From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.1 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,HTML_FONT_LOW_CONTRAST,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 4245 invoked from network); 19 Jun 2021 15:55:05 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 19 Jun 2021 15:55:05 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 364139C246; Sun, 20 Jun 2021 01:55:04 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BE1B49BD19; Sun, 20 Jun 2021 01:54:48 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=pass (1024-bit key; unprotected) header.d=ccc.com header.i=@ccc.com header.b="kA1/Z0zz"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id E8E0E9BD19; Sun, 20 Jun 2021 01:54:46 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qv1-f49.google.com (mail-qv1-f49.google.com [209.85.219.49]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 04D059BD16 for ; Sun, 20 Jun 2021 01:54:43 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qv1-f49.google.com with SMTP id f5so5205835qvu.8 for ; Sat, 19 Jun 2021 08:54:42 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=ccc.com; s=google; h=mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc; bh=K6psdm3byH57FH3Pt2V/OTh4ebO8KjpOoKCbbSKmAjc=; b=kA1/Z0zzt2D7arAkPLck/7RPfvNQl7YpGGL7vc87TwueXingHr8XcBudKFPN4GBiIF 3wVk6Gfqqao+XCfH55GUjxGKYhdeGZJenbTuSyzIfSf2X9UW7AT5aW7kPQ02SKhRShw8 6dutbBj1uhuJ7jnsZXSV0NJ9eAnyc1yD+5fIE= X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=K6psdm3byH57FH3Pt2V/OTh4ebO8KjpOoKCbbSKmAjc=; b=QPsw36QW+HTzI5SC/DSZNxRhB73BFpuKVLXenfhKhQflAeyYd66oDDbGFmiq3lZgs+ dQogxKPAK915xSvg+gecJHd/nOOsHsk1t1HPEgkVfOjSSTBqC0Jo78EkzHtPHWaT/Iyh 4UzK8xN4XmFY0p2aYqE3eym6U9+vcpfclG5iwFekh9zGWNyqTovULH0CObL7ar7sA3UI vZ+JOwZJH+UZZp06WOo5Rpj46rrw9NnGYLQfmttNRJ2K1fjxPOmVXj0/EPkSFDA4La8D BReyBxVnWYDPVSnM7+KwYxRnOTZ69FsqdcTf6NWVDbKtVxz9xY9RF4TcpTmjH1FhRo80 JOIQ== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM531YrkEkiBKXvu9qzeeC2G5R4AzLDACHV/2wfA44OKyYBzCICang 9RM+lv6sXWtfQ60dp7hKf3YfeMZE3KCniTbUufeqVV1UYnB5/w== X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJySpDaZVFsj0iWGUmOmNqkRje2wwHR9xo+kl4XTSj9UMIhnqoDHdIc0uxDJNft2ISbr3QFaX9+mmXhk+0CnGgk= X-Received: by 2002:a05:6214:21a8:: with SMTP id t8mr11211842qvc.3.1624118081670; Sat, 19 Jun 2021 08:54:41 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Clem Cole Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2021 11:54:15 -0400 Message-ID: To: Henry Bent Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="00000000000054e0be05c5207544" Subject: Re: [TUHS] Disassemblers X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" --00000000000054e0be05c5207544 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 11:05 AM Henry Bent wrote: > From what I can gather the only way to reasonably examine the disassembly > of a program in the early days of Unix was adb. Is this true? > >From Research, yes - although sdb and later dbx could do it also I think. > Was there a way to easily produce a full disassembly? > Yes, look at the contents in the early USENIX (Harvard) tape. IIRC: Along with the macro-11 assembler and linker, there was also a disassembler -- I want to say it was done at Cooper Union, but it may have been someone else[The CU folks got the DEC PDP-10 BLISS binary to run on an emulator 'good enough' on their 11/45 to they could 'port' the DEC Fortran compiler to V6. They used/built up PDP-11 tools to support that project]. BTW: there was a version of the DEC DDT that was on those early tapes too that somebody wrote. I started with DDT on V6 because I was coming over from the DEC OS world of PDP-10's and RT-11 and adb did not yet exist. But IIRC it was fragile, had issues when V7 came out, so I just taught myself adb when it appeared. There was an even better set of assembly/disassembly/link tools from 'down-under' on ??maybe? the Delaware tape. Plus, Purdue released a ton of microprocessor tools, which included PDP-11 support. All of them tried to use the symbol table to reconstruct things like jsr's and memory access. Somebody [IIRC it was Phil Karn but I don't remember] tried to do some instruction pattern matching / early AI stuff, to see if they could reconstruct some of the code with some human help. As I recall he could pick up pointers and if given some header files for sizes would try to match code snippets, but I have no idea how he got or what happened too it. > I'll confess to being fairly ignorant of adb use since I always had dbx o= r > the equivalent available. > =E1=90=A7 --00000000000054e0be05c5207544 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 11:0= 5 AM Henry Bent <henry.r.bent@= gmail.com> wrote:
From what I can gather the only way to rea= sonably examine the disassembly of a program in the early days of Unix was = adb.=C2=A0 Is this true?
From Research, yes= - although sdb and later dbx could do it also I think.

=C2=A0
Was there a way to easily produce a full disassembly?=C2=A0
=
Yes, look at the contents in the=C2=A0early USEN= IX (Harvard) tape.=C2=A0 IIRC: Along with the macro-11 assembler and linker= , there was also=C2=A0a disassembler -- I want to say it was done at=C2=A0C= ooper Union,=C2=A0but it may have been someone=C2=A0else[The CU folks got t= he DEC PDP-10 BLISS binary to run on an emulator 'good enough' on t= heir 11/45 to they could 'port' the DEC Fortran compiler to V6.=C2= =A0 They used/built up PDP-11 tools to support that project].

<= /div>
BTW: there was a version of the DEC DDT that was on those early tap= es too that=C2=A0somebody wrote.=C2=A0 =C2=A0I started with DDT on V6 becau= se I was coming over from the DEC OS world=C2=A0of PDP-10's and RT-11 a= nd adb did not yet exist.=C2=A0 =C2=A0But IIRC it was fragile, had issues w= hen V7 came out, so I just taught myself adb when it appeared.

=
There was an even better set of assembly/disassembly/link tools=C2= =A0 from 'down-under' on ??maybe? the Delaware tape.=C2=A0 Plus, Pu= rdue released a ton of microprocessor tools, which included PDP-11 support.= =C2=A0 All of them tried to use the symbol table to reconstruct things like= jsr's and memory access.=C2=A0 Somebody [IIRC it was Phil Karn but I d= on't remember] tried to do some instruction pattern matching / early AI= stuff, to see if they could=C2=A0reconstruct some of the code with some hu= man=C2=A0help.=C2=A0 As I recall he could pick up pointers and if given som= e header files for sizes would try to match code snippets,=C2=A0but I have = no=C2=A0idea how he=C2=A0got=C2=A0or what happened=C2=A0too it.

=C2=A0
I'll confess to being fairly ignorant of adb use sin= ce I always had dbx or the equivalent available.=C2=A0
3D""=E1=90=A7
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