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Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: _posts/2021-12-23-86box-v3-1.md
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Happy holidays. We hope you're enjoying the season. As a gift, we're releasing [**86Box v3.1**](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.1), a bugfix update fixing many of the issues reported after the release of v3.0 earlier this month.
PCem users sometimes ask us about migrating their emulated setups to 86Box. While it is true that 86Box started out as a fork of PCem, we have since rewritten many components and made many additions, outgrowing our "fork" status. This post details all the differences between the two emulators that you have to keep in mind when migrating your setups to 86Box.
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## <aname="performance" />Performance will be different
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<aname="cache" />In addition to taking fewer shortcuts, 86Box also tries to follow the specifications of these components, rather than implement the minimum viable feature set, which is - once again - good enough for games, but not good enough for some other applications. Generally speaking, the more accurate a component's emulation is made, the more host CPU horsepower it will require. There are certain limits to what's attainable to emulate (as an example, we don't do CPU caches, as that is too complex [even for other non-PC emulators](https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2017/02/01/dolphin-progress-report-january-2017/#50-2204-hack-to-protect-lower-mem1-from-malicious-game-code-by-booto"Our issues involved cache test errors on some BIOSes")\), but we try to follow what's possible.
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## Bring your own manager
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PCem has a built-in manager, which allows you to keep and run multiple emulated machine configurations from one place. 86Box does not have such a manager, though one is planned for the future. For now, you can use our [**86Box Manager**](https://github.com/86Box/86BoxManager) application, which provides basic configuration management; or, even better, use the community-developed [**WinBox for 86Box**](https://github.com/86Box/WinBox-for-86Box), which has an user-friendly interface resembling PC virtualizers, as well as presets, screenshot and printed document management, and other cool features.
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There is **no migration path** for configuration files, as the format is too different. You will have to reconfigure your emulated machine on 86Box, but that's a nice opportunity to double-check your configuration while also checking out our features. More on the differences between PCem and 86Box in the configuration department later.
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## <aname="machines" />Machine list
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If you run into this issue, one option is to reinstall the operating system. Another option is to boot the operating system on PCem, uninstall the PIIX IDE driver (on Windows 2000/XP, use **Device Manager** to replace the 82371FB IDE controller driver with the Standard Dual Channel one), then switch to 86Box.
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## Settings differences
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* 86Box supports two networking modes: **PCap** allows for a bridged connection to a wired Ethernet adapter on the host through `pcap` libraries (such as [Npcap](https://nmap.org/npcap/) on Windows), while **SLiRP** behaves just like PCem's private network, with **port forwarding** available as an added advanced feature. See [our documentation](https://86box.readthedocs.io/en/v3.0/hardware/network.html) for more information.
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## User interface
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Note that the key combination to release mouse capture on 86Box is **F8+F12**, as we've found PCem's Ctrl+End to conflict with some applications. You can also use the middle mouse button to release capture, unless a [three-button or wheel mouse](#mousebtns) is configured.
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## Media
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PCem's IBM cassette emulation uses the `.pzx` format, originally designed for ZX Spectrum tapes. 86Box supports the `.cas` format developed as part of [PCE/ibmpc](http://www.hampa.ch/pce/), as well as audio recordings in `.wav` or `.pcm` format. The `pzx2wav` tool in [PZX tools](http://zxds.raxoft.cz/pzx.html) can potentially convert `.pzx` tapes to `.wav` for 86Box, though we haven't tested that.
This is the February 2022 update to 86Box, and it's one we know many of you have been looking forward to, as it finally brings in **Linux support**, after many requests over the course of many years. As always, you can [download 86Box v3.2 from GitHub](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.2.1).
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## Now with Linux
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The **Windows version** will remain on the existing Win32 user interface for now, as [**jriwanek**](https://github.com/jriwanek) has stepped up to maintain it, at least while we work on some Windows-specific odds and ends of the Qt interface. All UI points in the changelog below apply to both interfaces.
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## Changelog for v3.2
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* Fixed **ISA memory expansion** detection on the IBM PC, XT and clones
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* Fixed **ISA RTC cards** crashing on machines with integrated RTC
Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: _posts/2022-03-18-86box-v3-3.md
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This release also brings a **major change to the Windows version**: it now uses the same Qt user interface as the Linux and (future - don't worry, we're still working on it) macOS versions. As previously stated in the [v3.2 post]({% post_url 2022-02-16-86box-v3-2 %}#now-with-linux), this new interface should look and feel just like the old Windows one, though there are some minor changes.
Word is out there that an individual is trying to develop **Pentium III** emulation as part of a fork of 86Box, regardless of how slow it is, in the name of "hardware preservation". But why didn't **we** do it in the first place? Why did we, developers of a PC emulator clearly aimed at the preservation of hardware and software, limit ourselves to the Pentium II and an underperforming competitor (the VIA Cyrix III), and why did we do these two knowing they're already pretty slow to emulate? It's story time.
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## Backstory: Orphans of Virtual PC
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This Pentium II emulation was eventually shelved as generational improvements to single-thread performance stagnated (and even regressed with Ryzen at first), and also due to a very mysterious bug triggered by Windows XP's use of the Pentium II's `SYSENTER`/`SYSEXIT` feature; as AMD delivered a return to significant generational improvements in x86 and (ironically) PCem's author found a fix to the aforementioned bug while independently developing their own Pentium II emulation, we took our version off the shelf in 2020 as part of **86Box v2.10**, which would later become **v3.0** released in late 2021.
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## Drawing the line
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While we have fixed emulation bugs explicitly related to newer Windows versions (`STI` interrupt blocking during `SYSENTER`/`SYSEXIT`, incrementing of `RDTSC` in dynamic recompiler mode, etc.), it was all done on **principle**: there might be another older operating system or application out there which runs into the same bug. Theoretically, you don't need to be running Windows XP to stumble upon incorrect `STI` behavior, or Windows 7 to hit a division by zero caused by `RDTSC` returning the same value twice.
This is the April 2022 update to 86Box, bringing **macOS support**, bugfixes and other behind-the-scenes work. As always, you can [download 86Box v3.4 from GitHub](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.4.1).
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## Now with macOS
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Apple hardware is expensive. While their chips provide good performance for the money, the machines are still costly upfront, and **we can't afford them**. Renting a Mac Mini from a hosting company also costs more than our entire hosting bill, and while there is one such company out there providing free M1 hardware to open source projects, their offering is **not available to us**. If you want native 86Box on Apple Silicon to become a reality, consider [making a donation](https://paypal.me/86Box) or [joining our Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/86box); contributing will help us get our hands on that hardware in one way or another.
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## Changelog for v3.4
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* The host mouse cursor may **escape the 86Box window** when using the aforementioned workaround
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* While mouse movement through **Remote Desktop** on Windows hosts was fixed, it still isn't perfect
This is the May 2022 update to 86Box, bringing bugfixes as well as the long-awaited **native Apple Silicon support** for macOS thanks to a very generous hardware contribution to our project. As always, you can [download 86Box v3.5 from GitHub](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.5).
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## Enter Apple Silicon
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* You probably want to keep copies of [**the 86Box app and the ROM set**](/assets/images/v3.4/roms.png) on different folders anyway, as a way of managing multiple emulated machines while there is no 86Box manager app for macOS.
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* Alternatively, you can copy just the 86Box app and use the **system-wide ROM set** feature introduced in v3.4, which is now [documented](https://86box.readthedocs.io/en/v3.5/usage/roms.html); the ROMs should be located on `~/Library/Application Support/net.86box.86Box/roms` in that case ([example](/assets/images/v3.5/appsupport.png)\).
This is the June 2022 update to 86Box, bringing bugfixes and some new features mostly in the IBM PS/2 department. As always, you can [download 86Box v3.6 from GitHub](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.6).
This is the July 2022 update to 86Box, bringing initial suport for dual monitors, performance improvements and bugfixes. As always, you can [download 86Box v3.7 from GitHub](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.7.1).
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## Dual monitors: color and monochrome
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As for newer emulated setups running operating systems such as Windows 98, we have plans to extend this feature to **PCI VGA cards** in the future, since many of those have hardware and software support for multi-monitor operation using multiple cards.
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## Improving performance by slowing hard disks (no, really)
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With the significant improvement to emulation performance consistency afforded by disk throttling, we've opted to set **[1997] 5400 RPM** as the default IDE and ESDI speed profiles when migrating an emulated machine from a previous version of 86Box to v3.7. As a result of this change, **you will see a difference** in your setup's operating system speed and responsiveness if it uses IDE or ESDI hard disks, especially if their images are stored in an SSD, but that's a worthy sacrifice in the name of consistent performance, especially while running games. **You can always restore the old behavior without downgrading 86Box** by switching all IDE/ESDI hard disks to the aforementioned **RAM Disk** speed profile.
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## Changelog for v3.7
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* Fixed emulator crash with a `Write_MULTIPLE` message when exiting DOS mode on Windows 3.1 with an IDE hard disk
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* Fixed emulator crash with a `Hard disk image` message when a host I/O error occurs on a **VHD image**
This is the November 2022 update to 86Box, bringing folder mounting through CD-ROMs, new hardware, bugfixes across the board, and big improvements to network emulation ~~truly making this the 86Box for Workgroups release~~. As always, you can [download 86Box v3.11 from GitHub](https://github.com/86Box/86Box/releases/tag/v3.11).
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## Folders as CDs
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While there are common methods to create freely-writable optical discs, such as [DVD-RAM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecH3OU0R4ls"Also check out his other videos on optical discs") and [Packet Writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_writing"Writing to optical media a block at a time, instead of a session or disc at a time") (the latter relates to the Windows "what do you want to do with this disc?" prompt that anyone old enough to have used recordable CDs or DVDs will remember), these methods run on top of two features we don't implement, but are in our ever so large "maybe do it one day" list: CD/DVD writing and the UDF filesystem. Even then, the aforementioned complexities in keeping track of a writable filesystem come into play, and they would only be avoidable by limiting ourselves to Packet Writing on a CD-R or DVD-R.
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