From 78d0147e7870904509ee3c8294c60eaf9b65c342 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: thomasabishop <thomasabishop@tuta.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2025 19:30:18 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] entry: bytecode in Java and Py

---
 zk/C_compilation_process.md                   | 26 ++++++++++++++++---
 ...nce_between_bytecode_in_Python_and_Java.md | 13 ++++++++++
 2 files changed, 35 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 zk/Difference_between_bytecode_in_Python_and_Java.md

diff --git a/zk/C_compilation_process.md b/zk/C_compilation_process.md
index 26bb847..16fd0a3 100644
--- a/zk/C_compilation_process.md
+++ b/zk/C_compilation_process.md
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ just run the following in your source directory:
 gcc main.c
 ```
 
+> `gcc` stands for GNU C compiler. Actually `gcc` is a driver that orchestrates
+> muliple tools: `cc1`, the actual C-to-assembly compiler; `as` the assembler
+> (assembly to object file); and `ld` the linker (linking the object files to
+> the executable)
+
 This generates:
 
 ```
@@ -147,10 +152,10 @@ main:
 ## Assembly
 
 The assembly language code is converted into machine code. The output is an
-**object file** (`.o`) which containes the machine code but is not yet
-executable because it is not yet linked to the functions and variables that come
-from imported code. Your object file is not yet combined with the object files
-of the libraries and resources you have used.
+**object file** (`.o`) which contains the machine code but is not yet executable
+because it is not yet linked to the functions and variables that come from
+imported code. Your object file is not yet combined with the object files of the
+libraries and resources you have used.
 
 Create just the object file with:
 
@@ -201,3 +206,16 @@ To break this down:
 In the final stage the object files are combined, resolving all the references
 between them. The result of this stage will be the `a.out` file mentioned
 earlier.
+
+## Different architectures
+
+By default `gcc` will compile to whichever architecture it is being run on.
+
+As I am using Linux x86-64, I get x86 machine code.
+
+It is possible - although not trivial - to compile to different architectures
+which use different [instruction set](./Instruction_set_architectures.md').
+Instructions sets other than the native machine you are running `gcc` on. This
+is known as **cross-compiling**.
+
+You might do this for ARM, say, and it would result in an ARM64 object file.
diff --git a/zk/Difference_between_bytecode_in_Python_and_Java.md b/zk/Difference_between_bytecode_in_Python_and_Java.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a697406
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zk/Difference_between_bytecode_in_Python_and_Java.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+tags:
+  - python
+  - java
+---
+
+# Difference between bytecode in Python and Java
+
+Java bytecode is the distribution format - you compile source to `.class` files
+and ship those to run on the JVM. [Python bytecode](./Python_interpreter.md) is
+an internal caching mechanism - you ship `.py` source files and Python compiles
+them to bytecode (`.pyc`) behind the scenes to speed up subsequent runs. Java
+bytecode is the end product; Python bytecode is an implementation detail.