bochsrc

bochsrc is the configuration file used by the Bochs PC emulator to define the virtual hardware environment. It is a plain-text file containing a sequence of configuration directives that tell Bochs what CPU to emulate, how much memory to allocate, which disk and CD-ROM images to use, and how peripherals such as display, sound, network, and input devices should be emulated. The file is read at Bochs startup and can be supplied explicitly with the -f option or named bochsrc/bochsrc.txt in the working directory; if no -f is provided, Bochs looks for a default-named file in the current directory or user-specific locations depending on the build.

The directives are expressed as key-value pairs or blocks that configure different subsystems. Areas typically covered include memory and cache settings, boot order, storage devices (hard disks, floppy drives, CD-ROMs), the display library, keyboard and mouse, and network adapters. File references point to disk or image files, which are attached to the corresponding virtual devices to define the emulated system’s storage topology. The syntax emphasizes readability and is designed to be edited with common text editors.

Bochs supports cross-platform use and is widely employed in operating-system development, education, and hardware-emulation research. Because bochsrc is plain text, it can be version-controlled alongside VM configurations and shared among developers and students.

See also Bochs, PC emulation, disk image. For exact directive names and syntax, refer to the Bochs documentation corresponding to the specific version in use.