Running ELKS on an NES: The NES86 Project

The NES86 project is an amazing feat of engineering: an IBM PC emulator running on the NES! By emulating an Intel 8086 processor and supporting PC hardware, it successfully runs the ELKS (Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset), including a shell and utilities. This means you can run some x86 software on your old NES, albeit limited to a simple serial terminal. The project is open-source and provides detailed build instructions, covering both the compilation of the ELKS image and the generation of the NES86 ROM. Prepare for a challenge—running a modern OS on retro hardware!