processor, programming (Or "virtual mode" or "virtual 8086
mode") An operating mode provided by the
Intel 80386 and
later processors to allow
real mode programs to run under
sub-mode of protected mode, an operating environment is
created which mimics the address calculation in real mode.
In virtual 86 mode the segment
MMU is practically turned off
real mode. The
paged MMU, however, still operates. This
be remapped in four kilobyte
pages to anywhere in the 32 bit
separately from read or write accesses.
Virtual mode is handled on a per-task-basis, so each
switches the processor back into protected mode. It is
therefore possible to have multiple tasks in virtual mode
which run
concurrently under the control of an operating
system which runs in protected mode.
Most operating system services in
MS-DOS systems are called
an MS-DOS application runs in virtual mode under the control
of a protected mode operating system, each call to MS-DOS
causes a switch to protected mode. The operating system
emulates the MS-DOS service and switches back to the
application in virtual mode. From the viewpoint of the
application nothing differs from real mode.
to implement "DOS-boxes" in which both MS-DOS and real mode