Where can I find tools for learning assembler on OS X? [closed]

Question

I'd like to learn assembler. However, there are very few resources for doing assembler with OS X.

Is there anyone out there who has programmed in assembly on a Mac? Where did you learn?

And, is there any reason I shouldn't be doing assembly? Do I risk (significantly) crashing my computer irreparably?

Answer 1

If you're using a PowerPC Mac, look into gcc inline assembler. Otherwise, look into nasm. I can't give any decent references to PPC ASM (they're few and far between), but I suggest the following things to learn x86 asm:

• The book Reversing by Eldad Eilam
• Compile simple C source with gcc -S and read the assembly generated
• Use Sandpile
• Join #openrce on irc.freenode.net and use OpenRCE

Also, if you're not in kernel mode then there's no chance of screwing anything up, really, and even if you are in kernel mode it's hard to really destroy anything.

Edit: Also, get gcc and such from XCode not Macports or somesuch. You're in for a world of malformed Mach-O files if you don't. Not fun to diagnose file format issues when you're just starting asm hacking.