+; setup -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+setup:
+
+; initialize xss
+mov ah, 0x00 ; get
+int 0x1a ; system time
+mov [XSS], dx ; cx:dx = number of clock ticks since midnight
+
+; initialize grid
+mov di, GRID ; es:di -> GRID
+mov cx, COLS * ROWS ; for each cell
+
+.initgrid: ; do {
+ call xs ; [XSS] = rand
+ mov al, DEAD ; al = DEAD (likely)
+
+ test [XSS], 0b11
+
+ jnz .initgrid_nz ; if ([XSS] % 4 == 0)
+ mov al, ALIVE ; al = ALIVE
+
+.initgrid_nz:
+ stosb ; [es:(di++)] = al
+
+ loop .initgrid ; } while (--cx)
+
+call print_grid
+
+jmp halt
+
+; functions -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+; xs() - xorshift pseudorandom number generator -------------------------------
+
+; output:
+; [XSS] = updated state
+
+; clobbers bx, dx
+
+xs:
+
+mov bx, [XSS]
+mov dx, bx
+
+shl dx, 1 ; dx = xss << 1
+xor bx, dx ; bx = xss ^ (xss << 1)
+mov dx, bx
+
+shr dx, 3 ; dx = xss' >> 3
+xor bx, dx ; bx = xss' ^ (xss' >> 3)
+mov dx, bx
+
+shl dx, 10 ; dx = xss'' << 10
+xor bx, dx ; bx = xss'' ^ (xss'' << 10)
+mov [XSS], bx
+
+ret
+
+; print_grid() - print GRID cells to screen -----------------------------------
+
+; (*) this function expects ds = 0 when called and sets es = 0 before
+; returning. this is simpler because in the rest of the program we want the
+; segment registers to be zeroed anyway.
+
+; clobbers ax, cx, di, si
+
+print_grid:
+