Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2024 February 5
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February 5
[edit]Quite a few years ago I used UBASIC some. In UBASIC, you could save the program file in a compressed format (.ub extension) or in a text format. I have an old program in the .ub format, which I need to use, but I can't get it back to text. If I could run UBASIC, I could read the file in and save it as text, but I can't run UBASIC. (Version 8.8F was the last version.)
Is there a way to convert this file to text? Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 05:50, 5 February 2024 (UTC)
- I found a 32-bit version, but it won't run on my Windows 11 computer, even after I told Windows to do it. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 06:04, 5 February 2024 (UTC)
- Have you tried running it in DosBox? 75.136.148.8 (talk) 14:39, 5 February 2024 (UTC)
- Is it a binary file? Do you see something recognizable using a plain text editor such as emacs? --Lambiam 15:34, 5 February 2024 (UTC)
- (1) I have not tried a DoxBox - I don't really know about that. (2) If I look at it with a text editor, literal strings in the program are apparant, but the rest seems to be made up of ASCII characters. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 00:19, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- I now have DosBox installed. I need to read its documentation. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 00:34, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- Well, I think I followed the DOSBox instructions. I mounted the drive/folder with the program in it. I changed to the C drive. When I tried to change to that folder it says "Uanable to change to: foldername", even though it did mount that folder. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 03:43, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- Remember that DOSBox is like classic DOS so lacks long file name support. So if the directory is not 8.3 you'd need to use the 8.3 variant. Try dir from the root of C and see what's in it. Nil Einne (talk) 10:00, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- I can run UBASIC 8.74 on DOSBox 0.74-3 on Windows 7 SP1 Pro 64-bit (in VirtualBox VM on Win7 host), thus (once DOSBox is running):
- mount u c:\users\mitch\desktop\ub874
- u:
- ubibm
- load "8queen"
- list
- run
- Mitch Ames (talk) 03:58, 19 February 2024 (UTC)
- Well, I think I followed the DOSBox instructions. I mounted the drive/folder with the program in it. I changed to the C drive. When I tried to change to that folder it says "Uanable to change to: foldername", even though it did mount that folder. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 03:43, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- I found an old computer upstairs that has an Athlon 4400 (2005). It probably has Windows XP and may be able to run the program. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 05:21, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- Excellent solution – just don't connect it to the internet in any way. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 10:36, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
- XP (32-bit) does indeed run UBASIC (8.74) - I just tested in VirtualBox. I haven't tried it, but expect that it would also work in XP Mode (which is 32-bit) on Windows 7 Pro, Enterprise or Ultimate (64-bit). Mitch Ames (talk) 03:30, 19 February 2024 (UTC)
- I found an old computer upstairs that has an Athlon 4400 (2005). It probably has Windows XP and may be able to run the program. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 05:21, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
I got that computer out, and found a VGA cable (the only video interface it has). I plugged it in and it booted. I hooked up a PS/2 mouse and a PS/2 keyboard, and they work. It has Windows 7 home premium. I got to the DOS command-line interface. But, to my surprise, it is the 64-bit version, and it won't run the 32-bit EXE.
There is a local store that does some of my computer repairs. Maybe I will ask them if they have something that will run 32-bit DOS programs. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:02, 9 February 2024 (UTC)