Commit | Line | Data |
---|---|---|
1b577b00 NC |
1 | README for LD |
2 | ||
252b5132 RH |
3 | This is the GNU linker. It is distributed with other "binary |
4 | utilities" which should be in ../binutils. See ../binutils/README for | |
5 | more general notes, including where to send bug reports. | |
6 | ||
7 | There are many features of the linker: | |
8 | ||
9 | * The linker uses a Binary File Descriptor library (../bfd) | |
10 | that it uses to read and write object files. This helps | |
11 | insulate the linker itself from the format of object files. | |
12 | ||
13 | * The linker supports a number of different object file | |
14 | formats. It can even handle multiple formats at once: | |
15 | Read two input formats and write a third. | |
16 | ||
17 | * The linker can be configured for cross-linking. | |
18 | ||
19 | * The linker supports a control language. | |
20 | ||
21 | * There is a user manual (ld.texinfo), as well as the | |
22 | beginnings of an internals manual (ldint.texinfo). | |
23 | ||
24 | Installation | |
25 | ============ | |
26 | ||
27 | See ../binutils/README. | |
28 | ||
29 | If you want to make a cross-linker, you may want to specify | |
30 | a different search path of -lfoo libraries than the default. | |
8e523c23 NC |
31 | You can do this by setting the LIB_PATH variable in ./Makefile |
32 | or using the --with-lib-path configure switch. | |
252b5132 RH |
33 | |
34 | To build just the linker, make the target all-ld from the top level | |
35 | directory (one directory above this one). | |
36 | ||
37 | Porting to a new target | |
38 | ======================= | |
39 | ||
40 | See the ldint.texinfo manual. | |
41 | ||
42 | Reporting bugs etc | |
43 | =========================== | |
44 | ||
45 | See ../binutils/README. | |
46 | ||
47 | Known problems | |
48 | ============== | |
49 | ||
50 | The Solaris linker normally exports all dynamic symbols from an | |
51 | executable. The GNU linker does not do this by default. This is | |
52 | because the GNU linker tries to present the same interface for all | |
53 | similar targets (in this case, all native ELF targets). This does not | |
54 | matter for normal programs, but it can make a difference for programs | |
55 | which try to dlopen an executable, such as PERL or Tcl. You can make | |
56 | the GNU linker export all dynamic symbols with the -E or | |
57 | --export-dynamic command line option. | |
58 | ||
59 | HP/UX 9.01 has a shell bug that causes the linker scripts to be | |
60 | generated incorrectly. The symptom of this appears to be "fatal error | |
61 | - scanner input buffer overflow" error messages. There are various | |
62 | workarounds to this: | |
63 | * Build and install bash, and build with "make SHELL=bash". | |
64 | * Update to a version of HP/UX with a working shell (e.g., 9.05). | |
65 | * Replace "(. ${srcdir}/scripttempl/${SCRIPT_NAME}.sc)" in | |
66 | genscripts.sh with "sh ${srcdir}..." (no parens) and make sure the | |
67 | emulparams script used exports any shell variables it sets. |