* doc/binutils.texi: Fix typos.
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / binutils / doc / binutils.texi
1 \input texinfo @c -*- Texinfo -*-
2 @setfilename binutils.info
3 @c Copyright 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4
5 @include config.texi
6
7 @ifinfo
8 @format
9 START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
10 * Binutils: (binutils). The GNU binary utilities.
11 * ar: (binutils)ar. Create, modify, and extract from archives
12 * nm: (binutils)nm. List symbols from object files
13 * objcopy: (binutils)objcopy. Copy and translate object files
14 * objdump: (binutils)objdump. Display information from object files
15 * ranlib: (binutils)ranlib. Generate index to archive contents
16 * readelf: (binutils)readelf. Display the contents of ELF format files.
17 * size: (binutils)size. List section sizes and total size
18 * strings: (binutils)strings. List printable strings from files
19 * strip: (binutils)strip. Discard symbols
20 * c++filt: (binutils)c++filt. Filter to demangle encoded C++ symbols
21 * cxxfilt: (binutils)c++filt. MS-DOS name for c++filt
22 * addr2line: (binutils)addr2line. Convert addresses to file and line
23 * nlmconv: (binutils)nlmconv. Converts object code into an NLM
24 * windres: (binutils)windres. Manipulate Windows resources
25 * dlltool: (binutils)dlltool. Create files needed to build and use DLLs
26 END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
27 @end format
28 @end ifinfo
29
30 @ifinfo
31 @c man begin COPYRIGHT
32 Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
33
34 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
35 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
36 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
37 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
38 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
39 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
40
41 @c man end
42 @ignore
43 Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
44 results, provided the printed document carries a copying permission
45 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
46 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
47
48 @end ignore
49 @end ifinfo
50
51 @synindex ky cp
52 @c
53 @c This file documents the GNU binary utilities "ar", "ld", "objcopy",
54 @c "objdump", "nm", "size", "strings", "strip", "readelf" and "ranlib".
55 @c
56 @c Copyright (C) 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
57 @c
58 @c This text may be freely distributed under the terms of the GNU
59 @c Free Documentation License.
60 @c
61
62 @setchapternewpage odd
63 @settitle @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
64 @titlepage
65 @finalout
66 @title The @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
67 @subtitle Version @value{VERSION}
68 @sp 1
69 @subtitle May 1993
70 @author Roland H. Pesch
71 @author Jeffrey M. Osier
72 @author Cygnus Support
73 @page
74
75 @tex
76 {\parskip=0pt \hfill Cygnus Support\par \hfill
77 \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par }
78 @end tex
79
80 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
81 Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
82
83 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
84 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
85 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
86 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
87 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
88 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
89
90 @end titlepage
91
92 @node Top
93 @top Introduction
94
95 @cindex version
96 This brief manual contains preliminary documentation for the @sc{gnu} binary
97 utilities (collectively version @value{VERSION}):
98
99 @iftex
100 @table @code
101 @item ar
102 Create, modify, and extract from archives
103
104 @item nm
105 List symbols from object files
106
107 @item objcopy
108 Copy and translate object files
109
110 @item objdump
111 Display information from object files
112
113 @item ranlib
114 Generate index to archive contents
115
116 @item readelf
117 Display the contents of ELF format files.
118
119 @item size
120 List file section sizes and total size
121
122 @item strings
123 List printable strings from files
124
125 @item strip
126 Discard symbols
127
128 @item c++filt
129 Demangle encoded C++ symbols (on MS-DOS, this program is named
130 @code{cxxfilt})
131
132 @item addr2line
133 Convert addresses into file names and line numbers
134
135 @item nlmconv
136 Convert object code into a Netware Loadable Module
137
138 @item windres
139 Manipulate Windows resources
140
141 @item dlltool
142 Create the files needed to build and use Dynamic Link Libraries
143 @end table
144 @end iftex
145
146 This document is distributed under the terms of the GNU Free
147 Documentation License. A copy of the license is included in the
148 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
149
150 @menu
151 * ar:: Create, modify, and extract from archives
152 * nm:: List symbols from object files
153 * objcopy:: Copy and translate object files
154 * objdump:: Display information from object files
155 * ranlib:: Generate index to archive contents
156 * readelf:: Display the contents of ELF format files.
157 * size:: List section sizes and total size
158 * strings:: List printable strings from files
159 * strip:: Discard symbols
160 * c++filt:: Filter to demangle encoded C++ symbols
161 * cxxfilt: c++filt. MS-DOS name for c++filt
162 * addr2line:: Convert addresses to file and line
163 * nlmconv:: Converts object code into an NLM
164 * windres:: Manipulate Windows resources
165 * dlltool:: Create files needed to build and use DLLs
166 * Selecting The Target System:: How these utilities determine the target.
167 * Reporting Bugs:: Reporting Bugs
168 * GNU Free Documentation License:: GNU Free Documentation License
169 * Index:: Index
170 @end menu
171
172 @node ar
173 @chapter ar
174
175 @kindex ar
176 @cindex archives
177 @cindex collections of files
178
179 @c man title ar create, modify, and extract from archives
180
181 @smallexample
182 ar [-]@var{p}[@var{mod} [@var{relpos}] [@var{count}]] @var{archive} [@var{member}@dots{}]
183 ar -M [ <mri-script ]
184 @end smallexample
185
186 @c man begin DESCRIPTION ar
187
188 The @sc{gnu} @command{ar} program creates, modifies, and extracts from
189 archives. An @dfn{archive} is a single file holding a collection of
190 other files in a structure that makes it possible to retrieve
191 the original individual files (called @dfn{members} of the archive).
192
193 The original files' contents, mode (permissions), timestamp, owner, and
194 group are preserved in the archive, and can be restored on
195 extraction.
196
197 @cindex name length
198 @sc{gnu} @command{ar} can maintain archives whose members have names of any
199 length; however, depending on how @command{ar} is configured on your
200 system, a limit on member-name length may be imposed for compatibility
201 with archive formats maintained with other tools. If it exists, the
202 limit is often 15 characters (typical of formats related to a.out) or 16
203 characters (typical of formats related to coff).
204
205 @cindex libraries
206 @command{ar} is considered a binary utility because archives of this sort
207 are most often used as @dfn{libraries} holding commonly needed
208 subroutines.
209
210 @cindex symbol index
211 @command{ar} creates an index to the symbols defined in relocatable
212 object modules in the archive when you specify the modifier @samp{s}.
213 Once created, this index is updated in the archive whenever @command{ar}
214 makes a change to its contents (save for the @samp{q} update operation).
215 An archive with such an index speeds up linking to the library, and
216 allows routines in the library to call each other without regard to
217 their placement in the archive.
218
219 You may use @samp{nm -s} or @samp{nm --print-armap} to list this index
220 table. If an archive lacks the table, another form of @command{ar} called
221 @command{ranlib} can be used to add just the table.
222
223 @cindex compatibility, @command{ar}
224 @cindex @command{ar} compatibility
225 @sc{gnu} @command{ar} is designed to be compatible with two different
226 facilities. You can control its activity using command-line options,
227 like the different varieties of @command{ar} on Unix systems; or, if you
228 specify the single command-line option @option{-M}, you can control it
229 with a script supplied via standard input, like the MRI ``librarian''
230 program.
231
232 @c man end
233
234 @menu
235 * ar cmdline:: Controlling @command{ar} on the command line
236 * ar scripts:: Controlling @command{ar} with a script
237 @end menu
238
239 @page
240 @node ar cmdline
241 @section Controlling @command{ar} on the command line
242
243 @smallexample
244 @c man begin SYNOPSIS ar
245 ar [@option{-X32_64}] [@option{-}]@var{p}[@var{mod} [@var{relpos}] [@var{count}]] @var{archive} [@var{member}@dots{}]
246 @c man end
247 @end smallexample
248
249 @cindex Unix compatibility, @command{ar}
250 When you use @command{ar} in the Unix style, @command{ar} insists on at least two
251 arguments to execute: one keyletter specifying the @emph{operation}
252 (optionally accompanied by other keyletters specifying
253 @emph{modifiers}), and the archive name to act on.
254
255 Most operations can also accept further @var{member} arguments,
256 specifying particular files to operate on.
257
258 @c man begin OPTIONS ar
259
260 @sc{gnu} @command{ar} allows you to mix the operation code @var{p} and modifier
261 flags @var{mod} in any order, within the first command-line argument.
262
263 If you wish, you may begin the first command-line argument with a
264 dash.
265
266 @cindex operations on archive
267 The @var{p} keyletter specifies what operation to execute; it may be
268 any of the following, but you must specify only one of them:
269
270 @table @samp
271 @item d
272 @cindex deleting from archive
273 @emph{Delete} modules from the archive. Specify the names of modules to
274 be deleted as @var{member}@dots{}; the archive is untouched if you
275 specify no files to delete.
276
277 If you specify the @samp{v} modifier, @command{ar} lists each module
278 as it is deleted.
279
280 @item m
281 @cindex moving in archive
282 Use this operation to @emph{move} members in an archive.
283
284 The ordering of members in an archive can make a difference in how
285 programs are linked using the library, if a symbol is defined in more
286 than one member.
287
288 If no modifiers are used with @code{m}, any members you name in the
289 @var{member} arguments are moved to the @emph{end} of the archive;
290 you can use the @samp{a}, @samp{b}, or @samp{i} modifiers to move them to a
291 specified place instead.
292
293 @item p
294 @cindex printing from archive
295 @emph{Print} the specified members of the archive, to the standard
296 output file. If the @samp{v} modifier is specified, show the member
297 name before copying its contents to standard output.
298
299 If you specify no @var{member} arguments, all the files in the archive are
300 printed.
301
302 @item q
303 @cindex quick append to archive
304 @emph{Quick append}; Historically, add the files @var{member}@dots{} to the end of
305 @var{archive}, without checking for replacement.
306
307 The modifiers @samp{a}, @samp{b}, and @samp{i} do @emph{not} affect this
308 operation; new members are always placed at the end of the archive.
309
310 The modifier @samp{v} makes @command{ar} list each file as it is appended.
311
312 Since the point of this operation is speed, the archive's symbol table
313 index is not updated, even if it already existed; you can use @samp{ar s} or
314 @command{ranlib} explicitly to update the symbol table index.
315
316 However, too many different systems assume quick append rebuilds the
317 index, so GNU ar implements @code{q} as a synonym for @code{r}.
318
319 @item r
320 @cindex replacement in archive
321 Insert the files @var{member}@dots{} into @var{archive} (with
322 @emph{replacement}). This operation differs from @samp{q} in that any
323 previously existing members are deleted if their names match those being
324 added.
325
326 If one of the files named in @var{member}@dots{} does not exist, @command{ar}
327 displays an error message, and leaves undisturbed any existing members
328 of the archive matching that name.
329
330 By default, new members are added at the end of the file; but you may
331 use one of the modifiers @samp{a}, @samp{b}, or @samp{i} to request
332 placement relative to some existing member.
333
334 The modifier @samp{v} used with this operation elicits a line of
335 output for each file inserted, along with one of the letters @samp{a} or
336 @samp{r} to indicate whether the file was appended (no old member
337 deleted) or replaced.
338
339 @item t
340 @cindex contents of archive
341 Display a @emph{table} listing the contents of @var{archive}, or those
342 of the files listed in @var{member}@dots{} that are present in the
343 archive. Normally only the member name is shown; if you also want to
344 see the modes (permissions), timestamp, owner, group, and size, you can
345 request that by also specifying the @samp{v} modifier.
346
347 If you do not specify a @var{member}, all files in the archive
348 are listed.
349
350 @cindex repeated names in archive
351 @cindex name duplication in archive
352 If there is more than one file with the same name (say, @samp{fie}) in
353 an archive (say @samp{b.a}), @samp{ar t b.a fie} lists only the
354 first instance; to see them all, you must ask for a complete
355 listing---in our example, @samp{ar t b.a}.
356 @c WRS only; per Gumby, this is implementation-dependent, and in a more
357 @c recent case in fact works the other way.
358
359 @item x
360 @cindex extract from archive
361 @emph{Extract} members (named @var{member}) from the archive. You can
362 use the @samp{v} modifier with this operation, to request that
363 @command{ar} list each name as it extracts it.
364
365 If you do not specify a @var{member}, all files in the archive
366 are extracted.
367
368 @end table
369
370 A number of modifiers (@var{mod}) may immediately follow the @var{p}
371 keyletter, to specify variations on an operation's behavior:
372
373 @table @samp
374 @item a
375 @cindex relative placement in archive
376 Add new files @emph{after} an existing member of the
377 archive. If you use the modifier @samp{a}, the name of an existing archive
378 member must be present as the @var{relpos} argument, before the
379 @var{archive} specification.
380
381 @item b
382 Add new files @emph{before} an existing member of the
383 archive. If you use the modifier @samp{b}, the name of an existing archive
384 member must be present as the @var{relpos} argument, before the
385 @var{archive} specification. (same as @samp{i}).
386
387 @item c
388 @cindex creating archives
389 @emph{Create} the archive. The specified @var{archive} is always
390 created if it did not exist, when you request an update. But a warning is
391 issued unless you specify in advance that you expect to create it, by
392 using this modifier.
393
394 @item f
395 Truncate names in the archive. @sc{gnu} @command{ar} will normally permit file
396 names of any length. This will cause it to create archives which are
397 not compatible with the native @command{ar} program on some systems. If
398 this is a concern, the @samp{f} modifier may be used to truncate file
399 names when putting them in the archive.
400
401 @item i
402 Insert new files @emph{before} an existing member of the
403 archive. If you use the modifier @samp{i}, the name of an existing archive
404 member must be present as the @var{relpos} argument, before the
405 @var{archive} specification. (same as @samp{b}).
406
407 @item l
408 This modifier is accepted but not used.
409 @c whaffor ar l modifier??? presumably compat; with
410 @c what???---doc@@cygnus.com, 25jan91
411
412 @item N
413 Uses the @var{count} parameter. This is used if there are multiple
414 entries in the archive with the same name. Extract or delete instance
415 @var{count} of the given name from the archive.
416
417 @item o
418 @cindex dates in archive
419 Preserve the @emph{original} dates of members when extracting them. If
420 you do not specify this modifier, files extracted from the archive
421 are stamped with the time of extraction.
422
423 @item P
424 Use the full path name when matching names in the archive. @sc{gnu}
425 @command{ar} can not create an archive with a full path name (such archives
426 are not POSIX complaint), but other archive creators can. This option
427 will cause @sc{gnu} @command{ar} to match file names using a complete path
428 name, which can be convenient when extracting a single file from an
429 archive created by another tool.
430
431 @item s
432 @cindex writing archive index
433 Write an object-file index into the archive, or update an existing one,
434 even if no other change is made to the archive. You may use this modifier
435 flag either with any operation, or alone. Running @samp{ar s} on an
436 archive is equivalent to running @samp{ranlib} on it.
437
438 @item S
439 @cindex not writing archive index
440 Do not generate an archive symbol table. This can speed up building a
441 large library in several steps. The resulting archive can not be used
442 with the linker. In order to build a symbol table, you must omit the
443 @samp{S} modifier on the last execution of @samp{ar}, or you must run
444 @samp{ranlib} on the archive.
445
446 @item u
447 @cindex updating an archive
448 Normally, @samp{ar r}@dots{} inserts all files
449 listed into the archive. If you would like to insert @emph{only} those
450 of the files you list that are newer than existing members of the same
451 names, use this modifier. The @samp{u} modifier is allowed only for the
452 operation @samp{r} (replace). In particular, the combination @samp{qu} is
453 not allowed, since checking the timestamps would lose any speed
454 advantage from the operation @samp{q}.
455
456 @item v
457 This modifier requests the @emph{verbose} version of an operation. Many
458 operations display additional information, such as filenames processed,
459 when the modifier @samp{v} is appended.
460
461 @item V
462 This modifier shows the version number of @command{ar}.
463 @end table
464
465 @command{ar} ignores an initial option spelt @samp{-X32_64}, for
466 compatibility with AIX. The behaviour produced by this option is the
467 default for GNU @command{ar}. @command{ar} does not support any of the other
468 @samp{-X} options; in particular, it does not support @option{-X32}
469 which is the default for AIX @command{ar}.
470
471 @c man end
472
473 @ignore
474 @c man begin SEEALSO ar
475 nm(1), ranlib(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
476 @c man end
477 @end ignore
478
479 @node ar scripts
480 @section Controlling @command{ar} with a script
481
482 @smallexample
483 ar -M [ <@var{script} ]
484 @end smallexample
485
486 @cindex MRI compatibility, @command{ar}
487 @cindex scripts, @command{ar}
488 If you use the single command-line option @samp{-M} with @command{ar}, you
489 can control its operation with a rudimentary command language. This
490 form of @command{ar} operates interactively if standard input is coming
491 directly from a terminal. During interactive use, @command{ar} prompts for
492 input (the prompt is @samp{AR >}), and continues executing even after
493 errors. If you redirect standard input to a script file, no prompts are
494 issued, and @command{ar} abandons execution (with a nonzero exit code)
495 on any error.
496
497 The @command{ar} command language is @emph{not} designed to be equivalent
498 to the command-line options; in fact, it provides somewhat less control
499 over archives. The only purpose of the command language is to ease the
500 transition to @sc{gnu} @command{ar} for developers who already have scripts
501 written for the MRI ``librarian'' program.
502
503 The syntax for the @command{ar} command language is straightforward:
504 @itemize @bullet
505 @item
506 commands are recognized in upper or lower case; for example, @code{LIST}
507 is the same as @code{list}. In the following descriptions, commands are
508 shown in upper case for clarity.
509
510 @item
511 a single command may appear on each line; it is the first word on the
512 line.
513
514 @item
515 empty lines are allowed, and have no effect.
516
517 @item
518 comments are allowed; text after either of the characters @samp{*}
519 or @samp{;} is ignored.
520
521 @item
522 Whenever you use a list of names as part of the argument to an @command{ar}
523 command, you can separate the individual names with either commas or
524 blanks. Commas are shown in the explanations below, for clarity.
525
526 @item
527 @samp{+} is used as a line continuation character; if @samp{+} appears
528 at the end of a line, the text on the following line is considered part
529 of the current command.
530 @end itemize
531
532 Here are the commands you can use in @command{ar} scripts, or when using
533 @command{ar} interactively. Three of them have special significance:
534
535 @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE} specify a @dfn{current archive}, which is
536 a temporary file required for most of the other commands.
537
538 @code{SAVE} commits the changes so far specified by the script. Prior
539 to @code{SAVE}, commands affect only the temporary copy of the current
540 archive.
541
542 @table @code
543 @item ADDLIB @var{archive}
544 @itemx ADDLIB @var{archive} (@var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module})
545 Add all the contents of @var{archive} (or, if specified, each named
546 @var{module} from @var{archive}) to the current archive.
547
548 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
549
550 @item ADDMOD @var{member}, @var{member}, @dots{} @var{member}
551 @c FIXME! w/Replacement?? If so, like "ar r @var{archive} @var{names}"
552 @c else like "ar q..."
553 Add each named @var{member} as a module in the current archive.
554
555 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
556
557 @item CLEAR
558 Discard the contents of the current archive, canceling the effect of
559 any operations since the last @code{SAVE}. May be executed (with no
560 effect) even if no current archive is specified.
561
562 @item CREATE @var{archive}
563 Creates an archive, and makes it the current archive (required for many
564 other commands). The new archive is created with a temporary name; it
565 is not actually saved as @var{archive} until you use @code{SAVE}.
566 You can overwrite existing archives; similarly, the contents of any
567 existing file named @var{archive} will not be destroyed until @code{SAVE}.
568
569 @item DELETE @var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}
570 Delete each listed @var{module} from the current archive; equivalent to
571 @samp{ar -d @var{archive} @var{module} @dots{} @var{module}}.
572
573 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
574
575 @item DIRECTORY @var{archive} (@var{module}, @dots{} @var{module})
576 @itemx DIRECTORY @var{archive} (@var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}) @var{outputfile}
577 List each named @var{module} present in @var{archive}. The separate
578 command @code{VERBOSE} specifies the form of the output: when verbose
579 output is off, output is like that of @samp{ar -t @var{archive}
580 @var{module}@dots{}}. When verbose output is on, the listing is like
581 @samp{ar -tv @var{archive} @var{module}@dots{}}.
582
583 Output normally goes to the standard output stream; however, if you
584 specify @var{outputfile} as a final argument, @command{ar} directs the
585 output to that file.
586
587 @item END
588 Exit from @command{ar}, with a @code{0} exit code to indicate successful
589 completion. This command does not save the output file; if you have
590 changed the current archive since the last @code{SAVE} command, those
591 changes are lost.
592
593 @item EXTRACT @var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}
594 Extract each named @var{module} from the current archive, writing them
595 into the current directory as separate files. Equivalent to @samp{ar -x
596 @var{archive} @var{module}@dots{}}.
597
598 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
599
600 @ignore
601 @c FIXME Tokens but no commands???
602 @item FULLDIR
603
604 @item HELP
605 @end ignore
606
607 @item LIST
608 Display full contents of the current archive, in ``verbose'' style
609 regardless of the state of @code{VERBOSE}. The effect is like @samp{ar
610 tv @var{archive}}. (This single command is a @sc{gnu} @command{ar}
611 enhancement, rather than present for MRI compatibility.)
612
613 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
614
615 @item OPEN @var{archive}
616 Opens an existing archive for use as the current archive (required for
617 many other commands). Any changes as the result of subsequent commands
618 will not actually affect @var{archive} until you next use @code{SAVE}.
619
620 @item REPLACE @var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}
621 In the current archive, replace each existing @var{module} (named in
622 the @code{REPLACE} arguments) from files in the current working directory.
623 To execute this command without errors, both the file, and the module in
624 the current archive, must exist.
625
626 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
627
628 @item VERBOSE
629 Toggle an internal flag governing the output from @code{DIRECTORY}.
630 When the flag is on, @code{DIRECTORY} output matches output from
631 @samp{ar -tv }@dots{}.
632
633 @item SAVE
634 Commit your changes to the current archive, and actually save it as a
635 file with the name specified in the last @code{CREATE} or @code{OPEN}
636 command.
637
638 Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
639
640 @end table
641
642 @iftex
643 @node ld
644 @chapter ld
645 @cindex linker
646 @kindex ld
647 The @sc{gnu} linker @command{ld} is now described in a separate manual.
648 @xref{Top,, Overview,, Using LD: the @sc{gnu} linker}.
649 @end iftex
650
651 @node nm
652 @chapter nm
653 @cindex symbols
654 @kindex nm
655
656 @c man title nm list symbols from object files
657
658 @smallexample
659 @c man begin SYNOPSIS nm
660 nm [@option{-a}|@option{--debug-syms}] [@option{-g}|@option{--extern-only}]
661 [@option{-B}] [@option{-C}|@option{--demangle}[=@var{style}]] [@option{-D}|@option{--dynamic}]
662 [@option{-S}|@option{--print-size}] [@option{-s}|@option{--print-armap}]
663 [@option{-A}|@option{-o}|@option{--print-file-name}]
664 [@option{-n}|@option{-v}|@option{--numeric-sort}] [@option{-p}|@option{--no-sort}]
665 [@option{-r}|@option{--reverse-sort}] [@option{--size-sort}] [@option{-u}|@option{--undefined-only}]
666 [@option{-t} @var{radix}|@option{--radix=}@var{radix}] [@option{-P}|@option{--portability}]
667 [@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}] [@option{-f}@var{format}|@option{--format=}@var{format}]
668 [@option{--defined-only}] [@option{-l}|@option{--line-numbers}] [@option{--no-demangle}]
669 [@option{-V}|@option{--version}] [@option{-X 32_64}] [@option{--help}] [@var{objfile}@dots{}]
670 @c man end
671 @end smallexample
672
673 @c man begin DESCRIPTION nm
674 @sc{gnu} @command{nm} lists the symbols from object files @var{objfile}@dots{}.
675 If no object files are listed as arguments, @command{nm} assumes the file
676 @file{a.out}.
677
678 For each symbol, @command{nm} shows:
679
680 @itemize @bullet
681 @item
682 The symbol value, in the radix selected by options (see below), or
683 hexadecimal by default.
684
685 @item
686 The symbol type. At least the following types are used; others are, as
687 well, depending on the object file format. If lowercase, the symbol is
688 local; if uppercase, the symbol is global (external).
689
690 @c Some more detail on exactly what these symbol types are used for
691 @c would be nice.
692 @table @code
693 @item A
694 The symbol's value is absolute, and will not be changed by further
695 linking.
696
697 @item B
698 The symbol is in the uninitialized data section (known as BSS).
699
700 @item C
701 The symbol is common. Common symbols are uninitialized data. When
702 linking, multiple common symbols may appear with the same name. If the
703 symbol is defined anywhere, the common symbols are treated as undefined
704 references.
705 @ifclear man
706 For more details on common symbols, see the discussion of
707 --warn-common in @ref{Options,,Linker options,ld.info,The GNU linker}.
708 @end ifclear
709
710 @item D
711 The symbol is in the initialized data section.
712
713 @item G
714 The symbol is in an initialized data section for small objects. Some
715 object file formats permit more efficient access to small data objects,
716 such as a global int variable as opposed to a large global array.
717
718 @item I
719 The symbol is an indirect reference to another symbol. This is a GNU
720 extension to the a.out object file format which is rarely used.
721
722 @item N
723 The symbol is a debugging symbol.
724
725 @item R
726 The symbol is in a read only data section.
727
728 @item S
729 The symbol is in an uninitialized data section for small objects.
730
731 @item T
732 The symbol is in the text (code) section.
733
734 @item U
735 The symbol is undefined.
736
737 @item V
738 The symbol is a weak object. When a weak defined symbol is linked with
739 a normal defined symbol, the normal defined symbol is used with no error.
740 When a weak undefined symbol is linked and the symbol is not defined,
741 the value of the weak symbol becomes zero with no error.
742
743 @item W
744 The symbol is a weak symbol that has not been specifically tagged as a
745 weak object symbol. When a weak defined symbol is linked with a normal
746 defined symbol, the normal defined symbol is used with no error.
747 When a weak undefined symbol is linked and the symbol is not defined,
748 the value of the weak symbol becomes zero with no error.
749
750 @item -
751 The symbol is a stabs symbol in an a.out object file. In this case, the
752 next values printed are the stabs other field, the stabs desc field, and
753 the stab type. Stabs symbols are used to hold debugging information.
754 @ifclear man
755 For more information, see @ref{Top,Stabs,Stabs Overview,stabs.info, The
756 ``stabs'' debug format}.
757 @end ifclear
758
759 @item ?
760 The symbol type is unknown, or object file format specific.
761 @end table
762
763 @item
764 The symbol name.
765 @end itemize
766
767 @c man end
768
769 @c man begin OPTIONS nm
770 The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
771 equivalent.
772
773 @table @env
774 @item -A
775 @itemx -o
776 @itemx --print-file-name
777 @cindex input file name
778 @cindex file name
779 @cindex source file name
780 Precede each symbol by the name of the input file (or archive member)
781 in which it was found, rather than identifying the input file once only,
782 before all of its symbols.
783
784 @item -a
785 @itemx --debug-syms
786 @cindex debugging symbols
787 Display all symbols, even debugger-only symbols; normally these are not
788 listed.
789
790 @item -B
791 @cindex @command{nm} format
792 @cindex @command{nm} compatibility
793 The same as @option{--format=bsd} (for compatibility with the MIPS @command{nm}).
794
795 @item -C
796 @itemx --demangle[=@var{style}]
797 @cindex demangling in nm
798 Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
799 Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
800 makes C++ function names readable. Different compilers have different
801 mangling styles. The optional demangling style argument can be used to
802 choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. @xref{c++filt},
803 for more information on demangling.
804
805 @item --no-demangle
806 Do not demangle low-level symbol names. This is the default.
807
808 @item -D
809 @itemx --dynamic
810 @cindex dynamic symbols
811 Display the dynamic symbols rather than the normal symbols. This is
812 only meaningful for dynamic objects, such as certain types of shared
813 libraries.
814
815 @item -f @var{format}
816 @itemx --format=@var{format}
817 @cindex @command{nm} format
818 @cindex @command{nm} compatibility
819 Use the output format @var{format}, which can be @code{bsd},
820 @code{sysv}, or @code{posix}. The default is @code{bsd}.
821 Only the first character of @var{format} is significant; it can be
822 either upper or lower case.
823
824 @item -g
825 @itemx --extern-only
826 @cindex external symbols
827 Display only external symbols.
828
829 @item -l
830 @itemx --line-numbers
831 @cindex symbol line numbers
832 For each symbol, use debugging information to try to find a filename and
833 line number. For a defined symbol, look for the line number of the
834 address of the symbol. For an undefined symbol, look for the line
835 number of a relocation entry which refers to the symbol. If line number
836 information can be found, print it after the other symbol information.
837
838 @item -n
839 @itemx -v
840 @itemx --numeric-sort
841 Sort symbols numerically by their addresses, rather than alphabetically
842 by their names.
843
844 @item -p
845 @itemx --no-sort
846 @cindex sorting symbols
847 Do not bother to sort the symbols in any order; print them in the order
848 encountered.
849
850 @item -P
851 @itemx --portability
852 Use the POSIX.2 standard output format instead of the default format.
853 Equivalent to @samp{-f posix}.
854
855 @item -S
856 @itemx --print-size
857 Print size of defined symbols for the @code{bsd} output format.
858
859 @item -s
860 @itemx --print-armap
861 @cindex symbol index, listing
862 When listing symbols from archive members, include the index: a mapping
863 (stored in the archive by @command{ar} or @command{ranlib}) of which modules
864 contain definitions for which names.
865
866 @item -r
867 @itemx --reverse-sort
868 Reverse the order of the sort (whether numeric or alphabetic); let the
869 last come first.
870
871 @item --size-sort
872 Sort symbols by size. The size is computed as the difference between
873 the value of the symbol and the value of the symbol with the next higher
874 value. The size of the symbol is printed, rather than the value.
875
876 @item -t @var{radix}
877 @itemx --radix=@var{radix}
878 Use @var{radix} as the radix for printing the symbol values. It must be
879 @samp{d} for decimal, @samp{o} for octal, or @samp{x} for hexadecimal.
880
881 @item --target=@var{bfdname}
882 @cindex object code format
883 Specify an object code format other than your system's default format.
884 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
885
886 @item -u
887 @itemx --undefined-only
888 @cindex external symbols
889 @cindex undefined symbols
890 Display only undefined symbols (those external to each object file).
891
892 @item --defined-only
893 @cindex external symbols
894 @cindex undefined symbols
895 Display only defined symbols for each object file.
896
897 @item -V
898 @itemx --version
899 Show the version number of @command{nm} and exit.
900
901 @item -X
902 This option is ignored for compatibility with the AIX version of
903 @command{nm}. It takes one parameter which must be the string
904 @option{32_64}. The default mode of AIX @command{nm} corresponds
905 to @option{-X 32}, which is not supported by @sc{gnu} @command{nm}.
906
907 @item --help
908 Show a summary of the options to @command{nm} and exit.
909 @end table
910
911 @c man end
912
913 @ignore
914 @c man begin SEEALSO nm
915 ar(1), objdump(1), ranlib(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
916 @c man end
917 @end ignore
918
919 @node objcopy
920 @chapter objcopy
921
922 @c man title objcopy copy and translate object files
923
924 @smallexample
925 @c man begin SYNOPSIS objcopy
926 objcopy [@option{-F} @var{bfdname}|@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
927 [@option{-I} @var{bfdname}|@option{--input-target=}@var{bfdname}]
928 [@option{-O} @var{bfdname}|@option{--output-target=}@var{bfdname}]
929 [@option{-B} @var{bfdarch}|@option{--binary-architecture=}@var{bfdarch}]
930 [@option{-S}|@option{--strip-all}] [@option{-g}|@option{--strip-debug}]
931 [@option{-K} @var{symbolname}|@option{--keep-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
932 [@option{-N} @var{symbolname}|@option{--strip-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
933 [@option{-G} @var{symbolname}|@option{--keep-global-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
934 [@option{-L} @var{symbolname}|@option{--localize-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
935 [@option{-W} @var{symbolname}|@option{--weaken-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
936 [@option{-x}|@option{--discard-all}] [@option{-X}|@option{--discard-locals}]
937 [@option{-b} @var{byte}|@option{--byte=}@var{byte}]
938 [@option{-i} @var{interleave}|@option{--interleave=}@var{interleave}]
939 [@option{-j} @var{sectionname}|@option{--only-section=}@var{sectionname}]
940 [@option{-R} @var{sectionname}|@option{--remove-section=}@var{sectionname}]
941 [@option{-p}|@option{--preserve-dates}]
942 [@option{--debugging}]
943 [@option{--gap-fill=}@var{val}] [@option{--pad-to=}@var{address}]
944 [@option{--set-start=}@var{val}] [@option{--adjust-start=}@var{incr}]
945 [@option{--change-addresses=}@var{incr}]
946 [@option{--change-section-address} @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}]
947 [@option{--change-section-lma} @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}]
948 [@option{--change-section-vma} @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}]
949 [@option{--change-warnings}] [@option{--no-change-warnings}]
950 [@option{--set-section-flags} @var{section}=@var{flags}]
951 [@option{--add-section} @var{sectionname}=@var{filename}]
952 [@option{--rename-section} @var{oldname}=@var{newname}[,@var{flags}]]
953 [@option{--change-leading-char} ] [@option{--remove-leading-char}]
954 [@option{--srec-len=}@var{ival} ] [@option{--srec-forceS3}]
955 [@option{--redefine-sym} @var{old}=@var{new} ]
956 [@option{--weaken}]
957 [@option{--keep-symbols=}@var{filename}]
958 [@option{--strip-symbols=}@var{filename}]
959 [@option{--keep-global-symbols=}@var{filename}]
960 [@option{--localize-symbols=}@var{filename}]
961 [@option{--weaken-symbols=}@var{filename}]
962 [@option{--alt-machine-code=}@var{index}]
963 [@option{--prefix-symbols=}@var{string}]
964 [@option{--prefix-sections=}@var{string}]
965 [@option{--prefix-alloc-sections=}@var{string}]
966 [@option{-v}|@option{--verbose}]
967 [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
968 [@option{--help}]
969 @var{infile} [@var{outfile}]
970 @c man end
971 @end smallexample
972
973 @c man begin DESCRIPTION objcopy
974 The @sc{gnu} @command{objcopy} utility copies the contents of an object
975 file to another. @command{objcopy} uses the @sc{gnu} @sc{bfd} Library to
976 read and write the object files. It can write the destination object
977 file in a format different from that of the source object file. The
978 exact behavior of @command{objcopy} is controlled by command-line options.
979 Note that @command{objcopy} should be able to copy a fully linked file
980 between any two formats. However, copying a relocatable object file
981 between any two formats may not work as expected.
982
983 @command{objcopy} creates temporary files to do its translations and
984 deletes them afterward. @command{objcopy} uses @sc{bfd} to do all its
985 translation work; it has access to all the formats described in @sc{bfd}
986 and thus is able to recognize most formats without being told
987 explicitly. @xref{BFD,,BFD,ld.info,Using LD}.
988
989 @command{objcopy} can be used to generate S-records by using an output
990 target of @samp{srec} (e.g., use @samp{-O srec}).
991
992 @command{objcopy} can be used to generate a raw binary file by using an
993 output target of @samp{binary} (e.g., use @option{-O binary}). When
994 @command{objcopy} generates a raw binary file, it will essentially produce
995 a memory dump of the contents of the input object file. All symbols and
996 relocation information will be discarded. The memory dump will start at
997 the load address of the lowest section copied into the output file.
998
999 When generating an S-record or a raw binary file, it may be helpful to
1000 use @option{-S} to remove sections containing debugging information. In
1001 some cases @option{-R} will be useful to remove sections which contain
1002 information that is not needed by the binary file.
1003
1004 Note - @command{objcopy} is not able to change the endianness of its input
1005 files. If the input format has an endianness, (some formats do not),
1006 @command{objcopy} can only copy the inputs into file formats that have the
1007 same endianness or which have no endianness (eg @samp{srec}).
1008
1009 @c man end
1010
1011 @c man begin OPTIONS objcopy
1012
1013 @table @env
1014 @item @var{infile}
1015 @itemx @var{outfile}
1016 The input and output files, respectively.
1017 If you do not specify @var{outfile}, @command{objcopy} creates a
1018 temporary file and destructively renames the result with
1019 the name of @var{infile}.
1020
1021 @item -I @var{bfdname}
1022 @itemx --input-target=@var{bfdname}
1023 Consider the source file's object format to be @var{bfdname}, rather than
1024 attempting to deduce it. @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1025
1026 @item -O @var{bfdname}
1027 @itemx --output-target=@var{bfdname}
1028 Write the output file using the object format @var{bfdname}.
1029 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1030
1031 @item -F @var{bfdname}
1032 @itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
1033 Use @var{bfdname} as the object format for both the input and the output
1034 file; i.e., simply transfer data from source to destination with no
1035 translation. @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1036
1037 @item -B @var{bfdarch}
1038 @itemx --binary-architecture=@var{bfdarch}
1039 Useful when transforming a raw binary input file into an object file.
1040 In this case the output architecture can be set to @var{bfdarch}. This
1041 option will be ignored if the input file has a known @var{bfdarch}. You
1042 can access this binary data inside a program by referencing the special
1043 symbols that are created by the conversion process. These symbols are
1044 called _binary_@var{objfile}_start, _binary_@var{objfile}_end and
1045 _binary_@var{objfile}_size. e.g. you can transform a picture file into
1046 an object file and then access it in your code using these symbols.
1047
1048 @item -j @var{sectionname}
1049 @itemx --only-section=@var{sectionname}
1050 Copy only the named section from the input file to the output file.
1051 This option may be given more than once. Note that using this option
1052 inappropriately may make the output file unusable.
1053
1054 @item -R @var{sectionname}
1055 @itemx --remove-section=@var{sectionname}
1056 Remove any section named @var{sectionname} from the output file. This
1057 option may be given more than once. Note that using this option
1058 inappropriately may make the output file unusable.
1059
1060 @item -S
1061 @itemx --strip-all
1062 Do not copy relocation and symbol information from the source file.
1063
1064 @item -g
1065 @itemx --strip-debug
1066 Do not copy debugging symbols from the source file.
1067
1068 @item --strip-unneeded
1069 Strip all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.
1070
1071 @item -K @var{symbolname}
1072 @itemx --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1073 Copy only symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may
1074 be given more than once.
1075
1076 @item -N @var{symbolname}
1077 @itemx --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1078 Do not copy symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option
1079 may be given more than once.
1080
1081 @item -G @var{symbolname}
1082 @itemx --keep-global-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1083 Keep only symbol @var{symbolname} global. Make all other symbols local
1084 to the file, so that they are not visible externally. This option may
1085 be given more than once.
1086
1087 @item -L @var{symbolname}
1088 @itemx --localize-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1089 Make symbol @var{symbolname} local to the file, so that it is not
1090 visible externally. This option may be given more than once.
1091
1092 @item -W @var{symbolname}
1093 @itemx --weaken-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1094 Make symbol @var{symbolname} weak. This option may be given more than once.
1095
1096 @item -x
1097 @itemx --discard-all
1098 Do not copy non-global symbols from the source file.
1099 @c FIXME any reason to prefer "non-global" to "local" here?
1100
1101 @item -X
1102 @itemx --discard-locals
1103 Do not copy compiler-generated local symbols.
1104 (These usually start with @samp{L} or @samp{.}.)
1105
1106 @item -b @var{byte}
1107 @itemx --byte=@var{byte}
1108 Keep only every @var{byte}th byte of the input file (header data is not
1109 affected). @var{byte} can be in the range from 0 to @var{interleave}-1,
1110 where @var{interleave} is given by the @option{-i} or @option{--interleave}
1111 option, or the default of 4. This option is useful for creating files
1112 to program @sc{rom}. It is typically used with an @code{srec} output
1113 target.
1114
1115 @item -i @var{interleave}
1116 @itemx --interleave=@var{interleave}
1117 Only copy one out of every @var{interleave} bytes. Select which byte to
1118 copy with the @option{-b} or @option{--byte} option. The default is 4.
1119 @command{objcopy} ignores this option if you do not specify either @option{-b} or
1120 @option{--byte}.
1121
1122 @item -p
1123 @itemx --preserve-dates
1124 Set the access and modification dates of the output file to be the same
1125 as those of the input file.
1126
1127 @item --debugging
1128 Convert debugging information, if possible. This is not the default
1129 because only certain debugging formats are supported, and the
1130 conversion process can be time consuming.
1131
1132 @item --gap-fill @var{val}
1133 Fill gaps between sections with @var{val}. This operation applies to
1134 the @emph{load address} (LMA) of the sections. It is done by increasing
1135 the size of the section with the lower address, and filling in the extra
1136 space created with @var{val}.
1137
1138 @item --pad-to @var{address}
1139 Pad the output file up to the load address @var{address}. This is
1140 done by increasing the size of the last section. The extra space is
1141 filled in with the value specified by @option{--gap-fill} (default zero).
1142
1143 @item --set-start @var{val}
1144 Set the start address of the new file to @var{val}. Not all object file
1145 formats support setting the start address.
1146
1147 @item --change-start @var{incr}
1148 @itemx --adjust-start @var{incr}
1149 @cindex changing start address
1150 Change the start address by adding @var{incr}. Not all object file
1151 formats support setting the start address.
1152
1153 @item --change-addresses @var{incr}
1154 @itemx --adjust-vma @var{incr}
1155 @cindex changing object addresses
1156 Change the VMA and LMA addresses of all sections, as well as the start
1157 address, by adding @var{incr}. Some object file formats do not permit
1158 section addresses to be changed arbitrarily. Note that this does not
1159 relocate the sections; if the program expects sections to be loaded at a
1160 certain address, and this option is used to change the sections such
1161 that they are loaded at a different address, the program may fail.
1162
1163 @item --change-section-address @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1164 @itemx --adjust-section-vma @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1165 @cindex changing section address
1166 Set or change both the VMA address and the LMA address of the named
1167 @var{section}. If @samp{=} is used, the section address is set to
1168 @var{val}. Otherwise, @var{val} is added to or subtracted from the
1169 section address. See the comments under @option{--change-addresses},
1170 above. If @var{section} does not exist in the input file, a warning will
1171 be issued, unless @option{--no-change-warnings} is used.
1172
1173 @item --change-section-lma @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1174 @cindex changing section LMA
1175 Set or change the LMA address of the named @var{section}. The LMA
1176 address is the address where the section will be loaded into memory at
1177 program load time. Normally this is the same as the VMA address, which
1178 is the address of the section at program run time, but on some systems,
1179 especially those where a program is held in ROM, the two can be
1180 different. If @samp{=} is used, the section address is set to
1181 @var{val}. Otherwise, @var{val} is added to or subtracted from the
1182 section address. See the comments under @option{--change-addresses},
1183 above. If @var{section} does not exist in the input file, a warning
1184 will be issued, unless @option{--no-change-warnings} is used.
1185
1186 @item --change-section-vma @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1187 @cindex changing section VMA
1188 Set or change the VMA address of the named @var{section}. The VMA
1189 address is the address where the section will be located once the
1190 program has started executing. Normally this is the same as the LMA
1191 address, which is the address where the section will be loaded into
1192 memory, but on some systems, especially those where a program is held in
1193 ROM, the two can be different. If @samp{=} is used, the section address
1194 is set to @var{val}. Otherwise, @var{val} is added to or subtracted
1195 from the section address. See the comments under
1196 @option{--change-addresses}, above. If @var{section} does not exist in
1197 the input file, a warning will be issued, unless
1198 @option{--no-change-warnings} is used.
1199
1200 @item --change-warnings
1201 @itemx --adjust-warnings
1202 If @option{--change-section-address} or @option{--change-section-lma} or
1203 @option{--change-section-vma} is used, and the named section does not
1204 exist, issue a warning. This is the default.
1205
1206 @item --no-change-warnings
1207 @itemx --no-adjust-warnings
1208 Do not issue a warning if @option{--change-section-address} or
1209 @option{--adjust-section-lma} or @option{--adjust-section-vma} is used, even
1210 if the named section does not exist.
1211
1212 @item --set-section-flags @var{section}=@var{flags}
1213 Set the flags for the named section. The @var{flags} argument is a
1214 comma separated string of flag names. The recognized names are
1215 @samp{alloc}, @samp{contents}, @samp{load}, @samp{noload},
1216 @samp{readonly}, @samp{code}, @samp{data}, @samp{rom}, @samp{share}, and
1217 @samp{debug}. You can set the @samp{contents} flag for a section which
1218 does not have contents, but it is not meaningful to clear the
1219 @samp{contents} flag of a section which does have contents--just remove
1220 the section instead. Not all flags are meaningful for all object file
1221 formats.
1222
1223 @item --add-section @var{sectionname}=@var{filename}
1224 Add a new section named @var{sectionname} while copying the file. The
1225 contents of the new section are taken from the file @var{filename}. The
1226 size of the section will be the size of the file. This option only
1227 works on file formats which can support sections with arbitrary names.
1228
1229 @item --rename-section @var{oldname}=@var{newname}[,@var{flags}]
1230 Rename a section from @var{oldname} to @var{newname}, optionally
1231 changing the section's flags to @var{flags} in the process. This has
1232 the advantage over usng a linker script to perform the rename in that
1233 the output stays as an object file and does not become a linked
1234 executable.
1235
1236 This option is particularly helpful when the input format is binary,
1237 since this will always create a section called .data. If for example,
1238 you wanted instead to create a section called .rodata containing binary
1239 data you could use the following command line to achieve it:
1240
1241 @smallexample
1242 objcopy -I binary -O <output_format> -B <architecture> \
1243 --rename-section .data=.rodata,alloc,load,readonly,data,contents \
1244 <input_binary_file> <output_object_file>
1245 @end smallexample
1246
1247 @item --change-leading-char
1248 Some object file formats use special characters at the start of
1249 symbols. The most common such character is underscore, which compilers
1250 often add before every symbol. This option tells @command{objcopy} to
1251 change the leading character of every symbol when it converts between
1252 object file formats. If the object file formats use the same leading
1253 character, this option has no effect. Otherwise, it will add a
1254 character, or remove a character, or change a character, as
1255 appropriate.
1256
1257 @item --remove-leading-char
1258 If the first character of a global symbol is a special symbol leading
1259 character used by the object file format, remove the character. The
1260 most common symbol leading character is underscore. This option will
1261 remove a leading underscore from all global symbols. This can be useful
1262 if you want to link together objects of different file formats with
1263 different conventions for symbol names. This is different from
1264 @option{--change-leading-char} because it always changes the symbol name
1265 when appropriate, regardless of the object file format of the output
1266 file.
1267
1268 @item --srec-len=@var{ival}
1269 Meaningful only for srec output. Set the maximum length of the Srecords
1270 being produced to @var{ival}. This length covers both address, data and
1271 crc fields.
1272
1273 @item --srec-forceS3
1274 Meaningful only for srec output. Avoid generation of S1/S2 records,
1275 creating S3-only record format.
1276
1277 @item --redefine-sym @var{old}=@var{new}
1278 Change the name of a symbol @var{old}, to @var{new}. This can be useful
1279 when one is trying link two things together for which you have no
1280 source, and there are name collisions.
1281
1282 @item --weaken
1283 Change all global symbols in the file to be weak. This can be useful
1284 when building an object which will be linked against other objects using
1285 the @option{-R} option to the linker. This option is only effective when
1286 using an object file format which supports weak symbols.
1287
1288 @item --keep-symbols=@var{filename}
1289 Apply @option{--keep-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
1290 @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1291 name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1292 This option may be given more than once.
1293
1294 @item --strip-symbols=@var{filename}
1295 Apply @option{--strip-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
1296 @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1297 name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1298 This option may be given more than once.
1299
1300 @item --keep-global-symbols=@var{filename}
1301 Apply @option{--keep-global-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the
1302 file @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one
1303 symbol name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash
1304 character. This option may be given more than once.
1305
1306 @item --localize-symbols=@var{filename}
1307 Apply @option{--localize-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
1308 @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1309 name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1310 This option may be given more than once.
1311
1312 @item --weaken-symbols=@var{filename}
1313 Apply @option{--weaken-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
1314 @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1315 name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1316 This option may be given more than once.
1317
1318 @item --alt-machine-code=@var{index}
1319 If the output architecture has alternate machine codes, use the
1320 @var{index}th code instead of the default one. This is useful in case
1321 a machine is assigned an official code and the tool-chain adopts the
1322 new code, but other applications still depend on the original code
1323 being used.
1324
1325 @item --prefix-symbols=@var{string}
1326 Prefix all symbols in the output file with @var{string}.
1327
1328 @item --prefix-sections=@var{string}
1329 Prefix all section names in the output file with @var{string}.
1330
1331 @item --prefix-alloc-sections=@var{string}
1332 Prefix all the names of all allocated sections in the output file with
1333 @var{string}.
1334
1335 @item -V
1336 @itemx --version
1337 Show the version number of @command{objcopy}.
1338
1339 @item -v
1340 @itemx --verbose
1341 Verbose output: list all object files modified. In the case of
1342 archives, @samp{objcopy -V} lists all members of the archive.
1343
1344 @item --help
1345 Show a summary of the options to @command{objcopy}.
1346 @end table
1347
1348 @c man end
1349
1350 @ignore
1351 @c man begin SEEALSO objcopy
1352 ld(1), objdump(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1353 @c man end
1354 @end ignore
1355
1356 @node objdump
1357 @chapter objdump
1358
1359 @cindex object file information
1360 @kindex objdump
1361
1362 @c man title objdump display information from object files.
1363
1364 @smallexample
1365 @c man begin SYNOPSIS objdump
1366 objdump [@option{-a}|@option{--archive-headers}]
1367 [@option{-b} @var{bfdname}|@option{--target=@var{bfdname}}]
1368 [@option{-C}|@option{--demangle}[=@var{style}] ]
1369 [@option{-d}|@option{--disassemble}]
1370 [@option{-D}|@option{--disassemble-all}]
1371 [@option{-z}|@option{--disassemble-zeroes}]
1372 [@option{-EB}|@option{-EL}|@option{--endian=}@{big | little @}]
1373 [@option{-f}|@option{--file-headers}]
1374 [@option{--file-start-context}]
1375 [@option{-g}|@option{--debugging}]
1376 [@option{-h}|@option{--section-headers}|@option{--headers}]
1377 [@option{-i}|@option{--info}]
1378 [@option{-j} @var{section}|@option{--section=}@var{section}]
1379 [@option{-l}|@option{--line-numbers}]
1380 [@option{-S}|@option{--source}]
1381 [@option{-m} @var{machine}|@option{--architecture=}@var{machine}]
1382 [@option{-M} @var{options}|@option{--disassembler-options=}@var{options}]
1383 [@option{-p}|@option{--private-headers}]
1384 [@option{-r}|@option{--reloc}]
1385 [@option{-R}|@option{--dynamic-reloc}]
1386 [@option{-s}|@option{--full-contents}]
1387 [@option{-G}|@option{--stabs}]
1388 [@option{-t}|@option{--syms}]
1389 [@option{-T}|@option{--dynamic-syms}]
1390 [@option{-x}|@option{--all-headers}]
1391 [@option{-w}|@option{--wide}]
1392 [@option{--start-address=}@var{address}]
1393 [@option{--stop-address=}@var{address}]
1394 [@option{--prefix-addresses}]
1395 [@option{--[no-]show-raw-insn}]
1396 [@option{--adjust-vma=}@var{offset}]
1397 [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
1398 [@option{-H}|@option{--help}]
1399 @var{objfile}@dots{}
1400 @c man end
1401 @end smallexample
1402
1403 @c man begin DESCRIPTION objdump
1404
1405 @command{objdump} displays information about one or more object files.
1406 The options control what particular information to display. This
1407 information is mostly useful to programmers who are working on the
1408 compilation tools, as opposed to programmers who just want their
1409 program to compile and work.
1410
1411 @var{objfile}@dots{} are the object files to be examined. When you
1412 specify archives, @command{objdump} shows information on each of the member
1413 object files.
1414
1415 @c man end
1416
1417 @c man begin OPTIONS objdump
1418
1419 The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
1420 equivalent. At least one option from the list
1421 @option{-a,-d,-D,-f,-g,-G,-h,-H,-p,-r,-R,-S,-t,-T,-V,-x} must be given.
1422
1423 @table @env
1424 @item -a
1425 @itemx --archive-header
1426 @cindex archive headers
1427 If any of the @var{objfile} files are archives, display the archive
1428 header information (in a format similar to @samp{ls -l}). Besides the
1429 information you could list with @samp{ar tv}, @samp{objdump -a} shows
1430 the object file format of each archive member.
1431
1432 @item --adjust-vma=@var{offset}
1433 @cindex section addresses in objdump
1434 @cindex VMA in objdump
1435 When dumping information, first add @var{offset} to all the section
1436 addresses. This is useful if the section addresses do not correspond to
1437 the symbol table, which can happen when putting sections at particular
1438 addresses when using a format which can not represent section addresses,
1439 such as a.out.
1440
1441 @item -b @var{bfdname}
1442 @itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
1443 @cindex object code format
1444 Specify that the object-code format for the object files is
1445 @var{bfdname}. This option may not be necessary; @var{objdump} can
1446 automatically recognize many formats.
1447
1448 For example,
1449 @example
1450 objdump -b oasys -m vax -h fu.o
1451 @end example
1452 @noindent
1453 displays summary information from the section headers (@option{-h}) of
1454 @file{fu.o}, which is explicitly identified (@option{-m}) as a VAX object
1455 file in the format produced by Oasys compilers. You can list the
1456 formats available with the @option{-i} option.
1457 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1458
1459 @item -C
1460 @itemx --demangle[=@var{style}]
1461 @cindex demangling in objdump
1462 Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
1463 Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
1464 makes C++ function names readable. Different compilers have different
1465 mangling styles. The optional demangling style argument can be used to
1466 choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. @xref{c++filt},
1467 for more information on demangling.
1468
1469 @item -G
1470 @item --debugging
1471 Display debugging information. This attempts to parse debugging
1472 information stored in the file and print it out using a C like syntax.
1473 Only certain types of debugging information have been implemented.
1474
1475 @item -d
1476 @itemx --disassemble
1477 @cindex disassembling object code
1478 @cindex machine instructions
1479 Display the assembler mnemonics for the machine instructions from
1480 @var{objfile}. This option only disassembles those sections which are
1481 expected to contain instructions.
1482
1483 @item -D
1484 @itemx --disassemble-all
1485 Like @option{-d}, but disassemble the contents of all sections, not just
1486 those expected to contain instructions.
1487
1488 @item --prefix-addresses
1489 When disassembling, print the complete address on each line. This is
1490 the older disassembly format.
1491
1492 @item -EB
1493 @itemx -EL
1494 @itemx --endian=@{big|little@}
1495 @cindex endianness
1496 @cindex disassembly endianness
1497 Specify the endianness of the object files. This only affects
1498 disassembly. This can be useful when disassembling a file format which
1499 does not describe endianness information, such as S-records.
1500
1501 @item -f
1502 @itemx --file-header
1503 @cindex object file header
1504 Display summary information from the overall header of
1505 each of the @var{objfile} files.
1506
1507 @item --file-start-context
1508 @cindex source code context
1509 Specify that when displaying interlisted source code/disassembly
1510 (assumes @option{-S}) from a file that has not yet been displayed, extend the
1511 context to the start of the file.
1512
1513 @item -h
1514 @itemx --section-header
1515 @itemx --header
1516 @cindex section headers
1517 Display summary information from the section headers of the
1518 object file.
1519
1520 File segments may be relocated to nonstandard addresses, for example by
1521 using the @option{-Ttext}, @option{-Tdata}, or @option{-Tbss} options to
1522 @command{ld}. However, some object file formats, such as a.out, do not
1523 store the starting address of the file segments. In those situations,
1524 although @command{ld} relocates the sections correctly, using @samp{objdump
1525 -h} to list the file section headers cannot show the correct addresses.
1526 Instead, it shows the usual addresses, which are implicit for the
1527 target.
1528
1529 @item --help
1530 Print a summary of the options to @command{objdump} and exit.
1531
1532 @item -i
1533 @itemx --info
1534 @cindex architectures available
1535 @cindex object formats available
1536 Display a list showing all architectures and object formats available
1537 for specification with @option{-b} or @option{-m}.
1538
1539 @item -j @var{name}
1540 @itemx --section=@var{name}
1541 @cindex section information
1542 Display information only for section @var{name}.
1543
1544 @item -l
1545 @itemx --line-numbers
1546 @cindex source filenames for object files
1547 Label the display (using debugging information) with the filename and
1548 source line numbers corresponding to the object code or relocs shown.
1549 Only useful with @option{-d}, @option{-D}, or @option{-r}.
1550
1551 @item -m @var{machine}
1552 @itemx --architecture=@var{machine}
1553 @cindex architecture
1554 @cindex disassembly architecture
1555 Specify the architecture to use when disassembling object files. This
1556 can be useful when disassembling object files which do not describe
1557 architecture information, such as S-records. You can list the available
1558 architectures with the @option{-i} option.
1559
1560 @item -M @var{options}
1561 @itemx --disassembler-options=@var{options}
1562 Pass target specific information to the disassembler. Only supported on
1563 some targets.
1564
1565 If the target is an ARM architecture then this switch can be used to
1566 select which register name set is used during disassembler. Specifying
1567 @option{-M reg-name-std} (the default) will select the register names as
1568 used in ARM's instruction set documentation, but with register 13 called
1569 'sp', register 14 called 'lr' and register 15 called 'pc'. Specifying
1570 @option{-M reg-names-apcs} will select the name set used by the ARM
1571 Procedure Call Standard, whilst specifying @option{-M reg-names-raw} will
1572 just use @samp{r} followed by the register number.
1573
1574 There are also two variants on the APCS register naming scheme enabled
1575 by @option{-M reg-names-atpcs} and @option{-M reg-names-special-atpcs} which
1576 use the ARM/Thumb Procedure Call Standard naming conventions. (Either
1577 with the normal register name or the special register names).
1578
1579 This option can also be used for ARM architectures to force the
1580 disassembler to interpret all instructions as Thumb instructions by
1581 using the switch @option{--disassembler-options=force-thumb}. This can be
1582 useful when attempting to disassemble thumb code produced by other
1583 compilers.
1584
1585 For the x86, some of the options duplicate functions of the @option{-m}
1586 switch, but allow finer grained control. Multiple selections from the
1587 following may be specified as a comma separated string.
1588 @option{x86-64}, @option{i386} and @option{i8086} select disassembly for
1589 the given architecture. @option{intel} and @option{att} select between
1590 intel syntax mode and AT&T syntax mode. @option{addr32},
1591 @option{addr16}, @option{data32} and @option{data16} specify the default
1592 address size and operand size. These four options will be overridden if
1593 @option{x86-64}, @option{i386} or @option{i8086} appear later in the
1594 option string. Lastly, @option{suffix}, when in AT&T mode,
1595 instructs the disassembler to print a mnemonic suffix even when the
1596 suffix could be inferred by the operands.
1597
1598 For PPC, @option{booke}, @option{booke32} and @option{booke64} select
1599 disassembly of BookE instructions. @option{32} and @option{64} select
1600 PowerPC and PowerPC64 disassembly, respectively.
1601
1602 @item -p
1603 @itemx --private-headers
1604 Print information that is specific to the object file format. The exact
1605 information printed depends upon the object file format. For some
1606 object file formats, no additional information is printed.
1607
1608 @item -r
1609 @itemx --reloc
1610 @cindex relocation entries, in object file
1611 Print the relocation entries of the file. If used with @option{-d} or
1612 @option{-D}, the relocations are printed interspersed with the
1613 disassembly.
1614
1615 @item -R
1616 @itemx --dynamic-reloc
1617 @cindex dynamic relocation entries, in object file
1618 Print the dynamic relocation entries of the file. This is only
1619 meaningful for dynamic objects, such as certain types of shared
1620 libraries.
1621
1622 @item -s
1623 @itemx --full-contents
1624 @cindex sections, full contents
1625 @cindex object file sections
1626 Display the full contents of any sections requested.
1627
1628 @item -S
1629 @itemx --source
1630 @cindex source disassembly
1631 @cindex disassembly, with source
1632 Display source code intermixed with disassembly, if possible. Implies
1633 @option{-d}.
1634
1635 @item --show-raw-insn
1636 When disassembling instructions, print the instruction in hex as well as
1637 in symbolic form. This is the default except when
1638 @option{--prefix-addresses} is used.
1639
1640 @item --no-show-raw-insn
1641 When disassembling instructions, do not print the instruction bytes.
1642 This is the default when @option{--prefix-addresses} is used.
1643
1644 @item -G
1645 @item --stabs
1646 @cindex stab
1647 @cindex .stab
1648 @cindex debug symbols
1649 @cindex ELF object file format
1650 Display the full contents of any sections requested. Display the
1651 contents of the .stab and .stab.index and .stab.excl sections from an
1652 ELF file. This is only useful on systems (such as Solaris 2.0) in which
1653 @code{.stab} debugging symbol-table entries are carried in an ELF
1654 section. In most other file formats, debugging symbol-table entries are
1655 interleaved with linkage symbols, and are visible in the @option{--syms}
1656 output.
1657 @ifclear man
1658 For more information on stabs symbols, see @ref{Top,Stabs,Stabs
1659 Overview,stabs.info, The ``stabs'' debug format}.
1660 @end ifclear
1661
1662 @item --start-address=@var{address}
1663 @cindex start-address
1664 Start displaying data at the specified address. This affects the output
1665 of the @option{-d}, @option{-r} and @option{-s} options.
1666
1667 @item --stop-address=@var{address}
1668 @cindex stop-address
1669 Stop displaying data at the specified address. This affects the output
1670 of the @option{-d}, @option{-r} and @option{-s} options.
1671
1672 @item -t
1673 @itemx --syms
1674 @cindex symbol table entries, printing
1675 Print the symbol table entries of the file.
1676 This is similar to the information provided by the @samp{nm} program.
1677
1678 @item -T
1679 @itemx --dynamic-syms
1680 @cindex dynamic symbol table entries, printing
1681 Print the dynamic symbol table entries of the file. This is only
1682 meaningful for dynamic objects, such as certain types of shared
1683 libraries. This is similar to the information provided by the @samp{nm}
1684 program when given the @option{-D} (@option{--dynamic}) option.
1685
1686 @item --version
1687 Print the version number of @command{objdump} and exit.
1688
1689 @item -x
1690 @itemx --all-header
1691 @cindex all header information, object file
1692 @cindex header information, all
1693 Display all available header information, including the symbol table and
1694 relocation entries. Using @option{-x} is equivalent to specifying all of
1695 @option{-a -f -h -r -t}.
1696
1697 @item -w
1698 @itemx --wide
1699 @cindex wide output, printing
1700 Format some lines for output devices that have more than 80 columns.
1701 Also do not truncate symbol names when they are displayed.
1702
1703 @item -z
1704 @itemx --disassemble-zeroes
1705 Normally the disassembly output will skip blocks of zeroes. This
1706 option directs the disassembler to disassemble those blocks, just like
1707 any other data.
1708 @end table
1709
1710 @c man end
1711
1712 @ignore
1713 @c man begin SEEALSO objdump
1714 nm(1), readelf(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1715 @c man end
1716 @end ignore
1717
1718 @node ranlib
1719 @chapter ranlib
1720
1721 @kindex ranlib
1722 @cindex archive contents
1723 @cindex symbol index
1724
1725 @c man title ranlib generate index to archive.
1726
1727 @smallexample
1728 @c man begin SYNOPSIS ranlib
1729 ranlib [@option{-vV}] @var{archive}
1730 @c man end
1731 @end smallexample
1732
1733 @c man begin DESCRIPTION ranlib
1734
1735 @command{ranlib} generates an index to the contents of an archive and
1736 stores it in the archive. The index lists each symbol defined by a
1737 member of an archive that is a relocatable object file.
1738
1739 You may use @samp{nm -s} or @samp{nm --print-armap} to list this index.
1740
1741 An archive with such an index speeds up linking to the library and
1742 allows routines in the library to call each other without regard to
1743 their placement in the archive.
1744
1745 The @sc{gnu} @command{ranlib} program is another form of @sc{gnu} @command{ar}; running
1746 @command{ranlib} is completely equivalent to executing @samp{ar -s}.
1747 @xref{ar}.
1748
1749 @c man end
1750
1751 @c man begin OPTIONS ranlib
1752
1753 @table @env
1754 @item -v
1755 @itemx -V
1756 @itemx --version
1757 Show the version number of @command{ranlib}.
1758 @end table
1759
1760 @c man end
1761
1762 @ignore
1763 @c man begin SEEALSO ranlib
1764 ar(1), nm(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1765 @c man end
1766 @end ignore
1767
1768 @node size
1769 @chapter size
1770
1771 @kindex size
1772 @cindex section sizes
1773
1774 @c man title size list section sizes and total size.
1775
1776 @smallexample
1777 @c man begin SYNOPSIS size
1778 size [@option{-A}|@option{-B}|@option{--format=}@var{compatibility}]
1779 [@option{--help}]
1780 [@option{-d}|@option{-o}|@option{-x}|@option{--radix=}@var{number}]
1781 [@option{-t}|@option{--totals}]
1782 [@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
1783 [@var{objfile}@dots{}]
1784 @c man end
1785 @end smallexample
1786
1787 @c man begin DESCRIPTION size
1788
1789 The @sc{gnu} @command{size} utility lists the section sizes---and the total
1790 size---for each of the object or archive files @var{objfile} in its
1791 argument list. By default, one line of output is generated for each
1792 object file or each module in an archive.
1793
1794 @var{objfile}@dots{} are the object files to be examined.
1795 If none are specified, the file @code{a.out} will be used.
1796
1797 @c man end
1798
1799 @c man begin OPTIONS size
1800
1801 The command line options have the following meanings:
1802
1803 @table @env
1804 @item -A
1805 @itemx -B
1806 @itemx --format=@var{compatibility}
1807 @cindex @command{size} display format
1808 Using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from @sc{gnu}
1809 @command{size} resembles output from System V @command{size} (using @option{-A},
1810 or @option{--format=sysv}), or Berkeley @command{size} (using @option{-B}, or
1811 @option{--format=berkeley}). The default is the one-line format similar to
1812 Berkeley's.
1813 @c Bonus for doc-source readers: you can also say --format=strange (or
1814 @c anything else that starts with 's') for sysv, and --format=boring (or
1815 @c anything else that starts with 'b') for Berkeley.
1816
1817 Here is an example of the Berkeley (default) format of output from
1818 @command{size}:
1819 @smallexample
1820 $ size --format=Berkeley ranlib size
1821 text data bss dec hex filename
1822 294880 81920 11592 388392 5ed28 ranlib
1823 294880 81920 11888 388688 5ee50 size
1824 @end smallexample
1825
1826 @noindent
1827 This is the same data, but displayed closer to System V conventions:
1828
1829 @smallexample
1830 $ size --format=SysV ranlib size
1831 ranlib :
1832 section size addr
1833 .text 294880 8192
1834 .data 81920 303104
1835 .bss 11592 385024
1836 Total 388392
1837
1838
1839 size :
1840 section size addr
1841 .text 294880 8192
1842 .data 81920 303104
1843 .bss 11888 385024
1844 Total 388688
1845 @end smallexample
1846
1847 @item --help
1848 Show a summary of acceptable arguments and options.
1849
1850 @item -d
1851 @itemx -o
1852 @itemx -x
1853 @itemx --radix=@var{number}
1854 @cindex @command{size} number format
1855 @cindex radix for section sizes
1856 Using one of these options, you can control whether the size of each
1857 section is given in decimal (@option{-d}, or @option{--radix=10}); octal
1858 (@option{-o}, or @option{--radix=8}); or hexadecimal (@option{-x}, or
1859 @option{--radix=16}). In @option{--radix=@var{number}}, only the three
1860 values (8, 10, 16) are supported. The total size is always given in two
1861 radices; decimal and hexadecimal for @option{-d} or @option{-x} output, or
1862 octal and hexadecimal if you're using @option{-o}.
1863
1864 @item -t
1865 @itemx --totals
1866 Show totals of all objects listed (Berkeley format listing mode only).
1867
1868 @item --target=@var{bfdname}
1869 @cindex object code format
1870 Specify that the object-code format for @var{objfile} is
1871 @var{bfdname}. This option may not be necessary; @command{size} can
1872 automatically recognize many formats.
1873 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1874
1875 @item -V
1876 @itemx --version
1877 Display the version number of @command{size}.
1878 @end table
1879
1880 @c man end
1881
1882 @ignore
1883 @c man begin SEEALSO size
1884 ar(1), objdump(1), readelf(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1885 @c man end
1886 @end ignore
1887
1888 @node strings
1889 @chapter strings
1890 @kindex strings
1891 @cindex listings strings
1892 @cindex printing strings
1893 @cindex strings, printing
1894
1895 @c man title strings print the strings of printable characters in files.
1896
1897 @smallexample
1898 @c man begin SYNOPSIS strings
1899 strings [@option{-afov}] [@option{-}@var{min-len}]
1900 [@option{-n} @var{min-len}] [@option{--bytes=}@var{min-len}]
1901 [@option{-t} @var{radix}] [@option{--radix=}@var{radix}]
1902 [@option{-e} @var{encoding}] [@option{--encoding=}@var{encoding}]
1903 [@option{-}] [@option{--all}] [@option{--print-file-name}]
1904 [@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
1905 [@option{--help}] [@option{--version}] @var{file}@dots{}
1906 @c man end
1907 @end smallexample
1908
1909 @c man begin DESCRIPTION strings
1910
1911 For each @var{file} given, @sc{gnu} @command{strings} prints the printable
1912 character sequences that are at least 4 characters long (or the number
1913 given with the options below) and are followed by an unprintable
1914 character. By default, it only prints the strings from the initialized
1915 and loaded sections of object files; for other types of files, it prints
1916 the strings from the whole file.
1917
1918 @command{strings} is mainly useful for determining the contents of non-text
1919 files.
1920
1921 @c man end
1922
1923 @c man begin OPTIONS strings
1924
1925 @table @env
1926 @item -a
1927 @itemx --all
1928 @itemx -
1929 Do not scan only the initialized and loaded sections of object files;
1930 scan the whole files.
1931
1932 @item -f
1933 @itemx --print-file-name
1934 Print the name of the file before each string.
1935
1936 @item --help
1937 Print a summary of the program usage on the standard output and exit.
1938
1939 @item -@var{min-len}
1940 @itemx -n @var{min-len}
1941 @itemx --bytes=@var{min-len}
1942 Print sequences of characters that are at least @var{min-len} characters
1943 long, instead of the default 4.
1944
1945 @item -o
1946 Like @samp{-t o}. Some other versions of @command{strings} have @option{-o}
1947 act like @samp{-t d} instead. Since we can not be compatible with both
1948 ways, we simply chose one.
1949
1950 @item -t @var{radix}
1951 @itemx --radix=@var{radix}
1952 Print the offset within the file before each string. The single
1953 character argument specifies the radix of the offset---@samp{o} for
1954 octal, @samp{x} for hexadecimal, or @samp{d} for decimal.
1955
1956 @item -e @var{encoding}
1957 @itemx --encoding=@var{encoding}
1958 Select the character encoding of the strings that are to be found.
1959 Possible values for @var{encoding} are: @samp{s} = single-byte
1960 characters (ASCII, ISO 8859, etc., default), @samp{b} = 16-bit
1961 Bigendian, @samp{l} = 16-bit Littleendian, @samp{B} = 32-bit Bigendian,
1962 @samp{L} = 32-bit Littleendian. Useful for finding wide character
1963 strings.
1964
1965 @item --target=@var{bfdname}
1966 @cindex object code format
1967 Specify an object code format other than your system's default format.
1968 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1969
1970 @item -v
1971 @itemx --version
1972 Print the program version number on the standard output and exit.
1973 @end table
1974
1975 @c man end
1976
1977 @ignore
1978 @c man begin SEEALSO strings
1979 ar(1), nm(1), objdump(1), ranlib(1), readelf(1)
1980 and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1981 @c man end
1982 @end ignore
1983
1984 @node strip
1985 @chapter strip
1986
1987 @kindex strip
1988 @cindex removing symbols
1989 @cindex discarding symbols
1990 @cindex symbols, discarding
1991
1992 @c man title strip Discard symbols from object files.
1993
1994 @smallexample
1995 @c man begin SYNOPSIS strip
1996 strip [@option{-F} @var{bfdname} |@option{--target=}@var{bfdname} ]
1997 [@option{-I} @var{bfdname} |@option{--input-target=}@var{bfdname} ]
1998 [@option{-O} @var{bfdname} |@option{--output-target=}@var{bfdname} ]
1999 [@option{-s}|@option{--strip-all}] [@option{-S}|@option{-g}|@option{-d}|@option{--strip-debug}]
2000 [@option{-K} @var{symbolname} |@option{--keep-symbol=}@var{symbolname} ]
2001 [@option{-N} @var{symbolname} |@option{--strip-symbol=}@var{symbolname} ]
2002 [@option{-x}|@option{--discard-all} ] [@option{-X} |@option{--discard-locals}]
2003 [@option{-R} @var{sectionname} |@option{--remove-section=}@var{sectionname} ]
2004 [@option{-o} @var{file} ] [@option{-p}|@option{--preserve-dates}]
2005 [@option{-v} |@option{--verbose}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}] [@option{--help}]
2006 @var{objfile}@dots{}
2007 @c man end
2008 @end smallexample
2009
2010 @c man begin DESCRIPTION strip
2011
2012 @sc{gnu} @command{strip} discards all symbols from object files
2013 @var{objfile}. The list of object files may include archives.
2014 At least one object file must be given.
2015
2016 @command{strip} modifies the files named in its argument,
2017 rather than writing modified copies under different names.
2018
2019 @c man end
2020
2021 @c man begin OPTIONS strip
2022
2023 @table @env
2024 @item -F @var{bfdname}
2025 @itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
2026 Treat the original @var{objfile} as a file with the object
2027 code format @var{bfdname}, and rewrite it in the same format.
2028 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2029
2030 @item --help
2031 Show a summary of the options to @command{strip} and exit.
2032
2033 @item -I @var{bfdname}
2034 @itemx --input-target=@var{bfdname}
2035 Treat the original @var{objfile} as a file with the object
2036 code format @var{bfdname}.
2037 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2038
2039 @item -O @var{bfdname}
2040 @itemx --output-target=@var{bfdname}
2041 Replace @var{objfile} with a file in the output format @var{bfdname}.
2042 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2043
2044 @item -R @var{sectionname}
2045 @itemx --remove-section=@var{sectionname}
2046 Remove any section named @var{sectionname} from the output file. This
2047 option may be given more than once. Note that using this option
2048 inappropriately may make the output file unusable.
2049
2050 @item -s
2051 @itemx --strip-all
2052 Remove all symbols.
2053
2054 @item -g
2055 @itemx -S
2056 @itemx -d
2057 @itemx --strip-debug
2058 Remove debugging symbols only.
2059
2060 @item --strip-unneeded
2061 Remove all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.
2062
2063 @item -K @var{symbolname}
2064 @itemx --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname}
2065 Keep only symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may
2066 be given more than once.
2067
2068 @item -N @var{symbolname}
2069 @itemx --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname}
2070 Remove symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may be
2071 given more than once, and may be combined with strip options other than
2072 @option{-K}.
2073
2074 @item -o @var{file}
2075 Put the stripped output in @var{file}, rather than replacing the
2076 existing file. When this argument is used, only one @var{objfile}
2077 argument may be specified.
2078
2079 @item -p
2080 @itemx --preserve-dates
2081 Preserve the access and modification dates of the file.
2082
2083 @item -x
2084 @itemx --discard-all
2085 Remove non-global symbols.
2086
2087 @item -X
2088 @itemx --discard-locals
2089 Remove compiler-generated local symbols.
2090 (These usually start with @samp{L} or @samp{.}.)
2091
2092 @item -V
2093 @itemx --version
2094 Show the version number for @command{strip}.
2095
2096 @item -v
2097 @itemx --verbose
2098 Verbose output: list all object files modified. In the case of
2099 archives, @samp{strip -v} lists all members of the archive.
2100 @end table
2101
2102 @c man end
2103
2104 @ignore
2105 @c man begin SEEALSO strip
2106 the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2107 @c man end
2108 @end ignore
2109
2110 @node c++filt, addr2line, strip, Top
2111 @chapter c++filt
2112
2113 @kindex c++filt
2114 @cindex demangling C++ symbols
2115
2116 @c man title cxxfilt Demangle C++ and Java symbols.
2117
2118 @smallexample
2119 @c man begin SYNOPSIS cxxfilt
2120 c++filt [@option{-_}|@option{--strip-underscores}]
2121 [@option{-j}|@option{--java}]
2122 [@option{-n}|@option{--no-strip-underscores}]
2123 [@option{-s} @var{format}|@option{--format=}@var{format}]
2124 [@option{--help}] [@option{--version}] [@var{symbol}@dots{}]
2125 @c man end
2126 @end smallexample
2127
2128 @c man begin DESCRIPTION cxxfilt
2129
2130 @kindex cxxfilt
2131 The C++ and Java languages provides function overloading, which means
2132 that you can write many functions with the same name (providing each
2133 takes parameters of different types). All C++ and Java function names
2134 are encoded into a low-level assembly label (this process is known as
2135 @dfn{mangling}). The @command{c++filt}
2136 @footnote{MS-DOS does not allow @kbd{+} characters in file names, so on
2137 MS-DOS this program is named @command{cxxfilt}.}
2138 program does the inverse mapping: it decodes (@dfn{demangles}) low-level
2139 names into user-level names so that the linker can keep these overloaded
2140 functions from clashing.
2141
2142 Every alphanumeric word (consisting of letters, digits, underscores,
2143 dollars, or periods) seen in the input is a potential label. If the
2144 label decodes into a C++ name, the C++ name replaces the low-level
2145 name in the output.
2146
2147 You can use @command{c++filt} to decipher individual symbols:
2148
2149 @example
2150 c++filt @var{symbol}
2151 @end example
2152
2153 If no @var{symbol} arguments are given, @command{c++filt} reads symbol
2154 names from the standard input and writes the demangled names to the
2155 standard output. All results are printed on the standard output.
2156
2157 @c man end
2158
2159 @c man begin OPTIONS cxxfilt
2160
2161 @table @env
2162 @item -_
2163 @itemx --strip-underscores
2164 On some systems, both the C and C++ compilers put an underscore in front
2165 of every name. For example, the C name @code{foo} gets the low-level
2166 name @code{_foo}. This option removes the initial underscore. Whether
2167 @command{c++filt} removes the underscore by default is target dependent.
2168
2169 @item -j
2170 @itemx --java
2171 Prints demangled names using Java syntax. The default is to use C++
2172 syntax.
2173
2174 @item -n
2175 @itemx --no-strip-underscores
2176 Do not remove the initial underscore.
2177
2178 @item -s @var{format}
2179 @itemx --format=@var{format}
2180 @sc{gnu} @command{nm} can decode three different methods of mangling, used by
2181 different C++ compilers. The argument to this option selects which
2182 method it uses:
2183
2184 @table @code
2185 @item gnu
2186 the one used by the @sc{gnu} compiler (the default method)
2187 @item lucid
2188 the one used by the Lucid compiler
2189 @item arm
2190 the one specified by the C++ Annotated Reference Manual
2191 @item hp
2192 the one used by the HP compiler
2193 @item edg
2194 the one used by the EDG compiler
2195 @item gnu-v3
2196 the one used by the @sc{gnu} compiler with the new ABI.
2197 @end table
2198
2199 @item --help
2200 Print a summary of the options to @command{c++filt} and exit.
2201
2202 @item --version
2203 Print the version number of @command{c++filt} and exit.
2204 @end table
2205
2206 @c man end
2207
2208 @ignore
2209 @c man begin SEEALSO cxxfilt
2210 the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2211 @c man end
2212 @end ignore
2213
2214 @quotation
2215 @emph{Warning:} @command{c++filt} is a new utility, and the details of its
2216 user interface are subject to change in future releases. In particular,
2217 a command-line option may be required in the the future to decode a name
2218 passed as an argument on the command line; in other words,
2219
2220 @example
2221 c++filt @var{symbol}
2222 @end example
2223
2224 @noindent
2225 may in a future release become
2226
2227 @example
2228 c++filt @var{option} @var{symbol}
2229 @end example
2230 @end quotation
2231
2232 @node addr2line
2233 @chapter addr2line
2234
2235 @kindex addr2line
2236 @cindex address to file name and line number
2237
2238 @c man title addr2line convert addresses into file names and line numbers.
2239
2240 @smallexample
2241 @c man begin SYNOPSIS addr2line
2242 addr2line [@option{-b} @var{bfdname}|@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
2243 [@option{-C}|@option{--demangle}[=@var{style}]]
2244 [@option{-e} @var{filename}|@option{--exe=}@var{filename}]
2245 [@option{-f}|@option{--functions}] [@option{-s}|@option{--basename}]
2246 [@option{-H}|@option{--help}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
2247 [addr addr @dots{}]
2248 @c man end
2249 @end smallexample
2250
2251 @c man begin DESCRIPTION addr2line
2252
2253 @command{addr2line} translates program addresses into file names and line
2254 numbers. Given an address and an executable, it uses the debugging
2255 information in the executable to figure out which file name and line
2256 number are associated with a given address.
2257
2258 The executable to use is specified with the @option{-e} option. The
2259 default is the file @file{a.out}.
2260
2261 @command{addr2line} has two modes of operation.
2262
2263 In the first, hexadecimal addresses are specified on the command line,
2264 and @command{addr2line} displays the file name and line number for each
2265 address.
2266
2267 In the second, @command{addr2line} reads hexadecimal addresses from
2268 standard input, and prints the file name and line number for each
2269 address on standard output. In this mode, @command{addr2line} may be used
2270 in a pipe to convert dynamically chosen addresses.
2271
2272 The format of the output is @samp{FILENAME:LINENO}. The file name and
2273 line number for each address is printed on a separate line. If the
2274 @command{-f} option is used, then each @samp{FILENAME:LINENO} line is
2275 preceded by a @samp{FUNCTIONNAME} line which is the name of the function
2276 containing the address.
2277
2278 If the file name or function name can not be determined,
2279 @command{addr2line} will print two question marks in their place. If the
2280 line number can not be determined, @command{addr2line} will print 0.
2281
2282 @c man end
2283
2284 @c man begin OPTIONS addr2line
2285
2286 The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
2287 equivalent.
2288
2289 @table @env
2290 @item -b @var{bfdname}
2291 @itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
2292 @cindex object code format
2293 Specify that the object-code format for the object files is
2294 @var{bfdname}.
2295
2296 @item -C
2297 @itemx --demangle[=@var{style}]
2298 @cindex demangling in objdump
2299 Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
2300 Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
2301 makes C++ function names readable. Different compilers have different
2302 mangling styles. The optional demangling style argument can be used to
2303 choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. @xref{c++filt},
2304 for more information on demangling.
2305
2306 @item -e @var{filename}
2307 @itemx --exe=@var{filename}
2308 Specify the name of the executable for which addresses should be
2309 translated. The default file is @file{a.out}.
2310
2311 @item -f
2312 @itemx --functions
2313 Display function names as well as file and line number information.
2314
2315 @item -s
2316 @itemx --basenames
2317 Display only the base of each file name.
2318 @end table
2319
2320 @c man end
2321
2322 @ignore
2323 @c man begin SEEALSO addr2line
2324 Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2325 @c man end
2326 @end ignore
2327
2328 @node nlmconv
2329 @chapter nlmconv
2330
2331 @command{nlmconv} converts a relocatable object file into a NetWare
2332 Loadable Module.
2333
2334 @ignore
2335 @command{nlmconv} currently works with @samp{i386} object
2336 files in @code{coff}, @sc{elf}, or @code{a.out} format, and @sc{SPARC}
2337 object files in @sc{elf}, or @code{a.out} format@footnote{
2338 @command{nlmconv} should work with any @samp{i386} or @sc{sparc} object
2339 format in the Binary File Descriptor library. It has only been tested
2340 with the above formats.}.
2341 @end ignore
2342
2343 @quotation
2344 @emph{Warning:} @command{nlmconv} is not always built as part of the binary
2345 utilities, since it is only useful for NLM targets.
2346 @end quotation
2347
2348 @c man title nlmconv converts object code into an NLM.
2349
2350 @smallexample
2351 @c man begin SYNOPSIS nlmconv
2352 nlmconv [@option{-I} @var{bfdname}|@option{--input-target=}@var{bfdname}]
2353 [@option{-O} @var{bfdname}|@option{--output-target=}@var{bfdname}]
2354 [@option{-T} @var{headerfile}|@option{--header-file=}@var{headerfile}]
2355 [@option{-d}|@option{--debug}] [@option{-l} @var{linker}|@option{--linker=}@var{linker}]
2356 [@option{-h}|@option{--help}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
2357 @var{infile} @var{outfile}
2358 @c man end
2359 @end smallexample
2360
2361 @c man begin DESCRIPTION nlmconv
2362
2363 @command{nlmconv} converts the relocatable @samp{i386} object file
2364 @var{infile} into the NetWare Loadable Module @var{outfile}, optionally
2365 reading @var{headerfile} for NLM header information. For instructions
2366 on writing the NLM command file language used in header files, see the
2367 @samp{linkers} section, @samp{NLMLINK} in particular, of the @cite{NLM
2368 Development and Tools Overview}, which is part of the NLM Software
2369 Developer's Kit (``NLM SDK''), available from Novell, Inc.
2370 @command{nlmconv} uses the @sc{gnu} Binary File Descriptor library to read
2371 @var{infile};
2372 @ifclear man
2373 see @ref{BFD,,BFD,ld.info,Using LD}, for more information.
2374 @end ifclear
2375
2376 @command{nlmconv} can perform a link step. In other words, you can list
2377 more than one object file for input if you list them in the definitions
2378 file (rather than simply specifying one input file on the command line).
2379 In this case, @command{nlmconv} calls the linker for you.
2380
2381 @c man end
2382
2383 @c man begin OPTIONS nlmconv
2384
2385 @table @env
2386 @item -I @var{bfdname}
2387 @itemx --input-target=@var{bfdname}
2388 Object format of the input file. @command{nlmconv} can usually determine
2389 the format of a given file (so no default is necessary).
2390 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2391
2392 @item -O @var{bfdname}
2393 @itemx --output-target=@var{bfdname}
2394 Object format of the output file. @command{nlmconv} infers the output
2395 format based on the input format, e.g. for a @samp{i386} input file the
2396 output format is @samp{nlm32-i386}.
2397 @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2398
2399 @item -T @var{headerfile}
2400 @itemx --header-file=@var{headerfile}
2401 Reads @var{headerfile} for NLM header information. For instructions on
2402 writing the NLM command file language used in header files, see@ see the
2403 @samp{linkers} section, of the @cite{NLM Development and Tools
2404 Overview}, which is part of the NLM Software Developer's Kit, available
2405 from Novell, Inc.
2406
2407 @item -d
2408 @itemx --debug
2409 Displays (on standard error) the linker command line used by @command{nlmconv}.
2410
2411 @item -l @var{linker}
2412 @itemx --linker=@var{linker}
2413 Use @var{linker} for any linking. @var{linker} can be an absolute or a
2414 relative pathname.
2415
2416 @item -h
2417 @itemx --help
2418 Prints a usage summary.
2419
2420 @item -V
2421 @itemx --version
2422 Prints the version number for @command{nlmconv}.
2423 @end table
2424
2425 @c man end
2426
2427 @ignore
2428 @c man begin SEEALSO nlmconv
2429 the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2430 @c man end
2431 @end ignore
2432
2433 @node windres
2434 @chapter windres
2435
2436 @command{windres} may be used to manipulate Windows resources.
2437
2438 @quotation
2439 @emph{Warning:} @command{windres} is not always built as part of the binary
2440 utilities, since it is only useful for Windows targets.
2441 @end quotation
2442
2443 @c man title windres manipulate Windows resources.
2444
2445 @smallexample
2446 @c man begin SYNOPSIS windres
2447 windres [options] [input-file] [output-file]
2448 @c man end
2449 @end smallexample
2450
2451 @c man begin DESCRIPTION windres
2452
2453 @command{windres} reads resources from an input file and copies them into
2454 an output file. Either file may be in one of three formats:
2455
2456 @table @code
2457 @item rc
2458 A text format read by the Resource Compiler.
2459
2460 @item res
2461 A binary format generated by the Resource Compiler.
2462
2463 @item coff
2464 A COFF object or executable.
2465 @end table
2466
2467 The exact description of these different formats is available in
2468 documentation from Microsoft.
2469
2470 When @command{windres} converts from the @code{rc} format to the @code{res}
2471 format, it is acting like the Windows Resource Compiler. When
2472 @command{windres} converts from the @code{res} format to the @code{coff}
2473 format, it is acting like the Windows @code{CVTRES} program.
2474
2475 When @command{windres} generates an @code{rc} file, the output is similar
2476 but not identical to the format expected for the input. When an input
2477 @code{rc} file refers to an external filename, an output @code{rc} file
2478 will instead include the file contents.
2479
2480 If the input or output format is not specified, @command{windres} will
2481 guess based on the file name, or, for the input file, the file contents.
2482 A file with an extension of @file{.rc} will be treated as an @code{rc}
2483 file, a file with an extension of @file{.res} will be treated as a
2484 @code{res} file, and a file with an extension of @file{.o} or
2485 @file{.exe} will be treated as a @code{coff} file.
2486
2487 If no output file is specified, @command{windres} will print the resources
2488 in @code{rc} format to standard output.
2489
2490 The normal use is for you to write an @code{rc} file, use @command{windres}
2491 to convert it to a COFF object file, and then link the COFF file into
2492 your application. This will make the resources described in the
2493 @code{rc} file available to Windows.
2494
2495 @c man end
2496
2497 @c man begin OPTIONS windres
2498
2499 @table @env
2500 @item -i @var{filename}
2501 @itemx --input @var{filename}
2502 The name of the input file. If this option is not used, then
2503 @command{windres} will use the first non-option argument as the input file
2504 name. If there are no non-option arguments, then @command{windres} will
2505 read from standard input. @command{windres} can not read a COFF file from
2506 standard input.
2507
2508 @item -o @var{filename}
2509 @itemx --output @var{filename}
2510 The name of the output file. If this option is not used, then
2511 @command{windres} will use the first non-option argument, after any used
2512 for the input file name, as the output file name. If there is no
2513 non-option argument, then @command{windres} will write to standard output.
2514 @command{windres} can not write a COFF file to standard output.
2515
2516 @item -I @var{format}
2517 @itemx --input-format @var{format}
2518 The input format to read. @var{format} may be @samp{res}, @samp{rc}, or
2519 @samp{coff}. If no input format is specified, @command{windres} will
2520 guess, as described above.
2521
2522 @item -O @var{format}
2523 @itemx --output-format @var{format}
2524 The output format to generate. @var{format} may be @samp{res},
2525 @samp{rc}, or @samp{coff}. If no output format is specified,
2526 @command{windres} will guess, as described above.
2527
2528 @item -F @var{target}
2529 @itemx --target @var{target}
2530 Specify the BFD format to use for a COFF file as input or output. This
2531 is a BFD target name; you can use the @option{--help} option to see a list
2532 of supported targets. Normally @command{windres} will use the default
2533 format, which is the first one listed by the @option{--help} option.
2534 @ifclear man
2535 @ref{Target Selection}.
2536 @end ifclear
2537
2538 @item --preprocessor @var{program}
2539 When @command{windres} reads an @code{rc} file, it runs it through the C
2540 preprocessor first. This option may be used to specify the preprocessor
2541 to use, including any leading arguments. The default preprocessor
2542 argument is @code{gcc -E -xc-header -DRC_INVOKED}.
2543
2544 @item --include-dir @var{directory}
2545 Specify an include directory to use when reading an @code{rc} file.
2546 @command{windres} will pass this to the preprocessor as an @option{-I}
2547 option. @command{windres} will also search this directory when looking for
2548 files named in the @code{rc} file.
2549
2550 @item -D @var{target}
2551 @itemx --define @var{sym}[=@var{val}]
2552 Specify a @option{-D} option to pass to the preprocessor when reading an
2553 @code{rc} file.
2554
2555 @item -v
2556 Enable verbose mode. This tells you what the preprocessor is if you
2557 didn't specify one.
2558
2559 @item --language @var{val}
2560 Specify the default language to use when reading an @code{rc} file.
2561 @var{val} should be a hexadecimal language code. The low eight bits are
2562 the language, and the high eight bits are the sublanguage.
2563
2564 @item --use-temp-file
2565 Use a temporary file to instead of using popen to read the output of
2566 the preprocessor. Use this option if the popen implementation is buggy
2567 on the host (eg., certain non-English language versions of Windows 95 and
2568 Windows 98 are known to have buggy popen where the output will instead
2569 go the console).
2570
2571 @item --no-use-temp-file
2572 Use popen, not a temporary file, to read the output of the preprocessor.
2573 This is the default behaviour.
2574
2575 @item --help
2576 Prints a usage summary.
2577
2578 @item --version
2579 Prints the version number for @command{windres}.
2580
2581 @item --yydebug
2582 If @command{windres} is compiled with @code{YYDEBUG} defined as @code{1},
2583 this will turn on parser debugging.
2584 @end table
2585
2586 @c man end
2587
2588 @ignore
2589 @c man begin SEEALSO windres
2590 the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2591 @c man end
2592 @end ignore
2593
2594 @node dlltool
2595 @chapter Create files needed to build and use DLLs
2596 @cindex DLL
2597 @kindex dlltool
2598
2599 @command{dlltool} may be used to create the files needed to build and use
2600 dynamic link libraries (DLLs).
2601
2602 @quotation
2603 @emph{Warning:} @command{dlltool} is not always built as part of the binary
2604 utilities, since it is only useful for those targets which support DLLs.
2605 @end quotation
2606
2607 @c man title dlltool Create files needed to build and use DLLs.
2608
2609 @smallexample
2610 @c man begin SYNOPSIS dlltool
2611 dlltool [@option{-d}|@option{--input-def} @var{def-file-name}]
2612 [@option{-b}|@option{--base-file} @var{base-file-name}]
2613 [@option{-e}|@option{--output-exp} @var{exports-file-name}]
2614 [@option{-z}|@option{--output-def} @var{def-file-name}]
2615 [@option{-l}|@option{--output-lib} @var{library-file-name}]
2616 [@option{--export-all-symbols}] [@option{--no-export-all-symbols}]
2617 [@option{--exclude-symbols} @var{list}]
2618 [@option{--no-default-excludes}]
2619 [@option{-S}|@option{--as} @var{path-to-assembler}] [@option{-f}|@option{--as-flags} @var{options}]
2620 [@option{-D}|@option{--dllname} @var{name}] [@option{-m}|@option{--machine} @var{machine}]
2621 [@option{-a}|@option{--add-indirect}] [@option{-U}|@option{--add-underscore}] [@option{-k}|@option{--kill-at}]
2622 [@option{-A}|@option{--add-stdcall-alias}]
2623 [@option{-x}|@option{--no-idata4}] [@option{-c}|@option{--no-idata5}] [@option{-i}|@option{--interwork}]
2624 [@option{-n}|@option{--nodelete}] [@option{-v}|@option{--verbose}]
2625 [@option{-h}|@option{--help}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
2626 [object-file @dots{}]
2627 @c man end
2628 @end smallexample
2629
2630 @c man begin DESCRIPTION dlltool
2631
2632 @command{dlltool} reads its inputs, which can come from the @option{-d} and
2633 @option{-b} options as well as object files specified on the command
2634 line. It then processes these inputs and if the @option{-e} option has
2635 been specified it creates a exports file. If the @option{-l} option
2636 has been specified it creates a library file and if the @option{-z} option
2637 has been specified it creates a def file. Any or all of the @option{-e},
2638 @option{-l} and @option{-z} options can be present in one invocation of
2639 dlltool.
2640
2641 When creating a DLL, along with the source for the DLL, it is necessary
2642 to have three other files. @command{dlltool} can help with the creation of
2643 these files.
2644
2645 The first file is a @samp{.def} file which specifies which functions are
2646 exported from the DLL, which functions the DLL imports, and so on. This
2647 is a text file and can be created by hand, or @command{dlltool} can be used
2648 to create it using the @option{-z} option. In this case @command{dlltool}
2649 will scan the object files specified on its command line looking for
2650 those functions which have been specially marked as being exported and
2651 put entries for them in the .def file it creates.
2652
2653 In order to mark a function as being exported from a DLL, it needs to
2654 have an @option{-export:<name_of_function>} entry in the @samp{.drectve}
2655 section of the object file. This can be done in C by using the
2656 asm() operator:
2657
2658 @smallexample
2659 asm (".section .drectve");
2660 asm (".ascii \"-export:my_func\"");
2661
2662 int my_func (void) @{ @dots{} @}
2663 @end smallexample
2664
2665 The second file needed for DLL creation is an exports file. This file
2666 is linked with the object files that make up the body of the DLL and it
2667 handles the interface between the DLL and the outside world. This is a
2668 binary file and it can be created by giving the @option{-e} option to
2669 @command{dlltool} when it is creating or reading in a .def file.
2670
2671 The third file needed for DLL creation is the library file that programs
2672 will link with in order to access the functions in the DLL. This file
2673 can be created by giving the @option{-l} option to dlltool when it
2674 is creating or reading in a .def file.
2675
2676 @command{dlltool} builds the library file by hand, but it builds the
2677 exports file by creating temporary files containing assembler statements
2678 and then assembling these. The @option{-S} command line option can be
2679 used to specify the path to the assembler that dlltool will use,
2680 and the @option{-f} option can be used to pass specific flags to that
2681 assembler. The @option{-n} can be used to prevent dlltool from deleting
2682 these temporary assembler files when it is done, and if @option{-n} is
2683 specified twice then this will prevent dlltool from deleting the
2684 temporary object files it used to build the library.
2685
2686 Here is an example of creating a DLL from a source file @samp{dll.c} and
2687 also creating a program (from an object file called @samp{program.o})
2688 that uses that DLL:
2689
2690 @smallexample
2691 gcc -c dll.c
2692 dlltool -e exports.o -l dll.lib dll.o
2693 gcc dll.o exports.o -o dll.dll
2694 gcc program.o dll.lib -o program
2695 @end smallexample
2696
2697 @c man end
2698
2699 @c man begin OPTIONS dlltool
2700
2701 The command line options have the following meanings:
2702
2703 @table @env
2704
2705 @item -d @var{filename}
2706 @itemx --input-def @var{filename}
2707 @cindex input .def file
2708 Specifies the name of a .def file to be read in and processed.
2709
2710 @item -b @var{filename}
2711 @itemx --base-file @var{filename}
2712 @cindex base files
2713 Specifies the name of a base file to be read in and processed. The
2714 contents of this file will be added to the relocation section in the
2715 exports file generated by dlltool.
2716
2717 @item -e @var{filename}
2718 @itemx --output-exp @var{filename}
2719 Specifies the name of the export file to be created by dlltool.
2720
2721 @item -z @var{filename}
2722 @itemx --output-def @var{filename}
2723 Specifies the name of the .def file to be created by dlltool.
2724
2725 @item -l @var{filename}
2726 @itemx --output-lib @var{filename}
2727 Specifies the name of the library file to be created by dlltool.
2728
2729 @item --export-all-symbols
2730 Treat all global and weak defined symbols found in the input object
2731 files as symbols to be exported. There is a small list of symbols which
2732 are not exported by default; see the @option{--no-default-excludes}
2733 option. You may add to the list of symbols to not export by using the
2734 @option{--exclude-symbols} option.
2735
2736 @item --no-export-all-symbols
2737 Only export symbols explicitly listed in an input .def file or in
2738 @samp{.drectve} sections in the input object files. This is the default
2739 behaviour. The @samp{.drectve} sections are created by @samp{dllexport}
2740 attributes in the source code.
2741
2742 @item --exclude-symbols @var{list}
2743 Do not export the symbols in @var{list}. This is a list of symbol names
2744 separated by comma or colon characters. The symbol names should not
2745 contain a leading underscore. This is only meaningful when
2746 @option{--export-all-symbols} is used.
2747
2748 @item --no-default-excludes
2749 When @option{--export-all-symbols} is used, it will by default avoid
2750 exporting certain special symbols. The current list of symbols to avoid
2751 exporting is @samp{DllMain@@12}, @samp{DllEntryPoint@@0},
2752 @samp{impure_ptr}. You may use the @option{--no-default-excludes} option
2753 to go ahead and export these special symbols. This is only meaningful
2754 when @option{--export-all-symbols} is used.
2755
2756 @item -S @var{path}
2757 @itemx --as @var{path}
2758 Specifies the path, including the filename, of the assembler to be used
2759 to create the exports file.
2760
2761 @item -f @var{options}
2762 @itemx --as-flags @var{options}
2763 Specifies any specific command line options to be passed to the
2764 assembler when building the exports file. This option will work even if
2765 the @option{-S} option is not used. This option only takes one argument,
2766 and if it occurs more than once on the command line, then later
2767 occurrences will override earlier occurrences. So if it is necessary to
2768 pass multiple options to the assembler they should be enclosed in
2769 double quotes.
2770
2771 @item -D @var{name}
2772 @itemx --dll-name @var{name}
2773 Specifies the name to be stored in the .def file as the name of the DLL
2774 when the @option{-e} option is used. If this option is not present, then
2775 the filename given to the @option{-e} option will be used as the name of
2776 the DLL.
2777
2778 @item -m @var{machine}
2779 @itemx -machine @var{machine}
2780 Specifies the type of machine for which the library file should be
2781 built. @command{dlltool} has a built in default type, depending upon how
2782 it was created, but this option can be used to override that. This is
2783 normally only useful when creating DLLs for an ARM processor, when the
2784 contents of the DLL are actually encode using Thumb instructions.
2785
2786 @item -a
2787 @itemx --add-indirect
2788 Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
2789 should add a section which allows the exported functions to be
2790 referenced without using the import library. Whatever the hell that
2791 means!
2792
2793 @item -U
2794 @itemx --add-underscore
2795 Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
2796 should prepend an underscore to the names of the exported functions.
2797
2798 @item -k
2799 @itemx --kill-at
2800 Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
2801 should not append the string @samp{@@ <number>}. These numbers are
2802 called ordinal numbers and they represent another way of accessing the
2803 function in a DLL, other than by name.
2804
2805 @item -A
2806 @itemx --add-stdcall-alias
2807 Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
2808 should add aliases for stdcall symbols without @samp{@@ <number>}
2809 in addition to the symbols with @samp{@@ <number>}.
2810
2811 @item -x
2812 @itemx --no-idata4
2813 Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports and library
2814 files it should omit the @code{.idata4} section. This is for compatibility
2815 with certain operating systems.
2816
2817 @item -c
2818 @itemx --no-idata5
2819 Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports and library
2820 files it should omit the @code{.idata5} section. This is for compatibility
2821 with certain operating systems.
2822
2823 @item -i
2824 @itemx --interwork
2825 Specifies that @command{dlltool} should mark the objects in the library
2826 file and exports file that it produces as supporting interworking
2827 between ARM and Thumb code.
2828
2829 @item -n
2830 @itemx --nodelete
2831 Makes @command{dlltool} preserve the temporary assembler files it used to
2832 create the exports file. If this option is repeated then dlltool will
2833 also preserve the temporary object files it uses to create the library
2834 file.
2835
2836 @item -v
2837 @itemx --verbose
2838 Make dlltool describe what it is doing.
2839
2840 @item -h
2841 @itemx --help
2842 Displays a list of command line options and then exits.
2843
2844 @item -V
2845 @itemx --version
2846 Displays dlltool's version number and then exits.
2847
2848 @end table
2849
2850 @c man end
2851
2852 @ignore
2853 @c man begin SEEALSO dlltool
2854 the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2855 @c man end
2856 @end ignore
2857
2858 @node readelf
2859 @chapter readelf
2860
2861 @cindex ELF file information
2862 @kindex readelf
2863
2864 @c man title readelf Displays information about ELF files.
2865
2866 @smallexample
2867 @c man begin SYNOPSIS readelf
2868 readelf [@option{-a}|@option{--all}]
2869 [@option{-h}|@option{--file-header}]
2870 [@option{-l}|@option{--program-headers}|@option{--segments}]
2871 [@option{-S}|@option{--section-headers}|@option{--sections}]
2872 [@option{-e}|@option{--headers}]
2873 [@option{-s}|@option{--syms}|@option{--symbols}]
2874 [@option{-n}|@option{--notes}]
2875 [@option{-r}|@option{--relocs}]
2876 [@option{-u}|@option{--unwind}]
2877 [@option{-d}|@option{--dynamic}]
2878 [@option{-V}|@option{--version-info}]
2879 [@option{-D}|@option{--use-dynamic}]
2880 [@option{-x} <number>|@option{--hex-dump=}<number>]
2881 [@option{-w[liaprmfFso]}|@option{--debug-dump}[=line,=info,=abbrev,=pubnames,=ranges,=macro,=frames,=str,=loc]]
2882 [@option{-histogram}]
2883 [@option{-v}|@option{--version}]
2884 [@option{-W}|@option{--wide}]
2885 [@option{-H}|@option{--help}]
2886 @var{elffile}@dots{}
2887 @c man end
2888 @end smallexample
2889
2890 @c man begin DESCRIPTION readelf
2891
2892 @command{readelf} displays information about one or more ELF format object
2893 files. The options control what particular information to display.
2894
2895 @var{elffile}@dots{} are the object files to be examined. At the
2896 moment, @command{readelf} does not support examining archives, nor does it
2897 support examining 64 bit ELF files.
2898
2899 @c man end
2900
2901 @c man begin OPTIONS readelf
2902
2903 The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
2904 equivalent. At least one option besides @samp{-v} or @samp{-H} must be
2905 given.
2906
2907 @table @env
2908 @item -a
2909 @itemx --all
2910 Equivalent to specifiying @option{--file-header},
2911 @option{--program-headers}, @option{--sections}, @option{--symbols},
2912 @option{--relocs}, @option{--dynamic}, @option{--notes} and
2913 @option{--version-info}.
2914
2915 @item -h
2916 @itemx --file-header
2917 @cindex ELF file header information
2918 Displays the information contained in the ELF header at the start of the
2919 file.
2920
2921 @item -l
2922 @itemx --program-headers
2923 @itemx --segments
2924 @cindex ELF program header information
2925 @cindex ELF segment information
2926 Displays the information contained in the file's segment headers, if it
2927 has any.
2928
2929 @item -S
2930 @itemx --sections
2931 @itemx --section-headers
2932 @cindex ELF section information
2933 Displays the information contained in the file's section headers, if it
2934 has any.
2935
2936 @item -s
2937 @itemx --symbols
2938 @itemx --syms
2939 @cindex ELF symbol table information
2940 Displays the entries in symbol table section of the file, if it has one.
2941
2942 @item -e
2943 @itemx --headers
2944 Display all the headers in the file. Equivalent to @option{-h -l -S}.
2945
2946 @item -n
2947 @itemx --notes
2948 @cindex ELF core notes
2949 Displays the contents of the NOTE segment, if it exists.
2950
2951 @item -r
2952 @itemx --relocs
2953 @cindex ELF reloc information
2954 Displays the contents of the file's relocation section, if it has one.
2955
2956 @item -u
2957 @itemx --unwind
2958 @cindex unwind information
2959 Displays the contents of the file's unwind section, if it has one. Only
2960 the unwind sections for IA64 ELF files are currently supported.
2961
2962 @item -d
2963 @itemx --dynamic
2964 @cindex ELF dynamic section information
2965 Displays the contents of the file's dynamic section, if it has one.
2966
2967 @item -V
2968 @itemx --version-info
2969 @cindex ELF version sections informations
2970 Displays the contents of the version sections in the file, it they
2971 exist.
2972
2973 @item -D
2974 @itemx --use-dynamic
2975 When displaying symbols, this option makes @command{readelf} use the
2976 symbol table in the file's dynamic section, rather than the one in the
2977 symbols section.
2978
2979 @item -x <number>
2980 @itemx --hex-dump=<number>
2981 Displays the contents of the indicated section as a hexadecimal dump.
2982
2983 @item -w[liaprmfFso]
2984 @itemx --debug-dump[=line,=info,=abbrev,=pubnames,=ranges,=macro,=frames,=str,=loc]
2985 Displays the contents of the debug sections in the file, if any are
2986 present. If one of the optional letters or words follows the switch
2987 then only data found in those specific sections will be dumped.
2988
2989 @item --histogram
2990 Display a histogram of bucket list lengths when displaying the contents
2991 of the symbol tables.
2992
2993 @item -v
2994 @itemx --version
2995 Display the version number of readelf.
2996
2997 @item -W
2998 @itemx --wide
2999 Don't break output lines to fit into 80 columns. By default
3000 @command{readelf} breaks section header and segment listing lines for
3001 64-bit ELF files, so that they fit into 80 columns. This option causes
3002 @command{readelf} to print each section header resp. each segment one a
3003 single line, which is far more readable on terminals wider than 80 columns.
3004
3005 @item -H
3006 @itemx --help
3007 Display the command line options understood by @command{readelf}.
3008
3009 @end table
3010
3011 @c man end
3012
3013 @ignore
3014 @c man begin SEEALSO readelf
3015 objdump(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
3016 @c man end
3017 @end ignore
3018
3019 @node Selecting The Target System
3020 @chapter Selecting the target system
3021
3022 You can specify three aspects of the target system to the @sc{gnu}
3023 binary file utilities, each in several ways:
3024
3025 @itemize @bullet
3026 @item
3027 the target
3028
3029 @item
3030 the architecture
3031
3032 @item
3033 the linker emulation (which applies to the linker only)
3034 @end itemize
3035
3036 In the following summaries, the lists of ways to specify values are in
3037 order of decreasing precedence. The ways listed first override those
3038 listed later.
3039
3040 The commands to list valid values only list the values for which the
3041 programs you are running were configured. If they were configured with
3042 @option{--enable-targets=all}, the commands list most of the available
3043 values, but a few are left out; not all targets can be configured in at
3044 once because some of them can only be configured @dfn{native} (on hosts
3045 with the same type as the target system).
3046
3047 @menu
3048 * Target Selection::
3049 * Architecture Selection::
3050 * Linker Emulation Selection::
3051 @end menu
3052
3053 @node Target Selection
3054 @section Target Selection
3055
3056 A @dfn{target} is an object file format. A given target may be
3057 supported for multiple architectures (@pxref{Architecture Selection}).
3058 A target selection may also have variations for different operating
3059 systems or architectures.
3060
3061 The command to list valid target values is @samp{objdump -i}
3062 (the first column of output contains the relevant information).
3063
3064 Some sample values are: @samp{a.out-hp300bsd}, @samp{ecoff-littlemips},
3065 @samp{a.out-sunos-big}.
3066
3067 You can also specify a target using a configuration triplet. This is
3068 the same sort of name that is passed to @file{configure} to specify a
3069 target. When you use a configuration triplet as an argument, it must be
3070 fully canonicalized. You can see the canonical version of a triplet by
3071 running the shell script @file{config.sub} which is included with the
3072 sources.
3073
3074 Some sample configuration triplets are: @samp{m68k-hp-bsd},
3075 @samp{mips-dec-ultrix}, @samp{sparc-sun-sunos}.
3076
3077 @subheading @command{objdump} Target
3078
3079 Ways to specify:
3080
3081 @enumerate
3082 @item
3083 command line option: @option{-b} or @option{--target}
3084
3085 @item
3086 environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3087
3088 @item
3089 deduced from the input file
3090 @end enumerate
3091
3092 @subheading @command{objcopy} and @command{strip} Input Target
3093
3094 Ways to specify:
3095
3096 @enumerate
3097 @item
3098 command line options: @option{-I} or @option{--input-target}, or @option{-F} or @option{--target}
3099
3100 @item
3101 environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3102
3103 @item
3104 deduced from the input file
3105 @end enumerate
3106
3107 @subheading @command{objcopy} and @command{strip} Output Target
3108
3109 Ways to specify:
3110
3111 @enumerate
3112 @item
3113 command line options: @option{-O} or @option{--output-target}, or @option{-F} or @option{--target}
3114
3115 @item
3116 the input target (see ``@command{objcopy} and @command{strip} Input Target'' above)
3117
3118 @item
3119 environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3120
3121 @item
3122 deduced from the input file
3123 @end enumerate
3124
3125 @subheading @command{nm}, @command{size}, and @command{strings} Target
3126
3127 Ways to specify:
3128
3129 @enumerate
3130 @item
3131 command line option: @option{--target}
3132
3133 @item
3134 environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3135
3136 @item
3137 deduced from the input file
3138 @end enumerate
3139
3140 @subheading Linker Input Target
3141
3142 Ways to specify:
3143
3144 @enumerate
3145 @item
3146 command line option: @option{-b} or @option{--format}
3147 (@pxref{Options,,Options,ld.info,Using LD})
3148
3149 @item
3150 script command @code{TARGET}
3151 (@pxref{Format Commands,,Format Commands,ld.info,Using LD})
3152
3153 @item
3154 environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3155 (@pxref{Environment,,Environment,ld.info,Using LD})
3156
3157 @item
3158 the default target of the selected linker emulation
3159 (@pxref{Linker Emulation Selection})
3160 @end enumerate
3161
3162 @subheading Linker Output Target
3163
3164 Ways to specify:
3165
3166 @enumerate
3167 @item
3168 command line option: @option{-oformat}
3169 (@pxref{Options,,Options,ld.info,Using LD})
3170
3171 @item
3172 script command @code{OUTPUT_FORMAT}
3173 (@pxref{Format Commands,,Format Commands,ld.info,Using LD})
3174
3175 @item
3176 the linker input target (see ``Linker Input Target'' above)
3177 @end enumerate
3178
3179 @node Architecture Selection
3180 @section Architecture selection
3181
3182 An @dfn{architecture} is a type of @sc{cpu} on which an object file is
3183 to run. Its name may contain a colon, separating the name of the
3184 processor family from the name of the particular @sc{cpu}.
3185
3186 The command to list valid architecture values is @samp{objdump -i} (the
3187 second column contains the relevant information).
3188
3189 Sample values: @samp{m68k:68020}, @samp{mips:3000}, @samp{sparc}.
3190
3191 @subheading @command{objdump} Architecture
3192
3193 Ways to specify:
3194
3195 @enumerate
3196 @item
3197 command line option: @option{-m} or @option{--architecture}
3198
3199 @item
3200 deduced from the input file
3201 @end enumerate
3202
3203 @subheading @command{objcopy}, @command{nm}, @command{size}, @command{strings} Architecture
3204
3205 Ways to specify:
3206
3207 @enumerate
3208 @item
3209 deduced from the input file
3210 @end enumerate
3211
3212 @subheading Linker Input Architecture
3213
3214 Ways to specify:
3215
3216 @enumerate
3217 @item
3218 deduced from the input file
3219 @end enumerate
3220
3221 @subheading Linker Output Architecture
3222
3223 Ways to specify:
3224
3225 @enumerate
3226 @item
3227 script command @code{OUTPUT_ARCH}
3228 (@pxref{Miscellaneous Commands,,Miscellaneous Commands,ld.info,Using LD})
3229
3230 @item
3231 the default architecture from the linker output target
3232 (@pxref{Target Selection})
3233 @end enumerate
3234
3235 @node Linker Emulation Selection
3236 @section Linker emulation selection
3237
3238 A linker @dfn{emulation} is a ``personality'' of the linker, which gives
3239 the linker default values for the other aspects of the target system.
3240 In particular, it consists of
3241
3242 @itemize @bullet
3243 @item
3244 the linker script
3245
3246 @item
3247 the target
3248
3249 @item
3250 several ``hook'' functions that are run at certain stages of the linking
3251 process to do special things that some targets require
3252 @end itemize
3253
3254 The command to list valid linker emulation values is @samp{ld -V}.
3255
3256 Sample values: @samp{hp300bsd}, @samp{mipslit}, @samp{sun4}.
3257
3258 Ways to specify:
3259
3260 @enumerate
3261 @item
3262 command line option: @option{-m}
3263 (@pxref{Options,,Options,ld.info,Using LD})
3264
3265 @item
3266 environment variable @code{LDEMULATION}
3267
3268 @item
3269 compiled-in @code{DEFAULT_EMULATION} from @file{Makefile},
3270 which comes from @code{EMUL} in @file{config/@var{target}.mt}
3271 @end enumerate
3272
3273 @node Reporting Bugs
3274 @chapter Reporting Bugs
3275 @cindex bugs
3276 @cindex reporting bugs
3277
3278 Your bug reports play an essential role in making the binary utilities
3279 reliable.
3280
3281 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or
3282 it may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is
3283 to help the entire community by making the next version of the binary
3284 utilities work better. Bug reports are your contribution to their
3285 maintenance.
3286
3287 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
3288 information that enables us to fix the bug.
3289
3290 @menu
3291 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
3292 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
3293 @end menu
3294
3295 @node Bug Criteria
3296 @section Have you found a bug?
3297 @cindex bug criteria
3298
3299 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
3300
3301 @itemize @bullet
3302 @cindex fatal signal
3303 @cindex crash
3304 @item
3305 If a binary utility gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is
3306 a bug. Reliable utilities never crash.
3307
3308 @cindex error on valid input
3309 @item
3310 If a binary utility produces an error message for valid input, that is a
3311 bug.
3312
3313 @item
3314 If you are an experienced user of binary utilities, your suggestions for
3315 improvement are welcome in any case.
3316 @end itemize
3317
3318 @node Bug Reporting
3319 @section How to report bugs
3320 @cindex bug reports
3321 @cindex bugs, reporting
3322
3323 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu}
3324 products. If you obtained the binary utilities from a support
3325 organization, we recommend you contact that organization first.
3326
3327 You can find contact information for many support companies and
3328 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
3329 distribution.
3330
3331 In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for the binary
3332 utilities to @samp{bug-binutils@@gnu.org}.
3333
3334 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
3335 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
3336 fact or leave it out, state it!
3337
3338 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
3339 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
3340 assume that the name of a file you use in an example does not matter.
3341 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is
3342 a stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where
3343 that pathname is stored in memory; perhaps, if the pathname were
3344 different, the contents of that location would fool the utility into
3345 doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and give a
3346 specific, complete example. That is the easiest thing for you to do,
3347 and the most helpful.
3348
3349 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the bug if
3350 it is new to us. Therefore, always write your bug reports on the assumption
3351 that the bug has not been reported previously.
3352
3353 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
3354 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
3355 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
3356 bugs properly.
3357
3358 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
3359
3360 @itemize @bullet
3361 @item
3362 The version of the utility. Each utility announces it if you start it
3363 with the @option{--version} argument.
3364
3365 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
3366 the bug in the current version of the binary utilities.
3367
3368 @item
3369 Any patches you may have applied to the source, including any patches
3370 made to the @code{BFD} library.
3371
3372 @item
3373 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
3374 version number.
3375
3376 @item
3377 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the utilities---e.g.
3378 ``@code{gcc-2.7}''.
3379
3380 @item
3381 The command arguments you gave the utility to observe the bug. To
3382 guarantee you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy
3383 of the Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
3384
3385 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
3386 and then we might not encounter the bug.
3387
3388 @item
3389 A complete input file, or set of input files, that will reproduce the
3390 bug. If the utility is reading an object file or files, then it is
3391 generally most helpful to send the actual object files, uuencoded if
3392 necessary to get them through the mail system. Note that
3393 @samp{bug-binutils@@gnu.org} is a mailing list, so you should avoid
3394 sending very large files to it. Making the files available for
3395 anonymous FTP is OK.
3396
3397 If the source files were produced exclusively using @sc{gnu} programs
3398 (e.g., @command{gcc}, @command{gas}, and/or the @sc{gnu} @command{ld}), then it
3399 may be OK to send the source files rather than the object files. In
3400 this case, be sure to say exactly what version of @command{gcc}, or
3401 whatever, was used to produce the object files. Also say how
3402 @command{gcc}, or whatever, was configured.
3403
3404 @item
3405 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
3406 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
3407
3408 Of course, if the bug is that the utility gets a fatal signal, then we
3409 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
3410 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
3411 a chance to make a mistake.
3412
3413 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
3414 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as your
3415 copy of the utility is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
3416 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
3417 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
3418 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
3419 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
3420 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
3421
3422 @item
3423 If you wish to suggest changes to the source, send us context diffs, as
3424 generated by @command{diff} with the @option{-u}, @option{-c}, or @option{-p}
3425 option. Always send diffs from the old file to the new file. If you
3426 wish to discuss something in the @command{ld} source, refer to it by
3427 context, not by line number.
3428
3429 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
3430 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
3431 @end itemize
3432
3433 Here are some things that are not necessary:
3434
3435 @itemize @bullet
3436 @item
3437 A description of the envelope of the bug.
3438
3439 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
3440 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
3441 changes will not affect it.
3442
3443 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
3444 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
3445 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
3446 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
3447
3448 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
3449 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
3450 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
3451 less time, and so on.
3452
3453 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
3454 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
3455
3456 @item
3457 A patch for the bug.
3458
3459 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
3460 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
3461 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
3462 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
3463
3464 Sometimes with programs as complicated as the binary utilities it is
3465 very hard to construct an example that will make the program follow a
3466 certain path through the code. If you do not send us the example, we
3467 will not be able to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that
3468 the bug is fixed.
3469
3470 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
3471 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
3472 help us to understand.
3473
3474 @item
3475 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
3476
3477 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
3478 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
3479 @end itemize
3480
3481 @node GNU Free Documentation License
3482 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
3483 @cindex GNU Free Documentation License
3484
3485 GNU Free Documentation License
3486
3487 Version 1.1, March 2000
3488
3489 Copyright (C) 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3490 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
3491
3492 Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
3493 of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
3494
3495
3496 0. PREAMBLE
3497
3498 The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other
3499 written document "free" in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone
3500 the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without
3501 modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially. Secondarily,
3502 this License preserves for the author and publisher a way to get
3503 credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for
3504 modifications made by others.
3505
3506 This License is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative
3507 works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense. It
3508 complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft
3509 license designed for free software.
3510
3511 We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free
3512 software, because free software needs free documentation: a free
3513 program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms that the
3514 software does. But this License is not limited to software manuals;
3515 it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or
3516 whether it is published as a printed book. We recommend this License
3517 principally for works whose purpose is instruction or reference.
3518
3519
3520 1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS
3521
3522 This License applies to any manual or other work that contains a
3523 notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be distributed
3524 under the terms of this License. The "Document", below, refers to any
3525 such manual or work. Any member of the public is a licensee, and is
3526 addressed as "you".
3527
3528 A "Modified Version" of the Document means any work containing the
3529 Document or a portion of it, either copied verbatim, or with
3530 modifications and/or translated into another language.
3531
3532 A "Secondary Section" is a named appendix or a front-matter section of
3533 the Document that deals exclusively with the relationship of the
3534 publishers or authors of the Document to the Document's overall subject
3535 (or to related matters) and contains nothing that could fall directly
3536 within that overall subject. (For example, if the Document is in part a
3537 textbook of mathematics, a Secondary Section may not explain any
3538 mathematics.) The relationship could be a matter of historical
3539 connection with the subject or with related matters, or of legal,
3540 commercial, philosophical, ethical or political position regarding
3541 them.
3542
3543 The "Invariant Sections" are certain Secondary Sections whose titles
3544 are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in the notice
3545 that says that the Document is released under this License.
3546
3547 The "Cover Texts" are certain short passages of text that are listed,
3548 as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice that says that
3549 the Document is released under this License.
3550
3551 A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy,
3552 represented in a format whose specification is available to the
3553 general public, whose contents can be viewed and edited directly and
3554 straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of
3555 pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available
3556 drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or
3557 for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input
3558 to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file
3559 format whose markup has been designed to thwart or discourage
3560 subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. A copy that is
3561 not "Transparent" is called "Opaque".
3562
3563 Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain
3564 ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format, SGML
3565 or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming simple
3566 HTML designed for human modification. Opaque formats include
3567 PostScript, PDF, proprietary formats that can be read and edited only
3568 by proprietary word processors, SGML or XML for which the DTD and/or
3569 processing tools are not generally available, and the
3570 machine-generated HTML produced by some word processors for output
3571 purposes only.
3572
3573 The "Title Page" means, for a printed book, the title page itself,
3574 plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the material
3575 this License requires to appear in the title page. For works in
3576 formats which do not have any title page as such, "Title Page" means
3577 the text near the most prominent appearance of the work's title,
3578 preceding the beginning of the body of the text.
3579
3580
3581 2. VERBATIM COPYING
3582
3583 You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either
3584 commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the
3585 copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License applies
3586 to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you add no other
3587 conditions whatsoever to those of this License. You may not use
3588 technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or further
3589 copying of the copies you make or distribute. However, you may accept
3590 compensation in exchange for copies. If you distribute a large enough
3591 number of copies you must also follow the conditions in section 3.
3592
3593 You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above, and
3594 you may publicly display copies.
3595
3596
3597 3. COPYING IN QUANTITY
3598
3599 If you publish printed copies of the Document numbering more than 100,
3600 and the Document's license notice requires Cover Texts, you must enclose
3601 the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all these Cover
3602 Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and Back-Cover Texts on
3603 the back cover. Both covers must also clearly and legibly identify
3604 you as the publisher of these copies. The front cover must present
3605 the full title with all words of the title equally prominent and
3606 visible. You may add other material on the covers in addition.
3607 Copying with changes limited to the covers, as long as they preserve
3608 the title of the Document and satisfy these conditions, can be treated
3609 as verbatim copying in other respects.
3610
3611 If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit
3612 legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit
3613 reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto adjacent
3614 pages.
3615
3616 If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering
3617 more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent
3618 copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy
3619 a publicly-accessible computer-network location containing a complete
3620 Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material, which the
3621 general network-using public has access to download anonymously at no
3622 charge using public-standard network protocols. If you use the latter
3623 option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you begin
3624 distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that this
3625 Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated location
3626 until at least one year after the last time you distribute an Opaque
3627 copy (directly or through your agents or retailers) of that edition to
3628 the public.
3629
3630 It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of the
3631 Document well before redistributing any large number of copies, to give
3632 them a chance to provide you with an updated version of the Document.
3633
3634
3635 4. MODIFICATIONS
3636
3637 You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document under
3638 the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you release
3639 the Modified Version under precisely this License, with the Modified
3640 Version filling the role of the Document, thus licensing distribution
3641 and modification of the Modified Version to whoever possesses a copy
3642 of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modified Version:
3643
3644 A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct
3645 from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions
3646 (which should, if there were any, be listed in the History section
3647 of the Document). You may use the same title as a previous version
3648 if the original publisher of that version gives permission.
3649 B. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities
3650 responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified
3651 Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the
3652 Document (all of its principal authors, if it has less than five).
3653 C. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the
3654 Modified Version, as the publisher.
3655 D. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document.
3656 E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications
3657 adjacent to the other copyright notices.
3658 F. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license notice
3659 giving the public permission to use the Modified Version under the
3660 terms of this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below.
3661 G. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant Sections
3662 and required Cover Texts given in the Document's license notice.
3663 H. Include an unaltered copy of this License.
3664 I. Preserve the section entitled "History", and its title, and add to
3665 it an item stating at least the title, year, new authors, and
3666 publisher of the Modified Version as given on the Title Page. If
3667 there is no section entitled "History" in the Document, create one
3668 stating the title, year, authors, and publisher of the Document as
3669 given on its Title Page, then add an item describing the Modified
3670 Version as stated in the previous sentence.
3671 J. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document for
3672 public access to a Transparent copy of the Document, and likewise
3673 the network locations given in the Document for previous versions
3674 it was based on. These may be placed in the "History" section.
3675 You may omit a network location for a work that was published at
3676 least four years before the Document itself, or if the original
3677 publisher of the version it refers to gives permission.
3678 K. In any section entitled "Acknowledgements" or "Dedications",
3679 preserve the section's title, and preserve in the section all the
3680 substance and tone of each of the contributor acknowledgements
3681 and/or dedications given therein.
3682 L. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document,
3683 unaltered in their text and in their titles. Section numbers
3684 or the equivalent are not considered part of the section titles.
3685 M. Delete any section entitled "Endorsements". Such a section
3686 may not be included in the Modified Version.
3687 N. Do not retitle any existing section as "Endorsements"
3688 or to conflict in title with any Invariant Section.
3689
3690 If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or
3691 appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no material
3692 copied from the Document, you may at your option designate some or all
3693 of these sections as invariant. To do this, add their titles to the
3694 list of Invariant Sections in the Modified Version's license notice.
3695 These titles must be distinct from any other section titles.
3696
3697 You may add a section entitled "Endorsements", provided it contains
3698 nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various
3699 parties--for example, statements of peer review or that the text has
3700 been approved by an organization as the authoritative definition of a
3701 standard.
3702
3703 You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text, and a
3704 passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end of the list
3705 of Cover Texts in the Modified Version. Only one passage of
3706 Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be added by (or
3707 through arrangements made by) any one entity. If the Document already
3708 includes a cover text for the same cover, previously added by you or
3709 by arrangement made by the same entity you are acting on behalf of,
3710 you may not add another; but you may replace the old one, on explicit
3711 permission from the previous publisher that added the old one.
3712
3713 The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this License
3714 give permission to use their names for publicity for or to assert or
3715 imply endorsement of any Modified Version.
3716
3717
3718 5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS
3719
3720 You may combine the Document with other documents released under this
3721 License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for modified
3722 versions, provided that you include in the combination all of the
3723 Invariant Sections of all of the original documents, unmodified, and
3724 list them all as Invariant Sections of your combined work in its
3725 license notice.
3726
3727 The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and
3728 multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single
3729 copy. If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name but
3730 different contents, make the title of each such section unique by
3731 adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the original
3732 author or publisher of that section if known, or else a unique number.
3733 Make the same adjustment to the section titles in the list of
3734 Invariant Sections in the license notice of the combined work.
3735
3736 In the combination, you must combine any sections entitled "History"
3737 in the various original documents, forming one section entitled
3738 "History"; likewise combine any sections entitled "Acknowledgements",
3739 and any sections entitled "Dedications". You must delete all sections
3740 entitled "Endorsements."
3741
3742
3743 6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS
3744
3745 You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other documents
3746 released under this License, and replace the individual copies of this
3747 License in the various documents with a single copy that is included in
3748 the collection, provided that you follow the rules of this License for
3749 verbatim copying of each of the documents in all other respects.
3750
3751 You may extract a single document from such a collection, and distribute
3752 it individually under this License, provided you insert a copy of this
3753 License into the extracted document, and follow this License in all
3754 other respects regarding verbatim copying of that document.
3755
3756
3757 7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS
3758
3759 A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other separate
3760 and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of a storage or
3761 distribution medium, does not as a whole count as a Modified Version
3762 of the Document, provided no compilation copyright is claimed for the
3763 compilation. Such a compilation is called an "aggregate", and this
3764 License does not apply to the other self-contained works thus compiled
3765 with the Document, on account of their being thus compiled, if they
3766 are not themselves derivative works of the Document.
3767
3768 If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these
3769 copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one quarter
3770 of the entire aggregate, the Document's Cover Texts may be placed on
3771 covers that surround only the Document within the aggregate.
3772 Otherwise they must appear on covers around the whole aggregate.
3773
3774
3775 8. TRANSLATION
3776
3777 Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may
3778 distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4.
3779 Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special
3780 permission from their copyright holders, but you may include
3781 translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the
3782 original versions of these Invariant Sections. You may include a
3783 translation of this License provided that you also include the
3784 original English version of this License. In case of a disagreement
3785 between the translation and the original English version of this
3786 License, the original English version will prevail.
3787
3788
3789 9. TERMINATION
3790
3791 You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document except
3792 as expressly provided for under this License. Any other attempt to
3793 copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Document is void, and will
3794 automatically terminate your rights under this License. However,
3795 parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this
3796 License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
3797 parties remain in full compliance.
3798
3799
3800 10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE
3801
3802 The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions
3803 of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new
3804 versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may
3805 differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. See
3806 http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/.
3807
3808 Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version number.
3809 If the Document specifies that a particular numbered version of this
3810 License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the option of
3811 following the terms and conditions either of that specified version or
3812 of any later version that has been published (not as a draft) by the
3813 Free Software Foundation. If the Document does not specify a version
3814 number of this License, you may choose any version ever published (not
3815 as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation.
3816
3817
3818 ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents
3819
3820 To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of
3821 the License in the document and put the following copyright and
3822 license notices just after the title page:
3823
3824 @smallexample
3825 Copyright (c) YEAR YOUR NAME.
3826 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
3827 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
3828 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
3829 with the Invariant Sections being LIST THEIR TITLES, with the
3830 Front-Cover Texts being LIST, and with the Back-Cover Texts being LIST.
3831 A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
3832 Free Documentation License".
3833 @end smallexample
3834
3835 If you have no Invariant Sections, write "with no Invariant Sections"
3836 instead of saying which ones are invariant. If you have no
3837 Front-Cover Texts, write "no Front-Cover Texts" instead of
3838 "Front-Cover Texts being LIST"; likewise for Back-Cover Texts.
3839
3840 If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we
3841 recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of
3842 free software license, such as the GNU General Public License,
3843 to permit their use in free software.
3844
3845 @node Index
3846 @unnumbered Index
3847
3848 @printindex cp
3849
3850 @contents
3851 @bye
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