pcjs

The people behind pcjs

What pcjs supports

• IBM PC (pcx86) family: IBM 5150 (PC), PC XT, PC AT and many PC-compatible variants (x86)
• MS-DOS and other period PC operating systems and software (via disk images)
• Browser (web) runtime and Node.js execution
• Machine definition files (JSON) and a large archive of disk images and documentation

Download and availability

pcjs setup guide

1. A — Run a machine instantly in your browser (no install): 1) Open the PCjs Machines page on pcjs.org. 2) Browse the Machines or Software collections and pick a machine (for example the IBM 5150 CGA/PC). 3) Click the machine link to load its machine page; the emulator will run the configured machine in your browser and provide controls for inserting disk images, pausing, resetting, and interacting with the emulated keyboard and display. 4) Use the on-site disk/image library to select a DOS floppy or hard-disk image to boot MS‑DOS or other software. Note: pcjs.org hosts many ready-made machine JSON files and disk images so you can try systems immediately without downloading anything.
2. B — Download and run PCjs locally (web server): 1) Get the source or release archive from the project's GitHub repository/releases (jeffpar/pcjs). 2) Unpack the release into a folder served by a static web server (PCjs runs in the browser and files must be served over HTTP/HTTPS, not file:// for full functionality). 3) Open the local site (for example http://localhost:8000/) and use the Machines interface or point the machine URL to one of the supplied JSON machine definitions (e.g., machines/pcx86/ibm/5150.json). 4) Place or reference disk images in the appropriate folder and update the machine JSON or UI controls to load them. 5) Use the provided documentation (docs and examples in the repo) to customize machine parameters like CPU model, memory size, video adapter, and peripherals.
3. C — Run PCjs under Node.js (headless or for development): 1) Clone the repository and install Node.js if you plan to run server-side tooling or Node-based builds. 2) Follow the repository README and documentation for Node usage; PCjs includes components that can run under Node.js for automated or headless usage. 3) Use the machine JSON files and disk images from the repo or pcjs.org as input. 4) Consult the PCjs documentation for available Node commands, build steps, and examples.
4. Practical tips and configuration details: • Machine definitions are JSON files that describe CPU, devices, ROMs and boot devices; use existing definitions as templates. • PCjs expects ROM images and disk images (floppy/hard) to be provided separately — the emulator does not bundle commercial OSes or BIOS files. • When running locally, serve files over HTTP (python -m http.server, Node serve, etc.). • For compatibility testing, choose the machine profile closest to the original hardware (5150/XT/AT) and then attach DOS images (MS‑DOS or PC‑DOS) or application disks. • Check the repo and pcjs.org documentation for command-line options, build notes, and examples.
5. Common pitfalls: • Do not expect commercial BIOS/OS files to be included — supply legally owned ROMs/OS images if required. • Some complex peripherals or copy-protected titles may not work perfectly in a high-level JS simulation compared with native emulators; test with known-good images. • Browser security policies may block local file access; use a local HTTP server.
6. Where to get help and documentation: Use the project README, the PCjs website documentation and the machine pages on pcjs.org. The GitHub repository issues page is the place to report bugs or ask development questions.

Sources and further reading

• PCjs (official site) — Machines, documentation and disk images
• GitHub — jeffpar/pcjs (project repository and releases)
• GitHub — jeffpar/pcjs.v1 (releases / tags referenced)
• PCjs docs archive (documentation and manuals)
• Featured-image source and credit