1. Course Goals and Prerequisites

Course Goals

• Enable students to read and interpret x86-64 assembly code with confidence.
• Provide an academic-level understanding of low-level programming concepts, syntax, and the assembly process.
• Develop critical skills for debugging, reverse engineering, and performance analysis by reading assembly.

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with basic programming concepts (variables, loops, functions).
• Some experience in a high-level language (C, C++, or similar) is recommended.
• Comfortable with command-line tools and an understanding of how programs are compiled and run.

2. Evaluation Criteria

Your learning and mastery of assembly reading skills will be assessed based on:

• Depth of Understanding: Ability to interpret instructions, addressing modes, and code structures.
• Accuracy: Correctly identifying register usage, memory references, and function call conventions.
• Clarity: Demonstrating the ability to explain assembly snippets in a coherent, concise way.
• Academic Rigor: Engaging with fundamental CPU architecture concepts, linking them to real-world assembly.

3. Recommended Tools

• Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual: Link
• MIT OpenCourseWare: Link (Search for courses related to computer architecture and low-level systems)
• Canonical Textbooks:
  • Computer Organization and Design by Patterson and Hennessy
  • Programming from the Ground Up by Jonathan Bartlett
• Assembler/Disassembler Tools: gcc, nasm, as for assembly; objdump, gdb for disassembly and debugging
• Online Resources:
  • x86 Assembly Guide (MIT)
  • NASM Documentation