Reference Materials

C Programming

• The C programming language
• Modern C
• Learn C The Hard Way
• Security issues in C

UNIX

• The UNIX Operating System, AT&T Archives at YouTube
• The UNIX Time-Sharing System, Dennis M. Ritchie and Ken L.Thompson, Bell System Technical Journal
• The Evolution of the Unix Time-sharing System, Dennis M. Ritchie
• A Commentary on the Sixth Edition UNIX Operating System, John Lions

x86 Emulation

• QEMU (manual)
• Bochs (manual, debugging)

x86 Assembly Language

• PC Assembly Language, Paul A. Carter, November 2003.
• Intel 80386 Programmer’s Reference Manual, 1987 (HTML). Much shorter than the full current Intel Architecture manuals below, but describes all processor features used in EE469.

• IA-32 Intel Architecture Software Developer’s Manuals,

  • Volume I: Basic Architecture
  • Volume 2A: Instruction Set Reference, A-M
  • Volume 2B: Instruction Set Reference, N-Z
  • Volume 2C: Instruction Set Reference, Safer mode extensions
  • Volume 3A: System Programming Guide, Part 1
  • Volume 3B: System Programming Guide, Part 2
  • Volume 3C: System Programming Guide, Part 3

• Multiprocessor references:

  • MP specification
  • IO APIC

• AMD64 Architecture Programmer’s Manual.

  • Covers both the “classic” 32-bit x86 architecture and the new 64-bit extensions supported by the latest AMD and Intel processors.

• Writing inline assembly language with GCC:

  • Brennan’s Guide to Inline Assembly
  • Inline assembly for x86 in Linux
  • GCC-Inline-Assembly-HOWTO

• Loading x86 executables in the ELF format:

  • Wikipedia: ELF
  • Tool Interface Standard (TIS) Executable and Linking Format (ELF)

PC Hardware Programming

• General PC architecture information:

  • Phil Storrs PC Hardware book, Phil Storrs, December 1998.
  • Bochs technical hardware specifications directory.

• General BIOS and PC bootstrap:

  • Wikipedia: BIOS
  • BIOS Services and Software Interrupts, Roger Morgan, 1997.
  • “El Torito” Bootable CD-ROM Format Specification, Phoenix/IBM, January 1995.

• VGA display - kern/console.c

  • OS-Dev,
  • Wikipedia: VGA,
  • Wikipedia: CGA
  • Wikipedia: VESA,
  • VESA BIOS Extension (VBE) 3.0,
  • Video Electronics Standards Association, September 1998. (local copy)
  • VGADOC, Finn Thøgersen, 2000. (local copy - text), (local copy - ZIP)
  • Free VGA Project.

• Keyboard and Mouse - kern/console.c

  • Adam Chapweske’s resources.

• 8253/8254 Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) - inc/timerreg.h

  • 82C54 CHMOS Programmable Interval Timer, Intel, October 1994. (local copy)
  • Data Solutions 8253/8254 Tutorial

• 8259/8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) - kern/picirq.*

  • 8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller, Intel, December 1988.

• Real-Time Clock (RTC) - kern/kclock.*

  • Wikipedia:Nonvolatile BIOS memory
  • Phil Storrs PC Hardware book
  • Understanding the CMOS
  • A list of what is in the CMOS
  • CMOS Map Table,
  • CMOS Map
  • M48T86 PC Real-Time Clock

• 16550 UART Serial Port - kern/console.c

  • Wikipedia: Serial port
  • PC16550D Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with FIFOs
  • Technical Data on 16550
  • Interfacing the Serial / RS232 Port

• IEEE 1284 Parallel Port - kern/console.c

  • Parallel Port Central
  • Parallel Port Background
  • IEEE 1284 - Updating the PC Parallel Port
  • Interfacing the Standard Parallel Port

• IDE hard drive controller - fs/ide.c

  • Programming Interface for Bus Master IDE Controller
  • The Guide to ATA/ATAPI documentation

• Sound cards: (not supported in EE469 kernel, but you’re welcome to do it as a challenge problem!)

  • Sound Blaster Series Hardware Programming Guide
  • 8237A High Performance Programmable DMA Controller
  • Sound Blaster 16 Programming Document
  • Sound Programming

• E100 Network Interface Card:

  • Intel 8255x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller Family Open Source Software Developer Manual
  • 82559ER Fast Ethernet PCI Controller Datasheet

• E1000 Network Interface Card:

  • PCI/PCI-X Family of Gigabit Ethernet Controllers Software Developer’s Manual

• Booting:

  • Multiboot
  • Minimal Intel Architecture Boot Loader