The long-awaited fourth edition of this bestselling introduction to assembly language has been completely rewritten to focus on 64-bit protected-mode Linux assembler. Assembly is the fundamental language bridging human ideas and the pure silicon hearts of computers, and popular author Jeff Duntemann retains his distinctive lighthearted style as he presents a step-by-step approach to this difficult technical discipline.

This edition makes quicker work of the basic ideas of programmable computing, the binary and hexadecimal number systems, the Intel x86 computer architecture, and the process of software development under Linux. After that quick foundation he systematically treats the x86 instruction set, memory addressing, procedures, macros, and interface to the C-language code libraries upon which Linux itself is built.

This fourth edition is the first time the book covers 64-bit architecture which is now the dominant and only current desktop processor architecture. While readers will see how to maintain backward 32-bit compatibility, this edition is purely focused on what readers will need for 64-bit programming for years to come.

As with previous editions, the software tools used in the book are all free and open-source. Similarly, this edition maintains the use of numerous examples woven through the book and practical tips on software design, coding, testing, and debugging that have made it a one-stop resource for generations of assembly programmers.