Abhishek Daga wrote:

Office 1: Small office using FoxPro based accounting package with upto 5/6 users at a time. Simple people need simple apps and it's a mystery why FoxPro is not the sher khan in this app world. Simplicity also calls for leaving Wine aside for a while and going one level "below" to DosEMU which as the name suggests is a DOS Emulator. (yes, figured it all by myself!)

Platform: FC3 Default install DOSEMU: 1.2.2.1 (www.dosemu.org) latest stable version. RPM had dependencies. So installed pretty much all the developer tools. Got it working. %% It asked me for CD 2/3/1/2/3/1/2/3 %%

You could have just downloaded the sources and compiled it. It does not require any odd libraries to compile, just the basic installation on any distro with development tools should work.

BTW, I am happy that at least somebody understands what small businesses *actually* use. Let me put it straight, 90% of all small to medium businesses use custom made or ready made software developed on FOXPRO for DOS. Believe me there is nothing more easy, faster and simple then using apps developed on FOXPRO for DOS. Some buisnesses do use apps developed on either Visual FOXPRO or Visual Basic + any sql server. But that number is highly limited, especially in the markets that I know of. I am running a small office with business in Poultry and Veterinary medicines. My Office is at Kalbadevi, and this area is house to number of different markets. For example, in and around 2 kms circle of Kalbadevi we have the Electric Market (Lohar Chawl), the Medicine Market (Princess Street), the Jewellery Market (Zaveri Bazar), the biggest of all Cloth/Textile Market (Kalbadevi), the Spectacles & Frames market (Kalbadevi), Paper & Stationery Market (Abdul Rehman Street), the Ball Bearing Market, etc. I could count even a few more, but then that is not the point here. The point is that I have seen certain facts first hand.

I have been using GNU/Linux for more then 6 years, and it is very disappointing to know that there is no application available on GNU/Linux which is like FOXPRO. I wanted to convert many of my associates, friends, etc. to GNU/Linux, but would always fall short when they demand to know the alternatives to their current apps developed on FOXPRO.

Even I have developed small apps for invoicing and inventory in FOXPRO and I wanted to Migrate them to GNU/Linux but to my disappointment I couldn't find any RDBMS like FOXPRO. Let me clarify, I didn't want that apps on GNU/Linux should look/feel the same way as on FOXPRO. I just want the same *functionality*. And that is what even my associates want. Currently I am using FOXPRO with Dosemu, and it works more better then with pure Dos. I am *not exaggerating*, it *does* work better withe Dosemu, and the reason is the way Dosemu allows Cpu and memory usage for Dosapps. One hint for users of Dosemu, (especially if you are using FOXPRO). You should use dosemu set to nice level of 19 (least priority), becaue otherwise FOXPRO under dosemu with have cpu usage 99%. Secondly, use dosemu under Console (no vesa fb), not in X terminal. If using X terminal set screen to 80x25. But still console is better. :-)

Advantages of FOXPRO ->

1. Has ready relational database system *with* inbuilt tools for developing front ends to the database. For example, it has tools to generate custom data entry screens, menus, buttons, etc. Also has tools to customise report generating.

2. Runs on DOS. Please try to understand, when we are talking of people using computer at office, specially small traders/distributors/dealers/agents, etc. they are least interested in hi-fi graphics. I'll tell you one interesting thing. None of the small businesses are letting assemblers install WinXP on new systems. Reason ? No DOS. Of course, there is a DOS prompt/ Command prompt in Win XP, but it is does not work the way good old DOS works. So, almost all the systems which run FOXPRO apps still run either Win 95 or Win 98. You can get this verified from your local computer assembler.

3. Quick Dot-Matrix printing with drivers for most of the Dot Matrix Printers. But of course, this can be achieved in GNU/Linux too with LPRng. So, not really a missing point in GNU/Linux.

I tried my hand at Mysql, Postgresql, etc., but these softwares don't have any tools to built front ends for data entry. There are seperate apps/tools available to *administer* the sql servers, but no tools to built clients. I don't say that things should be exactly like FOXPRO. But frankly, there are no support tools available to develop CUI, GUI for sql servers. I was suggested to use ncurses, qt, gtk, etc. for developing the front ends, but I guess that would need a different learning curve, then the basic needed with FOXPRO.

I understand that in the Unix world each software/program normally does one thing, and it does it best. Maybe that is the reason that Sql servers do what they are supposed to and not get into front ends. But then the disadvantage is what I have jotted above. I would like if some developers can come out with good suggestions to fill this gap.

Got dosEMU running by typing xdosemu which starts DOS in its own window. (I daresay the Good Ol RHL FC Bible was far more useful than the ubiquitous google)

The c: which you will see is actually existing in /$HOME/dosemu/freedos Now you know your mapping point.

Fire the program and it comes up. Yeah.. just like that. DosBOX also works fine, However, The Screen cannot be Maximised. With DosEMU the screen can be maximized.

Instead the best way to run Dosemu, is from the Console. Without the Frame buffer device. Simple standard Console.

Remaining Steps: ** Making sure that the printing works! Else the whole exercise would be a no go.

Printing definately works. As I said, I use Dosemu+FOXPRO for invoicing and inventory management. Printing works just fine. No Problems. Just set up LRPng and you are up and going. I use Epson LX-300 and works like charm. I even set up printer filter tools (like aps filter program) and I can print spreadsheets, word documents from OpenOffice just like one does in Windows.

HTH, Regards, Rajen.