\input texinfo
@setfilename ld.info
-@c Copyright (C) 1991-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1991-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@syncodeindex ky cp
@c man begin INCLUDE
@include configdoc.texi
@set GENERIC
@set ARM
@set C6X
+@set CSKY
@set H8300
@set HPPA
@set M68HC11
@end ifset
version @value{VERSION}.
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@c man begin COPYRIGHT
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
@ifset UsesEnvVars
@menu
-* Options:: Command Line Options
+* Options:: Command-line Options
* Environment:: Environment Variables
@end menu
@node Options
-@section Command Line Options
+@section Command-line Options
@end ifset
@cindex command line
accepted.
Note---if the linker is being invoked indirectly, via a compiler driver
-(e.g. @samp{gcc}) then all the linker command line options should be
+(e.g. @samp{gcc}) then all the linker command-line options should be
prefixed by @samp{-Wl,} (or whatever is appropriate for the particular
compiler driver) like this:
gcc foo.o bar.o -Wl,-eENTRY -Wl,-Map=a.map
@end smallexample
-Here is a table of the generic command line switches accepted by the GNU
+Here is a table of the generic command-line switches accepted by the GNU
linker:
@table @gcctabopt
in the filter object. The shared object @var{name} need not exist.
Thus the shared object @var{name} may be used to provide an alternative
implementation of certain functions, perhaps for debugging or for
-machine specific performance.
+machine-specific performance.
This option may be specified more than once. The DT_AUXILIARY entries
will be created in the order in which they appear on the command line.
See @ref{Expressions} for more information about expressions in linker
scripts.
+
+@item
+How GNU properties are merged.
+
+When the linker merges input .note.gnu.property sections into one output
+.note.gnu.property section, some properties are removed or updated.
+These actions are reported in the link map. For example:
+
+@smallexample
+Removed property 0xc0000002 to merge foo.o (0x1) and bar.o (not found)
+@end smallexample
+
+This indicates that property 0xc0000002 is removed from output when
+merging properties in @file{foo.o}, whose property 0xc0000002 value
+is 0x1, and @file{bar.o}, which doesn't have property 0xc0000002.
+
+@smallexample
+Updated property 0xc0010001 (0x1) to merge foo.o (0x1) and bar.o (0x1)
+@end smallexample
+
+This indicates that property 0xc0010001 value is updated to 0x1 in output
+when merging properties in @file{foo.o}, whose 0xc0010001 property value
+is 0x1, and @file{bar.o}, whose 0xc0010001 property value is 0x1.
@end itemize
+@cindex link map discarded
+@kindex --print-map-discarded
+@kindex --no-print-map-discarded
+@item --print-map-discarded
+@itemx --no-print-map-discarded
+Print (or do not print) the list of discarded and garbage collected sections
+in the link map. Enabled by default.
+
@kindex -n
@cindex read-only text
@cindex NMAGIC
@cindex input files, displaying
@item -t
@itemx --trace
-Print the names of the input files as @command{ld} processes them.
+Print the names of the input files as @command{ld} processes them. If
+@samp{-t} is given twice then members within archives are also printed.
+@samp{-t} output is useful to generate a list of all the object files
+and scripts involved in linking, for example, when packaging files for
+a linker bug report.
@kindex -T @var{script}
@kindex --script=@var{script}
@option{call-nop=suffix-@var{byte}} generates @code{call foo @var{byte}}.
Supported for i386 and x86_64.
+@item cet-report=none
+@itemx cet-report=warning
+@itemx cet-report=error
+Specify how to report the missing GNU_PROPERTY_X86_FEATURE_1_IBT and
+GNU_PROPERTY_X86_FEATURE_1_SHSTK properties in input .note.gnu.property
+section. @option{cet-report=none}, which is the default, will make the
+linker not report missing properties in input files.
+@option{cet-report=warning} will make the linker issue a warning for
+missing properties in input files. @option{cet-report=error} will make
+the linker issue an error for missing properties in input files.
+Note that @option{ibt} will turn off the missing
+GNU_PROPERTY_X86_FEATURE_1_IBT property report and @option{shstk} will
+turn off the missing GNU_PROPERTY_X86_FEATURE_1_SHSTK property report.
+Supported for Linux/i386 and Linux/x86_64.
+
@item combreloc
@itemx nocombreloc
Combine multiple dynamic relocation sections and sort to improve
This option marks the executable as requiring global auditing by
setting the @code{DF_1_GLOBAUDIT} bit in the @code{DT_FLAGS_1} dynamic
tag. Global auditing requires that any auditing library defined via
-the @option{--depaudit} or @option{-P} command line options be run for
+the @option{--depaudit} or @option{-P} command-line options be run for
all dynamic objects loaded by the application.
@item ibtplt
archive is needed to resolve an undefined symbol referred to by an
object in an archive that appears later on the command line, the linker
would not be able to resolve that reference. By grouping the archives,
-they all be searched repeatedly until all possible references are
+they will all be searched repeatedly until all possible references are
resolved.
Using this option has a significant performance cost. It is best to use
When creating a shared library, bind references to global symbols to the
definition within the shared library, if any. Normally, it is possible
for a program linked against a shared library to override the definition
-within the shared library. This option can also be used with the
-@option{--export-dynamic} option, when creating a position independent
-executable, to bind references to global symbols to the definition within
-the executable. This option is only meaningful on ELF platforms which
-support shared libraries and position independent executables.
+within the shared library. This option is only meaningful on ELF
+platforms which support shared libraries.
@kindex -Bsymbolic-functions
@item -Bsymbolic-functions
When creating a shared library, bind references to global function
symbols to the definition within the shared library, if any.
-This option can also be used with the @option{--export-dynamic} option,
-when creating a position independent executable, to bind references
-to global function symbols to the definition within the executable.
This option is only meaningful on ELF platforms which support shared
-libraries and position independent executables.
+libraries.
@kindex --dynamic-list=@var{dynamic-list-file}
@item --dynamic-list=@var{dynamic-list-file}
perform this check, and if it finds any overlaps it will produce
suitable error messages. The linker does know about, and does make
allowances for sections in overlays. The default behaviour can be
-restored by using the command line switch @option{--check-sections}.
+restored by using the command-line switch @option{--check-sections}.
Section overlap is not usually checked for relocatable links. You can
force checking in that case by using the @option{--check-sections}
option.
@kindex --embedded-relocs
@item --embedded-relocs
This option is similar to the @option{--emit-relocs} option except
-that the relocs are stored in a target specific section. This option
+that the relocs are stored in a target-specific section. This option
is only supported by the @samp{BFIN}, @samp{CR16} and @emph{M68K}
targets.
libraries, the linker must assume that any visible symbol is
referenced. Once this initial set of sections has been determined,
the linker recursively marks as used any section referenced by their
-relocations. See @samp{--entry} and @samp{--undefined}.
+relocations. See @samp{--entry}, @samp{--undefined}, and
+@samp{--gc-keep-exported}.
This option can be set when doing a partial link (enabled with option
@samp{-r}). In this case the root of symbols kept must be explicitly
-specified either by an @samp{--entry} or @samp{--undefined} option or by
-a @code{ENTRY} command in the linker script.
+specified either by one of the options @samp{--entry},
+@samp{--undefined}, or @samp{--gc-keep-exported} or by a @code{ENTRY}
+command in the linker script.
@kindex --print-gc-sections
@kindex --no-print-gc-sections
@kindex --target-help
@item --target-help
-Print a summary of all target specific options on the standard output and exit.
+Print a summary of all target-specific options on the standard output and exit.
@kindex -Map=@var{mapfile}
@item -Map=@var{mapfile}
@xref{PowerPC ELF32,,@command{ld} and PowerPC 32-bit ELF Support}.
@end ifset
-On some platforms the @samp{--relax} option performs target specific,
+On some platforms the @samp{--relax} option performs target-specific,
global optimizations that become possible when the linker resolves
addressing in the program, such as relaxing address modes,
synthesizing new instructions, selecting shorter version of current
Add a directory to the runtime library search path. This is used when
linking an ELF executable with shared objects. All @option{-rpath}
arguments are concatenated and passed to the runtime linker, which uses
-them to locate shared objects at runtime. The @option{-rpath} option is
-also used when locating shared objects which are needed by shared
-objects explicitly included in the link; see the description of the
-@option{-rpath-link} option. If @option{-rpath} is not used when linking an
-ELF executable, the contents of the environment variable
-@code{LD_RUN_PATH} will be used if it is defined.
+them to locate shared objects at runtime.
+
+The @option{-rpath} option is also used when locating shared objects which
+are needed by shared objects explicitly included in the link; see the
+description of the @option{-rpath-link} option. Searching @option{-rpath}
+in this way is only supported by native linkers and cross linkers which
+have been configured with the @option{--with-sysroot} option.
+
+If @option{-rpath} is not used when linking an ELF executable, the
+contents of the environment variable @code{LD_RUN_PATH} will be used if it
+is defined.
The @option{-rpath} option may also be used on SunOS. By default, on
SunOS, the linker will form a runtime search path out of all the
file as @code{__wrap_malloc}; if you do, the assembler may resolve the
call before the linker has a chance to wrap it to @code{malloc}.
+Only undefined references are replaced by the linker. So, translation unit
+internal references to @var{symbol} are not resolved to
+@code{__wrap_@var{symbol}}. In the next example, the call to @code{f} in
+@code{g} is not resolved to @code{__wrap_f}.
+
+@smallexample
+int
+f (void)
+@{
+ return 123;
+@}
+
+int
+g (void)
+@{
+ return f();
+@}
+@end smallexample
+
@kindex --eh-frame-hdr
@kindex --no-eh-frame-hdr
@item --eh-frame-hdr
@code{sysv} for classic ELF @code{.hash} section, @code{gnu} for
new style GNU @code{.gnu.hash} section or @code{both} for both
the classic ELF @code{.hash} and new style GNU @code{.gnu.hash}
-hash tables. The default is @code{sysv}.
+hash tables. The default depends upon how the linker was configured,
+but for most Linux based systems it will be @code{both}.
@kindex --compress-debug-sections=none
@kindex --compress-debug-sections=zlib
object file).
In addition to the options common to all targets, the i386 PE linker
-support additional command line options that are specific to the i386
+support additional command-line options that are specific to the i386
PE target. Options that take values may be separated from their
values by either a space or an equals sign.
@item --high-entropy-va
Image is compatible with 64-bit address space layout randomization
(ASLR).
+This option also implies @option{--dynamicbase} and
+@option{--enable-reloc-section}.
@kindex --dynamicbase
@item --dynamicbase
The image base address may be relocated using address space layout
randomization (ASLR). This feature was introduced with MS Windows
Vista for i386 PE targets.
+This option also implies @option{--enable-reloc-section}.
@kindex --forceinteg
@item --forceinteg
can be used to insert a zero value for the timestamp, this ensuring
that binaries produced from identical sources will compare
identically.
+
+@kindex --enable-reloc-section
+@item --enable-reloc-section
+Create the base relocation table, which is necessary if the image
+is loaded at a different image base than specified in the PE header.
@end table
@c man end
@c man end
@end ifset
+@ifset CSKY
+@subsection Options specific to C-SKY targets
+
+@c man begin OPTIONS
+
+@table @gcctabopt
+
+@kindex --branch-stub on C-SKY
+@item --branch-stub
+This option enables linker branch relaxation by inserting branch stub
+sections when needed to extend the range of branches. This option is
+usually not required since C-SKY supports branch and call instructions that
+can access the full memory range and branch relaxation is normally handled by
+the compiler or assembler.
+
+@kindex --stub-group-size on C-SKY
+@item --stub-group-size=@var{N}
+This option allows finer control of linker branch stub creation.
+It sets the maximum size of a group of input sections that can
+be handled by one stub section. A negative value of @var{N} locates
+stub sections after their branches, while a positive value allows stub
+sections to appear either before or after the branches. Values of
+@samp{1} or @samp{-1} indicate that the
+linker should choose suitable defaults.
+
+@end table
+
+@c man end
+@end ifset
+
@ifset M68HC11
@subsection Options specific to Motorola 68HC11 and 68HC12 targets
a check is made causing the loss of an ISA mode transition to produce
an error.
+@kindex --compact-branches
+@item --compact-branches
+@kindex --no-compact-branches
+@item --compact-branches
+These options control the generation of compact instructions by the linker
+in the PLT entries for MIPS R6.
+
@end table
@c man end
The linker always uses a linker script. If you do not supply one
yourself, the linker will use a default script that is compiled into the
-linker executable. You can use the @samp{--verbose} command line option
-to display the default linker script. Certain command line options,
+linker executable. You can use the @samp{--verbose} command-line option
+to display the default linker script. Certain command-line options,
such as @samp{-r} or @samp{-N}, will affect the default linker script.
You may supply your own linker script by using the @samp{-T} command
@item
the @code{ENTRY(@var{symbol})} command in a linker script;
@item
-the value of a target specific symbol, if it is defined; For many
-targets this is @code{start}, but PE and BeOS based systems for example
+the value of a target-specific symbol, if it is defined; For many
+targets this is @code{start}, but PE- and BeOS-based systems for example
check a list of possible entry symbols, matching the first one found.
@item
the address of the first byte of the @samp{.text} section, if present;
The @dfn{sysroot prefix} can also be forced by specifying @code{=}
as the first character in the filename path, or prefixing the filename
path with @code{$SYSROOT}. See also the description of @samp{-L} in
-@ref{Options,,Command Line Options}.
+@ref{Options,,Command-line Options}.
If you use @samp{INPUT (-l@var{file})}, @command{ld} will transform the
-name to @code{lib@var{file}.a}, as with the command line argument
+name to @code{lib@var{file}.a}, as with the command-line argument
@samp{-l}.
When you use the @code{INPUT} command in an implicit linker script, the
The @code{GROUP} command is like @code{INPUT}, except that the named
files should all be archives, and they are searched repeatedly until no
new undefined references are created. See the description of @samp{-(}
-in @ref{Options,,Command Line Options}.
+in @ref{Options,,Command-line Options}.
@item AS_NEEDED(@var{file}, @var{file}, @dots{})
@itemx AS_NEEDED(@var{file} @var{file} @dots{})
The @code{OUTPUT} command names the output file. Using
@code{OUTPUT(@var{filename})} in the linker script is exactly like using
@samp{-o @var{filename}} on the command line (@pxref{Options,,Command
-Line Options}). If both are used, the command line option takes
+Line Options}). If both are used, the command-line option takes
precedence.
You can use the @code{OUTPUT} command to define a default name for the
The @code{SEARCH_DIR} command adds @var{path} to the list of paths where
@command{ld} looks for archive libraries. Using
@code{SEARCH_DIR(@var{path})} is exactly like using @samp{-L @var{path}}
-on the command line (@pxref{Options,,Command Line Options}). If both
+on the command line (@pxref{Options,,Command-line Options}). If both
are used, then the linker will search both paths. Paths specified using
-the command line option are searched first.
+the command-line option are searched first.
@item STARTUP(@var{filename})
@kindex STARTUP(@var{filename})
The @code{OUTPUT_FORMAT} command names the BFD format to use for the
output file (@pxref{BFD}). Using @code{OUTPUT_FORMAT(@var{bfdname})} is
exactly like using @samp{--oformat @var{bfdname}} on the command line
-(@pxref{Options,,Command Line Options}). If both are used, the command
+(@pxref{Options,,Command-line Options}). If both are used, the command
line option takes precedence.
You can use @code{OUTPUT_FORMAT} with three arguments to use different
-formats based on the @samp{-EB} and @samp{-EL} command line options.
+formats based on the @samp{-EB} and @samp{-EL} command-line options.
This permits the linker script to set the output format based on the
desired endianness.
OUTPUT_FORMAT(elf32-bigmips, elf32-bigmips, elf32-littlemips)
@end smallexample
This says that the default format for the output file is
-@samp{elf32-bigmips}, but if the user uses the @samp{-EL} command line
+@samp{elf32-bigmips}, but if the user uses the @samp{-EL} command-line
option, the output file will be created in the @samp{elf32-littlemips}
format.
The @code{TARGET} command names the BFD format to use when reading input
files. It affects subsequent @code{INPUT} and @code{GROUP} commands.
This command is like using @samp{-b @var{bfdname}} on the command line
-(@pxref{Options,,Command Line Options}). If the @code{TARGET} command
+(@pxref{Options,,Command-line Options}). If the @code{TARGET} command
is used but @code{OUTPUT_FORMAT} is not, then the last @code{TARGET}
command is also used to set the format for the output file. @xref{BFD}.
@end table
into ascending order by name before placing them in the output file.
@cindex SORT_BY_ALIGNMENT
-@code{SORT_BY_ALIGNMENT} is very similar to @code{SORT_BY_NAME}. The
-difference is @code{SORT_BY_ALIGNMENT} will sort sections into
-descending order by alignment before placing them in the output file.
-Larger alignments are placed before smaller alignments in order to
-reduce the amount of padding necessary.
+@code{SORT_BY_ALIGNMENT} is similar to @code{SORT_BY_NAME}.
+@code{SORT_BY_ALIGNMENT} will sort sections into descending order of
+alignment before placing them in the output file. Placing larger
+alignments before smaller alignments can reduce the amount of padding
+needed.
@cindex SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY
-@code{SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY} is very similar to @code{SORT_BY_NAME}. The
-difference is @code{SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY} will sort sections into
-ascending order by numerical value of the GCC init_priority attribute
-encoded in the section name before placing them in the output file.
+@code{SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY} is also similar to @code{SORT_BY_NAME}.
+@code{SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY} will sort sections into ascending
+numerical order of the GCC init_priority attribute encoded in the
+section name before placing them in the output file. In
+@code{.init_array.NNNNN} and @code{.fini_array.NNNNN}, @code{NNNNN} is
+the init_priority. In @code{.ctors.NNNNN} and @code{.dtors.NNNNN},
+@code{NNNNN} is 65535 minus the init_priority.
@cindex SORT
@code{SORT} is an alias for @code{SORT_BY_NAME}.
All other nested section sorting commands are invalid.
@end enumerate
-When both command line section sorting option and linker script
+When both command-line section sorting option and linker script
section sorting command are used, section sorting command always
-takes precedence over the command line option.
+takes precedence over the command-line option.
If the section sorting command in linker script isn't nested, the
-command line option will make the section sorting command to be
+command-line option will make the section sorting command to be
treated as nested sorting command.
@enumerate
@end enumerate
If the section sorting command in linker script is nested, the
-command line option will be ignored.
+command-line option will be ignored.
@cindex SORT_NONE
-@code{SORT_NONE} disables section sorting by ignoring the command line
+@code{SORT_NONE} disables section sorting by ignoring the command-line
section sorting option.
If you ever get confused about where input sections are going, use the
input sections. Any input sections which are assigned to an output
section named @samp{/DISCARD/} are not included in the output file.
+Note, sections that match the @samp{/DISCARD/} output section will be
+discarded even if they are in an ELF section group which has other
+members which are not being discarded. This is deliberate.
+Discarding takes precedence over grouping.
+
@node Output Section Attributes
@subsection Output Section Attributes
@cindex output section attributes
@group
@var{section} [@var{address}] [(@var{type})] :
[AT(@var{lma})]
- [ALIGN(@var{section_align})]
+ [ALIGN(@var{section_align}) | ALIGN_WITH_INPUT]
[SUBALIGN(@var{subsection_align})]
[@var{constraint}]
@{
Invert the sense of any of the attributes that follow
@end table
-If a unmapped section matches any of the listed attributes other than
+If an unmapped section matches any of the listed attributes other than
@samp{!}, it will be placed in the memory region. The @samp{!}
-attribute reverses this test, so that an unmapped section will be placed
-in the memory region only if it does not match any of the listed
-attributes.
+attribute reverses the test for the characters that follow, so that an
+unmapped section will be placed in the memory region only if it does
+not match any of the attributes listed afterwards. Thus an attribute
+string of @samp{RW!X} will match any unmapped section that has either
+or both of the @samp{R} and @samp{W} attributes, but only as long as
+the section does not also have the @samp{X} attribute.
@kindex ORIGIN =
@kindex o =
@subsection Symbolic Constants
@cindex symbolic constants
@kindex CONSTANT
-It is possible to refer to target specific constants via the use of
+It is possible to refer to target-specific constants via the use of
the @code{CONSTANT(@var{name})} operator, where @var{name} is one of:
@table @code
sections with matching attributes are found, or your target lacks this
support, the orphan section is placed at the end of the file.
-The command line options @samp{--orphan-handling} and @samp{--unique}
-(@pxref{Options,,Command Line Options}) can be used to control which
+The command-line options @samp{--orphan-handling} and @samp{--unique}
+(@pxref{Options,,Command-line Options}) can be used to control which
output sections an orphan is placed in.
@node Location Counter
been compiled and assembled with the @samp{-mthumb-interwork} command
line option. If it is necessary to link with old ARM object files or
libraries, which have not been compiled with the -mthumb-interwork
-option then the @samp{--support-old-code} command line switch should be
+option then the @samp{--support-old-code} command-line switch should be
given to the linker. This will make it generate larger stub functions
which will work with non-interworking aware ARM code. Note, however,
the linker does not support generating stubs for function calls to
code into a linked ARM ELF executable whenever an attempt is made to
perform a function call to a symbol that is too far away. The
placement of these sequences of instructions - called stubs - is
-controlled by the command line option @option{--stub-group-size=N}.
+controlled by the command-line option @option{--stub-group-size=N}.
The placement is important because a poor choice can create a need for
duplicate stubs, increasing the code size. The linker will try to
group stubs together in order to reduce interruptions to the flow of
@cindex Placement of SG veneers
All SG veneers are placed in the special output section @code{.gnu.sgstubs}.
-Its start address must be set, either with the command line option
+Its start address must be set, either with the command-line option
@samp{--section-start} or in a linker script, to indicate where to place these
veneers in memory.
@section @command{ld} and WIN32 (cygwin/mingw)
This section describes some of the win32 specific @command{ld} issues.
-See @ref{Options,,Command Line Options} for detailed description of the
-command line options mentioned here.
+See @ref{Options,,Command-line Options} for detailed description of the
+command-line options mentioned here.
@table @emph
@cindex import libraries
regular static archives and are handled as any other static
archive. The cygwin and mingw ports of @command{ld} have specific
support for creating such libraries provided with the
-@samp{--out-implib} command line option.
+@samp{--out-implib} command-line option.
@item exporting DLL symbols
@cindex exporting DLL symbols
@item using auto-export functionality
@cindex using auto-export functionality
By default @command{ld} exports symbols with the auto-export functionality,
-which is controlled by the following command line options:
+which is controlled by the following command-line options:
@itemize
@item --export-all-symbols [This is the default]
@cindex creating a DEF file
While linking a shared dll, @command{ld} is able to create a DEF file
-with the @samp{--output-def <file>} command line option.
+with the @samp{--output-def <file>} command-line option.
@item Using decorations
@cindex Using decorations
@end table
Note: using a DEF file disables the default auto-export behavior,
-unless the @samp{--export-all-symbols} command line option is used.
+unless the @samp{--export-all-symbols} command-line option is used.
If, however, you are trying to rename symbols, then you should list
@emph{all} desired exports in the DEF file, including the symbols
that are not being renamed, and do @emph{not} use the