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Master the boot process from power-on to OS load. Learn BIOS interrupts, UEFI programming, boot sector development, real and protected mode, and interrupt handlers.
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Document the Full Power-On Sequence: From PSU to OS
write a bootloader from scratch
Firmware is everything that runs before a modern OS takes over. This track walks that path: boot process theory, real-mode programming, boot sector development, protected mode transitions, BIOS and UEFI interfaces, and early device drivers with interrupts.
You write code that would once have lived only in dusty bootcamp notes: sector loads, A20, GDT and IDT setup, PIC and PIT programming, keyboard and serial paths. UEFI tasks bring the modern firmware model into view so you are not stuck in 16-bit nostalgia.
Search intent for this track is high-signal and low-supply: people looking for "write a bootloader from scratch" or "UEFI hello world" rarely find a structured path with tests. Complete Language Foundations first. When you finish, the jump into the Mini Kernel subtrack in Operating Systems feels like a continuation, not a cliff.
Understand what actually happens from power-on to your OS. Learn about the BIOS/UEFI, reset vector, memory map, system clock, secure boot, initramfs, and chainloading.
Learn BIOS interrupts, UEFI application development, and firmware-level programming interfaces for hardware access before OS loads.
Learn to write boot sectors, the first 512-byte code that runs when a computer starts. Create minimal bootloaders using x86 assembly.
Master x86 real mode: segmented memory addressing, 16-bit registers, and limitations. Essential for bootloader and legacy systems development.
Learn to switch x86 CPU from real mode to protected mode, enabling 32-bit operation, memory protection, and access to all 4GB of memory.
Master interrupt handlers and device driver fundamentals. Write ISRs for hardware events and understand the interrupt mechanism.
Difficulty Progression