Intel's 64-bit only X86-S: Envisioning a Simplified Intel Architecture

Technology
1

Whitepaper: https://cdrdv2-public.intel.com/776648/x86s-EAS-v1-4-17-23-1.pdf

Basically, “Get rid of all the real mode and 32 bit mode cruft nobody uses anymore.”

It keeps the ability to run 32-bit userspace applications.

Seems reasonable to me. It’s more or less what ARM has done with AArch64 processors that still support AArch32 EL0 execution.

2

I think something like this needs to be done, but it is also going to break an absolutely amazing amount of things.

In fact, those breakages is why it should be done. But it would be nice if it was a BIOS-selectable processor option at first, for testing.