before you code, learn how computers work

People hop on stream all the time and ask me, what is the fastest way to learn about the lowest level? How do I learn about how computers work. Check out this video to find out.

🛒 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE LOWEST LEVEL🛒

🔥🔥🔥 SOCIALS 🔥🔥🔥

[sleepib]

I think to learn the lowest level, the first thing you learn is how to identify copper ore. More practically, maybe nandgame.

[adityaray]

C program teaches you that with great powers comes great responsibilities

[unknown-nj]

1- code in low level
2- Learn an Assembly variant
3 Learn Reverse Engineering
4- Pick up a board to learn write C on it

[rentristandelacruz]

Highest Level Programmer/Hacker: "I only do my programming and hacking on the highest level, social engineering. I don't even touch the keyboard anymore. I just manipulate people and have them do that task for me."

[lisbyte_]

If C is not low level, Python is raw English

[mourneris]

"We tricked rocks into thinking." I love this.

[mt-qcqh]

Absolutely spot on! I'm retired after 45 years in my career that started first in hardware (Data General Nova and Eclipse), assembly programming on the same. I learned C from the first edition of K&R C Programming language writing network software for bridging the minicomputers to Novell PC based networks. Knowing the internal register architecture was key to understanding every processor I've used since. I can't quantify how many hours I spent in CodeView hybrid view where the C code was shown in assembly for debugging. I spend most days even now in C on the various microcontrollers enjoying embedded programming. The ties between hardware understanding and programming is essential.

[thomaswesleyscott]

I learned ASM6502 (assembly) for NES game programming - one of the best things I've ever done. Any time someone talks about registers, the stack, bit shifting, etc... I feel like I (at a minimum) broadly understand what they're talking about, regardless of the programming language.

[hermand]

Wheeew - simply couldn't agree more. I've been coding casually, but also to a degree professionally (Think DevOps as opposed to developer) for nigh on 20 years. A few years ago I started to pick up, essentially, what this video says - I dipped my toe into Reverse Engineering, I started playing with C, and I started writing embedded software for STM32 devices (and now Raspberry Pico) in C & now Rust. Without a doubt, I've learnt more in 2 years of those projects than in the preceeding 18 despite having a vast list of succesful projects under my belt. Modern software just abstracts SO much - honestly, I would say I didn't even really, truly, understand arrays and lists until I learnt C. And then you start writing embedded and realise there is no memory allocater, and THEN it gets interesting all over again. I just wish I'd picked this stuff up 20 years ago.

[schism]

This video came at the right time for me. I'm a backend engineer working primarily in Python, but I've been feeling an urge to start tinkering with something lower level. I want to start datamining games but I have no idea how to do it given the files are encrypted. I found your channel because I was looking for stuff on reverse engineering.

[gamermaniac]

I tried to write a blinker led example in assembly before for an Arduino nano before and it was challenging and teaches a lot of stuff, so seeing you releasing a video about that topic exactly made feel more confident that i'm in right way

[ukaszgrabowski]

I like your mindset, teaching people low level as we move into more abstract and advanced tech. You're doing gods work.

[antoniodeodilonbrito]

“Or… God forbid… Javascript…” Yup, very accurate! 😂😂😂

[scootergirl]

Lowest level programming is one of my favorite YouTube channels ever. When I first got into tech I was pushed more towards front and engineering which is all fine and dandy but I found that I wanted to learn how the hardware interacts with the software. A lot of people seem to think that that is not needed anymore but I came to find out that a lot of people who have those skills are retiring or literally dying off.

So I predict that there is going to be a high need for people that understand very low level code – even if there are not as many job openings as say JavaScript Developers, companies will have a hard time finding people for low level jobs.

[Diablokiller]

Get a uC like any Atmel ATMega.
Code with C, later use ASM and toggle some outputs, control a motor, led, pumps etc. and create a small project like an automatic water pump that pours water on a plant when it's getting too dry (measure impedance between two nails).

[FredsRandomFinds]

Was waiting for you to suggest Machine Code. (I knew someone who was teaching themselves to program with this on a ZX Spectrum 128k back in the 80's...)

[MartinLindsay]

There's a lot of focus on how your cpu does things, and honestly there's a lot I personally could learn there but I think the one topic you might be overlooking is how memory access and caching works. I spent a few months reading and learning about efficient use of cpu caching (and as a result efficient multicore programming) and it blew my mind what a difference it made. I recommend the paper What Every Programmer Should Know About Memory by Ulrich Drepper.

[blacknight]

Having coded for Motorola 6809E and some 68k back in the 90s, the one thing that I've noticed over the last few decades is that people in our technical field have lost the ability to troubleshoot. Learning by making mistakes also seems to be stigmatised somewhat. It's by going through this process and stumbling and failing, then being able to find your bugs that you learn. The ability to leverage internet searches at your fingertips and the collective knowledge of peers is incredible today compared to 30 years ago. And of course "Digital Intelligence"(AI) has also spoiled us. Learning the low level is great but not everyone necessarily appreciates it significance. Do modern curriculums at university even teach it anymore? Or is it merely that the amount of compute at our fingertips spoils us? Loving your videos and thank goodness for people like you. 👍

[dameanvil]

0:00 🎓 Focus on learning low-level concepts such as C programming language.
2:49 🧠 Understanding an assembly variant provides insights into CPU behavior and aids in code optimization.
3:56 🔍 Learning reverse engineering basics enhances understanding of code functionality and aids in debugging.
5:18 💡 Exploring embedded systems with boards like STM32 and writing C code for them enriches low-level understanding and practical skills.

[hypergraphic]

Love that last part about tricking rocks to think. My own personal definition of magic is "the ability to manipulate reality with consciousness". When it comes to computers I think we do just that, which is part of what makes it so cool.