Dosemu2: Run DOS programs under Linux(github.com)
github.com
Dosemu2: Run DOS programs under Linux
https://github.com/dosemu2/dosemu2
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This was the subject of a fascinating talk at FOSDEM in 2018:
https://archive.fosdem.org/2018/schedule/event/dosemu_and_fr...
The slides are here: https://archive.fosdem.org/2018/schedule/event/dosemu_and_fr...
TL;DR summary...
The original DOSemu uses the x86-32 V86 mode, as discussed in this HN post today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24555689
Essentially, the 386 had a sort of hardware-assisted VM that let it run 8086 OSes under multiple virtual 8086 machines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_8086_mode
The problem is that x86-64 doesn't have this any more.
Slightly more info: https://dosemu2.github.io/dosemu2/
The slides are here: https://archive.fosdem.org/2018/schedule/event/dosemu_and_fr...
TL;DR summary...
The original DOSemu uses the x86-32 V86 mode, as discussed in this HN post today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24555689
Essentially, the 386 had a sort of hardware-assisted VM that let it run 8086 OSes under multiple virtual 8086 machines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_8086_mode
The problem is that x86-64 doesn't have this any more.
Slightly more info: https://dosemu2.github.io/dosemu2/
Thankfully, when I got out of my depth and then joined a fledgling new ISP (MindSpring) as the first engineer, the worthy James MacLean took over and turned it into a solid system. Not sure why I'm not listed in the THANKS, but perhaps it's revenge for the poor code quality I left behind. :-)
It was one of the most enjoyable projects of my career, despite or perhaps because of how little I knew and how much I had to learn.
- root @ hrothgar