Question 1

How do I run ScratchABit on Windows?

Accepted Answer

The FAQ recommends installing Linux in an emulator or VM, as ScratchABit is designed for Unix-like systems with VT100 terminals. There's no native Windows support, and setup requires manual configuration.

Question 2

ScratchABit vs IDA Pro: which is better for reverse engineering?

Accepted Answer

ScratchABit is open-source, hackable with Python plugins, and ideal for static analysis across architectures on a budget. IDA Pro is commercial with more features like decompilation and dynamic debugging, but it's expensive and proprietary.

Question 3

How to write a custom CPU plugin for ScratchABit?

Accepted Answer

Use the IDAPython API; write a plugin in Python and place it in the plugins/cpu/ directory or on the Python path. Refer to included examples like x86.py and the example .def files for guidance.

Question 4

Can ScratchABit handle large binaries efficiently?

Accepted Answer

It uses Python for disassembly, which may impact performance with very large binaries compared to native tools. However, its incremental disassembly and text-based database help manage memory usage.

Question 5

Is there a graphical version of ScratchABit?

Accepted Answer

No, ScratchABit uses a full-screen text UI via ANSI/VT100 sequences to avoid dependencies. For graphical interfaces, you'd need to rely on plugins or external tools, which aren't natively supported.

Question 6

How to save and version control the disassembly database?

Accepted Answer

ScratchABit uses text-based database files, making them easy to track with git. However, git integration is listed as a TODO, so manual management is currently required for saving and versioning.

ScratchABit

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