Which assembler would be best for x86 boot sector programming?
You cannot build DOS/Windows .exe files for boot sector programs because of the .exe data header that is at the start of every .exe file. Therefore, you will need to build a DOS .com file. You can use the debug.exe that comes with DOS & Windows, but it is a primitive program that does not support labels. Just do an internet search on ‘programming with debug’ or something like that for instructions on how to use debug. Otherwise, you’ll need an assembler & a linker which can make DOS .com files. For assemblers, you can try NASM: http://nasm.sourceforge.net/ MASM32: http://www.masm32.com/ or just do an internet search on ‘DOS assemblers’ To find a DOS linker, just do an internet search on ‘DOS linker’ If you cannot find one, then you can use the TLINK linker that comes with ‘Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 For DOS.’ You can download it here:
