
Quoting: ShmerlIt's possible their hacks for removing CD requests have some OS specific paths that aren't working on Windows 98 :)
My guess, including the CD as some sort of virtual drive as part of the install works fine in a modern OS, but is detectable by the DRM in the old OS.

I had the same thing when I first switched to Linux and tried to play Morrowind. Copying the CD to a directory and calling it the CD drive in Wine; worked fine. Trying that in 98 or XP; no go.

I had to do it that way b/c I didn't know how to get wine to use my real CD drive with the disk in it! Lol. Still have my Morrowind disks (all 5) packed away some where.
Can't say back then, but these days wine properly supports CD Checks, my original copy of Pools of Radiance: Ruins of Mythdrannor just needs to be mounted with Nautilus/Dolphin then the game will launch.
Shmerl 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: denyasisMy guess, including the CD as some sort of virtual drive as part of the install works fine in a modern OS, but is detectable by the DRM in the old OS.
Yep, that's exactly what I meant above. The workaround just doesn't work on Windows 98 since it was never meant for it and there are differences with modern Windows obviously :)

Last edited by Shmerl on 21 Jun 2022 at 10:00 pm UTC
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: Shmerl
Quoting: denyasisMy guess, including the CD as some sort of virtual drive as part of the install works fine in a modern OS, but is detectable by the DRM in the old OS.
Yep, that's exactly what I meant above. The workaround just doesn't work on Windows 98 since it was never meant for it and there are differences with modern Windows obviously :)
There certainly are some games they sell where they use a 'crack'. Like the manual look up ones, usually.

On that note, I kind of miss code wheels, they were rather fun! I think I still have mine from the Atari ST's version of Another World... I know I got the code wheel with my Bard's Tale IV copy... I should get around to playing through those...
Shmerl 21 Jun 2022
I think even Dune 2 game has some manual focused questions like that.
denyasis 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: Shmerl
Quoting: denyasisMy guess, including the CD as some sort of virtual drive as part of the install works fine in a modern OS, but is detectable by the DRM in the old OS.
Yep, that's exactly what I meant above. The workaround just doesn't work on Windows 98 since it was never meant for it and there are differences with modern Windows obviously :)
You're right. I think I over thought or misunderstood. For some reason my brain went straight to hardlinking or unusual system calls that didn't exist back then lol. Sorry bout that.
Hamish 21 Jun 2022
When using WINE I typically just mount the ripped backup disc image I make for most of my games with CDEmu and it works like a treat.
slaapliedje 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: ShmerlI think even Dune 2 game has some manual focused questions like that.
My favorite was Leisure Suit Larry (3 I know for sure, can't recall on the others) would just ask you 'adult' questions. I was a smart kid, so could guess the answers most of the time. Too bad I grew into a dumb adult. 😜
Shmerl 21 Jun 2022
Quoting: HamishWhen using WINE I typically just mount the ripped backup disc image I make for most of my games with CDEmu and it works like a treat.
I think there is some issue with hybrid disks that have audio (those aren't normal disks). There is no good way to handle them? If it's just data, you don't even need any ISOs/mounting, just designate some location as a "drive" in winecfg, set its type to CD-ROM there and it would work nicely.

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Last edited by Shmerl on 21 Jun 2022 at 11:36 pm UTC
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