[PATCH 22/22] x86/vm86: Fix the misleading CONFIG_VM86 Kconfig help text
tim.gardner at canonical.com
tim.gardner at canonical.com
Mon Oct 5 14:05:26 UTC 2015
From: Ingo Molnar <mingo at kernel.org>
BugLink: http://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1499089
The CONFIG_VM86 Kconfig help text is actively misleading, so fix it:
- Don't mark it 'obsolete' in the text as we'll support the ABI as long as CPUs
support it.
- Qualify the part about software emulation and mention that for some apps you
want a real vm86 mode.
- Don't scare users away from the option, instead explain what it does.
Reported-by: Stas Sergeev <stsp at list.ru>
Cc: Andy Lutomirski <luto at kernel.org>
Cc: Arjan van de Ven <arjan at linux.intel.com>
Cc: Austin S Hemmelgarn <ahferroin7 at gmail.com>
Cc: Borislav Petkov <bp at alien8.de>
Cc: Brian Gerst <brgerst at gmail.com>
Cc: Josh Boyer <jwboyer at fedoraproject.org>
Cc: Kees Cook <keescook at chromium.org>
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds at linux-foundation.org>
Cc: Matthew Garrett <mjg59 at srcf.ucam.org>
Cc: Oleg Nesterov <oleg at redhat.com>
Cc: Peter Zijlstra <peterz at infradead.org>
Cc: Thomas Gleixner <tglx at linutronix.de>
Cc: linux-kernel at vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo at kernel.org>
(cherry picked from commit 1e6428124fe22906be0de1622c8fed8e50e5de05)
Signed-off-by: Tim Gardner <tim.gardner at canonical.com>
---
arch/x86/Kconfig | 23 ++++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index a6529c1..ac2d50c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -1003,7 +1003,7 @@ config X86_THERMAL_VECTOR
depends on X86_MCE_INTEL
config X86_LEGACY_VM86
- bool "Legacy VM86 support (obsolete)"
+ bool "Legacy VM86 support"
default n
depends on X86_32
---help---
@@ -1015,19 +1015,20 @@ config X86_LEGACY_VM86
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.
+ fall back to software emulation. Nevertheless, if you are using
+ a 16-bit DOS program where 16-bit performance matters, vm86
+ mode might be faster than emulation and you might want to
+ enable this option.
- 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.
+ Note that any app 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.
+ Enabling this option increases the complexity of the kernel
+ and slows down exception handling a tiny bit.
- 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.
+ If unsure, say N here.
config VM86
bool
--
1.9.1
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