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HelloAssembly The smallest possible complete Windows application
tool
4 min read
PlummersSoftwareLLC’s HelloAssembly repository contains x86 assembly implementations of a minimal complete Windows application. The project targets an uncompressed executable that runs a Windows message loop; provides a title bar with functional minimize, maximize, and close controls; includes the corresponding system menu; and paints a background plus centered text at least as large as “Dave’s Tiny App.” The repository includes several variants: TinyOriginal, an optimized original implementation; Lasse, which uses shell-coding tactics; and Theron, which uses a manually written Portable Executable header. As of March 11, 2023, the listed smallest working builds were 1,104 bytes for Lasse built with MASM32, 818 bytes for Lasse built with Crinkler, 540 bytes for TinyOriginal built with Crinkler, and 383 bytes for Theron built with Yasm. Lasse can be built with MASM32 11.0, while Theron requires Yasm. Crinkler, a linker designed for executables of a few kilobytes, requires the Windows SDK; version 10.0.20348.0 produced the smallest stated results. The repository warns that aggressive size optimizations in Lasse and Crinkler may resemble malware techniques and trigger antivirus detections. The maintainers say the repository contains no malicious code, while warning they cannot verify binaries or code obtained from other sources.