ELKS is a project offering a Linux-like OS for 16-bit processors like 8086, 80286, and more. It can be run on old computers like IBM-PC XT/AT or newer systems like SBCs and FPGAs. ELKS supports networking, runs on 256k RAM, and can be booted from ROM-based systems with 128k RAM. You can try ELKS online with an emulator, view it in action on various devices like Amstrad PC 2086, and download disk images to test it out. Additional resources like a visual 8086 emulator, size optimization tricks, and a gcc compiler are available. Need help or have questions? Refer to the ELKS GitHub project.
https://github.com/ghaerr/elks