When you run ./configure --disable-sbemu then compile, you get compilation errors.
make[2]: Leaving directory /root/rpmbuild/SOURCES/dosemu-1.4.0.8/src/plugin/X'
make[2]: Entering directory/root/rpmbuild/SOURCES/dosemu-1.4.0.8/src'
gcc -std=gnu99 -c -MP -MMD -I../src/include -I../src/plugin/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-declarations -Wnested-externs -fno-strict-aliasing -pipe -O2 -fomit-frame-pointer -o emu.o emu.c
gcc -std=gnu99 -Wl,-warn-common -rdynamic -o ../1.4.0.8/bin/dosemu.bin emu.o \
-Wl,--whole-archive lib/libenv_video.a lib/libbase.a lib/libbase_async.a lib/libarch_linux_async.a lib/libarch_linux_mapping.a lib/libbase_misc.a lib/libbase_misc_libpcl.a lib/libbase_dev_misc.a lib/libemu-i386.a lib/libemu-i386_simx86.a lib/libenv.a lib/libbase_speaker.a lib/libbase_dev_pic.a lib/libdosext_dpmi.a lib/libdosext_mfs.a lib/libdosext_misc.a lib/libbase_init.a lib/libbase_serial.a lib/libbase_mouse.a lib/libbase_dev_dma.a lib/libarch_linux_debugger.a lib/libdosext_net.a lib/libdosext_drivers.a lib/libbase_bios.a lib/libplugin_commands.a lib/libplugin_sdl.a lib/libplugin_kbd_unicode.a lib/libplugin_term.a lib/libplugin_extra_charsets.a lib/libplugin_X.a lib/libplugin_translate.a lib/libplugin_translate_charsets.a lib/libplugin_alsa.a lib/libplugin_midimisc.a -Wl,--no-whole-archive -lrt -ldl -lm -lpthread
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_o_pipe.o): In function midopipe_register':
mid_o_pipe.c:(.text+0x94): undefined reference tomidi_register_output_plugin'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_o_tmdty.o): In function midotmdty_register':
mid_o_tmdty.c:(.text+0x84): undefined reference tomidi_register_output_plugin'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_o_tmdty.o): In function midotmdty_stop':
mid_o_tmdty.c:(.text+0xfb): undefined reference topcm_flush'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_o_tmdty.o): In function midotmdty_io':
mid_o_tmdty.c:(.text+0x354): undefined reference topcm_get_format'
mid_o_tmdty.c:(.text+0x433): undefined reference to pcm_format_size'
mid_o_tmdty.c:(.text+0x46b): undefined reference topcm_write_interleaved'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_o_tmdty.o): In function midotmdty_init':
mid_o_tmdty.c:(.text+0xcac): undefined reference topcm_allocate_stream'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_o_oss.o): In function midooss_register':
mid_o_oss.c:(.text+0x94): undefined reference tomidi_register_output_plugin'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_i_pipe.o): In function midipipe_register':
mid_i_pipe.c:(.text+0x6d): undefined reference tomidi_register_input_plugin'
lib/libplugin_midimisc.a(mid_i_pipe.o): In function midipipe_io':
mid_i_pipe.c:(.text+0x243): undefined reference tomidi_put_data'
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make[2]: *** [../1.4.0.8/bin/dosemu.bin] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory /root/rpmbuild/SOURCES/dosemu-1.4.0.8/src'
make[1]: *** [dosemu] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory/root/rpmbuild/SOURCES/dosemu-1.4.0.8/src'
make: *** [default] Error 2
If you recompile without the lib/libplugin_midimisc.a library then it compiles fine.
[root@www dosemu-1.4.0.8]# cd src
[root@www src]# gcc -std=gnu99 -Wl,-warn-common -rdynamic -o ../1.4.0.8/bin/dosemu.bin emu.o -Wl,--whole-archive lib/libenv_video.a lib/libbase.a lib/libbase_async.a lib/libarch_linux_async.a lib/libarch_linux_mapping.a lib/libbase_misc.a lib/libbase_misc_libpcl.a lib/libbase_dev_misc.a lib/libemu-i386.a lib/libemu-i386_simx86.a lib/libenv.a lib/libbase_speaker.a lib/libbase_dev_pic.a lib/libdosext_dpmi.a lib/libdosext_mfs.a lib/libdosext_misc.a lib/libbase_init.a lib/libbase_serial.a lib/libbase_mouse.a lib/libbase_dev_dma.a lib/libarch_linux_debugger.a lib/libdosext_net.a lib/libdosext_drivers.a lib/libbase_bios.a lib/libplugin_commands.a lib/libplugin_sdl.a lib/libplugin_kbd_unicode.a lib/libplugin_term.a lib/libplugin_extra_charsets.a lib/libplugin_X.a lib/libplugin_translate.a lib/libplugin_translate_charsets.a lib/libplugin_alsa.a -Wl,--no-whole-archive -lrt -ldl -lm -lpthread
[root@www src]#