IBM Macro Assembler

[youngstorm]

Hi,
This looks like a great place for noobs like me.
I am reading Robert Lafore's book "Assembly Language Primer".
It requires the IBM Macro Assembler. Is it possable to still get it or
do I need to use another assembler. I use WinXP and Linux for OS.
I will install DOS 6.22 if needed or what ever OS is needed, if I have it.
If it is still possable to get it, where?? I have googled for it but could not
find it.

Thank you,
Michael

[MichaelW]

I've never seen an IBM-branded assembler for the PC. From the first edition of Peter Norton's Assembly Language Book for the IBM PC, Peter Norton and John Socha, Brady Books, 1986, under Equipment Requirements:

"And, starting in Part II, you'll need either the IBM or the Microsoft Macro Assembler."

The code examples in the book look very normal for an early version of MASM, so I suspect the IBM assembler is actually a re-branded version of MASM. If this is so, you should be able to substitute the version of MASM that is included in the MASM32 package. You will need to get the 16-bit linker, available as a self-extracting archive, here:

http://www.website.masmforum.com/microsoft/Lnk563.exe

The 16-bit linker and the 32-bit linker are both named link.exe, so take care not to overwrite the 32-bit linker when you expand the archive. I normally rename the 16-bit linker to link16.exe, and place it, a copy of MASM (ML.EXE), and ML.ERR in the folder with my DOS source files, and assemble and link with a batch file like this:

Code Select Expand


ML /c filename.asm
pause
LINK16 filename.obj;
pause


You can run most well-behaved DOS apps under Windows XP no problem. You will have problems with apps that attempt low-level access of the hard disk, most apps that access I/O ports, and apps that use the RTC-related BIOS functions.

[youngstorm]

cool.
Thanks MichaelW
Where can I download MS Assembler? I went to there web site
but could not get it there.

Michael

[MichaelW]

If there is any possibility that you will transition to Win32 programming, then I suggest that you get the entire MASM32 package from here:

http://www.website.masmforum.com/masm32.htm

Otherwise, you can get MASM 6.15 and the 16-bit linker here:

http://spiff.tripnet.se/~iczelion/download.html