Assembly Foundations
Registers, memory, branches, stack, calling conventions, and object files.
Write tiny programs without libcRead compiler outputExplain stack frames
Roadmaps
Daily paths for low-level mastery
Learning paths designed for regular reading, labs, and article publication.
Subject areas
ABI and Calling Conventions
How code crosses function, library, syscall, and language boundaries.
Compare SysV, Win64, AAPCS64, psABIWrite FFI-safe functionsRead unwind metadata
Binary Formats
ELF, PE/COFF, Mach-O, sections, symbols, relocations, loaders, and dynamic linking.
Map virtual addresses to sectionsRead relocation tablesUnderstand import/export tables
Debugging and Reverse Engineering
Breakpoints, disassembly, stack walking, memory maps, trace, and symbol recovery.
Debug a crashTrace syscallsRecover function intent from assembly
Kernel, Drivers, and Boot
Privilege, interrupts, traps, paging, driver boundaries, boot code, and firmware.
Build a boot stubExplain ring/EL/mode transitionsTrace a syscall path
Performance and SIMD
Cache, branch prediction, vectorization, atomics, memory order, profiling, and microbenchmarking.
Profile a hot loopWrite SIMD kernelsExplain false sharing
Compiler Backends
IR lowering, instruction selection, register allocation, ABI lowering, object emission.
Lower IR to assemblyEmit relocatable objectsWrite backend tests
Operating System Interfaces
Syscalls, Win32/NT, POSIX, Mach, signals/exceptions, memory APIs, and dynamic loaders.
Write platform boundary notesCompare Linux and Windows file IOTrace loader behavior
Editorial series
Assembly by Architecture: one concept, three ISAsOperating System Boundary Notes: Windows vs Linux vs macOSBinary Format Lab: ELF, PE, Mach-O side by sideDebugger Diary: real crash reports and stack reconstructionCompiler Backend Notes: from IR to machine codePerformance Field Notes: cache, branch, SIMD, atomicsFirmware and Privilege: boot, traps, interrupts, pagingReader Challenges: weekly low-level exercises with solutions