No sound with Populous

Support
1

I’ve installed two DOS games from my GOG account, and while one of the games has sound working correctly (Magic Carpet Plus), the other one (Populous) appears to have no sound, despite having activated the “FX” and “music” icons in the game UI. I suspect something is not correctly set up with the way DOSBox emulates the sound card.

I’m using the Flathub stable version of Lutris on Fedora Silverblue 37. Here are the logs:

Started initial process 223 from gamemoderun /var/home/hellpe/.var/app/net.lutris.Lutris/data/lutris/runners/dosbox/bin/dosbox -conf /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/dosboxPOPULOUS_single.conf -conf /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/dosboxPOPULOUS.conf -scaler normal3x -exit
Start monitoring process.
date       time         | 
2022-12-28 17:02:50.186 | arguments: /var/home/hellpe/.var/app/net.lutris.Lutris/data/lutris/runners/dosbox/bin/dosbox -conf /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/dosboxPOPULOUS_single.conf -conf /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/dosboxPOPULOUS.conf -scaler normal3x -exit
2022-12-28 17:02:50.187 | Current dir: /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/DOSBOX
2022-12-28 17:02:50.187 | stderr verbosity: 0
2022-12-28 17:02:50.187 | -----------------------------------
2022-12-28 17:02:50.187 | dosbox-staging version v0.79.1
2022-12-28 17:02:50.187 | ---
2022-12-28 17:02:50.187 | LOG: Loguru version 2.1.0 initialized
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | SDL: version 2.0.8 initialized (x11 video and pulseaudio audio)
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Loaded custom conf file /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/dosboxPOPULOUS_single.conf
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Unknown option fulldouble
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: "overlay" is an invalid value for: output. Using the default: opengl
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Unknown option autolock
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: "higher,normal" is an invalid value for: active. Using the default: auto
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Unknown option usescancodes
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: "default" is an invalid value for: mididevice. Using the default: auto
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Deprecated option 'oplemu'
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Only 'nuked' OPL emulation is supported now.
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Deprecated option 'oplrate'
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: The OPL waveform is now sampled at the mixer's playback rate to avoid resampling.
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Unknown option gusrate
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: "true" is an invalid value for: pcspeaker. Using the default: discrete
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Unknown option pcrate
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Unknown option tandyrate
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Deprecated option 'disney'
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Use 'lpt_dac=disney' to enable the Disney Sound Source.
2022-12-28 17:02:50.207 | CONFIG: Loaded custom conf file /var/home/hellpe/Jeux/gog/populous/dosboxPOPULOUS.conf
2022-12-28 17:02:50.208 | RENDER: Using GLSL shader 'sharp'
2022-12-28 17:02:50.208 | DISPLAY: Requested windowresolution 'original' is invalid, using 'default' instead
2022-12-28 17:02:50.208 | DISPLAY: Initialized 1280x800 window-mode using Bilinear scaling on 1080p display-0
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | OPENGL: Vendor: AMD
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | OPENGL: Version: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 22.2.4 (git-80df10f902)
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | OPENGL: GLSL version: 4.60
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | OPENGL: Pixel buffer object: available
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | OPENGL: NPOT textures: supported
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | SDL: Mouse will move seamlessly: left and right button clicks won't capture the mouse
2022-12-28 17:02:50.371 | SDL: Middle mouse button will capture/release the mouse (clicks not sent to the game/program)
2022-12-28 17:02:50.372 | LANG: Loaded language file: /var/home/hellpe/.var/app/net.lutris.Lutris/data/lutris/runners/dosbox/bin/../resources/translations/fr.lng
2022-12-28 17:02:50.372 | VIDEO: Using the DOS video mode's frame rate
2022-12-28 17:02:50.388 | MEMORY: Base address: 0x4db6000
2022-12-28 17:02:50.388 | MEMORY: Using 4096 DOS memory pages (16 MiB)
2022-12-28 17:02:50.392 | VIDEO: Initialized S3 Trio64 VESA 2.0 compatible with 4-MiB of FP DRAM supporting 86 modes
2022-12-28 17:02:50.403 | MIXER: Negotiated 2-channel 44100-Hz audio in 1024-frame blocks
2022-12-28 17:02:50.403 | MIXER: Reverb disabled
2022-12-28 17:02:50.403 | MIXER: Chorus disabled
2022-12-28 17:02:50.403 | MIXER: Master compressor enabled
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | ALSA: No available MIDI devices found
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | MIDI: No working MIDI device found/selected.
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | MIDI: Opened device: none
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | OPL: Operating at 44100 Hz without resampling
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | OPL: Using OPL mode OPL3
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | SB16: Sound Blaster 16 OPL output filter enabled
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | SB: Operating at 22050 Hz and upsampling to the output rate
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | SB16: Modern DAC output filter enabled
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | SB16: Running on port 220h, irq=5, dma8=1, dma16=5
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | SB16: @SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 T6
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | PCSPEAKER: Operating at 44100 Hz without resampling
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | PCSPEAKER: Initialized discrete model
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | PCSPEAKER: Highpass filter enabled (18 dB/oct at 120 Hz)
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | PCSPEAKER: Lowpass filter enabled (12 dB/oct at 4800 Hz)
2022-12-28 17:02:50.405 | MOUSE (PS/2): Standard, 3 buttons
2022-12-28 17:02:50.408 | SDL: captured the mouse
2022-12-28 17:02:50.408 | SDL: Using standard SDI (auto) display refresh rate of 60 Hz
2022-12-28 17:02:50.408 | DISPLAY: Text 640x400 (3h) at 70.087 Hz VFR, scaled by 2.7x2.7 to 1728x1080 with 1.0 pixel-aspect
2022-12-28 17:02:50.437 | LAYOUT: Loaded codepage 850 for detected language fr
2022-12-28 17:02:50.437 | SLIRP: Slirp version: 4.7.0
2022-12-28 17:02:50.437 | SLIRP: Successfully initialized
2022-12-28 17:02:50.437 | NE2000: Base=0x300 irq=3
2022-12-28 17:02:50.438 | CONFIG: Loaded drive conf file /var/home/hellpe/.var/app/net.lutris.Lutris/data/lutris/runners/dosbox/bin/../resources/drives/y.conf
2022-12-28 17:02:50.438 | AUTOEXEC: Using autoexec from one or more joined sections
2022-12-28 17:02:50.452 | MAPPER: no joysticks found
2022-12-28 17:02:50.452 | MAPPER: Failed loading mapperfile 'mapper-0.74-2.map' directly and from resources
2022-12-28 17:02:50.453 | MAPPER: Loaded default key bindings
2022-12-28 17:02:50.453 | SHELL: Redirect output to NUL
2022-12-28 17:02:50.453 | MOUNT: Path '../../../../.var/app/net.lutris.Lutris/data/lutris/runners/dosbox/resources/drives/y' found
2022-12-28 17:02:50.454 | MOUNT: Path '..' found
2022-12-28 17:02:50.454 | MOUNT: Path '..\cloud_saves' not found
2022-12-28 17:02:52.226 | DISPLAY: EGA 960x600 16 color (Dh) at 70.086 Hz VFR, scaled by 1.8x1.8 to 1728x1080 with 1.0 pixel-aspect
2022-12-28 17:03:35.258 | PCSPEAKER: Shutting down discrete model
2022-12-28 17:03:35.283 | DISPLAY: EGA 960x600 16 color (Dh) at 70.086 Hz VFR, scaled by 1.8x1.8 to 1728x1080 with 1.0 pixel-aspect
2022-12-28 17:03:35.284 | SDL: released the mouse
2022-12-28 17:03:35.341 | atexit
Monitored process exited.
Initial process has exited (return code: 0)
All processes have quit
Exit with return code 0
2

I have found that gog dosbox is different to Lutris dosbox (should be dosbox-staging, try it with just launching dosbox alone) and some configurations do not translate well.

These are your options, report back which one worked. 1 is the simplest, 2 is the ‘better’ sound, though not for this game, 3 is the better sounding of all but more complex to set up. Note that the PC version has very few sounds (like some earthquakes and stuff) and the music is a bit tiring after a while (for me it was 5 seconds). So the DOS game is silent for all practical purposes.

  1. set Lutris to run POPVGA3.BAT and ensure the config file has adlib or soundblaster set up

  2. set Lutris to run POPVGA4.BAT and ensure the config file has MT-32 set up and you have the MT32 roms downloaded (find them regardless as some games sound awesome with these):
    [midi]
    mididevice = mt32
    [mt32]
    model = auto
    romdir = [put the directory of the roms, eg /home/[user]/MT-32 Roms/

  3. Find the amiga version and run via the FS-UAE runner. You will need the kickstart roms and set lutris appropriately.

Good luck!

3

I cannot find POPVGA3.BAT or POPVGA4.BAT in my Populous installation folder. It seems to me that the conf files point out to POPULOUS.EXE rather than any BAT file. Here are the contents of dosboxPOPULOUS_single.conf for reference:

[ipx]
ipx=false

[autoexec]
@echo off
mount C ".."
mount C "..\cloud_saves" -t overlay
c:
cls
populous Vga Roland MT-32
exit

The Amiga version does not appear to have any sound issues.

4

Ah ok, great. You have 2 options now.

  1. Crappy sound:
    a. in the dosboxPOPULOUS_single.conf file, change “populous Vga Roland MT-32” to “populous Vga Adlib” and you are set. Works but it is using a windows dosbox via wine, so it is a bit weird and you cannot use the MT-32 sound.

  2. Better sound:
    a. Find the MT-32 roms (MT32_CONTROL.ROM and MT32_PCM.ROM) and save them to a specific folder to reuse.
    b. Copy the Populous directory from the gog installation to a new place where you have your games.
    c. Create a pop.bat file that has these lines in
    populous Vga Roland MT-32
    d. Via Lutris, add a new game (big plus icon top left), name it Populous MT-32 or something, set the runner to be dosbox (provided by lutris), choose the POP.BAT as the executable, and the dosboxPOPULOUS.conf as the configuration file.
    e. edit the dosboxPOPULOUS.conf to add the MT32 stuff I wrote above
    [midi]
    mididevice = mt32
    [mt32]
    model = auto
    romdir = [put the directory of the roms, eg /home/[user]/MT-32 Roms/

Hope that helps!

You can test the FX by placing the cross or by causing an earthquake. The sounds are very few in this game.

ps: I had a mouse issue with the dosbox by lutris, it is solved by replacing it with the newer 0.80 version.