I am interested in learning about reverse engineering. I started 2 days ago to read some of the things that people recommended (when I used the search looking for learning cracking I found some posts and read them) They seem to recommend different things and I was wondering if some of you could get together and make a post saying if you want to start from scratch look here... then have the list of things to do basically in order that you all agree on.

Now on to my question. Please post for me some of the books, tools, programs, and programming languages that you would recommend.

My info to give you a perspective of where/what to tell me to get.
I am using windows xp - is this okay? if not what OS should I be using?
I am learning VBscript - started this yesterday because I want to use it on windows platform.
I love to read - please give me some book titles that will help me as I always get gift cards to the local book store.
I do go to college full time (14 credit hours) and work full time job. So I realize it will take me time to learn so that is not a problem I am more than willing to work the years it will take so that I can achive my goals.

That is about all, hope that gives you an idea of where I am coming from.



Thanks,

Jera

You are too good to be true

You can look below for Krobars site for tutorials to start with.
His beginner tuts should tell you the tools that you need.
Make sure you get tutorials that have the program included.
Most times tutorials dont include the program and the latest version
available will not help the new learner.

Patience is a must. This is not easy.
If you are willing to do the work, there are many here who will help you

Peace, Woodmann

Hi

Indeed, there are many, many good resources linked at the bottom of the page, any and all are worth exploring. If I had to mention only two as a starting point I might suggest the following at Crackz:

Reverse Engineering - Getting Started Guide
http://www.woodmann.com/crackz/Getstart.htm

cRACKER's nOTES by TORN@DO
http://www.woodmann.com/crackz/Archives/Crknotes.zip

Best of luck,
Kayaker

PS

http://www.woodmann.com/fravia/spaia20020530_2.pdf
Is a well organized and zero knowledge assuming introduction to RCE.
I may provide a global vision


Naides

And welcome aboard. It is, indeed, refreshing to find someone who recognizes that this is an adventure that is about the journey. It is the process of learning, itself, that makes the trip worthwhile. Several of the suggestions you have already been given will make clear to you that one of the foundations you will need is an understanding of the basics of assembly language, at least to start, so that you will understand what you are looking at when you begin to use the "tools of the trade." There are, of course, some "other" languages, but assembly will be what you see iin most of the things you have been directed to so far. Here is just one, of many sources which has a wealth of information on this subject, including an online and downloadable pdf series called, The Art of Assembly language.":

http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/index.html

Regards,

Thank you all. I believe that you have given me enough information to keep me busy for the next month or so. These appear to be great directions and I will do my best to make you proud! Well, time to fuel up (get some food) and start this learning experience (read a lot). Hope I can talk with you all some time in the near future, but fear not if you do not see me because that means that I am learning with minor difficulty.


Thanks,

Jera

P.S. I still would like to know a title of a book or three to purchase. Seeing as how you have told me to learn C/C++ I suppose a book on that subject would be in order along with a book on assembly (any specific titles?).

You certainly do not need to "buy" a book on assembly language. The link I gave you had more than enough to get you well started with assembly language. This link will get you even more information and compilers, tutorials, etc on the subject:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/1563/assembly.html

One of my favorite repeated phrases is that "learning to search is one of the most important skills for a reverse code engineer to learn."

There are large resources available on the net in the form of ebooks and although many of them started out life af paid offerings, they, nevertheless, tend to get posted around the net, where they can be "acquired" without cost. One of the things you need to learn about searching is the use of additional conditional phrases to narrow the focus of your search. The founder of this Forum +Fravia went on to devote his time to an entire website devoted to the art of searching. You will find a link to his site in the links at the bottom. It is searchlores.

In the mean time, try doing a search in your favorite search engine with the phrase: "any_subject_you_want + ebook," i.e. "assembly language programing + ebooks" and you will find alot of information. There are entire websites devoted to ebooks for the reverser's with usefull offerings for those who are willing to study.

What you want to keep in mind is the while the subject of "programming" and "reversing" are obviously inter-related, you don't have to know how to actually write programs to learn how to take them apart, but it certainly has it's advantages. But most of the tools that are used in reversing do not show the code in the language of the programmer, but more usually in assembly language, although there are exceptions.

But at the start, most of the things you will use will be showing you assembly language, and you need to at least learn how to recognize what you are looking at in terms of what the code symbols tell you is happening. Later you can learn that you are, for instance watching the program push parameters on the stack for a call to a routine, etc, but that can come latter. There is a whole lot to grasp at the start. Patience and effort are required and rewarded.

Regards,

Regards,

If you're really looking to spend the gift card you get from Santa, on the shelf now is a new book you could browse through at least. Nothing you couldn't learn elsewhere over time as JMI mentions, but it looked to be well written and interesting enough by a more than competent author.

Hacker Disassembling Uncovered by Kris Kaspersky

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931769222/qid=1072132116//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i0_xgl14/104-7567910-4090337?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

this is what i call a Super Moderator JMI always guiding people to get the right step. sure you got many pacience

One of my favorite repeated phrases is that "learning to search is one of the most important skills for a reverse code engineer to learn."

as JMI says and that's the Best to start with

anyway here's a good one too... there are many good tuts there.... check the ones made by Bengaly... very good for newbies.

hxxp://www.learn2crack.com/cracking4newbies.htm

this is not my site neither any relation i have with.. i'll hope some words from the site don't ofend anyone here i will prefer as name learn2reverse.com but this is not the case

Regards!