NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/comp/sys/intel/1561

Internet Message Format | 1992-08-23 | 5.2 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!pipex!warwick!str-ccsun!strath-cs!st-and!rwmj
From: [e-mail] (Richard William Martin Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.intel
Subject: 386 assembler book (summary)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 23 Aug 92 12:09:51 GMT
Organization: St. Andrews University, Scotland.
Lines: 106

In article <[e-mail]> I wrote:
>
>    Can anyone recommend a good technical book on 386 assembler
>languages for someone who already has a working knowledge of 8086
>programming? I don't really want a beginner's book, but something which
>will go into detail on subjects such as 32-bit extensions, protected mode
>programming and timing considerations.

These are the replies I got. I bought the 486 Programmer's Reference Manual
and put the book that Linus recommended on my wish-list. The 486 PRM is an
excellent reference work for the things I want. It briefly covers the 8086
opcodes before going into great detail about the protected mode, exceptions,
multitasking, multiprocessing, virtual-8086, FPU and timing considerations
of the 486. It points out the differences between the 386 and 486, and so
would be of use to people who want to write pure 386 code. The chapters on
protected mode and multitasking are very technical, and I wouldn't recommend
them as introductions, or for people who just wanted to know the general
principles.

Thanks to those who replied.

Richard Jones, [e-mail]

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From: [e-mail] (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
To: rwmj@st-andrews
Subject: Re: Book on 386 asm needed (or FAQ?)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.intel
Organization: University of Helsinki
Sender: [e-mail]

It depends a bit on what you want, but the book I like and which goes to
considerable detail about the 32-bit mode (to the extent of almost
totally leaving out the 16-bit things) is "Programming the 80386" by
John H Crawford and Patrick P Gelsinger.  Both the authors were actually
in the 386 developement team (I think Crawford was actually the chief
architect), and it's very technical, and /very/ 386 specific.  It
doesn't concern itself with anything but the processor (and the math
coprocessor): if you want to know about the PC hardware around the 386
you need additional books.

The book needs a lot of background knowledge: it doesn't try to teach
assembly language, but rather only the 32-bit mode of the 386.  But it
does that extremely well: it covers everything from segmentation to
paging to V86-mode in detail.  If you know what you are doing, this book
is the best I've found, but if you are only starting out it might be a
bit overkill.  It does /not/ cover the 486-specific things (maybe there
is a new edition that does, but I haven't seen it), but those are pretty
few (ie mainly alignment fault, bswap and the cache control registers).

        Linus

Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 13:23:47 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Aaron Dailey)
To: rwmj@st-andrews (Richard William Martin Jones)
Subject: Book on 386 asm needed (or FAQ?)

The Intel 386 Programmer's Reference really isn't that hard to understand,
with the background you have.  Here in the states, too, it's free.

Aaron Dailey Internet: [e-mail]
[e-mail] (if you can't get to the above address)
StorageTek Corporation   Voice: [phone], FAX: [phone]
Mail:  MS0242, 2270 South 88th Street, Louisville, C0 80028

From: [e-mail] (Nathan I. Laredo)
To: rwmj@st-andrews
Subject: Re: Book on 386 asm needed (or FAQ?)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.intel
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

I suggest that you call intel literature.   I don't know the number off
hand, but it would be a smart move to get the Intel 486 Programmer's
Reference Manual, $24.95, order No. 240486-002 (printed on recycled paper
even).  Well opening the book, I find the phone number is:
[phone] or you can write them:  INTEL LITERATURE SALES, P.O.
Box 7641, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056-7641, USA.

The reason I'd recommend the 486 book is so that you know what not to
do for compatability reasons, and because really, there hasn't been a
lot that has changed.  In fact,  you'll probably get more out of it as
it covers in depth the differences between the 8086/286/386/486 so that
you know how things will go.   Another book that I used before this one
came out (the intel book is my bible, really, partly because it's official
and I know what's valid and what's not) is Programming the Intel 80386
by Smith and Johnson, Scott Foresman Publishers.  I'm to lazy to find the
ISBN number.

The Intel book is also available at my school book store, so you might
want to check yours.   There are also 8 authorized distributors/
representatives in the UK for intel.  Intel UK tel: (44) [phone]
fax: (44) [phone].

If you need any more info on any of these books or have any questions,
please feel free to ask.   I'm a self-proclaimed x86 asm god.

-- Nathan Laredo, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

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