Reko

What Reko is

Reko decompiles machine-code binaries into a high-level language. It can be used through a graphical shell, a command-line program, or as a .NET library, and accepts either individual executable files or Reko project files. Project files can hold extra information to guide decompilation or format output. Its supported-binaries listing covers processor architectures and executable formats and indicates the maturity of support for each. On Windows, the installer includes GUI and command-line clients for 32-bit and 64-bit x86 systems. The guide describes running Reko on other operating systems with Mono, while the README lists .NET 9.0 as an installation prerequisite. A cross-platform Avalonia GUI is under development. Users may need to provide type information, comments, and readable procedure names to obtain useful decompilation. Reko is free under GPL-2.0. Its project offers an issue tracker and chatroom for questions and issue reports, and cautions that some software licenses prohibit decompilation or reverse engineering.

Who it suits

Reko is for people who need to inspect machine-code binaries and can work with its supported architectures and formats. Users should be prepared to add information such as types, comments, or procedure names when needed.

Getting started

1. Open the Reko repository at https://github.com/uxmal/reko.
2. On Windows, use the installer for the GUI and command-line clients on supported x86 systems.
3. For installation, refer to the README prerequisite of .NET 9.0.
4. On non-Windows machines, follow the guide's Mono approach.
5. Open an executable file or a Reko project file.
6. Add type information, comments, or friendly procedure names if useful to the decompilation.

Verdict

Reko offers several ways to work with binaries and supports project files for additional guidance. Check the supported-binaries information and applicable software licenses before using it.