Interrupt Flag

Interrupt Flag

IF (Interrupt Flag) is a system flag bit in the x86 architecture's FLAGS register, which determines whether or not the CPU will handle maskable hardware interrupts.

The bit, which is bit 9 of the FLAGS register, may be set or cleared by programs with sufficient privileges, as usually determined by the Operating System. If the flag is set to 1, maskable hardware interrupts will be handled. If cleared (set to 0), such interrupts will be ignored. IF does not affect the handling of non-maskable interrupts or software interrupts generated by the INT instruction.

Read more about Interrupt Flag:  Setting and Clearing, Privilege Level, CLI, STI

Famous quotes containing the words interrupt and/or flag:

    Never interrupt a murderer, madame.
    Walter Reisch (1903–1963)

    Hath not the morning dawned with added light?
    And shall not evening call another star
    Out of the infinite regions of the night,
    To mark this day in Heaven? At last, we are
    A nation among nations; and the world
    Shall soon behold in many a distant port
    Another flag unfurled!
    Henry Timrod (1828–1867)