Re: kvm86 kernel option

[David Laight <david%l8s.co.uk@localhost>]

On Tue, May 08, 2012 at 05:22:58PM +0200, Jean-Yves Migeon wrote:
> Le 08/05/12 11:36, David Laight a ?crit :
> >Does anyone use (or have used in the last n years) the i386
> >kernel VM86, KVM86 or KVM86DEBUG options that (I think) allows
> >16bit user programs to run within a 32bit kernel?
> 
> Yes. It allows a program to make 16 bits calls, for example to BIOS.
> 
> >My suspicions are that, if it ever worked, it will have bitrotted
> >out of existance!
> 
> What makes you think that?
> 
> >Deleting it seems to be a good idea.
> 
> I am all for dumping 16 bits compat code, but please remember that 
> bioscalls may be needed by programs like X (setting video mode comes to 
> mind).

I was looking at the code that allows an application to run in
'viritual 8086 mode', not anything that might allow a 'normal'
application to make bios calls - although that couls have it's
own security risks.

I'm not even sure it isn't best to emulate the bios code!
(not really thought through that one).

        David

-- 
David Laight: david%l8s.co.uk@localhost