Bill Garber wrote: >"Laine Houghton" wrote in message >news:3f747117_3@newsfeed.slurp.net... >> In a nutshell, from the orca host type disasm which will launch the disasm >> program. When the command prompt shows up you can type help for a brief >idea >> of commands. You will need the book to utilize the more esoteric >functions. >> >> The basics are: >> LOAD ml_binary_filename >> GENERATE source_save_filename >> >> Source_save_filename will be created and the disassembled source code >saved. > >I've gotten that far. > >> Then your work really begins. > >Now I need to know how to get it to supply the >Assembly code. All I get from the above is the separation >of each command with it's appropriate memory location >with it. Is there something that decodes it into actual >assembly language? That _is_ the assembly source, devoid of meaningful labels and comments (which are, of course, not present in the object code file). The "work [that] really begins" is to begin the process of reverse- engineering the code, to understand what it does and how it does it, adding meaningful labels for data and code and useful comments to the generated source. Many disassemblers work from a script that directs the disassembly, and allows you to supply (at least) meaningful labels, which are then used throughout the generated disassembly. Better ones will even allow you to "script" comments, so that the generated disassembly gets closer and closer to the meaningful source you would like, without requiring repeated editing of the generated file. I don't know how much scripting flexibility the Orca disassembler supports. By the time you get done with a disassembly, you have a very good understanding of the code (often including its bugs ;-). The test of a disassembly is that, at each stage of its evolution (including the very beginning), it can be re-assembled to produce an object file identical to the input object. As you look at the first (unscripted) disassembly, it becomes clear that there is no additional information in it that is not in the input object code (as you would expect). All the things that aid in readability and comprehension are the hard-won fruits of your own reverse-engineering. (Which, if it is a well-written program, will reward you with improved program reading and writing skills.) -michael Check out amazing quality sound for 8-bit Apples on my Home page: http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/ "Bill Garber" wrote in message news:Fm-dnVLN8fKvluiiU-KYgA@comcast.com... > > Ok, here is the deal. I plan to soon get Opus ][ and > I'd like to see this portion of it disassemble a piece > of ML software. Hey Bill are you familiar with Don Lancasters "Tearing Method". Check out his website http://www.tinaja.com/glib/degub.pdf page #2 for a summarized version. I used it successfully 20 years ago to disassemble the DOS 3.3 PCPI Ram disk driver in conjuction with ORCA 4.1 DISASM. I may also have used bugbyter as well .... hmmm Glenn