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riapyx

riapyx is a Rust-based emulator for early PC software, with a main target of running Windows 3.0 in real mode on an emulated Intel 8086.

Place
#23 of 26
Score
5.4
riapyx's website

What riapyx is

riapyx is a Rust-based emulator for early PC software, with a main target of running Windows 3.0 in real mode on an emulated Intel 8086. It can also run MS-DOS 6.22 in real mode. Emulated components include an XT keyboard, limited CGA graphics, a serial port, a Microsoft serial mouse, and floppy and hard drives accessed through BIOS calls. Its CGA modes cover 80×25 16-color text and 640×200 2-color graphics. The emulator lacks a programmable interrupt controller, programmable interval timer, DMA controller, and proper IDE hard and floppy drives. The README recommends pre-installed hard-drive images because floppy switching is unsupported and operating-system installation is unlikely to work; riapyx cannot boot ELKS or FreeDOS. Users supply disk images on the command line and choose a boot drive. A debugger supports stepping, tracing, breakpoints, RAM dumps, memory display, and disassembly. The source is MIT-licensed and built with Cargo using rust-sdl2; packaged downloads are not described.

Good

  • Runs Windows 3.0 in real mode.
  • Can run MS-DOS 6.22.
  • Includes a debugger with stepping and breakpoints.
  • Source code is provided under the MIT license.

Watch out

  • Cannot boot ELKS or FreeDOS.
  • Floppy switching is unsupported.
  • Proper IDE drives are not emulated.
  • The README does not describe packaged downloads.

Who it suits

riapyx suits people interested in experimenting with Windows 3.0 or MS-DOS 6.22 in real mode. It is aimed at users comfortable building source with Cargo and working with disk images.

Verdict

riapyx is a focused early-PC emulator with debugging tools and support for Windows 3.0 and MS-DOS 6.22 in real mode. Its hardware gaps and reliance on pre-installed drive images matter for anyone considering operating-system installation.

The facts

Each one read from riapyx's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Build
The project is built with Cargo and uses rust-sdl2, whose platform installation instructions are referenced for Windows and OS X users.checked 9 Oct 2026
Build requirements
The project is built with Cargo and uses rust-sdl2; its README points to platform installation instructions, mainly for Windows and OS X users.checked 9 Oct 2026
Compatibility limits
It cannot boot ELKS or FreeDOS, and the README says installing an operating system is unlikely because floppy switching is unsupported and untested.checked 9 Oct 2026
Debugger
Its debugger supports stepping, continuing, tracing, dumping RAM, breakpoints, memory display, disassembly, and quitting.checked 9 Oct 2026
Disk images
The README recommends pre-installed hard-drive images because floppy switching is unsupported and installing an operating system is unlikely to work.checked 9 Oct 2026
Distribution
The repository provides source files and Cargo build instructions; its README does not describe packaged downloads.checked 9 Oct 2026
Emulated hardware
It emulates an Intel 8086 CPU, XT keyboard, limited CGA graphics, a serial port, a Microsoft serial mouse, and floppy and hard drives through BIOS calls.checked 9 Oct 2026
Graphics
The emulated CGA adapter supports 80×25 16-color text mode and 640×200 2-color mode.checked 9 Oct 2026
Graphics limits
CGA graphics support is limited to 80×25 16-color text mode and 640×200 2-color mode.checked 9 Oct 2026
Hardware gaps
It does not emulate a programmable interrupt controller, programmable interval timer, DMA controller, or proper IDE hard and floppy drives.checked 9 Oct 2026
License
The emulator code and test program are provided under the MIT license.checked 9 Oct 2026
Logging
Optional Cargo features provide CPU, display, mouse, serial, BIOS, storage, machine, and keyboard logs, among other debugging aids.checked 9 Oct 2026
Operating systems
It can run MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 in real mode; the README says it cannot boot ELKS or FreeDOS.checked 9 Oct 2026
Original target
Its main target was running Windows 3.0 in real mode.checked 9 Oct 2026
Performance
The maker says the emulator does not aim for good performance and received only minimal profiling and simple optimizations.checked 9 Oct 2026
Purpose
riapyx is an early PC (8086) emulator written in Rust, targeting Windows 3.0 in real mode.checked 9 Oct 2026
Usage
The command line accepts hard-drive and floppy images and lets the user choose which drive to boot.checked 9 Oct 2026

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