elksemu(1)

elksemu(1) 💅

okay so bestie, welcome to the elksemu page — literally the Embedded Linux Kernel Subset emulator, and she is here to make your tiny 8086 ELKS binaries run on Linux-i386. no cap. 🦋

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

/lib/elksemu program [arguments]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

Elksemu is the program that lets 8086 ELKS programs run under Linux-i386. periodt. and guess what — you can build those programs with the bcc(1) C compiler. slay. 🔥

you may also use the binfmt-misc module on Linux 2.1.43 or greater, exactly like the elksemu README explains — and when you do, the kernel will just run elksemu with the correct arguments every single time the user tries to execute an ELKS executable directly. like, automatic. main character behaviour honestly. ✨

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

ngl there are no flag options for elksemu. like, none. zero. 🙈

• the first argument is the name of the program to run
• everything after that is arguments passed straight to the Elks program

that's it. that's the whole vibe check. 💖

👑 SECURITY 👑

bestie listen up, this part is important. 💀

elksemu may be installed suid-root. and if it is, then:

• it can run execute only (chmod 111) elks executables
• and it acts correctly on the suid permission bits on any executable

🚨 this should be considered a security hazard, so elksemu does not have to be installed suid-root. it's optional, not a requirement. breathe.

and if you're out here considering using this facility, you should also be aware that it will override the nosuid mount(8) option. yeah. that one. iykyk. 😭

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• bcc(1)
• as86(1)
• ld86(1)

💀 BUGS 💀

• Elksemu is incomplete. she's a work in progress, okay?
• the program may still have security bugs! not me being dramatic, that's literally in the manual. 🙈

and that's the page, bestie — this is from the elksemu(1) manual page, dated Jan, 1997, filed under General Commands Manual. love that for her. go forth and emulate. 💜🎀🫶