dmaynard51/ultima1-ios — explained in plain English
Analysis updated 2026-05-18
Play a legally owned copy of Ultima I directly on an iPhone or iPad without a computer nearby.
Sideload the prebuilt app on Windows or Linux using free tools if you do not own a Mac.
Learn how to patch and rebrand an existing open source DOSBox app for a specific game.
Play the same classic game on Android using a similar DOSBox-style app and your own files.
| dmaynard51/ultima1-ios | jerlinn/jerlin-weread | jonluca/dotfiles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Language | Shell | Shell | Shell |
| Last pushed | — | — | 2024-06-02 |
| Maintenance | — | — | Dormant |
| Setup difficulty | moderate | — | easy |
| Complexity | 3/5 | — | 1/5 |
| Audience | general | developer | developer |
Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.
Requires your own legally owned copy of Ultima I game files, a Mac with Xcode is easiest, but sideloading tools work without one.
ultima1-ios is a build script that turns the classic 1981 computer game Ultima I into an app you can play directly on an iPhone or iPad. It does not include the game itself. Instead, it takes an existing open source iOS version of DOSBox, the tool that lets old MS-DOS programs run on modern devices, patches it so it boots straight into Ultima I, adds a matching icon, and copies in your own legally owned copy of the game files, most commonly from the GOG version sold as part of an Ultima bundle. If you own a Mac with Xcode and git installed, you can build and install the app onto your phone with a single script and a free Apple ID, no paid Apple developer account required. The script automatically detects the signing details it needs and points out the exact manual steps in Xcode if command line signing does not work. A free Apple ID can keep up to three sideloaded apps installed at once, and the app needs to be re-signed roughly every week. For anyone without a Mac, the project also publishes a ready-made app file that can be installed on Windows, Linux, or Mac using free sideloading tools such as Sideloadly or AltStore, again using nothing but a free Apple ID. After installing, you still need to copy your own Ultima I game files onto the device yourself, placed directly at the top level of the app's folder rather than inside a subfolder, since that folder acts as the game's main drive. Once running, the app displays the original DOS game in landscape mode with a custom on-screen layout built for the game, including a movement pad and labeled buttons for common Ultima I commands, plus a way to bring up a full keyboard when needed. The README also explains how to play the same game on Android using existing DOSBox-style apps instead. The build script and icon are MIT licensed, the underlying DOSBox app is GPLv2, and the actual Ultima I game data remains the property of its original publisher and is never distributed by this project.
A build script that turns an existing iOS DOSBox app into a one-tap Ultima I game for iPhone and iPad, using your own legally owned copy of the game.
Mainly Shell. The stack also includes Shell, Xcode, DOSBox.
The build script and app icon are MIT licensed and free to reuse, the underlying DOSBox app is GPLv2, and the Ultima I game itself is commercial software you must own separately.
Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.
Mainly general.
This repo across BitVibe Labs
double-check against the repo, no cap.