explaingit

copy/v86

★ 22,997JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5ActiveLicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A complete x86 PC emulator that runs inside your web browser, letting you boot and use operating systems like Linux or Windows 95 without installation.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Emulates x86 PC
      Runs in browser
      No installation
    Operating systems
      Linux variants
      Windows 95-2000
      FreeDOS ReactOS
    Use cases
      Demo old OS
      Interactive tutorials
      Test legacy software
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Rust WebAssembly
      npm package
    Key features
      CPU memory disk
      Graphics sound network
      Real-time translation

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Demo a retro operating system like Windows 95 or DOS directly in a browser without requiring users to install anything.

USE CASE 2

Build interactive tutorials or educational environments where students can experiment with legacy systems in real time.

USE CASE 3

Test how old software behaves on different operating systems before migrating or archiving it.

USE CASE 4

Embed a live computing environment into a webpage so visitors can run code or applications server-side-free.

Tech stack

JavaScriptRustWebAssemblynpm

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose including commercial. Keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

v86 is a complete PC emulator that runs inside a web browser. An emulator is a program that mimics old or different hardware so you can run software designed for that hardware, in this case, it simulates an x86-compatible computer (the same architecture used by most Windows PCs for decades) entirely within a browser tab. The problem it solves: normally, running a different operating system requires dedicated hardware or a virtual machine installed on your computer. v86 lets you boot and run entire operating systems, including Linux, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, FreeDOS, ReactOS, and many others, directly in a browser with no installation needed. How it works: the emulator recreates the physical components of a PC: a CPU, memory, keyboard controller, graphics card, disk controller, sound card, and even a network card. To make it fast, it translates the machine-level instructions for the emulated CPU into WebAssembly, a low-level language browsers run very efficiently. This translation happens in real time as the emulated software runs. You would use this when you want to demo an old operating system in a browser, build an interactive tutorial environment, test legacy software, or embed a live computing environment into a webpage without any server-side execution. Developers can also embed it in their own apps using the provided JavaScript library. The tech stack is JavaScript and Rust (compiled to WebAssembly), with an npm package available for bundler-based projects.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I embed v86 in my website to let visitors run Linux in their browser?
Prompt 2
Show me how to use the v86 JavaScript library to boot a custom operating system image.
Prompt 3
What operating systems can I run with v86, and how do I load a disk image for each one?
Prompt 4
How does v86 translate x86 CPU instructions to WebAssembly to make emulation fast in the browser?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.