def_bool y
depends on X86_MCE_INTEL
-config VM86
- bool "Enable VM86 support" if EXPERT
- default y
+config X86_LEGACY_VM86
+ bool "Legacy VM86 support (obsolete)"
+ default n
depends on X86_32
---help---
- This option is required by programs like DOSEMU to run
- 16-bit real mode legacy code on x86 processors. It also may
- be needed by software like XFree86 to initialize some video
- cards via BIOS. Disabling this option saves about 6K.
+ This option allows user programs to put the CPU into V8086
+ mode, which is an 80286-era approximation of 16-bit real mode.
+
+ Some very old versions of X and/or vbetool require this option
+ for user mode setting. Similarly, DOSEMU will use it if
+ available to accelerate real mode DOS programs. However, any
+ recent version of DOSEMU, X, or vbetool should be fully
+ functional even without kernel VM86 support, as they will all
+ fall back to (pretty well performing) software emulation.
+
+ Anything that works on a 64-bit kernel is unlikely to need
+ this option, as 64-bit kernels don't, and can't, support V8086
+ mode. This option is also unrelated to 16-bit protected mode
+ and is not needed to run most 16-bit programs under Wine.
+
+ Enabling this option adds considerable attack surface to the
+ kernel and slows down system calls and exception handling.
+
+ Unless you use very old userspace or need the last drop of
+ performance in your real mode DOS games and can't use KVM,
+ say N here.
+
+config VM86
+ bool
+ default X86_LEGACY_VM86
config X86_16BIT
bool "Enable support for 16-bit segments" if EXPERT