Editing an .exe file (Dropline-GNOME and Slackware Current)

DreameR-X · 06-05-2005, 12:33 AM

Hello, I'm just wondering if there is a way to use a text editor to view .exe files in linux? It gave me an error when I tried with gedit, so I'm curious if it is possible at all or if I need a windows emulator. Thanks ahead!

Cheers,
Galen

Simon Bridge · 06-05-2005, 02:01 AM

No it is not possible. *.exe files are DOS binary files.
You cannot view them in windows or DOS either - only execute them.
(The error you got was about trying to open a binary?)

kencaz · 06-05-2005, 02:50 AM

There are editors that will allow you to view and changed .exe and other files.
You may want to search for Decompilers, hex editors, reverse engineering sofware, etc... if your into that sort of thing.

http://www.freebyte.com/programming/...#disassemblers
http://www.programmersheaven.com/zone16/cat1055/

KC

ahh · 06-05-2005, 02:51 AM

Khexedit is probably the easiest and most capable binary file viewer, but there is ghex (gtk based) and hexcurse (ncurses based) and several others as well. A google search for "linux hex editor" is a good start.

If you are just interested in the readable content of the file you can use the command

Code:

strings /path/to/file

to view the content in a console. (man strings for options)

DreameR-X · 06-05-2005, 03:59 PM

Awesome! Thanks guys! Yea, Dropline came with a hex editor, so I'll just use that.

Simon: You can view .exe files in Windows just using wordpad (you just get a lot of crazy symbols you need to cipher through). =)

Cheers,
Galen