I am trying to learn IBM’s basic assembly language and I was wondering if there was a way of assembling BAL code on a Linux guest running on a mainframe?
I have nasm and as installed, but I think these are normally used for Intel processors rather than Z.
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Answer
There is a tool chain in Linux so that you can write assembler. as as an assembler then link edit and go. However, assembler is just a “language” which depends on a broader eco-system of APIs.
For instance, on z/OS there are a number of manuals that document the interfaces to operating system services, authorization of assembler and other “operating system services” that are going to vary depending on the OS you are developing in.
If you want to code 390x assembler on Linux you can but you are using OS services in Linux which are very different than other OS’ like z/OS.
If you are interested in a compare and contrast of the architectural differences between z/OS and zLinux you will find this presentation enlightening.