Well, I am interested in learning assembly to understand the computer, I was just thinking that x86 would be the way to go since it's the type of machine I own. How successful would I be trying to get a ppc processor emulated in Qemu? I've used it for testing out other distros, but it seems a bit unstable even when the emulated machine is an x86. What's your advice? Also, what is this high level assembly I keep reading about. Is it pseudo code for teaching purposes or is it legitimate? Thanks, Benjamin On Fri, 2007-07-20 at 19:08 -0400, Brian Hurt wrote: > > On Fri, 20 Jul 2007, gramlich wrote: > > > Does anyone on the list have experience programming in Assembly? > > Yes. > > > If so, > > do you have a favorite book that you've used to learn the language in > > intel pentium processors? > > I learned it from the Intel manuals, and reading the output of gcc, but > this was back in the days of the 386sx, and I'd had an assembly language > class back in college. > > If you want to learn assembly language in general, kudos to you- and I > recommend starting with the 68K, or maybe the PPC. A nice, simple, > regular instruction set, and not the bloated chaotic beast which is the > x86. Note that assembly language is, effectively, assembly language- if > what you want is an understanding of what the computer is doing at the > lowest levels, and how it's doing it, knowing just about any assembly > language is sufficient (and necessary, IMHO). The main operations of the > x86 are no different than that of the 68K or PPC. And those architectures > are a lot easier to understand. And, if you have the time, the x86 is a > lot easier to understand once you understand those simpler architectures. > > If it's the x86 specifically you need, i.e. you're going to be doing some > serious x86 hacking, you want the intel books- although they're probably > not the books you want to learn from. I haven't read any of the recent > crop of "learn assembly language of the x86" books, so I can't advise you > there. Sorry. > > Brian