Writing a Valid C Program Without main() by Walking the Compilation Pipeline

Writing a (valid) C program without main()

I guide you through the C compilation pipeline, from preprocessing to linking, to reveal how Linux executables actually start. By understanding the role of startup code and the _start entry point, you can build a working binary that completely bypasses the traditional main() function. This deep dive shows how to interact directly with the kernel using system calls instead of relying on the C standard library.