How to compile an assembly file to a raw binary (like DOS .com) format with GNU assembler (as)?

Question

I want to compile this source code in Windows (It just an example):

start:
NOP
NOP

When I compile it with NASM or FASM, output file length is 2 bytes. But when I compile it with GNU assembler (as) the output file length is 292 bytes!

Why I do this?

I want to write my own simple OS, I write my codes with C (without using any C standard libraries even stdio.h or math.h) and convert it to assembly:

gcc -S my_os.c -o my_os.asm -masm=intel

Then, I compile assembly file to a raw binary:

as my_os.asm

Then I rename a.out (output of assembler) to my_os.flp and finally start my OS with VMWare :)

Maybe you can start by writing your own assembler :) I'm guessing the "290" bytes you're referring to is from the file header: every binary object file has one of these. — paulsm4, Dec 12 '11 at 22:53
@Amir - can't you just use `objcopy` or `segedit` or something to copy out the binary parts you care about? — Carl Norum, Dec 12 '11 at 23:16
@CiroSantilli新疆改造中心996ICU六四事件: should this be closed as a duplicate of [How to generate plain binaries like nasm -f bin with the GNU GAS assembler?](//stackoverflow.com/q/6828631)? — Peter Cordes, Jul 15 '19 at 02:41
@PeterCordes yes, that is what I said 5 years ago on my previous comment :-) — Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com, Jul 15 '19 at 07:58
@CiroSantilli新疆改造中心996ICU六四事件: I was asking if that was still accurate, since you have an answer on both questions that you've updated since then. — Peter Cordes, Jul 15 '19 at 07:58
@PeterCordes I need to get one of those assembly dupehammers XD — Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com, Jul 15 '19 at 07:59
@CiroSantilli新疆改造中心996ICU六四事件: Some of your assembly answers seem to be under a 2nd account. Merging them might help. — Peter Cordes, Jul 15 '19 at 08:00
@PeterCordes it's OK, I need a "politically amoral" puppet for reasons :-) — Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com, Jul 15 '19 at 08:02

Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-23T10:50:21.013

ld --oformat binary

For quick and dirty tests you can do:

as -o a.o a.S
ld --oformat binary -o a.out a.o
hd a.out

Gives:

00000000  90 90                                             |..|
00000002

Unfortunately this gives a warning:

ld: warning: cannot find entry symbol _start; defaulting to 0000000000400000

which does not make much sense with binary. It could be silenced with:

.section .text
.globl start
start:
nop
nop

and:

ld -e start --oformat binary -o a.out a.o

or simply with:

ld -e 0 --oformat binary -o a.out a.o

which tells ld that the entry point is not _start but the code at address 0.

It is a shame that neither as nor ld can take input / ouptut from stdin / stdout, so no piping.

Proper boot sector

If you are going to to something more serious, the best method is to generate a clean minimal linker script. linker.ld:

SECTIONS
{
    . = 0x7c00;
    .text :
    {
        *(.*)
        . = 0x1FE;
        SHORT(0xAA55)
    }
}

Here we also place the magic bytes with the linker script.

The linker script is important above all to control the output addresses after relocation. Learn more about relocation at: https://stackoverflow.com/a/30507725/895245

Use it as:

as -o a.o a.S
ld --oformat binary -o a.img -T linker.ld a.o

And then you can boot as:

qemu-system-i386 -hda a.img

Working examples on this repository: https://github.com/cirosantilli/x86-bare-metal-examples/blob/d217b180be4220a0b4a453f31275d38e697a99e0/Makefile

Tested on Binutils 2.24, Ubuntu 14.04.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 22 '18 at 17:57

0

org 100h
nop
nop

You can use fasm to compile:

fasm yourcode.asm targetfilename.com

answered Jun 22 '18 at 17:57

sarkiroka

1,485
20
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The question already says "When I compile it with NASM or FASM, output file length is 2 bytes". This isn't an answer to *this* question, which is about GAS. – Peter Cordes Jun 22 '18 at 18:09
I see, but I don't understand why must be use another compiler when fasm produce the correct result. – sarkiroka Jun 22 '18 at 18:35
This was already [debated in comments](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8482059/how-to-compile-an-assembly-file-to-a-raw-binary-like-dos-com-format-with-gnu/50993377?noredirect=1#comment10493864_8482487) under the `nasm -f bin` answer (which is the same answer as this one). Presumably they want to use GAS syntax, not NASM or FASM, for whatever reason. Or it seems the question may have come from the mistaken impression that you could usefully use this with `gcc -S` output to make 16-bit code. – Peter Cordes Jun 22 '18 at 18:40

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 12 '11 at 23:36

0

Use NASM with the -f bin option to compile your assembly code to a raw binary file.

answered Dec 12 '11 at 23:36

Alexey Frunze

61,140
12
83
180

But NASM can't compile the assembly output of gcc (See `gcc -S my_os.c -o my_os.asm -masm=intel`) – Amir Saniyan Dec 12 '11 at 23:41
5

On the other hand, gcc doesn't generate 16-bit code, which you need because your boot sector starts executing in 16-bit mode. All pointer/address manipulations in C code compiled for 32-bit mode will be wrong in 16-bit mode. – Alexey Frunze Dec 12 '11 at 23:54
1

Downvoter, be more constructive. – Alexey Frunze Dec 13 '11 at 07:03
5

@alex the poster is obviously using the GAS assembler, not NASM. So your answer is not really an answer at all. – Hawken Apr 23 '12 at 03:39
1

@Hawken: IIRC, (g)as does not produce flat/raw binaries. Do we want an impossible solution? – Alexey Frunze Apr 23 '12 at 03:48

How to compile an assembly file to a raw binary (like DOS .com) format with GNU assembler (as)?

3 Answers3

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