DOSBox-X Git Release (December 22, 2025)

DOSBox-X Git (2025/12/22) has been compiled, extending the DOSBox project, which emulates Intel x86 PCs to run old MS-DOS games on modern systems like Windows and Linux. Recent updates include fixes for build errors, improvements in SDL2_net integration, and enhancements to VGA rendering, addressing issues with video rendering and cursor behavior. Key changes involve optimizing rendering processes to prevent buffer overruns and ensuring proper display updates. These improvements aim to enhance compatibility and performance for users running vintage games through DOSBox-X, making it a valuable tool for nostalgia gamers.

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DOSBox-X Git (2025/12/22) has been successfully compiled. DOSBox-x is a variant of DOSBox. DOSBox emulates an Intel x86 PC, providing essential support for sound, graphics, mouse, joystick, modem, etc., enabling the execution of many classic MS-DOS games that are incompatible with modern PCs and operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, and FreeBSD.

DOSBox-X Changelog:
* Merged pull request #6009 from maron2000/fix_vsbuild
* Resolved build errors for unsupported platforms regarding xBRZ
* Merged pull request #6005 from maron2000/add_sdl2net
* Included libtool in the macOS CI build
* Load SDL2_net headers conditionally
* Improved detection for SDL2_net library
* macOS: utilized SDL2_net for SDL2 builds
* SDL2_net: Updated build scripts for static library compilation
* Added SDL2net 2.2.0 to the source code
* Merged pull request #6003 from maron2000/fix_label
* Corrected FIFA96 CD label detection
* Additional improvements
* Additional changes
* VGA SetupDrawing must call RENDER_EndUpdate() to avoid rendering bugs when the VGA draw line count is misaligned with the render outLine counter
* Display over-render
* Additional updates
* Removed render completion from the Panning Latch event. Updates for cursor size/position for Render on Demand should render directly rather than setting a render flag. Writes to CRTC start address will now trigger Render On Demand + Wait For Changes for the next VGA frame instead of the current one, addressing Wait for Changes issues with Xargon popup menus in-game.
* Additional updates
* CHANGELOG
* Addressed excessive random calls to RENDER_DrawLine causing buffer overruns. Replaced direct assignment of the scaler handler with a function that only invokes it if the line count is within expected limits. This should resolve random crashes with OpenGL output, as it prefers exact memory allocation for frames, making buffer overruns a risk.
* Oops. render.scale.inLine holds the first scanline where a change was detected; use outLine to confirm rendering. This fixes the absence of the video debug overlay for Render on Demand and Wait For Changes
* For Render on demand + Wait for changes: Fixed a bug causing failure to redraw if vsync interrupted the DOS game mid-redraw. This bug prevented screen updates to show completed drawing, resulting in a half-redrawn screen until changes occurred. This fix resolves redraw issues with rod+wfc and the DOS game “Eye of the Beholder.”
* Port 3DAh: On read, if rendering on demand, do not initiate rendering if VGA wait for changes mode is active
* In wait for changes mode: Ensure VGA display updates in text mode so that the cursor and text blink correctly
* The current code perpetually renders the frame and then compares lines to determine if it should display on screen, so save CPU cycles by skipping all VGA rendering unless a screen change occurs. Cleaned up how RENDER_EndUpdate is called by separating lines_done from lines_total.