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Off-topic: does anyone know what software was used to make graphics like http://www.devttys0.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/recvfrom.... ?

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It's a feature in IDA.

You can get even better graphics out of Hopper.app, which is a great little program. Hopper will even do a decent first-pass conversion from assembly back to C.

Yet IDA Pro is much more mature and feature-rich, and it has become an industry standard. I wish there was an open-source alternative.

We use both, but when I can get away with using Hopper, I try to, because the UI is nicer, the program feels faster, and the Python extension interface is built right in.

Disassemblers are a good target for open source development. They're commercially valuable only for a very small subset of users, and the market leader is terribly mispriced relative to the value it provides, which drags the whole commercial market for them down.

Not only are they terribly mis-priced, it is very difficult for people that are not in the security industry but have an interest in reverse engineering to get access to the software because the author won't sell to them.

IDA 5.0 is available for free. Worth trying it out, for experimenting and for having fun :)

https://www.hex-rays.com/products/ida/support/download_freew...

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