# xorvoid/sectorc

A C Compiler that fits in the 512 byte boot sector of an x86 machine

Repository: https://github.com/xorvoid/sectorc
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/sectorc
Language: C
License: CC0-1.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-02-08T06:18:25+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 59/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 66, release rhythm 35, longevity 85
- inputs: {"age_days": 1197, "days_push": 206, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1852, forks 79 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:44.412459+00:00)

## What it is
SectorC is a C compiler written in x86-16 assembly that fits entirely within a 512-byte x86 boot sector. It supports a small but usable subset of C, including functions, global variables, control flow, pointers, and inline machine code.

## Use cases
- compile C programs that fit in a 512-byte boot sector
- write real programs on bare-metal x86 with no OS
- learn how compilers work at the smallest possible scale
- run C code directly on vintage IBM PC hardware
- explore sizecoding and demoscene-style programming challenges

## When to choose
- you need the smallest possible C compiler for boot-sector demos
- you want to write bare-metal x86-16 programs in a C subset
- you are studying compiler design or extreme size optimization

## When to avoid
- you need a full-featured, standards-compliant C compiler
- you need modern tooling, optimization, or debugging support
- you are targeting anything other than 16-bit x86 bare metal

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: compiler, programming-language, developer-tools
- domain: compilers, programming-languages, developer-tools, operating-systems
- platform: cpp, cli
- tags: c-compiler, boot-sector, x86-16, sizecoding, demoscene, retro-computing, 512-bytes, linux

## Member repositories
- xorvoid/sectorc (main) score 59

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:44.412459+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:16:54.200746+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/xorvoid/sectorc (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:44.412459+00:00, sha 58194f66b8d2)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.