How does one run OpenTTD in DOS?

[TheDOSManiac]

Hello fellow players (or so I assume) of the game OpenTTD.
I'm new around these parts, so this has probably been asked a billion and one times already, but how does one go about compiling OpenTTD for DOS?
And I mean actual DOS, not an emulator.
I am aware of https://wiki.openttd.org/OpenTTD_DOS and the link to the forum page, but the forum page leads me to the Wiki page and the Wiki page has no useful information on how to compile it. It just says (and I quote):

There is no official port, thus you need to download the source and build it yourself; See the TT-Forums thread for more information.

And the TT-Forums thread (would you believe it!) leads me back to the Wiki with NO information on how to even start compiling it!
Look, I'm not a programmer, coder or anything like that, but I am experienced with IT, so I would like some info on how I could compile this for DOS.

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong place; as said, I am new.
Also also: If there's an answer in this in one of the threads, the Search function needs to be vastly improved.

[Benny]

Did you read the readme?

http://svn.openttd.org/tags/1.7.1/readme.txt

DOS:
A build environment with DJGPP is needed as well as libraries such as
Allegro, zlib and libpng, which all can be downloaded from the DJGPP
website. Compilation is straight forward: use make, but do a './configure'
before the first build. The build binary will need cwsdpmi.exe to be in
the same directory as the openttd executable. cwsdpmi.exe can be found in
the os/dos/cwsdpmi subdirectory. If you compile with stripping turned on a
binary will be generated that does not need cwsdpmi.exe by adding the
cswdstub.exe to the created OpenTTD binary.

[TheDOSManiac]

Did you read the readme?

http://svn.openttd.org/tags/1.7.1/readme.txt

DOS:
A build environment with DJGPP is needed as well as libraries such as
Allegro, zlib and libpng, which all can be downloaded from the DJGPP
website. Compilation is straight forward: use make, but do a './configure'
before the first build. The build binary will need cwsdpmi.exe to be in
the same directory as the openttd executable. cwsdpmi.exe can be found in
the os/dos/cwsdpmi subdirectory. If you compile with stripping turned on a
binary will be generated that does not need cwsdpmi.exe by adding the
cswdstub.exe to the created OpenTTD binary.

Erm... No, I didn't see it but I don't know what it means. Can you put it into Layman's terms?

Also, I never read the readme.

[Benny]

I was born after DOS went obsolete so I can't help you. I suggest reading some documentation to get comfortable.

http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/doc/ug/
https://wiki.openttd.org/Category:Compiling_OpenTTD

[Alberth]

Woow, djgpp, that's a long time ago!

djgpp is a c++ compiler for dos, it's a g++ port. xlib, libpng etc are libraries, pieces of code that provides supporting functionality. Look them up.

Given that you don't understand all this, I'd suggest you start by getting familiar with the command-line compilation process using modern Linux. It also uses g++, and you will encounter many of the same tools there.

[Baldy's Boss]

Also, I never read the readme.

I'm asking you CLI snob to CLI snob...why not?

[orudge]

I don't know when the DOS port was last built or tested; it is conceivable that it might be broken. It might work though.

[CharlyHRO]

Would it be helpful for the devs to provide a virtual machine running MS-DOS or is DOSbox sufficient?

[orudge]

A system running DOS of some sort (or Windows 9x), DJGPP and a DOS LFN driver should be sufficient. A 32-bit version of modern Windows, again with DJGPP and an LFN driver, should work too.

In theory you should be able to install a DJGPP cross-compiler on a Linux box (or indeed Windows or OS X) - see https://github.com/andrewwutw/build-djgpp for instance, which also has binaries.