The funnest way to learn x86 AssemblyLanguage would probably have to be the manufacture of custom-built floppies, from the boot sector up. But, there are some questions that need to be answered first:
- Where can one find a decent BootLoader, so one can hack away at more than the one sector of disk?
- Are there any handy web references for all the PC Bios calls?
- Where are some sample floppy disk images? Is there an image bank anywhere yet?
- What's the deal with x86's having emulated 8088 mode? Why do you have to write to the keyboard to get out of it, instead of simply adding a "go to 32 bit mode, goddamnit" opcode?
One project of MikeGodfrey's is to build a LispLanguage interpreter on a bootable floppy, using the disk area as a bunch of CONS cells or shadow blocks. Any assistance with this project, or an example of it already completed would be a tonne of fun.
The GrandUnifiedBootloader (GRUB) is a FreeSoftware bootloader, which may help.
RalfBrownsInterruptList may be the BIOS reference you are looking for.