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Date:      Tue, 13 Jun 2000 00:05:22 +0100
From:      Dutch Collins <dutch@charm.net>
To:        John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.ORG>
Cc:        Geoffrey Robinson <geoff@grobin.org>, questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Learning Assembly
Message-ID:  <39456CB2.E0329704@charm.net>
References:  <200006121624.JAA12067@server.baldwin.CX>

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John Baldwin wrote:
> 
> On 10-Jun-00 Geoffrey Robinson wrote:
> > I'm trying to learn assembly language for the enlightenment value. There
> > is a lot of stuff out there but it is mostly DOS oriented. Can somebody
> > please recommend an x86 assembly book for UNIX.
> 
> Err, well.  One of the goals of UNIX is portability.  As a result, almost
> everything is written in C, and assembly is used only when absolutely
> necessary.  Thus, in FreeBSD, the only assembly you will fine is in
> the bootstrap in src/sys/boot, and in the machine-dependent sections of
> the kernel code in src/sys/i386 and src/sys/alpha.  Even then, a lot of
> the machine dependent code is in C and not assembly.  Anyways, assembly
> isn't really all that enlightening, IMHO.  The actual neat stuff is the
> machine architecture.  Intel has some really good manuals on their
> architectures available as PDF's on developer.intel.com.
> 
> > Thanks
> 
> HTH.
> 
> --
Good point. The last time I had to write in Assembly was on PDP-11/53.
That machine's C, from Digital Equip. Corp., could not handle the 
interrupts from a custom box (that is all I can say). There is a place
for Assembly so I don't think it hurts anyone when they 'stick a toe
in the water', or whatever the saying is.

Oh, sorry 'bout the mail, the name server barfed and I fought the 
wrong battle, duh!

-d
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