Re-visiting VM/386 (2023)
The author shares experiences with VM/386, an emulation software from 1988. Running on 86box, it enables multitasking on an 80386 processor with graphical PC programs, despite limitations hindering broader success.
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The article discusses the author's experience with VM/386, an emulation software from 1988. Initially facing issues with green bars in virtual machines on Qemu, the author found success running VM/386 on 86box. The software allows running graphical PC programs on an 80386 processor, multitasking seamlessly with a hotkey toggle. Despite lacking data exchange facilities, VM/386 offered features like individual profiles for RAM allocation and boot options. The article mentions the software's potential impact if it had a 32-bit API and highlights its comparison to other multitaskers of the time. While VM/386 found use in connecting dumb terminals to 386-class machines, it fell short of broader success due to limitations. The author shares disk images for those interested in trying VM/386 on 86box. Comments from readers reflect on VM/386's similarities to modern hypervisors and its technical aspects. Additionally, a link to a review of VM/386 from 1988 in PC Magazine is provided for further insights.
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