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Date:      Thu, 21 Nov 2002 18:59:06 +0100
From:      dslb@tiscali.dk
To:        hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Assembly and ELF
Message-ID:  <3D9FE7F60000649D@cpfe5.be.tisc.dk>

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On 2002.11.21 18:00 Bruce M Simpson wrote:
> 
> One big question I'd have is, why are you using assembly language?

1. I like assembly
2. FreeBSD will still need assembly programms
3. To learn more about the FreeBSD kernel (internals)

I do however program in C++, so if you are worried about portability don'=
t.

> I use assembly language, but only where it's absolutely essential to
> do
> so, e.g. for interacting with the BIOS, writing firmware, or for
> small
> embedded targets.

Jep, assembly is useful to know.

> Generally you shouldn't need to worry about linking.

I don't, but I would just like to know "it all".

> As for stack
> arguments,
> the reason is that x86 is register-starved. The amount of stack
> shuffling,
> managing the frame pointer, and saves and so forth should serve to
> illustrate
> why register arguments are usually a bad idea (unless you have a
> very
> tight piece of code which takes less than 3 arguments) on that
> architecture.

Ah ok, this leads to a question I forgot to ask:
That in assembly language programming will change when we get ia-64?

> Also, you do know that executing an INT causes standard exception
> processing through a call gate anyway, right?

Yes, so it is all in the kernel and thereby in the ram?

Sorry of all these questions, but I am relativly new to Unix (FreeBSD sin=
ce
4.5) and I am only (just turned) 21, so it is just now I've begon program=
ming
and such.

br
socketd



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