The GCC Pipeline: From C to Machine

An introduction to the role of systems programming, the GCC compilation process, and the fundamental type system of C. The GCC Pipeline: From C to Machine turns that idea into something you can manipulate directly and watch respond.

An introduction to the role of systems programming, the GCC compilation process, and the fundamental type system of C. It focuses on Systems Programming vs. Operating Systems, GCC Compilation Process, Object Lifetimes (Static, Stack, Heap), C Type System and Casting, Undefined Behavior from the “Introduction to Systems Programming and C” section.

The “PREV”, “NEXT” buttons run actions or reset the demo. Every change updates the visualization in real time, so you can see exactly how each variable affects the outcome.

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the interface between software and hardware, focusing on the C programming language and the Unix/POSIX operating system model. Students learn to manage low-level memor… This demo is the interactive piece for the “Introduction to Systems Programming and C” section. Open the full Systems Programming in C and Unix Environments course wiki at https://www.getlykke.com/explore/public/systems-programming-in-c-and-unix-6e77335e-38a0-4d8f-91d6-77ac878ffc1b for notes, flashcards, quizzes and the other demos.

You'll build intuition for Systems Programming vs. Operating Systems, GCC Compilation Process, Object Lifetimes (Static, Stack, Heap), C Type System and Casting, Undefined Behavior — and, crucially, see how they behave when you change the inputs, which is hard to get from a textbook or lecture on Systems Programming in C and Unix Environments alone.