The TSS no longer needs to be unbusied before loading the task register, since the set_tss_desc macros set the system gate type to Available IA-32 TSS. This obscure, uncommented legacy code can now be removed for better readability and saves 20 bytes of code space. Here is a breakdown of __set_tss_desc + load_TR before and after. The doublefault TSS GDT setup has similar savings. - Zachary Amsden (zach@vmware.com) before: c01d4535: ba 80 20 1b c0 mov $0xc01b2080,%edx c01d453a: b8 00 d8 1c c0 mov $0xc01cd800,%eax c01d453f: 66 c7 42 00 eb 00 movw $0xeb,0x0(%edx) c01d4545: 66 89 42 02 mov %ax,0x2(%edx) c01d4549: c1 c8 10 ror $0x10,%eax c01d454c: 88 42 04 mov %al,0x4(%edx) c01d454f: c6 42 05 89 movb $0x89,0x5(%edx) ^^ non-busy c01d4553: c6 42 06 00 movb $0x0,0x6(%edx) c01d4557: 88 62 07 mov %ah,0x7(%edx) c01d455a: c1 c8 10 ror $0x10,%eax c01d455d: 81 25 84 20 1b c0 ff andl $0xfffffdff,0xc01b2084 c01d4564: fd ff ff c01d4567: b8 80 00 00 00 mov $0x80,%eax c01d456c: 0f 00 d8 ltr %ax now: c01d4535: ba 80 20 1b c0 mov $0xc01b2080,%edx c01d453a: b8 00 d8 1c c0 mov $0xc01cd800,%eax c01d453f: 66 c7 42 00 eb 00 movw $0xeb,0x0(%edx) c01d4545: 66 89 42 02 mov %ax,0x2(%edx) c01d4549: c1 c8 10 ror $0x10,%eax c01d454c: 88 42 04 mov %al,0x4(%edx) c01d454f: c6 42 05 89 movb $0x89,0x5(%edx) c01d4553: c6 42 06 00 movb $0x0,0x6(%edx) c01d4557: 88 62 07 mov %ah,0x7(%edx) c01d455a: c1 c8 10 ror $0x10,%eax c01d455d: b8 80 00 00 00 mov $0x80,%eax c01d4562: 0f 00 d8 ltr %ax