Editing DOSBox (section)

{{Short description|Free MS-DOS emulator}}
{{Redirect|DOS box|the general concept|Virtual DOS machine|the DOS prompt in Windows|Command Prompt}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = DOSBox
| logo                   = DOSBox icon.png
| logo alt               = The icon is a tan square crate with a medium brown framework containing five yellow letters perpendicularly arranged to form two words: ''DOS'' horizontally and ''BOX'' vertically. Passing behind the 'O' are two darker tan struts diagonally placed in the framework.
| logo caption           = DOSBox icon
| screenshot             = DOSBox v0.74-3 ENG 20210129 15 02 07.png
| screenshot alt         = A command-line interface with a blue text box, followed by a command line. The text box contains text welcoming the user, providing DOSBox instructions, and linking the URL to the official website.
| caption                = DOSBox 0.74-3 opening screen
| author                 = Peter "Qbix" Veenstra, Sjoerd "Harekiet" van der Berg
| developer              = The DOSBox Team
| repo                   = <!-- Automatically filled -->
| programming language   = [[C++]]
| released               = {{start date and age|2002|01|31}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dosbox.zophar.net/|title=DOSBox (old homepage)|access-date=2021-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020324184534/https://dosbox.zophar.net/|archive-date=2002-03-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q479783|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date    = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q479783|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q479783|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date    = 
| operating system       = [[BeOS]], [[FreeBSD]], [[Linux]] ([[Debian]], [[Fedora (operating system)|Fedora]], [[Gentoo Linux|Gentoo]]), [[macOS]], [[RISC OS]], [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], [[Windows]]  <!--- Do not add any operating systems not listed at https://www.dosbox.com/download.php -->
| language               = English (but allows for alternative keyboard layouts){{Sfn|Manual|2019|loc=8. Keyboard Layout}}
| genre                  = [[Virtual machine]], [[emulator]]
| license                = [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]<ref name=Kajaani/>
| website                = {{official URL}}
}}

'''DOSBox''' is a [[Free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[MS-DOS]] [[emulator]]. It supports running [[computer program|programs]] {{endash}} primarily [[video game]]s {{endash}} that are otherwise inaccessible since [[computer hardware|hardware]] for running a compatible [[disk operating system]] (DOS) is obsolete and generally unavailable today.<ref>{{cite web |title=DOSBox, an x86 emulator with DOS |url=https://www.dosbox.com/comp_list.php?letter=a |website=www.dosbox.com}}</ref> It was first released in 2002, when DOS technology was becoming obsolete. Its adoption for running DOS games is relatively widespread; partially driven by its use in commercial re-releases of games.