Using the RapidFile database with GNU/Linux
Basic instructions to use 20th century RF on a 21st century platform
The RapidFile database software was designed for the IBM PC-DOS platform and predates the entire Linux project by several years. While it is not possible to give RapidFile a 21st century interface, it is entirely possible to run RapidFile as a DOS application hosted on a GNU/Linux platform. In 2012 the author of this article was still regularly using for the sort of task at which RapidFile excels.
Content revision history:
Created 2nd September 2010.
Updated 2nd November 2012.
Introduction
The RapidFile database program is DOS software and as such it cannot be run directly on any GNU/Linux based machine. In order to use RapidFile within a GNU/Linux environment it is necessary to somehow provide a DOS operating system. This can be accomplished with tools such as DOSemu, DOSBox or VirtualBox.
The website author has been running RapidFile in DOSemu on SuSE / Open SUSE platforms for years, and in November 2012 also received a report of RapidFile running without any known problems in DOSBox under Fedora 17 x64 edition.
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in the hope that somebody somewhere might find something
of it that is useful in some matter. It is not guaranteed
to be accurate or reliable in any way and you rely upon it
entirely at your own risk.