I'm getting pretty tired of this false advertisement. This is not a C compiler. It doesn't have many crucial features required to compile most larger C programs. I do have to say it's impressive what they have squeezed into 512 byte.
This is technically true! What is posted here is not a C compiler. It is an implementation of a subset of C.
I'd prefer that the title honestly mentions that like: A compiler for a subset of C that fits in the 512 byte boot sector.
It is still a remarkable feat. But honestly, when I read the original title I was in complete disbelief that someone could implement a whole C compiler in 512 bytes.
But with the new context that it is a subset of C (not the whole C), the initial great surprise is gone. It is still very impressive though.
So it's a c subset interpreter.
And a very cool thing. This is not a denegration or critique at all, just terminology.
I think it's perfectly fine for a bootstrapper to be a drastic subset. They all already are drastically limited in countless other ways anyways like not knowing how to use any of the crazy hardware, networking, etc. A forth bootloader is a full turing language that can eventually do anything, but it itself can do almost nothing initially besides use bios-provided features and start interpreting code which then provides more functionality.
>SectorC is a C compiler written in x86-16 assembly that fits within the 512 byte boot sector of an x86 machine. It supports a subset of C that is large enough to write real and interesting programs.
The post title could include this, but perhaps it's a little verbose.
In any case, agreed it's impressive to fit it in 512 bytes!