]> git.ipfire.org Git - thirdparty/binutils-gdb.git/blame - binutils/doc/binutils.texi
Step through the sorted array of basic blocks.
[thirdparty/binutils-gdb.git] / binutils / doc / binutils.texi
CommitLineData
252b5132
RH
1\input texinfo @c -*- Texinfo -*-
2@setfilename binutils.info
aef6203b 3@c Copyright 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
8c2bc687 4
252b5132
RH
5@include config.texi
6
7@ifinfo
8@format
9START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
ad0481cd
AS
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
252b5132
RH
26END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
27@end format
28@end ifinfo
29
30@ifinfo
0285c67d 31@c man begin COPYRIGHT
2423fbe6
BE
32Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
332000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
252b5132 34
0285c67d
NC
35Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
36under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
37or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
38with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
39Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
947ed062 40section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
252b5132 41
0285c67d 42@c man end
252b5132
RH
43@ignore
44Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
45results, provided the printed document carries a copying permission
46notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
47(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
48
49@end ignore
252b5132
RH
50@end ifinfo
51
52@synindex ky cp
53@c
54@c This file documents the GNU binary utilities "ar", "ld", "objcopy",
55@c "objdump", "nm", "size", "strings", "strip", "readelf" and "ranlib".
56@c
2423fbe6
BE
57@c Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
58@c 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
252b5132
RH
59@c
60@c This text may be freely distributed under the terms of the GNU
cf055d54 61@c Free Documentation License.
252b5132
RH
62@c
63
64@setchapternewpage odd
65@settitle @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
66@titlepage
67@finalout
68@title The @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
69@subtitle Version @value{VERSION}
70@sp 1
36607f99 71@subtitle @value{UPDATED}
252b5132
RH
72@author Roland H. Pesch
73@author Jeffrey M. Osier
74@author Cygnus Support
75@page
76
77@tex
78{\parskip=0pt \hfill Cygnus Support\par \hfill
79\TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par }
80@end tex
81
82@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
2423fbe6
BE
83Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,
842000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
252b5132 85
cf055d54
NC
86 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
87 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
88 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
89 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
90 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
947ed062 91 section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
252b5132 92
252b5132
RH
93@end titlepage
94
95@node Top
96@top Introduction
97
98@cindex version
947ed062 99This brief manual contains documentation for the @sc{gnu} binary
252b5132
RH
100utilities (collectively version @value{VERSION}):
101
102@iftex
103@table @code
104@item ar
105Create, modify, and extract from archives
106
107@item nm
108List symbols from object files
109
110@item objcopy
111Copy and translate object files
112
113@item objdump
114Display information from object files
115
116@item ranlib
117Generate index to archive contents
118
119@item readelf
120Display the contents of ELF format files.
121
122@item size
123List file section sizes and total size
124
125@item strings
126List printable strings from files
127
128@item strip
129Discard symbols
130
131@item c++filt
9d51cc66
ILT
132Demangle encoded C++ symbols (on MS-DOS, this program is named
133@code{cxxfilt})
252b5132
RH
134
135@item addr2line
136Convert addresses into file names and line numbers
137
138@item nlmconv
139Convert object code into a Netware Loadable Module
140
141@item windres
142Manipulate Windows resources
143
144@item dlltool
145Create the files needed to build and use Dynamic Link Libraries
146@end table
147@end iftex
148
cf055d54
NC
149This document is distributed under the terms of the GNU Free
150Documentation License. A copy of the license is included in the
151section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
152
252b5132
RH
153@menu
154* ar:: Create, modify, and extract from archives
155* nm:: List symbols from object files
156* objcopy:: Copy and translate object files
157* objdump:: Display information from object files
158* ranlib:: Generate index to archive contents
159* readelf:: Display the contents of ELF format files.
160* size:: List section sizes and total size
161* strings:: List printable strings from files
162* strip:: Discard symbols
163* c++filt:: Filter to demangle encoded C++ symbols
9d51cc66 164* cxxfilt: c++filt. MS-DOS name for c++filt
252b5132
RH
165* addr2line:: Convert addresses to file and line
166* nlmconv:: Converts object code into an NLM
167* windres:: Manipulate Windows resources
168* dlltool:: Create files needed to build and use DLLs
169* Selecting The Target System:: How these utilities determine the target.
170* Reporting Bugs:: Reporting Bugs
cf055d54 171* GNU Free Documentation License:: GNU Free Documentation License
252b5132
RH
172* Index:: Index
173@end menu
174
175@node ar
176@chapter ar
177
178@kindex ar
179@cindex archives
180@cindex collections of files
0285c67d
NC
181
182@c man title ar create, modify, and extract from archives
183
252b5132 184@smallexample
3de39064 185ar [-]@var{p}[@var{mod} [@var{relpos}] [@var{count}]] @var{archive} [@var{member}@dots{}]
252b5132
RH
186ar -M [ <mri-script ]
187@end smallexample
188
0285c67d
NC
189@c man begin DESCRIPTION ar
190
c7c55b78 191The @sc{gnu} @command{ar} program creates, modifies, and extracts from
252b5132
RH
192archives. An @dfn{archive} is a single file holding a collection of
193other files in a structure that makes it possible to retrieve
194the original individual files (called @dfn{members} of the archive).
195
196The original files' contents, mode (permissions), timestamp, owner, and
197group are preserved in the archive, and can be restored on
198extraction.
199
200@cindex name length
c7c55b78
NC
201@sc{gnu} @command{ar} can maintain archives whose members have names of any
202length; however, depending on how @command{ar} is configured on your
252b5132
RH
203system, a limit on member-name length may be imposed for compatibility
204with archive formats maintained with other tools. If it exists, the
205limit is often 15 characters (typical of formats related to a.out) or 16
206characters (typical of formats related to coff).
207
208@cindex libraries
c7c55b78 209@command{ar} is considered a binary utility because archives of this sort
252b5132
RH
210are most often used as @dfn{libraries} holding commonly needed
211subroutines.
212
213@cindex symbol index
c7c55b78 214@command{ar} creates an index to the symbols defined in relocatable
252b5132 215object modules in the archive when you specify the modifier @samp{s}.
c7c55b78 216Once created, this index is updated in the archive whenever @command{ar}
252b5132
RH
217makes a change to its contents (save for the @samp{q} update operation).
218An archive with such an index speeds up linking to the library, and
219allows routines in the library to call each other without regard to
220their placement in the archive.
221
222You may use @samp{nm -s} or @samp{nm --print-armap} to list this index
c7c55b78
NC
223table. If an archive lacks the table, another form of @command{ar} called
224@command{ranlib} can be used to add just the table.
252b5132 225
c7c55b78
NC
226@cindex compatibility, @command{ar}
227@cindex @command{ar} compatibility
228@sc{gnu} @command{ar} is designed to be compatible with two different
252b5132 229facilities. You can control its activity using command-line options,
c7c55b78
NC
230like the different varieties of @command{ar} on Unix systems; or, if you
231specify the single command-line option @option{-M}, you can control it
252b5132
RH
232with a script supplied via standard input, like the MRI ``librarian''
233program.
234
0285c67d
NC
235@c man end
236
252b5132 237@menu
c7c55b78
NC
238* ar cmdline:: Controlling @command{ar} on the command line
239* ar scripts:: Controlling @command{ar} with a script
252b5132
RH
240@end menu
241
242@page
243@node ar cmdline
947ed062 244@section Controlling @command{ar} on the Command Line
252b5132
RH
245
246@smallexample
0285c67d 247@c man begin SYNOPSIS ar
c7c55b78 248ar [@option{-X32_64}] [@option{-}]@var{p}[@var{mod} [@var{relpos}] [@var{count}]] @var{archive} [@var{member}@dots{}]
0285c67d 249@c man end
252b5132
RH
250@end smallexample
251
c7c55b78
NC
252@cindex Unix compatibility, @command{ar}
253When you use @command{ar} in the Unix style, @command{ar} insists on at least two
252b5132
RH
254arguments to execute: one keyletter specifying the @emph{operation}
255(optionally accompanied by other keyletters specifying
256@emph{modifiers}), and the archive name to act on.
257
258Most operations can also accept further @var{member} arguments,
259specifying particular files to operate on.
260
0285c67d
NC
261@c man begin OPTIONS ar
262
c7c55b78 263@sc{gnu} @command{ar} allows you to mix the operation code @var{p} and modifier
252b5132
RH
264flags @var{mod} in any order, within the first command-line argument.
265
266If you wish, you may begin the first command-line argument with a
267dash.
268
269@cindex operations on archive
270The @var{p} keyletter specifies what operation to execute; it may be
271any of the following, but you must specify only one of them:
272
c7c55b78 273@table @samp
252b5132
RH
274@item d
275@cindex deleting from archive
276@emph{Delete} modules from the archive. Specify the names of modules to
277be deleted as @var{member}@dots{}; the archive is untouched if you
278specify no files to delete.
279
c7c55b78 280If you specify the @samp{v} modifier, @command{ar} lists each module
252b5132
RH
281as it is deleted.
282
283@item m
284@cindex moving in archive
285Use this operation to @emph{move} members in an archive.
286
287The ordering of members in an archive can make a difference in how
288programs are linked using the library, if a symbol is defined in more
289than one member.
290
291If no modifiers are used with @code{m}, any members you name in the
292@var{member} arguments are moved to the @emph{end} of the archive;
293you can use the @samp{a}, @samp{b}, or @samp{i} modifiers to move them to a
294specified place instead.
295
296@item p
297@cindex printing from archive
298@emph{Print} the specified members of the archive, to the standard
299output file. If the @samp{v} modifier is specified, show the member
300name before copying its contents to standard output.
301
302If you specify no @var{member} arguments, all the files in the archive are
303printed.
304
305@item q
306@cindex quick append to archive
307@emph{Quick append}; Historically, add the files @var{member}@dots{} to the end of
308@var{archive}, without checking for replacement.
309
310The modifiers @samp{a}, @samp{b}, and @samp{i} do @emph{not} affect this
311operation; new members are always placed at the end of the archive.
312
c7c55b78 313The modifier @samp{v} makes @command{ar} list each file as it is appended.
252b5132
RH
314
315Since the point of this operation is speed, the archive's symbol table
316index is not updated, even if it already existed; you can use @samp{ar s} or
c7c55b78 317@command{ranlib} explicitly to update the symbol table index.
252b5132
RH
318
319However, too many different systems assume quick append rebuilds the
947ed062 320index, so @sc{gnu} @command{ar} implements @samp{q} as a synonym for @samp{r}.
252b5132
RH
321
322@item r
323@cindex replacement in archive
324Insert the files @var{member}@dots{} into @var{archive} (with
325@emph{replacement}). This operation differs from @samp{q} in that any
326previously existing members are deleted if their names match those being
327added.
328
c7c55b78 329If one of the files named in @var{member}@dots{} does not exist, @command{ar}
252b5132
RH
330displays an error message, and leaves undisturbed any existing members
331of the archive matching that name.
332
333By default, new members are added at the end of the file; but you may
334use one of the modifiers @samp{a}, @samp{b}, or @samp{i} to request
335placement relative to some existing member.
336
337The modifier @samp{v} used with this operation elicits a line of
338output for each file inserted, along with one of the letters @samp{a} or
339@samp{r} to indicate whether the file was appended (no old member
340deleted) or replaced.
341
342@item t
343@cindex contents of archive
344Display a @emph{table} listing the contents of @var{archive}, or those
345of the files listed in @var{member}@dots{} that are present in the
346archive. Normally only the member name is shown; if you also want to
347see the modes (permissions), timestamp, owner, group, and size, you can
348request that by also specifying the @samp{v} modifier.
349
350If you do not specify a @var{member}, all files in the archive
351are listed.
352
353@cindex repeated names in archive
354@cindex name duplication in archive
355If there is more than one file with the same name (say, @samp{fie}) in
356an archive (say @samp{b.a}), @samp{ar t b.a fie} lists only the
357first instance; to see them all, you must ask for a complete
358listing---in our example, @samp{ar t b.a}.
359@c WRS only; per Gumby, this is implementation-dependent, and in a more
360@c recent case in fact works the other way.
361
362@item x
363@cindex extract from archive
364@emph{Extract} members (named @var{member}) from the archive. You can
365use the @samp{v} modifier with this operation, to request that
c7c55b78 366@command{ar} list each name as it extracts it.
252b5132
RH
367
368If you do not specify a @var{member}, all files in the archive
369are extracted.
370
371@end table
372
373A number of modifiers (@var{mod}) may immediately follow the @var{p}
374keyletter, to specify variations on an operation's behavior:
375
c7c55b78 376@table @samp
252b5132
RH
377@item a
378@cindex relative placement in archive
379Add new files @emph{after} an existing member of the
380archive. If you use the modifier @samp{a}, the name of an existing archive
381member must be present as the @var{relpos} argument, before the
382@var{archive} specification.
383
384@item b
385Add new files @emph{before} an existing member of the
386archive. If you use the modifier @samp{b}, the name of an existing archive
387member must be present as the @var{relpos} argument, before the
388@var{archive} specification. (same as @samp{i}).
389
390@item c
391@cindex creating archives
392@emph{Create} the archive. The specified @var{archive} is always
393created if it did not exist, when you request an update. But a warning is
394issued unless you specify in advance that you expect to create it, by
395using this modifier.
396
397@item f
c7c55b78 398Truncate names in the archive. @sc{gnu} @command{ar} will normally permit file
252b5132 399names of any length. This will cause it to create archives which are
c7c55b78 400not compatible with the native @command{ar} program on some systems. If
252b5132
RH
401this is a concern, the @samp{f} modifier may be used to truncate file
402names when putting them in the archive.
403
404@item i
405Insert new files @emph{before} an existing member of the
406archive. If you use the modifier @samp{i}, the name of an existing archive
407member must be present as the @var{relpos} argument, before the
408@var{archive} specification. (same as @samp{b}).
409
410@item l
411This modifier is accepted but not used.
412@c whaffor ar l modifier??? presumably compat; with
413@c what???---doc@@cygnus.com, 25jan91
414
3de39064
ILT
415@item N
416Uses the @var{count} parameter. This is used if there are multiple
417entries in the archive with the same name. Extract or delete instance
418@var{count} of the given name from the archive.
419
252b5132
RH
420@item o
421@cindex dates in archive
422Preserve the @emph{original} dates of members when extracting them. If
423you do not specify this modifier, files extracted from the archive
424are stamped with the time of extraction.
425
3de39064
ILT
426@item P
427Use the full path name when matching names in the archive. @sc{gnu}
c7c55b78 428@command{ar} can not create an archive with a full path name (such archives
3de39064 429are not POSIX complaint), but other archive creators can. This option
c7c55b78 430will cause @sc{gnu} @command{ar} to match file names using a complete path
3de39064
ILT
431name, which can be convenient when extracting a single file from an
432archive created by another tool.
433
252b5132
RH
434@item s
435@cindex writing archive index
436Write an object-file index into the archive, or update an existing one,
437even if no other change is made to the archive. You may use this modifier
438flag either with any operation, or alone. Running @samp{ar s} on an
439archive is equivalent to running @samp{ranlib} on it.
440
441@item S
442@cindex not writing archive index
443Do not generate an archive symbol table. This can speed up building a
444large library in several steps. The resulting archive can not be used
445with the linker. In order to build a symbol table, you must omit the
446@samp{S} modifier on the last execution of @samp{ar}, or you must run
447@samp{ranlib} on the archive.
448
449@item u
450@cindex updating an archive
451Normally, @samp{ar r}@dots{} inserts all files
452listed into the archive. If you would like to insert @emph{only} those
453of the files you list that are newer than existing members of the same
454names, use this modifier. The @samp{u} modifier is allowed only for the
455operation @samp{r} (replace). In particular, the combination @samp{qu} is
456not allowed, since checking the timestamps would lose any speed
457advantage from the operation @samp{q}.
458
459@item v
460This modifier requests the @emph{verbose} version of an operation. Many
461operations display additional information, such as filenames processed,
462when the modifier @samp{v} is appended.
463
464@item V
c7c55b78 465This modifier shows the version number of @command{ar}.
252b5132
RH
466@end table
467
c7c55b78 468@command{ar} ignores an initial option spelt @samp{-X32_64}, for
6e800839 469compatibility with AIX. The behaviour produced by this option is the
947ed062 470default for @sc{gnu} @command{ar}. @command{ar} does not support any of the other
c7c55b78
NC
471@samp{-X} options; in particular, it does not support @option{-X32}
472which is the default for AIX @command{ar}.
6e800839 473
0285c67d
NC
474@c man end
475
476@ignore
477@c man begin SEEALSO ar
478nm(1), ranlib(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
479@c man end
480@end ignore
481
252b5132 482@node ar scripts
947ed062 483@section Controlling @command{ar} with a Script
252b5132
RH
484
485@smallexample
486ar -M [ <@var{script} ]
487@end smallexample
488
c7c55b78
NC
489@cindex MRI compatibility, @command{ar}
490@cindex scripts, @command{ar}
491If you use the single command-line option @samp{-M} with @command{ar}, you
252b5132 492can control its operation with a rudimentary command language. This
c7c55b78
NC
493form of @command{ar} operates interactively if standard input is coming
494directly from a terminal. During interactive use, @command{ar} prompts for
252b5132
RH
495input (the prompt is @samp{AR >}), and continues executing even after
496errors. If you redirect standard input to a script file, no prompts are
c7c55b78 497issued, and @command{ar} abandons execution (with a nonzero exit code)
252b5132
RH
498on any error.
499
c7c55b78 500The @command{ar} command language is @emph{not} designed to be equivalent
252b5132
RH
501to the command-line options; in fact, it provides somewhat less control
502over archives. The only purpose of the command language is to ease the
c7c55b78 503transition to @sc{gnu} @command{ar} for developers who already have scripts
252b5132
RH
504written for the MRI ``librarian'' program.
505
c7c55b78 506The syntax for the @command{ar} command language is straightforward:
252b5132
RH
507@itemize @bullet
508@item
509commands are recognized in upper or lower case; for example, @code{LIST}
510is the same as @code{list}. In the following descriptions, commands are
511shown in upper case for clarity.
512
513@item
514a single command may appear on each line; it is the first word on the
515line.
516
517@item
518empty lines are allowed, and have no effect.
519
520@item
521comments are allowed; text after either of the characters @samp{*}
522or @samp{;} is ignored.
523
524@item
c7c55b78 525Whenever you use a list of names as part of the argument to an @command{ar}
252b5132
RH
526command, you can separate the individual names with either commas or
527blanks. Commas are shown in the explanations below, for clarity.
528
529@item
530@samp{+} is used as a line continuation character; if @samp{+} appears
531at the end of a line, the text on the following line is considered part
532of the current command.
533@end itemize
534
c7c55b78
NC
535Here are the commands you can use in @command{ar} scripts, or when using
536@command{ar} interactively. Three of them have special significance:
252b5132
RH
537
538@code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE} specify a @dfn{current archive}, which is
539a temporary file required for most of the other commands.
540
541@code{SAVE} commits the changes so far specified by the script. Prior
542to @code{SAVE}, commands affect only the temporary copy of the current
543archive.
544
545@table @code
546@item ADDLIB @var{archive}
547@itemx ADDLIB @var{archive} (@var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module})
548Add all the contents of @var{archive} (or, if specified, each named
549@var{module} from @var{archive}) to the current archive.
550
551Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
552
553@item ADDMOD @var{member}, @var{member}, @dots{} @var{member}
554@c FIXME! w/Replacement?? If so, like "ar r @var{archive} @var{names}"
555@c else like "ar q..."
556Add each named @var{member} as a module in the current archive.
557
558Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
559
560@item CLEAR
561Discard the contents of the current archive, canceling the effect of
562any operations since the last @code{SAVE}. May be executed (with no
563effect) even if no current archive is specified.
564
565@item CREATE @var{archive}
566Creates an archive, and makes it the current archive (required for many
567other commands). The new archive is created with a temporary name; it
568is not actually saved as @var{archive} until you use @code{SAVE}.
569You can overwrite existing archives; similarly, the contents of any
570existing file named @var{archive} will not be destroyed until @code{SAVE}.
571
572@item DELETE @var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}
573Delete each listed @var{module} from the current archive; equivalent to
574@samp{ar -d @var{archive} @var{module} @dots{} @var{module}}.
575
576Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
577
578@item DIRECTORY @var{archive} (@var{module}, @dots{} @var{module})
579@itemx DIRECTORY @var{archive} (@var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}) @var{outputfile}
580List each named @var{module} present in @var{archive}. The separate
581command @code{VERBOSE} specifies the form of the output: when verbose
582output is off, output is like that of @samp{ar -t @var{archive}
583@var{module}@dots{}}. When verbose output is on, the listing is like
584@samp{ar -tv @var{archive} @var{module}@dots{}}.
585
586Output normally goes to the standard output stream; however, if you
c7c55b78 587specify @var{outputfile} as a final argument, @command{ar} directs the
252b5132
RH
588output to that file.
589
590@item END
c7c55b78 591Exit from @command{ar}, with a @code{0} exit code to indicate successful
252b5132
RH
592completion. This command does not save the output file; if you have
593changed the current archive since the last @code{SAVE} command, those
594changes are lost.
595
596@item EXTRACT @var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}
597Extract each named @var{module} from the current archive, writing them
598into the current directory as separate files. Equivalent to @samp{ar -x
599@var{archive} @var{module}@dots{}}.
600
601Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
602
603@ignore
604@c FIXME Tokens but no commands???
605@item FULLDIR
606
607@item HELP
608@end ignore
609
610@item LIST
611Display full contents of the current archive, in ``verbose'' style
612regardless of the state of @code{VERBOSE}. The effect is like @samp{ar
c7c55b78 613tv @var{archive}}. (This single command is a @sc{gnu} @command{ar}
252b5132
RH
614enhancement, rather than present for MRI compatibility.)
615
616Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
617
618@item OPEN @var{archive}
619Opens an existing archive for use as the current archive (required for
620many other commands). Any changes as the result of subsequent commands
621will not actually affect @var{archive} until you next use @code{SAVE}.
622
623@item REPLACE @var{module}, @var{module}, @dots{} @var{module}
624In the current archive, replace each existing @var{module} (named in
625the @code{REPLACE} arguments) from files in the current working directory.
626To execute this command without errors, both the file, and the module in
627the current archive, must exist.
628
629Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
630
631@item VERBOSE
632Toggle an internal flag governing the output from @code{DIRECTORY}.
633When the flag is on, @code{DIRECTORY} output matches output from
634@samp{ar -tv }@dots{}.
635
636@item SAVE
637Commit your changes to the current archive, and actually save it as a
638file with the name specified in the last @code{CREATE} or @code{OPEN}
639command.
640
641Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
642
643@end table
644
645@iftex
646@node ld
647@chapter ld
648@cindex linker
649@kindex ld
c7c55b78 650The @sc{gnu} linker @command{ld} is now described in a separate manual.
252b5132
RH
651@xref{Top,, Overview,, Using LD: the @sc{gnu} linker}.
652@end iftex
653
654@node nm
655@chapter nm
656@cindex symbols
657@kindex nm
658
0285c67d
NC
659@c man title nm list symbols from object files
660
252b5132 661@smallexample
0285c67d 662@c man begin SYNOPSIS nm
c7c55b78
NC
663nm [@option{-a}|@option{--debug-syms}] [@option{-g}|@option{--extern-only}]
664 [@option{-B}] [@option{-C}|@option{--demangle}[=@var{style}]] [@option{-D}|@option{--dynamic}]
72797995 665 [@option{-S}|@option{--print-size}] [@option{-s}|@option{--print-armap}]
3c9458e9 666 [@option{-A}|@option{-o}|@option{--print-file-name}][@option{--special-syms}]
c7c55b78
NC
667 [@option{-n}|@option{-v}|@option{--numeric-sort}] [@option{-p}|@option{--no-sort}]
668 [@option{-r}|@option{--reverse-sort}] [@option{--size-sort}] [@option{-u}|@option{--undefined-only}]
669 [@option{-t} @var{radix}|@option{--radix=}@var{radix}] [@option{-P}|@option{--portability}]
670 [@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}] [@option{-f}@var{format}|@option{--format=}@var{format}]
671 [@option{--defined-only}] [@option{-l}|@option{--line-numbers}] [@option{--no-demangle}]
672 [@option{-V}|@option{--version}] [@option{-X 32_64}] [@option{--help}] [@var{objfile}@dots{}]
0285c67d 673@c man end
252b5132
RH
674@end smallexample
675
0285c67d 676@c man begin DESCRIPTION nm
c7c55b78
NC
677@sc{gnu} @command{nm} lists the symbols from object files @var{objfile}@dots{}.
678If no object files are listed as arguments, @command{nm} assumes the file
252b5132
RH
679@file{a.out}.
680
c7c55b78 681For each symbol, @command{nm} shows:
252b5132
RH
682
683@itemize @bullet
684@item
685The symbol value, in the radix selected by options (see below), or
686hexadecimal by default.
687
688@item
689The symbol type. At least the following types are used; others are, as
690well, depending on the object file format. If lowercase, the symbol is
691local; if uppercase, the symbol is global (external).
692
693@c Some more detail on exactly what these symbol types are used for
694@c would be nice.
695@table @code
696@item A
697The symbol's value is absolute, and will not be changed by further
698linking.
699
700@item B
701The symbol is in the uninitialized data section (known as BSS).
702
703@item C
704The symbol is common. Common symbols are uninitialized data. When
705linking, multiple common symbols may appear with the same name. If the
706symbol is defined anywhere, the common symbols are treated as undefined
0285c67d
NC
707references.
708@ifclear man
709For more details on common symbols, see the discussion of
252b5132 710--warn-common in @ref{Options,,Linker options,ld.info,The GNU linker}.
0879a67a 711@end ifclear
252b5132
RH
712
713@item D
714The symbol is in the initialized data section.
715
716@item G
717The symbol is in an initialized data section for small objects. Some
718object file formats permit more efficient access to small data objects,
719such as a global int variable as opposed to a large global array.
720
721@item I
947ed062 722The symbol is an indirect reference to another symbol. This is a @sc{gnu}
252b5132
RH
723extension to the a.out object file format which is rarely used.
724
725@item N
726The symbol is a debugging symbol.
727
728@item R
729The symbol is in a read only data section.
730
731@item S
732The symbol is in an uninitialized data section for small objects.
733
734@item T
735The symbol is in the text (code) section.
736
737@item U
738The symbol is undefined.
739
fad6fcbb
NC
740@item V
741The symbol is a weak object. When a weak defined symbol is linked with
742a normal defined symbol, the normal defined symbol is used with no error.
743When a weak undefined symbol is linked and the symbol is not defined,
744the value of the weak symbol becomes zero with no error.
745
252b5132 746@item W
fad6fcbb
NC
747The symbol is a weak symbol that has not been specifically tagged as a
748weak object symbol. When a weak defined symbol is linked with a normal
749defined symbol, the normal defined symbol is used with no error.
750When a weak undefined symbol is linked and the symbol is not defined,
c87db184 751the value of the symbol is determined in a system-specific manner without
977cdf5a
NC
752error. On some systems, uppercase indicates that a default value has been
753specified.
754
252b5132
RH
755
756@item -
757The symbol is a stabs symbol in an a.out object file. In this case, the
758next values printed are the stabs other field, the stabs desc field, and
c7c55b78
NC
759the stab type. Stabs symbols are used to hold debugging information.
760@ifclear man
761For more information, see @ref{Top,Stabs,Stabs Overview,stabs.info, The
252b5132 762``stabs'' debug format}.
c7c55b78 763@end ifclear
252b5132
RH
764
765@item ?
766The symbol type is unknown, or object file format specific.
767@end table
768
769@item
770The symbol name.
771@end itemize
772
0285c67d
NC
773@c man end
774
775@c man begin OPTIONS nm
252b5132
RH
776The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
777equivalent.
778
c7c55b78 779@table @env
252b5132
RH
780@item -A
781@itemx -o
782@itemx --print-file-name
783@cindex input file name
784@cindex file name
785@cindex source file name
f20a759a 786Precede each symbol by the name of the input file (or archive member)
252b5132
RH
787in which it was found, rather than identifying the input file once only,
788before all of its symbols.
789
790@item -a
791@itemx --debug-syms
792@cindex debugging symbols
793Display all symbols, even debugger-only symbols; normally these are not
794listed.
795
796@item -B
c7c55b78
NC
797@cindex @command{nm} format
798@cindex @command{nm} compatibility
799The same as @option{--format=bsd} (for compatibility with the MIPS @command{nm}).
252b5132
RH
800
801@item -C
28c309a2 802@itemx --demangle[=@var{style}]
252b5132
RH
803@cindex demangling in nm
804Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
805Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
28c309a2
NC
806makes C++ function names readable. Different compilers have different
807mangling styles. The optional demangling style argument can be used to
808choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. @xref{c++filt},
809for more information on demangling.
252b5132
RH
810
811@item --no-demangle
812Do not demangle low-level symbol names. This is the default.
813
814@item -D
815@itemx --dynamic
816@cindex dynamic symbols
817Display the dynamic symbols rather than the normal symbols. This is
818only meaningful for dynamic objects, such as certain types of shared
819libraries.
820
821@item -f @var{format}
822@itemx --format=@var{format}
c7c55b78
NC
823@cindex @command{nm} format
824@cindex @command{nm} compatibility
252b5132
RH
825Use the output format @var{format}, which can be @code{bsd},
826@code{sysv}, or @code{posix}. The default is @code{bsd}.
827Only the first character of @var{format} is significant; it can be
828either upper or lower case.
829
830@item -g
831@itemx --extern-only
832@cindex external symbols
833Display only external symbols.
834
835@item -l
836@itemx --line-numbers
837@cindex symbol line numbers
838For each symbol, use debugging information to try to find a filename and
839line number. For a defined symbol, look for the line number of the
840address of the symbol. For an undefined symbol, look for the line
841number of a relocation entry which refers to the symbol. If line number
842information can be found, print it after the other symbol information.
843
844@item -n
845@itemx -v
846@itemx --numeric-sort
847Sort symbols numerically by their addresses, rather than alphabetically
848by their names.
849
850@item -p
851@itemx --no-sort
852@cindex sorting symbols
853Do not bother to sort the symbols in any order; print them in the order
854encountered.
855
856@item -P
857@itemx --portability
858Use the POSIX.2 standard output format instead of the default format.
859Equivalent to @samp{-f posix}.
860
72797995
L
861@item -S
862@itemx --print-size
06a30c77 863Print size, not the value, of defined symbols for the @code{bsd} output format.
72797995 864
252b5132
RH
865@item -s
866@itemx --print-armap
867@cindex symbol index, listing
868When listing symbols from archive members, include the index: a mapping
c7c55b78 869(stored in the archive by @command{ar} or @command{ranlib}) of which modules
252b5132
RH
870contain definitions for which names.
871
872@item -r
873@itemx --reverse-sort
874Reverse the order of the sort (whether numeric or alphabetic); let the
875last come first.
876
877@item --size-sort
878Sort symbols by size. The size is computed as the difference between
879the value of the symbol and the value of the symbol with the next higher
06a30c77 880value. If the @code{bsd} output format is used the size of the symbol
76ed1927
NC
881is printed, rather than the value, and @samp{-S} must be used in order
882both size and value to be printed.
252b5132 883
3c9458e9
NC
884@item --special-syms
885Display symbols which have a target-specific special meaning. These
886symbols are usually used by the target for some special processing and
887are not normally helpful when included included in the normal symbol
888lists. For example for ARM targets this option would skip the mapping
889symbols used to mark transistions between ARM code, THUMB code and
890data.
891
252b5132
RH
892@item -t @var{radix}
893@itemx --radix=@var{radix}
894Use @var{radix} as the radix for printing the symbol values. It must be
895@samp{d} for decimal, @samp{o} for octal, or @samp{x} for hexadecimal.
896
897@item --target=@var{bfdname}
898@cindex object code format
899Specify an object code format other than your system's default format.
900@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
901
902@item -u
903@itemx --undefined-only
904@cindex external symbols
905@cindex undefined symbols
906Display only undefined symbols (those external to each object file).
907
908@item --defined-only
909@cindex external symbols
910@cindex undefined symbols
911Display only defined symbols for each object file.
912
913@item -V
914@itemx --version
c7c55b78 915Show the version number of @command{nm} and exit.
252b5132 916
6e800839
GK
917@item -X
918This option is ignored for compatibility with the AIX version of
c7c55b78
NC
919@command{nm}. It takes one parameter which must be the string
920@option{32_64}. The default mode of AIX @command{nm} corresponds
921to @option{-X 32}, which is not supported by @sc{gnu} @command{nm}.
6e800839 922
252b5132 923@item --help
c7c55b78 924Show a summary of the options to @command{nm} and exit.
252b5132
RH
925@end table
926
0285c67d
NC
927@c man end
928
929@ignore
930@c man begin SEEALSO nm
931ar(1), objdump(1), ranlib(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
932@c man end
933@end ignore
934
252b5132
RH
935@node objcopy
936@chapter objcopy
937
0285c67d
NC
938@c man title objcopy copy and translate object files
939
252b5132 940@smallexample
0285c67d 941@c man begin SYNOPSIS objcopy
c7c55b78
NC
942objcopy [@option{-F} @var{bfdname}|@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
943 [@option{-I} @var{bfdname}|@option{--input-target=}@var{bfdname}]
944 [@option{-O} @var{bfdname}|@option{--output-target=}@var{bfdname}]
945 [@option{-B} @var{bfdarch}|@option{--binary-architecture=}@var{bfdarch}]
2593f09a
NC
946 [@option{-S}|@option{--strip-all}]
947 [@option{-g}|@option{--strip-debug}]
c7c55b78
NC
948 [@option{-K} @var{symbolname}|@option{--keep-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
949 [@option{-N} @var{symbolname}|@option{--strip-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
bcf32829 950 [@option{--strip-unneeded-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
c7c55b78
NC
951 [@option{-G} @var{symbolname}|@option{--keep-global-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
952 [@option{-L} @var{symbolname}|@option{--localize-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
953 [@option{-W} @var{symbolname}|@option{--weaken-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
5fe11841 954 [@option{-w}|@option{--wildcard}]
2593f09a
NC
955 [@option{-x}|@option{--discard-all}]
956 [@option{-X}|@option{--discard-locals}]
c7c55b78
NC
957 [@option{-b} @var{byte}|@option{--byte=}@var{byte}]
958 [@option{-i} @var{interleave}|@option{--interleave=}@var{interleave}]
959 [@option{-j} @var{sectionname}|@option{--only-section=}@var{sectionname}]
960 [@option{-R} @var{sectionname}|@option{--remove-section=}@var{sectionname}]
961 [@option{-p}|@option{--preserve-dates}]
962 [@option{--debugging}]
2593f09a
NC
963 [@option{--gap-fill=}@var{val}]
964 [@option{--pad-to=}@var{address}]
965 [@option{--set-start=}@var{val}]
966 [@option{--adjust-start=}@var{incr}]
c7c55b78
NC
967 [@option{--change-addresses=}@var{incr}]
968 [@option{--change-section-address} @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}]
969 [@option{--change-section-lma} @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}]
970 [@option{--change-section-vma} @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}]
971 [@option{--change-warnings}] [@option{--no-change-warnings}]
972 [@option{--set-section-flags} @var{section}=@var{flags}]
973 [@option{--add-section} @var{sectionname}=@var{filename}]
974 [@option{--rename-section} @var{oldname}=@var{newname}[,@var{flags}]]
2593f09a
NC
975 [@option{--change-leading-char}] [@option{--remove-leading-char}]
976 [@option{--srec-len=}@var{ival}] [@option{--srec-forceS3}]
977 [@option{--redefine-sym} @var{old}=@var{new}]
978 [@option{--redefine-syms=}@var{filename}]
c7c55b78
NC
979 [@option{--weaken}]
980 [@option{--keep-symbols=}@var{filename}]
981 [@option{--strip-symbols=}@var{filename}]
bcf32829 982 [@option{--strip-unneeded-symbols=}@var{filename}]
c7c55b78
NC
983 [@option{--keep-global-symbols=}@var{filename}]
984 [@option{--localize-symbols=}@var{filename}]
985 [@option{--weaken-symbols=}@var{filename}]
c51238bc
DA
986 [@option{--alt-machine-code=}@var{index}]
987 [@option{--prefix-symbols=}@var{string}]
988 [@option{--prefix-sections=}@var{string}]
989 [@option{--prefix-alloc-sections=}@var{string}]
ed1653a7
NC
990 [@option{--add-gnu-debuglink=}@var{path-to-file}]
991 [@option{--only-keep-debug}]
4087920c
MR
992 [@option{--writable-text}]
993 [@option{--readonly-text}]
994 [@option{--pure}]
995 [@option{--impure}]
c7c55b78
NC
996 [@option{-v}|@option{--verbose}]
997 [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
7c29036b 998 [@option{--help}] [@option{--info}]
252b5132 999 @var{infile} [@var{outfile}]
0285c67d 1000@c man end
252b5132
RH
1001@end smallexample
1002
0285c67d 1003@c man begin DESCRIPTION objcopy
c7c55b78
NC
1004The @sc{gnu} @command{objcopy} utility copies the contents of an object
1005file to another. @command{objcopy} uses the @sc{gnu} @sc{bfd} Library to
252b5132
RH
1006read and write the object files. It can write the destination object
1007file in a format different from that of the source object file. The
c7c55b78
NC
1008exact behavior of @command{objcopy} is controlled by command-line options.
1009Note that @command{objcopy} should be able to copy a fully linked file
ccd13d18
L
1010between any two formats. However, copying a relocatable object file
1011between any two formats may not work as expected.
252b5132 1012
c7c55b78
NC
1013@command{objcopy} creates temporary files to do its translations and
1014deletes them afterward. @command{objcopy} uses @sc{bfd} to do all its
252b5132
RH
1015translation work; it has access to all the formats described in @sc{bfd}
1016and thus is able to recognize most formats without being told
1017explicitly. @xref{BFD,,BFD,ld.info,Using LD}.
1018
c7c55b78 1019@command{objcopy} can be used to generate S-records by using an output
252b5132
RH
1020target of @samp{srec} (e.g., use @samp{-O srec}).
1021
c7c55b78
NC
1022@command{objcopy} can be used to generate a raw binary file by using an
1023output target of @samp{binary} (e.g., use @option{-O binary}). When
1024@command{objcopy} generates a raw binary file, it will essentially produce
252b5132
RH
1025a memory dump of the contents of the input object file. All symbols and
1026relocation information will be discarded. The memory dump will start at
1027the load address of the lowest section copied into the output file.
1028
1029When generating an S-record or a raw binary file, it may be helpful to
c7c55b78
NC
1030use @option{-S} to remove sections containing debugging information. In
1031some cases @option{-R} will be useful to remove sections which contain
f20a759a 1032information that is not needed by the binary file.
252b5132 1033
947ed062
NC
1034Note---@command{objcopy} is not able to change the endianness of its input
1035files. If the input format has an endianness (some formats do not),
c7c55b78 1036@command{objcopy} can only copy the inputs into file formats that have the
947ed062 1037same endianness or which have no endianness (e.g., @samp{srec}).
18356cf2 1038
0285c67d
NC
1039@c man end
1040
1041@c man begin OPTIONS objcopy
1042
c7c55b78 1043@table @env
252b5132
RH
1044@item @var{infile}
1045@itemx @var{outfile}
f20a759a 1046The input and output files, respectively.
c7c55b78 1047If you do not specify @var{outfile}, @command{objcopy} creates a
252b5132
RH
1048temporary file and destructively renames the result with
1049the name of @var{infile}.
1050
c7c55b78 1051@item -I @var{bfdname}
252b5132
RH
1052@itemx --input-target=@var{bfdname}
1053Consider the source file's object format to be @var{bfdname}, rather than
1054attempting to deduce it. @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1055
1056@item -O @var{bfdname}
1057@itemx --output-target=@var{bfdname}
1058Write the output file using the object format @var{bfdname}.
1059@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1060
1061@item -F @var{bfdname}
1062@itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
1063Use @var{bfdname} as the object format for both the input and the output
1064file; i.e., simply transfer data from source to destination with no
1065translation. @xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1066
43a0748c
NC
1067@item -B @var{bfdarch}
1068@itemx --binary-architecture=@var{bfdarch}
1069Useful when transforming a raw binary input file into an object file.
1070In this case the output architecture can be set to @var{bfdarch}. This
1071option will be ignored if the input file has a known @var{bfdarch}. You
1072can access this binary data inside a program by referencing the special
1073symbols that are created by the conversion process. These symbols are
1074called _binary_@var{objfile}_start, _binary_@var{objfile}_end and
1075_binary_@var{objfile}_size. e.g. you can transform a picture file into
1076an object file and then access it in your code using these symbols.
1077
f91ea849
ILT
1078@item -j @var{sectionname}
1079@itemx --only-section=@var{sectionname}
1080Copy only the named section from the input file to the output file.
1081This option may be given more than once. Note that using this option
1082inappropriately may make the output file unusable.
1083
252b5132
RH
1084@item -R @var{sectionname}
1085@itemx --remove-section=@var{sectionname}
1086Remove any section named @var{sectionname} from the output file. This
1087option may be given more than once. Note that using this option
1088inappropriately may make the output file unusable.
1089
1090@item -S
1091@itemx --strip-all
1092Do not copy relocation and symbol information from the source file.
1093
1094@item -g
1095@itemx --strip-debug
2593f09a 1096Do not copy debugging symbols or sections from the source file.
252b5132
RH
1097
1098@item --strip-unneeded
1099Strip all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.
1100
1101@item -K @var{symbolname}
1102@itemx --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1103Copy only symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may
1104be given more than once.
1105
1106@item -N @var{symbolname}
1107@itemx --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1108Do not copy symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option
1109may be given more than once.
1110
bcf32829
JB
1111@item --strip-unneeded-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1112Do not copy symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file unless it is needed
1113by a relocation. This option may be given more than once.
1114
16b2b71c
NC
1115@item -G @var{symbolname}
1116@itemx --keep-global-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1117Keep only symbol @var{symbolname} global. Make all other symbols local
1118to the file, so that they are not visible externally. This option may
1119be given more than once.
1120
252b5132
RH
1121@item -L @var{symbolname}
1122@itemx --localize-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1123Make symbol @var{symbolname} local to the file, so that it is not
1124visible externally. This option may be given more than once.
1125
1126@item -W @var{symbolname}
1127@itemx --weaken-symbol=@var{symbolname}
1128Make symbol @var{symbolname} weak. This option may be given more than once.
1129
5fe11841
NC
1130@item -w
1131@itemx --wildcard
1132Permit regular expressions in @var{symbolname}s used in other command
1133line options. The question mark (?), asterisk (*), backslash (\) and
1134square brackets ([]) operators can be used anywhere in the symbol
1135name. If the first character of the symbol name is the exclamation
1136point (!) then the sense of the switch is reversed for that symbol.
1137For example:
1138
1139@smallexample
1140 -w -W !foo -W fo*
1141@end smallexample
1142
1143would cause objcopy to weaken all symbols that start with ``fo''
1144except for the symbol ``foo''.
1145
252b5132
RH
1146@item -x
1147@itemx --discard-all
1148Do not copy non-global symbols from the source file.
1149@c FIXME any reason to prefer "non-global" to "local" here?
1150
1151@item -X
1152@itemx --discard-locals
1153Do not copy compiler-generated local symbols.
1154(These usually start with @samp{L} or @samp{.}.)
1155
1156@item -b @var{byte}
1157@itemx --byte=@var{byte}
1158Keep only every @var{byte}th byte of the input file (header data is not
1159affected). @var{byte} can be in the range from 0 to @var{interleave}-1,
c7c55b78 1160where @var{interleave} is given by the @option{-i} or @option{--interleave}
252b5132
RH
1161option, or the default of 4. This option is useful for creating files
1162to program @sc{rom}. It is typically used with an @code{srec} output
1163target.
1164
1165@item -i @var{interleave}
1166@itemx --interleave=@var{interleave}
1167Only copy one out of every @var{interleave} bytes. Select which byte to
c7c55b78
NC
1168copy with the @option{-b} or @option{--byte} option. The default is 4.
1169@command{objcopy} ignores this option if you do not specify either @option{-b} or
1170@option{--byte}.
252b5132
RH
1171
1172@item -p
1173@itemx --preserve-dates
1174Set the access and modification dates of the output file to be the same
1175as those of the input file.
1176
1177@item --debugging
1178Convert debugging information, if possible. This is not the default
1179because only certain debugging formats are supported, and the
1180conversion process can be time consuming.
1181
1182@item --gap-fill @var{val}
1183Fill gaps between sections with @var{val}. This operation applies to
1184the @emph{load address} (LMA) of the sections. It is done by increasing
1185the size of the section with the lower address, and filling in the extra
1186space created with @var{val}.
1187
1188@item --pad-to @var{address}
1189Pad the output file up to the load address @var{address}. This is
1190done by increasing the size of the last section. The extra space is
c7c55b78 1191filled in with the value specified by @option{--gap-fill} (default zero).
252b5132
RH
1192
1193@item --set-start @var{val}
f20a759a 1194Set the start address of the new file to @var{val}. Not all object file
252b5132
RH
1195formats support setting the start address.
1196
1197@item --change-start @var{incr}
1198@itemx --adjust-start @var{incr}
1199@cindex changing start address
1200Change the start address by adding @var{incr}. Not all object file
1201formats support setting the start address.
1202
1203@item --change-addresses @var{incr}
1204@itemx --adjust-vma @var{incr}
1205@cindex changing object addresses
1206Change the VMA and LMA addresses of all sections, as well as the start
1207address, by adding @var{incr}. Some object file formats do not permit
1208section addresses to be changed arbitrarily. Note that this does not
1209relocate the sections; if the program expects sections to be loaded at a
1210certain address, and this option is used to change the sections such
1211that they are loaded at a different address, the program may fail.
1212
1213@item --change-section-address @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1214@itemx --adjust-section-vma @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1215@cindex changing section address
1216Set or change both the VMA address and the LMA address of the named
1217@var{section}. If @samp{=} is used, the section address is set to
1218@var{val}. Otherwise, @var{val} is added to or subtracted from the
c7c55b78 1219section address. See the comments under @option{--change-addresses},
252b5132 1220above. If @var{section} does not exist in the input file, a warning will
c7c55b78 1221be issued, unless @option{--no-change-warnings} is used.
252b5132
RH
1222
1223@item --change-section-lma @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1224@cindex changing section LMA
1225Set or change the LMA address of the named @var{section}. The LMA
1226address is the address where the section will be loaded into memory at
1227program load time. Normally this is the same as the VMA address, which
1228is the address of the section at program run time, but on some systems,
1229especially those where a program is held in ROM, the two can be
1230different. If @samp{=} is used, the section address is set to
1231@var{val}. Otherwise, @var{val} is added to or subtracted from the
c7c55b78 1232section address. See the comments under @option{--change-addresses},
252b5132 1233above. If @var{section} does not exist in the input file, a warning
c7c55b78 1234will be issued, unless @option{--no-change-warnings} is used.
252b5132
RH
1235
1236@item --change-section-vma @var{section}@{=,+,-@}@var{val}
1237@cindex changing section VMA
1238Set or change the VMA address of the named @var{section}. The VMA
1239address is the address where the section will be located once the
1240program has started executing. Normally this is the same as the LMA
1241address, which is the address where the section will be loaded into
1242memory, but on some systems, especially those where a program is held in
1243ROM, the two can be different. If @samp{=} is used, the section address
1244is set to @var{val}. Otherwise, @var{val} is added to or subtracted
1245from the section address. See the comments under
c7c55b78 1246@option{--change-addresses}, above. If @var{section} does not exist in
252b5132 1247the input file, a warning will be issued, unless
c7c55b78 1248@option{--no-change-warnings} is used.
252b5132
RH
1249
1250@item --change-warnings
1251@itemx --adjust-warnings
c7c55b78
NC
1252If @option{--change-section-address} or @option{--change-section-lma} or
1253@option{--change-section-vma} is used, and the named section does not
252b5132
RH
1254exist, issue a warning. This is the default.
1255
1256@item --no-change-warnings
1257@itemx --no-adjust-warnings
c7c55b78
NC
1258Do not issue a warning if @option{--change-section-address} or
1259@option{--adjust-section-lma} or @option{--adjust-section-vma} is used, even
252b5132
RH
1260if the named section does not exist.
1261
1262@item --set-section-flags @var{section}=@var{flags}
1263Set the flags for the named section. The @var{flags} argument is a
1264comma separated string of flag names. The recognized names are
3994e2c6
ILT
1265@samp{alloc}, @samp{contents}, @samp{load}, @samp{noload},
1266@samp{readonly}, @samp{code}, @samp{data}, @samp{rom}, @samp{share}, and
1267@samp{debug}. You can set the @samp{contents} flag for a section which
1268does not have contents, but it is not meaningful to clear the
1269@samp{contents} flag of a section which does have contents--just remove
1270the section instead. Not all flags are meaningful for all object file
1271formats.
252b5132
RH
1272
1273@item --add-section @var{sectionname}=@var{filename}
1274Add a new section named @var{sectionname} while copying the file. The
1275contents of the new section are taken from the file @var{filename}. The
1276size of the section will be the size of the file. This option only
1277works on file formats which can support sections with arbitrary names.
1278
594ef5db
NC
1279@item --rename-section @var{oldname}=@var{newname}[,@var{flags}]
1280Rename a section from @var{oldname} to @var{newname}, optionally
1281changing the section's flags to @var{flags} in the process. This has
1282the advantage over usng a linker script to perform the rename in that
1283the output stays as an object file and does not become a linked
1284executable.
1285
1286This option is particularly helpful when the input format is binary,
1287since this will always create a section called .data. If for example,
1288you wanted instead to create a section called .rodata containing binary
1289data you could use the following command line to achieve it:
1290
1291@smallexample
1292 objcopy -I binary -O <output_format> -B <architecture> \
1293 --rename-section .data=.rodata,alloc,load,readonly,data,contents \
1294 <input_binary_file> <output_object_file>
1295@end smallexample
1296
252b5132
RH
1297@item --change-leading-char
1298Some object file formats use special characters at the start of
1299symbols. The most common such character is underscore, which compilers
c7c55b78 1300often add before every symbol. This option tells @command{objcopy} to
252b5132
RH
1301change the leading character of every symbol when it converts between
1302object file formats. If the object file formats use the same leading
1303character, this option has no effect. Otherwise, it will add a
1304character, or remove a character, or change a character, as
1305appropriate.
1306
1307@item --remove-leading-char
1308If the first character of a global symbol is a special symbol leading
1309character used by the object file format, remove the character. The
1310most common symbol leading character is underscore. This option will
1311remove a leading underscore from all global symbols. This can be useful
1312if you want to link together objects of different file formats with
1313different conventions for symbol names. This is different from
c7c55b78 1314@option{--change-leading-char} because it always changes the symbol name
252b5132
RH
1315when appropriate, regardless of the object file format of the output
1316file.
1317
420496c1
NC
1318@item --srec-len=@var{ival}
1319Meaningful only for srec output. Set the maximum length of the Srecords
1320being produced to @var{ival}. This length covers both address, data and
1321crc fields.
1322
1323@item --srec-forceS3
1324Meaningful only for srec output. Avoid generation of S1/S2 records,
1325creating S3-only record format.
1326
57938635
AM
1327@item --redefine-sym @var{old}=@var{new}
1328Change the name of a symbol @var{old}, to @var{new}. This can be useful
1329when one is trying link two things together for which you have no
1330source, and there are name collisions.
1331
92991082
JT
1332@item --redefine-syms=@var{filename}
1333Apply @option{--redefine-sym} to each symbol pair "@var{old} @var{new}"
1334listed in the file @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file,
1335with one symbol pair per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash
1336character. This option may be given more than once.
1337
252b5132
RH
1338@item --weaken
1339Change all global symbols in the file to be weak. This can be useful
1340when building an object which will be linked against other objects using
c7c55b78 1341the @option{-R} option to the linker. This option is only effective when
252b5132
RH
1342using an object file format which supports weak symbols.
1343
16b2b71c 1344@item --keep-symbols=@var{filename}
c7c55b78 1345Apply @option{--keep-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
16b2b71c
NC
1346@var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1347name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1348This option may be given more than once.
1349
1350@item --strip-symbols=@var{filename}
c7c55b78 1351Apply @option{--strip-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
16b2b71c
NC
1352@var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1353name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1354This option may be given more than once.
1355
bcf32829
JB
1356@item --strip-unneeded-symbols=@var{filename}
1357Apply @option{--strip-unneeded-symbol} option to each symbol listed in
1358the file @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one
1359symbol name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash
1360character. This option may be given more than once.
1361
16b2b71c 1362@item --keep-global-symbols=@var{filename}
c7c55b78 1363Apply @option{--keep-global-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the
16b2b71c
NC
1364file @var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one
1365symbol name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash
1366character. This option may be given more than once.
1367
1368@item --localize-symbols=@var{filename}
c7c55b78 1369Apply @option{--localize-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
16b2b71c
NC
1370@var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1371name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1372This option may be given more than once.
1373
1374@item --weaken-symbols=@var{filename}
c7c55b78 1375Apply @option{--weaken-symbol} option to each symbol listed in the file
16b2b71c
NC
1376@var{filename}. @var{filename} is simply a flat file, with one symbol
1377name per line. Line comments may be introduced by the hash character.
1378This option may be given more than once.
1379
1ae8b3d2
AO
1380@item --alt-machine-code=@var{index}
1381If the output architecture has alternate machine codes, use the
1382@var{index}th code instead of the default one. This is useful in case
1383a machine is assigned an official code and the tool-chain adopts the
1384new code, but other applications still depend on the original code
1385being used.
1386
4087920c
MR
1387@item --writable-text
1388Mark the output text as writable. This option isn't meaningful for all
1389object file formats.
1390
1391@item --readonly-text
1392Make the output text write protected. This option isn't meaningful for all
1393object file formats.
1394
1395@item --pure
1396Mark the output file as demand paged. This option isn't meaningful for all
1397object file formats.
1398
1399@item --impure
1400Mark the output file as impure. This option isn't meaningful for all
1401object file formats.
1402
d7fb0dd2
NC
1403@item --prefix-symbols=@var{string}
1404Prefix all symbols in the output file with @var{string}.
1405
1406@item --prefix-sections=@var{string}
1407Prefix all section names in the output file with @var{string}.
1408
1409@item --prefix-alloc-sections=@var{string}
1410Prefix all the names of all allocated sections in the output file with
1411@var{string}.
1412
ed1653a7
NC
1413@item --add-gnu-debuglink=@var{path-to-file}
1414Creates a .gnu_debuglink section which contains a reference to @var{path-to-file}
1415and adds it to the output file.
1416
1417@item --only-keep-debug
1418Strip a file, removing any sections that would be stripped by
1419@option{--strip-debug} and leaving the debugging sections.
1420
1421The intention is that this option will be used in conjunction with
1422@option{--add-gnu-debuglink} to create a two part executable. One a
1423stripped binary which will occupy less space in RAM and in a
1424distribution and the second a debugging information file which is only
1425needed if debugging abilities are required. The suggested procedure
1426to create these files is as follows:
1427
1428@enumerate
1429@item Link the executable as normal. Assuming that is is called
1430@code{foo} then...
1431@item Run @code{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.dbg} to
1432create a file containing the debugging info.
1433@item Run @code{objcopy --strip-debug foo} to create a
1434stripped executable.
1435@item Run @code{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.dbg foo}
1436to add a link to the debugging info into the stripped executable.
1437@end enumerate
1438
1439Note - the choice of @code{.dbg} as an extension for the debug info
1440file is arbitrary. Also the @code{--only-keep-debug} step is
1441optional. You could instead do this:
1442
1443@enumerate
1444@item Link the executable as normal.
1445@item Copy @code{foo} to @code{foo.full}
1446@item Run @code{objcopy --strip-debug foo}
1447@item Run @code{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.full foo}
1448@end enumerate
1449
1450ie the file pointed to by the @option{--add-gnu-debuglink} can be the
1451full executable. It does not have to be a file created by the
1452@option{--only-keep-debug} switch.
1453
252b5132
RH
1454@item -V
1455@itemx --version
c7c55b78 1456Show the version number of @command{objcopy}.
252b5132
RH
1457
1458@item -v
1459@itemx --verbose
1460Verbose output: list all object files modified. In the case of
1461archives, @samp{objcopy -V} lists all members of the archive.
1462
1463@item --help
c7c55b78 1464Show a summary of the options to @command{objcopy}.
7c29036b
NC
1465
1466@item --info
1467Display a list showing all architectures and object formats available.
252b5132
RH
1468@end table
1469
0285c67d
NC
1470@c man end
1471
1472@ignore
1473@c man begin SEEALSO objcopy
1474ld(1), objdump(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1475@c man end
1476@end ignore
1477
252b5132
RH
1478@node objdump
1479@chapter objdump
1480
1481@cindex object file information
1482@kindex objdump
1483
0285c67d
NC
1484@c man title objdump display information from object files.
1485
252b5132 1486@smallexample
0285c67d 1487@c man begin SYNOPSIS objdump
c7c55b78
NC
1488objdump [@option{-a}|@option{--archive-headers}]
1489 [@option{-b} @var{bfdname}|@option{--target=@var{bfdname}}]
1490 [@option{-C}|@option{--demangle}[=@var{style}] ]
1491 [@option{-d}|@option{--disassemble}]
1492 [@option{-D}|@option{--disassemble-all}]
1493 [@option{-z}|@option{--disassemble-zeroes}]
1494 [@option{-EB}|@option{-EL}|@option{--endian=}@{big | little @}]
1495 [@option{-f}|@option{--file-headers}]
1496 [@option{--file-start-context}]
1497 [@option{-g}|@option{--debugging}]
51cdc6e0 1498 [@option{-e}|@option{--debugging-tags}]
c7c55b78
NC
1499 [@option{-h}|@option{--section-headers}|@option{--headers}]
1500 [@option{-i}|@option{--info}]
1501 [@option{-j} @var{section}|@option{--section=}@var{section}]
1502 [@option{-l}|@option{--line-numbers}]
1503 [@option{-S}|@option{--source}]
1504 [@option{-m} @var{machine}|@option{--architecture=}@var{machine}]
1505 [@option{-M} @var{options}|@option{--disassembler-options=}@var{options}]
1506 [@option{-p}|@option{--private-headers}]
1507 [@option{-r}|@option{--reloc}]
1508 [@option{-R}|@option{--dynamic-reloc}]
1509 [@option{-s}|@option{--full-contents}]
1510 [@option{-G}|@option{--stabs}]
1511 [@option{-t}|@option{--syms}]
1512 [@option{-T}|@option{--dynamic-syms}]
1513 [@option{-x}|@option{--all-headers}]
1514 [@option{-w}|@option{--wide}]
1515 [@option{--start-address=}@var{address}]
1516 [@option{--stop-address=}@var{address}]
1517 [@option{--prefix-addresses}]
1518 [@option{--[no-]show-raw-insn}]
1519 [@option{--adjust-vma=}@var{offset}]
3c9458e9 1520 [@option{--special-syms}]
c7c55b78
NC
1521 [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
1522 [@option{-H}|@option{--help}]
252b5132 1523 @var{objfile}@dots{}
0285c67d 1524@c man end
252b5132
RH
1525@end smallexample
1526
0285c67d
NC
1527@c man begin DESCRIPTION objdump
1528
c7c55b78 1529@command{objdump} displays information about one or more object files.
252b5132
RH
1530The options control what particular information to display. This
1531information is mostly useful to programmers who are working on the
1532compilation tools, as opposed to programmers who just want their
1533program to compile and work.
1534
1535@var{objfile}@dots{} are the object files to be examined. When you
c7c55b78 1536specify archives, @command{objdump} shows information on each of the member
252b5132
RH
1537object files.
1538
0285c67d
NC
1539@c man end
1540
1541@c man begin OPTIONS objdump
1542
252b5132 1543The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
1dada9c5 1544equivalent. At least one option from the list
155e0d23 1545@option{-a,-d,-D,-e,-f,-g,-G,-h,-H,-p,-r,-R,-s,-S,-t,-T,-V,-x} must be given.
252b5132 1546
c7c55b78 1547@table @env
252b5132
RH
1548@item -a
1549@itemx --archive-header
1550@cindex archive headers
1551If any of the @var{objfile} files are archives, display the archive
1552header information (in a format similar to @samp{ls -l}). Besides the
1553information you could list with @samp{ar tv}, @samp{objdump -a} shows
1554the object file format of each archive member.
1555
1556@item --adjust-vma=@var{offset}
1557@cindex section addresses in objdump
1558@cindex VMA in objdump
1559When dumping information, first add @var{offset} to all the section
1560addresses. This is useful if the section addresses do not correspond to
1561the symbol table, which can happen when putting sections at particular
1562addresses when using a format which can not represent section addresses,
1563such as a.out.
1564
1565@item -b @var{bfdname}
1566@itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
1567@cindex object code format
1568Specify that the object-code format for the object files is
1569@var{bfdname}. This option may not be necessary; @var{objdump} can
1570automatically recognize many formats.
1571
1572For example,
1573@example
1574objdump -b oasys -m vax -h fu.o
1575@end example
1576@noindent
c7c55b78
NC
1577displays summary information from the section headers (@option{-h}) of
1578@file{fu.o}, which is explicitly identified (@option{-m}) as a VAX object
252b5132 1579file in the format produced by Oasys compilers. You can list the
c7c55b78 1580formats available with the @option{-i} option.
252b5132
RH
1581@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
1582
1583@item -C
28c309a2 1584@itemx --demangle[=@var{style}]
252b5132
RH
1585@cindex demangling in objdump
1586Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
1587Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
28c309a2
NC
1588makes C++ function names readable. Different compilers have different
1589mangling styles. The optional demangling style argument can be used to
1590choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. @xref{c++filt},
1591for more information on demangling.
252b5132 1592
947ed062
NC
1593@item -g
1594@itemx --debugging
252b5132
RH
1595Display debugging information. This attempts to parse debugging
1596information stored in the file and print it out using a C like syntax.
1597Only certain types of debugging information have been implemented.
c1124b23
AO
1598Some other types are supported by @command{readelf -w}.
1599@xref{readelf}.
252b5132 1600
51cdc6e0
NC
1601@item -e
1602@itemx --debugging-tags
1603Like @option{-g}, but the information is generated in a format compatible
1604with ctags tool.
1605
252b5132
RH
1606@item -d
1607@itemx --disassemble
1608@cindex disassembling object code
1609@cindex machine instructions
1610Display the assembler mnemonics for the machine instructions from
1611@var{objfile}. This option only disassembles those sections which are
1612expected to contain instructions.
1613
1614@item -D
1615@itemx --disassemble-all
c7c55b78 1616Like @option{-d}, but disassemble the contents of all sections, not just
252b5132
RH
1617those expected to contain instructions.
1618
1619@item --prefix-addresses
1620When disassembling, print the complete address on each line. This is
1621the older disassembly format.
1622
252b5132
RH
1623@item -EB
1624@itemx -EL
1625@itemx --endian=@{big|little@}
1626@cindex endianness
1627@cindex disassembly endianness
1628Specify the endianness of the object files. This only affects
1629disassembly. This can be useful when disassembling a file format which
1630does not describe endianness information, such as S-records.
1631
1632@item -f
947ed062 1633@itemx --file-headers
252b5132
RH
1634@cindex object file header
1635Display summary information from the overall header of
1636each of the @var{objfile} files.
1637
f1563258
TW
1638@item --file-start-context
1639@cindex source code context
1640Specify that when displaying interlisted source code/disassembly
c7c55b78 1641(assumes @option{-S}) from a file that has not yet been displayed, extend the
f1563258
TW
1642context to the start of the file.
1643
252b5132 1644@item -h
947ed062
NC
1645@itemx --section-headers
1646@itemx --headers
252b5132
RH
1647@cindex section headers
1648Display summary information from the section headers of the
1649object file.
1650
1651File segments may be relocated to nonstandard addresses, for example by
c7c55b78
NC
1652using the @option{-Ttext}, @option{-Tdata}, or @option{-Tbss} options to
1653@command{ld}. However, some object file formats, such as a.out, do not
252b5132 1654store the starting address of the file segments. In those situations,
c7c55b78 1655although @command{ld} relocates the sections correctly, using @samp{objdump
252b5132
RH
1656-h} to list the file section headers cannot show the correct addresses.
1657Instead, it shows the usual addresses, which are implicit for the
1658target.
1659
947ed062
NC
1660@item -H
1661@itemx --help
c7c55b78 1662Print a summary of the options to @command{objdump} and exit.
252b5132
RH
1663
1664@item -i
1665@itemx --info
1666@cindex architectures available
1667@cindex object formats available
1668Display a list showing all architectures and object formats available
c7c55b78 1669for specification with @option{-b} or @option{-m}.
252b5132
RH
1670
1671@item -j @var{name}
1672@itemx --section=@var{name}
1673@cindex section information
1674Display information only for section @var{name}.
1675
1676@item -l
1677@itemx --line-numbers
1678@cindex source filenames for object files
1679Label the display (using debugging information) with the filename and
1680source line numbers corresponding to the object code or relocs shown.
c7c55b78 1681Only useful with @option{-d}, @option{-D}, or @option{-r}.
252b5132
RH
1682
1683@item -m @var{machine}
1684@itemx --architecture=@var{machine}
1685@cindex architecture
1686@cindex disassembly architecture
1687Specify the architecture to use when disassembling object files. This
1688can be useful when disassembling object files which do not describe
1689architecture information, such as S-records. You can list the available
c7c55b78 1690architectures with the @option{-i} option.
252b5132 1691
dd92f639
NC
1692@item -M @var{options}
1693@itemx --disassembler-options=@var{options}
1694Pass target specific information to the disassembler. Only supported on
31e0f3cd
NC
1695some targets. If it is necessary to specify more than one
1696disassembler option then multiple @option{-M} options can be used or
1697can be placed together into a comma separated list.
dd92f639
NC
1698
1699If the target is an ARM architecture then this switch can be used to
1700select which register name set is used during disassembler. Specifying
c7c55b78 1701@option{-M reg-name-std} (the default) will select the register names as
58efb6c0
NC
1702used in ARM's instruction set documentation, but with register 13 called
1703'sp', register 14 called 'lr' and register 15 called 'pc'. Specifying
c7c55b78
NC
1704@option{-M reg-names-apcs} will select the name set used by the ARM
1705Procedure Call Standard, whilst specifying @option{-M reg-names-raw} will
58efb6c0
NC
1706just use @samp{r} followed by the register number.
1707
1708There are also two variants on the APCS register naming scheme enabled
c7c55b78
NC
1709by @option{-M reg-names-atpcs} and @option{-M reg-names-special-atpcs} which
1710use the ARM/Thumb Procedure Call Standard naming conventions. (Either
947ed062 1711with the normal register names or the special register names).
dd92f639 1712
8f915f68 1713This option can also be used for ARM architectures to force the
c36774d6 1714disassembler to interpret all instructions as Thumb instructions by
c7c55b78 1715using the switch @option{--disassembler-options=force-thumb}. This can be
8f915f68
NC
1716useful when attempting to disassemble thumb code produced by other
1717compilers.
1718
e396998b
AM
1719For the x86, some of the options duplicate functions of the @option{-m}
1720switch, but allow finer grained control. Multiple selections from the
1721following may be specified as a comma separated string.
b89e9eae 1722@option{x86-64}, @option{i386} and @option{i8086} select disassembly for
e396998b
AM
1723the given architecture. @option{intel} and @option{att} select between
1724intel syntax mode and AT&T syntax mode. @option{addr32},
1725@option{addr16}, @option{data32} and @option{data16} specify the default
1726address size and operand size. These four options will be overridden if
b89e9eae 1727@option{x86-64}, @option{i386} or @option{i8086} appear later in the
e396998b 1728option string. Lastly, @option{suffix}, when in AT&T mode,
b9e5d8e5 1729instructs the disassembler to print a mnemonic suffix even when the
e396998b
AM
1730suffix could be inferred by the operands.
1731
802a735e
AM
1732For PPC, @option{booke}, @option{booke32} and @option{booke64} select
1733disassembly of BookE instructions. @option{32} and @option{64} select
1734PowerPC and PowerPC64 disassembly, respectively.
1735
e39893d7
FF
1736For MIPS, this option controls the printing of instruction mneumonic
1737names and register names in disassembled instructions. Multiple
1738selections from the following may be specified as a comma separated
1739string, and invalid options are ignored:
640c0ccd
CD
1740
1741@table @code
e39893d7
FF
1742@item no-aliases
1743Print the 'raw' instruction mneumonic instead of some pseudo
1744instruction mneumonic. I.E. print 'daddu' or 'or' instead of 'move',
1745'sll' instead of 'nop', etc.
1746
640c0ccd
CD
1747@item gpr-names=@var{ABI}
1748Print GPR (general-purpose register) names as appropriate
1749for the specified ABI. By default, GPR names are selected according to
1750the ABI of the binary being disassembled.
1751
1752@item fpr-names=@var{ABI}
1753Print FPR (floating-point register) names as
1754appropriate for the specified ABI. By default, FPR numbers are printed
1755rather than names.
1756
1757@item cp0-names=@var{ARCH}
1758Print CP0 (system control coprocessor; coprocessor 0) register names
1759as appropriate for the CPU or architecture specified by
1760@var{ARCH}. By default, CP0 register names are selected according to
1761the architecture and CPU of the binary being disassembled.
1762
af7ee8bf
CD
1763@item hwr-names=@var{ARCH}
1764Print HWR (hardware register, used by the @code{rdhwr} instruction) names
1765as appropriate for the CPU or architecture specified by
1766@var{ARCH}. By default, HWR names are selected according to
1767the architecture and CPU of the binary being disassembled.
1768
640c0ccd
CD
1769@item reg-names=@var{ABI}
1770Print GPR and FPR names as appropriate for the selected ABI.
1771
1772@item reg-names=@var{ARCH}
af7ee8bf
CD
1773Print CPU-specific register names (CP0 register and HWR names)
1774as appropriate for the selected CPU or architecture.
640c0ccd
CD
1775@end table
1776
1777For any of the options listed above, @var{ABI} or
1778@var{ARCH} may be specified as @samp{numeric} to have numbers printed
1779rather than names, for the selected types of registers.
1780You can list the available values of @var{ABI} and @var{ARCH} using
1781the @option{--help} option.
1782
252b5132
RH
1783@item -p
1784@itemx --private-headers
1785Print information that is specific to the object file format. The exact
1786information printed depends upon the object file format. For some
1787object file formats, no additional information is printed.
1788
1789@item -r
1790@itemx --reloc
1791@cindex relocation entries, in object file
c7c55b78
NC
1792Print the relocation entries of the file. If used with @option{-d} or
1793@option{-D}, the relocations are printed interspersed with the
252b5132
RH
1794disassembly.
1795
1796@item -R
1797@itemx --dynamic-reloc
1798@cindex dynamic relocation entries, in object file
1799Print the dynamic relocation entries of the file. This is only
1800meaningful for dynamic objects, such as certain types of shared
1801libraries.
1802
1803@item -s
1804@itemx --full-contents
1805@cindex sections, full contents
1806@cindex object file sections
155e0d23
NC
1807Display the full contents of any sections requested. By default all
1808non-empty sections are displayed.
252b5132
RH
1809
1810@item -S
1811@itemx --source
1812@cindex source disassembly
1813@cindex disassembly, with source
1814Display source code intermixed with disassembly, if possible. Implies
c7c55b78 1815@option{-d}.
252b5132
RH
1816
1817@item --show-raw-insn
1818When disassembling instructions, print the instruction in hex as well as
1819in symbolic form. This is the default except when
c7c55b78 1820@option{--prefix-addresses} is used.
252b5132
RH
1821
1822@item --no-show-raw-insn
1823When disassembling instructions, do not print the instruction bytes.
c7c55b78 1824This is the default when @option{--prefix-addresses} is used.
252b5132 1825
1dada9c5 1826@item -G
947ed062 1827@itemx --stabs
252b5132
RH
1828@cindex stab
1829@cindex .stab
1830@cindex debug symbols
1831@cindex ELF object file format
1832Display the full contents of any sections requested. Display the
1833contents of the .stab and .stab.index and .stab.excl sections from an
1834ELF file. This is only useful on systems (such as Solaris 2.0) in which
1835@code{.stab} debugging symbol-table entries are carried in an ELF
1836section. In most other file formats, debugging symbol-table entries are
c7c55b78 1837interleaved with linkage symbols, and are visible in the @option{--syms}
0285c67d
NC
1838output.
1839@ifclear man
1840For more information on stabs symbols, see @ref{Top,Stabs,Stabs
252b5132 1841Overview,stabs.info, The ``stabs'' debug format}.
0285c67d 1842@end ifclear
252b5132
RH
1843
1844@item --start-address=@var{address}
1845@cindex start-address
1846Start displaying data at the specified address. This affects the output
c7c55b78 1847of the @option{-d}, @option{-r} and @option{-s} options.
252b5132
RH
1848
1849@item --stop-address=@var{address}
1850@cindex stop-address
1851Stop displaying data at the specified address. This affects the output
c7c55b78 1852of the @option{-d}, @option{-r} and @option{-s} options.
252b5132
RH
1853
1854@item -t
1855@itemx --syms
1856@cindex symbol table entries, printing
1857Print the symbol table entries of the file.
1858This is similar to the information provided by the @samp{nm} program.
1859
1860@item -T
1861@itemx --dynamic-syms
1862@cindex dynamic symbol table entries, printing
1863Print the dynamic symbol table entries of the file. This is only
1864meaningful for dynamic objects, such as certain types of shared
1865libraries. This is similar to the information provided by the @samp{nm}
c7c55b78 1866program when given the @option{-D} (@option{--dynamic}) option.
252b5132 1867
3c9458e9
NC
1868@item --special-syms
1869When displaying symbols include those which the target considers to be
1870special in some way and which would not normally be of interest to the
1871user.
1872
947ed062
NC
1873@item -V
1874@itemx --version
c7c55b78 1875Print the version number of @command{objdump} and exit.
252b5132
RH
1876
1877@item -x
947ed062 1878@itemx --all-headers
252b5132
RH
1879@cindex all header information, object file
1880@cindex header information, all
1881Display all available header information, including the symbol table and
c7c55b78 1882relocation entries. Using @option{-x} is equivalent to specifying all of
04c34128 1883@option{-a -f -h -p -r -t}.
252b5132
RH
1884
1885@item -w
1886@itemx --wide
1887@cindex wide output, printing
1888Format some lines for output devices that have more than 80 columns.
31104126 1889Also do not truncate symbol names when they are displayed.
aefbdd67
BE
1890
1891@item -z
2c0c15f9 1892@itemx --disassemble-zeroes
aefbdd67
BE
1893Normally the disassembly output will skip blocks of zeroes. This
1894option directs the disassembler to disassemble those blocks, just like
1895any other data.
252b5132
RH
1896@end table
1897
0285c67d
NC
1898@c man end
1899
1900@ignore
1901@c man begin SEEALSO objdump
1902nm(1), readelf(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1903@c man end
1904@end ignore
1905
252b5132
RH
1906@node ranlib
1907@chapter ranlib
1908
1909@kindex ranlib
1910@cindex archive contents
1911@cindex symbol index
1912
0285c67d
NC
1913@c man title ranlib generate index to archive.
1914
252b5132 1915@smallexample
0285c67d 1916@c man begin SYNOPSIS ranlib
c7c55b78 1917ranlib [@option{-vV}] @var{archive}
0285c67d 1918@c man end
252b5132
RH
1919@end smallexample
1920
0285c67d
NC
1921@c man begin DESCRIPTION ranlib
1922
c7c55b78 1923@command{ranlib} generates an index to the contents of an archive and
252b5132
RH
1924stores it in the archive. The index lists each symbol defined by a
1925member of an archive that is a relocatable object file.
1926
1927You may use @samp{nm -s} or @samp{nm --print-armap} to list this index.
1928
1929An archive with such an index speeds up linking to the library and
1930allows routines in the library to call each other without regard to
1931their placement in the archive.
1932
c7c55b78
NC
1933The @sc{gnu} @command{ranlib} program is another form of @sc{gnu} @command{ar}; running
1934@command{ranlib} is completely equivalent to executing @samp{ar -s}.
252b5132
RH
1935@xref{ar}.
1936
0285c67d
NC
1937@c man end
1938
1939@c man begin OPTIONS ranlib
1940
c7c55b78 1941@table @env
252b5132
RH
1942@item -v
1943@itemx -V
f20a759a 1944@itemx --version
c7c55b78 1945Show the version number of @command{ranlib}.
252b5132
RH
1946@end table
1947
0285c67d
NC
1948@c man end
1949
1950@ignore
1951@c man begin SEEALSO ranlib
1952ar(1), nm(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
1953@c man end
1954@end ignore
1955
252b5132
RH
1956@node size
1957@chapter size
1958
1959@kindex size
1960@cindex section sizes
1961
0285c67d
NC
1962@c man title size list section sizes and total size.
1963
252b5132 1964@smallexample
0285c67d 1965@c man begin SYNOPSIS size
c7c55b78 1966size [@option{-A}|@option{-B}|@option{--format=}@var{compatibility}]
15c82623
NC
1967 [@option{--help}]
1968 [@option{-d}|@option{-o}|@option{-x}|@option{--radix=}@var{number}]
1969 [@option{-t}|@option{--totals}]
c7c55b78
NC
1970 [@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
1971 [@var{objfile}@dots{}]
0285c67d 1972@c man end
252b5132
RH
1973@end smallexample
1974
0285c67d
NC
1975@c man begin DESCRIPTION size
1976
c7c55b78 1977The @sc{gnu} @command{size} utility lists the section sizes---and the total
252b5132
RH
1978size---for each of the object or archive files @var{objfile} in its
1979argument list. By default, one line of output is generated for each
1980object file or each module in an archive.
1981
1982@var{objfile}@dots{} are the object files to be examined.
1983If none are specified, the file @code{a.out} will be used.
1984
0285c67d
NC
1985@c man end
1986
1987@c man begin OPTIONS size
1988
252b5132
RH
1989The command line options have the following meanings:
1990
c7c55b78 1991@table @env
252b5132
RH
1992@item -A
1993@itemx -B
1994@itemx --format=@var{compatibility}
c7c55b78 1995@cindex @command{size} display format
252b5132 1996Using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from @sc{gnu}
c7c55b78
NC
1997@command{size} resembles output from System V @command{size} (using @option{-A},
1998or @option{--format=sysv}), or Berkeley @command{size} (using @option{-B}, or
1999@option{--format=berkeley}). The default is the one-line format similar to
252b5132
RH
2000Berkeley's.
2001@c Bonus for doc-source readers: you can also say --format=strange (or
2002@c anything else that starts with 's') for sysv, and --format=boring (or
2003@c anything else that starts with 'b') for Berkeley.
2004
2005Here is an example of the Berkeley (default) format of output from
c7c55b78 2006@command{size}:
252b5132 2007@smallexample
f20a759a 2008$ size --format=Berkeley ranlib size
252b5132
RH
2009text data bss dec hex filename
2010294880 81920 11592 388392 5ed28 ranlib
2011294880 81920 11888 388688 5ee50 size
2012@end smallexample
2013
2014@noindent
2015This is the same data, but displayed closer to System V conventions:
2016
2017@smallexample
f20a759a 2018$ size --format=SysV ranlib size
252b5132
RH
2019ranlib :
2020section size addr
2021.text 294880 8192
2022.data 81920 303104
2023.bss 11592 385024
2024Total 388392
2025
2026
2027size :
2028section size addr
2029.text 294880 8192
2030.data 81920 303104
2031.bss 11888 385024
2032Total 388688
2033@end smallexample
2034
2035@item --help
2036Show a summary of acceptable arguments and options.
2037
2038@item -d
2039@itemx -o
2040@itemx -x
2041@itemx --radix=@var{number}
c7c55b78 2042@cindex @command{size} number format
252b5132
RH
2043@cindex radix for section sizes
2044Using one of these options, you can control whether the size of each
c7c55b78
NC
2045section is given in decimal (@option{-d}, or @option{--radix=10}); octal
2046(@option{-o}, or @option{--radix=8}); or hexadecimal (@option{-x}, or
2047@option{--radix=16}). In @option{--radix=@var{number}}, only the three
252b5132 2048values (8, 10, 16) are supported. The total size is always given in two
c7c55b78
NC
2049radices; decimal and hexadecimal for @option{-d} or @option{-x} output, or
2050octal and hexadecimal if you're using @option{-o}.
252b5132 2051
15c82623
NC
2052@item -t
2053@itemx --totals
2054Show totals of all objects listed (Berkeley format listing mode only).
2055
252b5132
RH
2056@item --target=@var{bfdname}
2057@cindex object code format
2058Specify that the object-code format for @var{objfile} is
c7c55b78 2059@var{bfdname}. This option may not be necessary; @command{size} can
252b5132
RH
2060automatically recognize many formats.
2061@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2062
2063@item -V
2064@itemx --version
c7c55b78 2065Display the version number of @command{size}.
252b5132
RH
2066@end table
2067
0285c67d
NC
2068@c man end
2069
2070@ignore
2071@c man begin SEEALSO size
2072ar(1), objdump(1), readelf(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2073@c man end
2074@end ignore
2075
252b5132
RH
2076@node strings
2077@chapter strings
2078@kindex strings
2079@cindex listings strings
2080@cindex printing strings
2081@cindex strings, printing
2082
0285c67d
NC
2083@c man title strings print the strings of printable characters in files.
2084
252b5132 2085@smallexample
0285c67d 2086@c man begin SYNOPSIS strings
d132876a
NC
2087strings [@option{-afov}] [@option{-}@var{min-len}]
2088 [@option{-n} @var{min-len}] [@option{--bytes=}@var{min-len}]
2089 [@option{-t} @var{radix}] [@option{--radix=}@var{radix}]
2090 [@option{-e} @var{encoding}] [@option{--encoding=}@var{encoding}]
2091 [@option{-}] [@option{--all}] [@option{--print-file-name}]
2092 [@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
c7c55b78 2093 [@option{--help}] [@option{--version}] @var{file}@dots{}
0285c67d 2094@c man end
252b5132
RH
2095@end smallexample
2096
0285c67d
NC
2097@c man begin DESCRIPTION strings
2098
c7c55b78 2099For each @var{file} given, @sc{gnu} @command{strings} prints the printable
252b5132
RH
2100character sequences that are at least 4 characters long (or the number
2101given with the options below) and are followed by an unprintable
2102character. By default, it only prints the strings from the initialized
2103and loaded sections of object files; for other types of files, it prints
2104the strings from the whole file.
2105
c7c55b78 2106@command{strings} is mainly useful for determining the contents of non-text
252b5132
RH
2107files.
2108
0285c67d
NC
2109@c man end
2110
2111@c man begin OPTIONS strings
2112
c7c55b78 2113@table @env
252b5132
RH
2114@item -a
2115@itemx --all
2116@itemx -
2117Do not scan only the initialized and loaded sections of object files;
2118scan the whole files.
2119
2120@item -f
2121@itemx --print-file-name
2122Print the name of the file before each string.
2123
2124@item --help
2125Print a summary of the program usage on the standard output and exit.
2126
2127@item -@var{min-len}
2128@itemx -n @var{min-len}
2129@itemx --bytes=@var{min-len}
2130Print sequences of characters that are at least @var{min-len} characters
2131long, instead of the default 4.
2132
2133@item -o
c7c55b78 2134Like @samp{-t o}. Some other versions of @command{strings} have @option{-o}
252b5132
RH
2135act like @samp{-t d} instead. Since we can not be compatible with both
2136ways, we simply chose one.
2137
2138@item -t @var{radix}
2139@itemx --radix=@var{radix}
2140Print the offset within the file before each string. The single
2141character argument specifies the radix of the offset---@samp{o} for
2142octal, @samp{x} for hexadecimal, or @samp{d} for decimal.
2143
d132876a
NC
2144@item -e @var{encoding}
2145@itemx --encoding=@var{encoding}
2146Select the character encoding of the strings that are to be found.
8745eafa
NC
2147Possible values for @var{encoding} are: @samp{s} = single-7-bit-byte
2148characters (ASCII, ISO 8859, etc., default), @samp{S} =
2149single-8-bit-byte characters, @samp{b} = 16-bit bigendian, @samp{l} =
215016-bit littleendian, @samp{B} = 32-bit bigendian, @samp{L} = 32-bit
2151littleendian. Useful for finding wide character strings.
d132876a 2152
252b5132
RH
2153@item --target=@var{bfdname}
2154@cindex object code format
2155Specify an object code format other than your system's default format.
2156@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2157
2158@item -v
2159@itemx --version
2160Print the program version number on the standard output and exit.
2161@end table
2162
0285c67d
NC
2163@c man end
2164
2165@ignore
2166@c man begin SEEALSO strings
2167ar(1), nm(1), objdump(1), ranlib(1), readelf(1)
2168and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2169@c man end
2170@end ignore
2171
252b5132
RH
2172@node strip
2173@chapter strip
2174
2175@kindex strip
2176@cindex removing symbols
2177@cindex discarding symbols
2178@cindex symbols, discarding
2179
0285c67d
NC
2180@c man title strip Discard symbols from object files.
2181
252b5132 2182@smallexample
0285c67d 2183@c man begin SYNOPSIS strip
2593f09a
NC
2184strip [@option{-F} @var{bfdname} |@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
2185 [@option{-I} @var{bfdname} |@option{--input-target=}@var{bfdname}]
2186 [@option{-O} @var{bfdname} |@option{--output-target=}@var{bfdname}]
2187 [@option{-s}|@option{--strip-all}]
2188 [@option{-S}|@option{-g}|@option{-d}|@option{--strip-debug}]
2189 [@option{-K} @var{symbolname} |@option{--keep-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
2190 [@option{-N} @var{symbolname} |@option{--strip-symbol=}@var{symbolname}]
5fe11841 2191 [@option{-w}|@option{--wildcard}]
2593f09a
NC
2192 [@option{-x}|@option{--discard-all}] [@option{-X} |@option{--discard-locals}]
2193 [@option{-R} @var{sectionname} |@option{--remove-section=}@var{sectionname}]
2194 [@option{-o} @var{file}] [@option{-p}|@option{--preserve-dates}]
ed1653a7 2195 [@option{--only-keep-debug}]
7c29036b
NC
2196 [@option{-v} |@option{--verbose}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
2197 [@option{--help}] [@option{--info}]
252b5132 2198 @var{objfile}@dots{}
0285c67d 2199@c man end
252b5132
RH
2200@end smallexample
2201
0285c67d
NC
2202@c man begin DESCRIPTION strip
2203
c7c55b78 2204@sc{gnu} @command{strip} discards all symbols from object files
252b5132
RH
2205@var{objfile}. The list of object files may include archives.
2206At least one object file must be given.
2207
c7c55b78 2208@command{strip} modifies the files named in its argument,
252b5132
RH
2209rather than writing modified copies under different names.
2210
0285c67d
NC
2211@c man end
2212
2213@c man begin OPTIONS strip
2214
c7c55b78 2215@table @env
252b5132
RH
2216@item -F @var{bfdname}
2217@itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
2218Treat the original @var{objfile} as a file with the object
2219code format @var{bfdname}, and rewrite it in the same format.
2220@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2221
2222@item --help
c7c55b78 2223Show a summary of the options to @command{strip} and exit.
252b5132 2224
7c29036b
NC
2225@item --info
2226Display a list showing all architectures and object formats available.
2227
947ed062 2228@item -I @var{bfdname}
252b5132
RH
2229@itemx --input-target=@var{bfdname}
2230Treat the original @var{objfile} as a file with the object
2231code format @var{bfdname}.
2232@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2233
2234@item -O @var{bfdname}
2235@itemx --output-target=@var{bfdname}
2236Replace @var{objfile} with a file in the output format @var{bfdname}.
2237@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2238
2239@item -R @var{sectionname}
2240@itemx --remove-section=@var{sectionname}
2241Remove any section named @var{sectionname} from the output file. This
2242option may be given more than once. Note that using this option
2243inappropriately may make the output file unusable.
2244
2245@item -s
2246@itemx --strip-all
2247Remove all symbols.
2248
2249@item -g
2250@itemx -S
15c82623 2251@itemx -d
252b5132
RH
2252@itemx --strip-debug
2253Remove debugging symbols only.
2254
2255@item --strip-unneeded
2256Remove all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.
2257
2258@item -K @var{symbolname}
2259@itemx --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname}
2260Keep only symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may
2261be given more than once.
2262
2263@item -N @var{symbolname}
2264@itemx --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname}
2265Remove symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may be
2266given more than once, and may be combined with strip options other than
c7c55b78 2267@option{-K}.
252b5132
RH
2268
2269@item -o @var{file}
2270Put the stripped output in @var{file}, rather than replacing the
2271existing file. When this argument is used, only one @var{objfile}
2272argument may be specified.
2273
2274@item -p
2275@itemx --preserve-dates
2276Preserve the access and modification dates of the file.
2277
5fe11841
NC
2278@item -w
2279@itemx --wildcard
2280Permit regular expressions in @var{symbolname}s used in other command
2281line options. The question mark (?), asterisk (*), backslash (\) and
2282square brackets ([]) operators can be used anywhere in the symbol
2283name. If the first character of the symbol name is the exclamation
2284point (!) then the sense of the switch is reversed for that symbol.
2285For example:
2286
2287@smallexample
2288 -w -K !foo -K fo*
2289@end smallexample
2290
2291would cause strip to only keep symbols that start with the letters
2292``fo'', but to discard the symbol ``foo''.
2293
252b5132
RH
2294@item -x
2295@itemx --discard-all
2296Remove non-global symbols.
2297
2298@item -X
2299@itemx --discard-locals
2300Remove compiler-generated local symbols.
2301(These usually start with @samp{L} or @samp{.}.)
2302
ed1653a7
NC
2303@item --only-keep-debug
2304Strip a file, removing any sections that would be stripped by
2305@option{--strip-debug} and leaving the debugging sections.
2306
2307The intention is that this option will be used in conjunction with
2308@option{--add-gnu-debuglink} to create a two part executable. One a
2309stripped binary which will occupy less space in RAM and in a
2310distribution and the second a debugging information file which is only
2311needed if debugging abilities are required. The suggested procedure
2312to create these files is as follows:
2313
2314@enumerate
2315@item Link the executable as normal. Assuming that is is called
2316@code{foo} then...
2317@item Run @code{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.dbg} to
2318create a file containing the debugging info.
2319@item Run @code{objcopy --strip-debug foo} to create a
2320stripped executable.
2321@item Run @code{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.dbg foo}
2322to add a link to the debugging info into the stripped executable.
2323@end enumerate
2324
2325Note - the choice of @code{.dbg} as an extension for the debug info
2326file is arbitrary. Also the @code{--only-keep-debug} step is
2327optional. You could instead do this:
2328
2329@enumerate
2330@item Link the executable as normal.
2331@item Copy @code{foo} to @code{foo.full}
2332@item Run @code{strip --strip-debug foo}
2333@item Run @code{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.full foo}
2334@end enumerate
2335
2336ie the file pointed to by the @option{--add-gnu-debuglink} can be the
2337full executable. It does not have to be a file created by the
2338@option{--only-keep-debug} switch.
2339
252b5132
RH
2340@item -V
2341@itemx --version
c7c55b78 2342Show the version number for @command{strip}.
252b5132
RH
2343
2344@item -v
2345@itemx --verbose
2346Verbose output: list all object files modified. In the case of
2347archives, @samp{strip -v} lists all members of the archive.
2348@end table
2349
0285c67d
NC
2350@c man end
2351
2352@ignore
2353@c man begin SEEALSO strip
2354the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2355@c man end
2356@end ignore
2357
9d51cc66 2358@node c++filt, addr2line, strip, Top
252b5132
RH
2359@chapter c++filt
2360
2361@kindex c++filt
2362@cindex demangling C++ symbols
2363
0285c67d
NC
2364@c man title cxxfilt Demangle C++ and Java symbols.
2365
252b5132 2366@smallexample
0285c67d 2367@c man begin SYNOPSIS cxxfilt
c7c55b78
NC
2368c++filt [@option{-_}|@option{--strip-underscores}]
2369 [@option{-j}|@option{--java}]
2370 [@option{-n}|@option{--no-strip-underscores}]
4e48c9dd 2371 [@option{-p}|@option{--no-params}]
c7c55b78
NC
2372 [@option{-s} @var{format}|@option{--format=}@var{format}]
2373 [@option{--help}] [@option{--version}] [@var{symbol}@dots{}]
0285c67d 2374@c man end
252b5132
RH
2375@end smallexample
2376
0285c67d
NC
2377@c man begin DESCRIPTION cxxfilt
2378
9d51cc66 2379@kindex cxxfilt
252b5132
RH
2380The C++ and Java languages provides function overloading, which means
2381that you can write many functions with the same name (providing each
2382takes parameters of different types). All C++ and Java function names
2383are encoded into a low-level assembly label (this process is known as
c7c55b78 2384@dfn{mangling}). The @command{c++filt}
9d51cc66 2385@footnote{MS-DOS does not allow @kbd{+} characters in file names, so on
195a97ce 2386MS-DOS this program is named @command{CXXFILT}.}
9d51cc66
ILT
2387program does the inverse mapping: it decodes (@dfn{demangles}) low-level
2388names into user-level names so that the linker can keep these overloaded
2389functions from clashing.
252b5132
RH
2390
2391Every alphanumeric word (consisting of letters, digits, underscores,
2392dollars, or periods) seen in the input is a potential label. If the
2393label decodes into a C++ name, the C++ name replaces the low-level
2394name in the output.
2395
c7c55b78 2396You can use @command{c++filt} to decipher individual symbols:
252b5132
RH
2397
2398@example
2399c++filt @var{symbol}
2400@end example
2401
c7c55b78 2402If no @var{symbol} arguments are given, @command{c++filt} reads symbol
252b5132
RH
2403names from the standard input and writes the demangled names to the
2404standard output. All results are printed on the standard output.
2405
0285c67d
NC
2406@c man end
2407
2408@c man begin OPTIONS cxxfilt
2409
c7c55b78 2410@table @env
252b5132
RH
2411@item -_
2412@itemx --strip-underscores
2413On some systems, both the C and C++ compilers put an underscore in front
2414of every name. For example, the C name @code{foo} gets the low-level
2415name @code{_foo}. This option removes the initial underscore. Whether
c7c55b78 2416@command{c++filt} removes the underscore by default is target dependent.
252b5132
RH
2417
2418@item -j
2419@itemx --java
2420Prints demangled names using Java syntax. The default is to use C++
2421syntax.
2422
2423@item -n
2424@itemx --no-strip-underscores
2425Do not remove the initial underscore.
2426
4e48c9dd
ILT
2427@item -p
2428@itemx --no-params
2429When demangling the name of a function, do not display the types of
2430the function's parameters.
2431
252b5132
RH
2432@item -s @var{format}
2433@itemx --format=@var{format}
947ed062
NC
2434@command{c++filt} can decode various methods of mangling, used by
2435different compilers. The argument to this option selects which
252b5132
RH
2436method it uses:
2437
2438@table @code
947ed062
NC
2439@item auto
2440Automatic selection based on executable (the default method)
252b5132 2441@item gnu
947ed062 2442the one used by the @sc{gnu} C++ compiler (g++)
252b5132 2443@item lucid
947ed062 2444the one used by the Lucid compiler (lcc)
252b5132
RH
2445@item arm
2446the one specified by the C++ Annotated Reference Manual
2447@item hp
947ed062 2448the one used by the HP compiler (aCC)
252b5132
RH
2449@item edg
2450the one used by the EDG compiler
b5e2a4f3 2451@item gnu-v3
947ed062
NC
2452the one used by the @sc{gnu} C++ compiler (g++) with the V3 ABI.
2453@item java
2454the one used by the @sc{gnu} Java compiler (gcj)
2455@item gnat
2456the one used by the @sc{gnu} Ada compiler (GNAT).
252b5132
RH
2457@end table
2458
2459@item --help
c7c55b78 2460Print a summary of the options to @command{c++filt} and exit.
252b5132
RH
2461
2462@item --version
c7c55b78 2463Print the version number of @command{c++filt} and exit.
252b5132
RH
2464@end table
2465
0285c67d
NC
2466@c man end
2467
2468@ignore
2469@c man begin SEEALSO cxxfilt
2470the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2471@c man end
2472@end ignore
2473
252b5132 2474@quotation
c7c55b78 2475@emph{Warning:} @command{c++filt} is a new utility, and the details of its
252b5132
RH
2476user interface are subject to change in future releases. In particular,
2477a command-line option may be required in the the future to decode a name
2478passed as an argument on the command line; in other words,
2479
2480@example
2481c++filt @var{symbol}
2482@end example
2483
2484@noindent
2485may in a future release become
2486
2487@example
2488c++filt @var{option} @var{symbol}
2489@end example
2490@end quotation
2491
2492@node addr2line
2493@chapter addr2line
2494
2495@kindex addr2line
2496@cindex address to file name and line number
2497
0285c67d
NC
2498@c man title addr2line convert addresses into file names and line numbers.
2499
252b5132 2500@smallexample
0285c67d 2501@c man begin SYNOPSIS addr2line
c7c55b78 2502addr2line [@option{-b} @var{bfdname}|@option{--target=}@var{bfdname}]
bf44dd74 2503 [@option{-C}|@option{--demangle}[=@var{style}]]
c7c55b78
NC
2504 [@option{-e} @var{filename}|@option{--exe=}@var{filename}]
2505 [@option{-f}|@option{--functions}] [@option{-s}|@option{--basename}]
2506 [@option{-H}|@option{--help}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
2507 [addr addr @dots{}]
0285c67d 2508@c man end
252b5132
RH
2509@end smallexample
2510
0285c67d
NC
2511@c man begin DESCRIPTION addr2line
2512
c7c55b78 2513@command{addr2line} translates program addresses into file names and line
252b5132
RH
2514numbers. Given an address and an executable, it uses the debugging
2515information in the executable to figure out which file name and line
2516number are associated with a given address.
2517
c7c55b78 2518The executable to use is specified with the @option{-e} option. The
f20a759a 2519default is the file @file{a.out}.
252b5132 2520
c7c55b78 2521@command{addr2line} has two modes of operation.
252b5132
RH
2522
2523In the first, hexadecimal addresses are specified on the command line,
c7c55b78 2524and @command{addr2line} displays the file name and line number for each
252b5132
RH
2525address.
2526
c7c55b78 2527In the second, @command{addr2line} reads hexadecimal addresses from
252b5132 2528standard input, and prints the file name and line number for each
c7c55b78 2529address on standard output. In this mode, @command{addr2line} may be used
252b5132
RH
2530in a pipe to convert dynamically chosen addresses.
2531
2532The format of the output is @samp{FILENAME:LINENO}. The file name and
2533line number for each address is printed on a separate line. If the
c7c55b78 2534@command{-f} option is used, then each @samp{FILENAME:LINENO} line is
252b5132
RH
2535preceded by a @samp{FUNCTIONNAME} line which is the name of the function
2536containing the address.
2537
2538If the file name or function name can not be determined,
c7c55b78
NC
2539@command{addr2line} will print two question marks in their place. If the
2540line number can not be determined, @command{addr2line} will print 0.
252b5132 2541
0285c67d
NC
2542@c man end
2543
2544@c man begin OPTIONS addr2line
2545
252b5132
RH
2546The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
2547equivalent.
2548
c7c55b78 2549@table @env
252b5132
RH
2550@item -b @var{bfdname}
2551@itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
2552@cindex object code format
2553Specify that the object-code format for the object files is
2554@var{bfdname}.
2555
2556@item -C
28c309a2 2557@itemx --demangle[=@var{style}]
252b5132
RH
2558@cindex demangling in objdump
2559Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
2560Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
28c309a2
NC
2561makes C++ function names readable. Different compilers have different
2562mangling styles. The optional demangling style argument can be used to
2563choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. @xref{c++filt},
2564for more information on demangling.
252b5132
RH
2565
2566@item -e @var{filename}
2567@itemx --exe=@var{filename}
2568Specify the name of the executable for which addresses should be
2569translated. The default file is @file{a.out}.
2570
2571@item -f
2572@itemx --functions
2573Display function names as well as file and line number information.
2574
2575@item -s
2576@itemx --basenames
2577Display only the base of each file name.
e107c42f 2578@end table
252b5132 2579
0285c67d
NC
2580@c man end
2581
2582@ignore
2583@c man begin SEEALSO addr2line
2584Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2585@c man end
2586@end ignore
2587
252b5132
RH
2588@node nlmconv
2589@chapter nlmconv
2590
c7c55b78 2591@command{nlmconv} converts a relocatable object file into a NetWare
252b5132
RH
2592Loadable Module.
2593
2594@ignore
c7c55b78 2595@command{nlmconv} currently works with @samp{i386} object
252b5132
RH
2596files in @code{coff}, @sc{elf}, or @code{a.out} format, and @sc{SPARC}
2597object files in @sc{elf}, or @code{a.out} format@footnote{
c7c55b78 2598@command{nlmconv} should work with any @samp{i386} or @sc{sparc} object
252b5132
RH
2599format in the Binary File Descriptor library. It has only been tested
2600with the above formats.}.
2601@end ignore
2602
2603@quotation
c7c55b78 2604@emph{Warning:} @command{nlmconv} is not always built as part of the binary
252b5132
RH
2605utilities, since it is only useful for NLM targets.
2606@end quotation
2607
0285c67d
NC
2608@c man title nlmconv converts object code into an NLM.
2609
252b5132 2610@smallexample
0285c67d 2611@c man begin SYNOPSIS nlmconv
c7c55b78
NC
2612nlmconv [@option{-I} @var{bfdname}|@option{--input-target=}@var{bfdname}]
2613 [@option{-O} @var{bfdname}|@option{--output-target=}@var{bfdname}]
2614 [@option{-T} @var{headerfile}|@option{--header-file=}@var{headerfile}]
2615 [@option{-d}|@option{--debug}] [@option{-l} @var{linker}|@option{--linker=}@var{linker}]
2616 [@option{-h}|@option{--help}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
252b5132 2617 @var{infile} @var{outfile}
0285c67d 2618@c man end
252b5132
RH
2619@end smallexample
2620
0285c67d
NC
2621@c man begin DESCRIPTION nlmconv
2622
c7c55b78 2623@command{nlmconv} converts the relocatable @samp{i386} object file
252b5132
RH
2624@var{infile} into the NetWare Loadable Module @var{outfile}, optionally
2625reading @var{headerfile} for NLM header information. For instructions
2626on writing the NLM command file language used in header files, see the
2627@samp{linkers} section, @samp{NLMLINK} in particular, of the @cite{NLM
2628Development and Tools Overview}, which is part of the NLM Software
2629Developer's Kit (``NLM SDK''), available from Novell, Inc.
c7c55b78 2630@command{nlmconv} uses the @sc{gnu} Binary File Descriptor library to read
0285c67d
NC
2631@var{infile};
2632@ifclear man
2633see @ref{BFD,,BFD,ld.info,Using LD}, for more information.
2634@end ifclear
252b5132 2635
c7c55b78 2636@command{nlmconv} can perform a link step. In other words, you can list
252b5132
RH
2637more than one object file for input if you list them in the definitions
2638file (rather than simply specifying one input file on the command line).
c7c55b78 2639In this case, @command{nlmconv} calls the linker for you.
252b5132 2640
0285c67d
NC
2641@c man end
2642
2643@c man begin OPTIONS nlmconv
2644
c7c55b78 2645@table @env
252b5132
RH
2646@item -I @var{bfdname}
2647@itemx --input-target=@var{bfdname}
c7c55b78 2648Object format of the input file. @command{nlmconv} can usually determine
252b5132
RH
2649the format of a given file (so no default is necessary).
2650@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2651
2652@item -O @var{bfdname}
2653@itemx --output-target=@var{bfdname}
c7c55b78 2654Object format of the output file. @command{nlmconv} infers the output
252b5132
RH
2655format based on the input format, e.g. for a @samp{i386} input file the
2656output format is @samp{nlm32-i386}.
2657@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
2658
2659@item -T @var{headerfile}
2660@itemx --header-file=@var{headerfile}
2661Reads @var{headerfile} for NLM header information. For instructions on
2662writing the NLM command file language used in header files, see@ see the
2663@samp{linkers} section, of the @cite{NLM Development and Tools
2664Overview}, which is part of the NLM Software Developer's Kit, available
2665from Novell, Inc.
2666
2667@item -d
2668@itemx --debug
c7c55b78 2669Displays (on standard error) the linker command line used by @command{nlmconv}.
252b5132
RH
2670
2671@item -l @var{linker}
2672@itemx --linker=@var{linker}
2673Use @var{linker} for any linking. @var{linker} can be an absolute or a
2674relative pathname.
2675
2676@item -h
2677@itemx --help
2678Prints a usage summary.
2679
2680@item -V
2681@itemx --version
c7c55b78 2682Prints the version number for @command{nlmconv}.
252b5132
RH
2683@end table
2684
0285c67d
NC
2685@c man end
2686
2687@ignore
2688@c man begin SEEALSO nlmconv
2689the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2690@c man end
2691@end ignore
2692
252b5132
RH
2693@node windres
2694@chapter windres
2695
c7c55b78 2696@command{windres} may be used to manipulate Windows resources.
252b5132
RH
2697
2698@quotation
c7c55b78 2699@emph{Warning:} @command{windres} is not always built as part of the binary
252b5132
RH
2700utilities, since it is only useful for Windows targets.
2701@end quotation
2702
0285c67d
NC
2703@c man title windres manipulate Windows resources.
2704
252b5132 2705@smallexample
0285c67d 2706@c man begin SYNOPSIS windres
252b5132 2707windres [options] [input-file] [output-file]
0285c67d 2708@c man end
252b5132
RH
2709@end smallexample
2710
0285c67d
NC
2711@c man begin DESCRIPTION windres
2712
c7c55b78 2713@command{windres} reads resources from an input file and copies them into
252b5132
RH
2714an output file. Either file may be in one of three formats:
2715
2716@table @code
2717@item rc
2718A text format read by the Resource Compiler.
2719
2720@item res
2721A binary format generated by the Resource Compiler.
2722
2723@item coff
2724A COFF object or executable.
2725@end table
2726
2727The exact description of these different formats is available in
2728documentation from Microsoft.
2729
c7c55b78 2730When @command{windres} converts from the @code{rc} format to the @code{res}
252b5132 2731format, it is acting like the Windows Resource Compiler. When
c7c55b78 2732@command{windres} converts from the @code{res} format to the @code{coff}
252b5132
RH
2733format, it is acting like the Windows @code{CVTRES} program.
2734
c7c55b78 2735When @command{windres} generates an @code{rc} file, the output is similar
252b5132
RH
2736but not identical to the format expected for the input. When an input
2737@code{rc} file refers to an external filename, an output @code{rc} file
2738will instead include the file contents.
2739
c7c55b78 2740If the input or output format is not specified, @command{windres} will
252b5132
RH
2741guess based on the file name, or, for the input file, the file contents.
2742A file with an extension of @file{.rc} will be treated as an @code{rc}
2743file, a file with an extension of @file{.res} will be treated as a
2744@code{res} file, and a file with an extension of @file{.o} or
2745@file{.exe} will be treated as a @code{coff} file.
2746
c7c55b78 2747If no output file is specified, @command{windres} will print the resources
252b5132
RH
2748in @code{rc} format to standard output.
2749
c7c55b78 2750The normal use is for you to write an @code{rc} file, use @command{windres}
252b5132
RH
2751to convert it to a COFF object file, and then link the COFF file into
2752your application. This will make the resources described in the
2753@code{rc} file available to Windows.
2754
0285c67d
NC
2755@c man end
2756
2757@c man begin OPTIONS windres
2758
c7c55b78 2759@table @env
252b5132
RH
2760@item -i @var{filename}
2761@itemx --input @var{filename}
2762The name of the input file. If this option is not used, then
c7c55b78
NC
2763@command{windres} will use the first non-option argument as the input file
2764name. If there are no non-option arguments, then @command{windres} will
2765read from standard input. @command{windres} can not read a COFF file from
edbedb71 2766standard input.
252b5132
RH
2767
2768@item -o @var{filename}
2769@itemx --output @var{filename}
2770The name of the output file. If this option is not used, then
c7c55b78 2771@command{windres} will use the first non-option argument, after any used
252b5132 2772for the input file name, as the output file name. If there is no
c7c55b78 2773non-option argument, then @command{windres} will write to standard output.
edbedb71
NC
2774@command{windres} can not write a COFF file to standard output. Note,
2775for compatability with @command{rc} the option @option{-fo} is also
2776accepted, but its use is not recommended.
252b5132 2777
85eb5110 2778@item -J @var{format}
252b5132
RH
2779@itemx --input-format @var{format}
2780The input format to read. @var{format} may be @samp{res}, @samp{rc}, or
c7c55b78 2781@samp{coff}. If no input format is specified, @command{windres} will
252b5132
RH
2782guess, as described above.
2783
2784@item -O @var{format}
2785@itemx --output-format @var{format}
2786The output format to generate. @var{format} may be @samp{res},
2787@samp{rc}, or @samp{coff}. If no output format is specified,
c7c55b78 2788@command{windres} will guess, as described above.
252b5132
RH
2789
2790@item -F @var{target}
2791@itemx --target @var{target}
2792Specify the BFD format to use for a COFF file as input or output. This
c7c55b78
NC
2793is a BFD target name; you can use the @option{--help} option to see a list
2794of supported targets. Normally @command{windres} will use the default
2795format, which is the first one listed by the @option{--help} option.
2796@ifclear man
252b5132 2797@ref{Target Selection}.
c7c55b78 2798@end ifclear
252b5132
RH
2799
2800@item --preprocessor @var{program}
c7c55b78 2801When @command{windres} reads an @code{rc} file, it runs it through the C
252b5132
RH
2802preprocessor first. This option may be used to specify the preprocessor
2803to use, including any leading arguments. The default preprocessor
2804argument is @code{gcc -E -xc-header -DRC_INVOKED}.
2805
85eb5110
NC
2806@item -I @var{directory}
2807@itemx --include-dir @var{directory}
252b5132 2808Specify an include directory to use when reading an @code{rc} file.
c7c55b78
NC
2809@command{windres} will pass this to the preprocessor as an @option{-I}
2810option. @command{windres} will also search this directory when looking for
85eb5110
NC
2811files named in the @code{rc} file. If the argument passed to this command
2812matches any of the supported @var{formats} (as descrived in the @option{-J}
2813option), it will issue a deprecation warning, and behave just like the
2814@option{-J} option. New programs should not use this behaviour. If a
2815directory happens to match a @var{format}, simple prefix it with @samp{./}
2816to disable the backward compatibility.
252b5132 2817
751d21b5 2818@item -D @var{target}
ad0481cd 2819@itemx --define @var{sym}[=@var{val}]
c7c55b78 2820Specify a @option{-D} option to pass to the preprocessor when reading an
252b5132
RH
2821@code{rc} file.
2822
29b058f1
NC
2823@item -U @var{target}
2824@itemx --undefine @var{sym}
2825Specify a @option{-U} option to pass to the preprocessor when reading an
2826@code{rc} file.
2827
3126d709
CF
2828@item -r
2829Ignored for compatibility with rc.
2830
751d21b5
DD
2831@item -v
2832Enable verbose mode. This tells you what the preprocessor is if you
2833didn't specify one.
2834
3077f5d8 2835@item -l @var{val}
252b5132
RH
2836@item --language @var{val}
2837Specify the default language to use when reading an @code{rc} file.
2838@var{val} should be a hexadecimal language code. The low eight bits are
2839the language, and the high eight bits are the sublanguage.
2840
5a298d2d
NC
2841@item --use-temp-file
2842Use a temporary file to instead of using popen to read the output of
2843the preprocessor. Use this option if the popen implementation is buggy
2844on the host (eg., certain non-English language versions of Windows 95 and
2845Windows 98 are known to have buggy popen where the output will instead
2846go the console).
2847
2848@item --no-use-temp-file
2849Use popen, not a temporary file, to read the output of the preprocessor.
2850This is the default behaviour.
2851
3077f5d8 2852@item -h
252b5132
RH
2853@item --help
2854Prints a usage summary.
2855
3077f5d8 2856@item -V
252b5132 2857@item --version
c7c55b78 2858Prints the version number for @command{windres}.
252b5132
RH
2859
2860@item --yydebug
c7c55b78 2861If @command{windres} is compiled with @code{YYDEBUG} defined as @code{1},
252b5132
RH
2862this will turn on parser debugging.
2863@end table
2864
0285c67d
NC
2865@c man end
2866
2867@ignore
2868@c man begin SEEALSO windres
2869the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
2870@c man end
2871@end ignore
252b5132
RH
2872
2873@node dlltool
2aa9814e 2874@chapter dlltool
252b5132
RH
2875@cindex DLL
2876@kindex dlltool
2877
2aa9814e
BE
2878@command{dlltool} is used to create the files needed to create dynamic
2879link libraries (DLLs) on systems which understand PE format image
2880files such as Windows. A DLL contains an export table which contains
2881information that the runtime loader needs to resolve references from a
2882referencing program.
2883
2884The export table is generated by this program by reading in a
2885@file{.def} file or scanning the @file{.a} and @file{.o} files which
2886will be in the DLL. A @file{.o} file can contain information in
2887special @samp{.drectve} sections with export information.
252b5132
RH
2888
2889@quotation
2aa9814e
BE
2890@emph{Note:} @command{dlltool} is not always built as part of the
2891binary utilities, since it is only useful for those targets which
2892support DLLs.
252b5132
RH
2893@end quotation
2894
0285c67d
NC
2895@c man title dlltool Create files needed to build and use DLLs.
2896
252b5132 2897@smallexample
0285c67d 2898@c man begin SYNOPSIS dlltool
c7c55b78
NC
2899dlltool [@option{-d}|@option{--input-def} @var{def-file-name}]
2900 [@option{-b}|@option{--base-file} @var{base-file-name}]
2901 [@option{-e}|@option{--output-exp} @var{exports-file-name}]
2902 [@option{-z}|@option{--output-def} @var{def-file-name}]
2903 [@option{-l}|@option{--output-lib} @var{library-file-name}]
2904 [@option{--export-all-symbols}] [@option{--no-export-all-symbols}]
2905 [@option{--exclude-symbols} @var{list}]
2906 [@option{--no-default-excludes}]
2907 [@option{-S}|@option{--as} @var{path-to-assembler}] [@option{-f}|@option{--as-flags} @var{options}]
2908 [@option{-D}|@option{--dllname} @var{name}] [@option{-m}|@option{--machine} @var{machine}]
2909 [@option{-a}|@option{--add-indirect}] [@option{-U}|@option{--add-underscore}] [@option{-k}|@option{--kill-at}]
2910 [@option{-A}|@option{--add-stdcall-alias}]
607dea97 2911 [@option{-p}|@option{--ext-prefix-alias} @var{prefix}]
c7c55b78 2912 [@option{-x}|@option{--no-idata4}] [@option{-c}|@option{--no-idata5}] [@option{-i}|@option{--interwork}]
f9346411
DS
2913 [@option{-n}|@option{--nodelete}] [@option{-t}|@option{--temp-prefix} @var{prefix}]
2914 [@option{-v}|@option{--verbose}]
c7c55b78 2915 [@option{-h}|@option{--help}] [@option{-V}|@option{--version}]
252b5132 2916 [object-file @dots{}]
0285c67d 2917@c man end
252b5132
RH
2918@end smallexample
2919
0285c67d
NC
2920@c man begin DESCRIPTION dlltool
2921
c7c55b78
NC
2922@command{dlltool} reads its inputs, which can come from the @option{-d} and
2923@option{-b} options as well as object files specified on the command
2924line. It then processes these inputs and if the @option{-e} option has
2925been specified it creates a exports file. If the @option{-l} option
2926has been specified it creates a library file and if the @option{-z} option
2927has been specified it creates a def file. Any or all of the @option{-e},
2928@option{-l} and @option{-z} options can be present in one invocation of
2929dlltool.
252b5132
RH
2930
2931When creating a DLL, along with the source for the DLL, it is necessary
c7c55b78 2932to have three other files. @command{dlltool} can help with the creation of
252b5132
RH
2933these files.
2934
2aa9814e 2935The first file is a @file{.def} file which specifies which functions are
252b5132 2936exported from the DLL, which functions the DLL imports, and so on. This
c7c55b78
NC
2937is a text file and can be created by hand, or @command{dlltool} can be used
2938to create it using the @option{-z} option. In this case @command{dlltool}
252b5132
RH
2939will scan the object files specified on its command line looking for
2940those functions which have been specially marked as being exported and
2aa9814e 2941put entries for them in the @file{.def} file it creates.
252b5132
RH
2942
2943In order to mark a function as being exported from a DLL, it needs to
c7c55b78 2944have an @option{-export:<name_of_function>} entry in the @samp{.drectve}
252b5132
RH
2945section of the object file. This can be done in C by using the
2946asm() operator:
2947
2948@smallexample
2949 asm (".section .drectve");
2950 asm (".ascii \"-export:my_func\"");
2951
2952 int my_func (void) @{ @dots{} @}
2953@end smallexample
2954
2955The second file needed for DLL creation is an exports file. This file
2956is linked with the object files that make up the body of the DLL and it
2957handles the interface between the DLL and the outside world. This is a
c7c55b78 2958binary file and it can be created by giving the @option{-e} option to
2aa9814e 2959@command{dlltool} when it is creating or reading in a @file{.def} file.
252b5132
RH
2960
2961The third file needed for DLL creation is the library file that programs
2962will link with in order to access the functions in the DLL. This file
c7c55b78 2963can be created by giving the @option{-l} option to dlltool when it
2aa9814e 2964is creating or reading in a @file{.def} file.
252b5132 2965
c7c55b78 2966@command{dlltool} builds the library file by hand, but it builds the
252b5132 2967exports file by creating temporary files containing assembler statements
c7c55b78 2968and then assembling these. The @option{-S} command line option can be
252b5132 2969used to specify the path to the assembler that dlltool will use,
c7c55b78
NC
2970and the @option{-f} option can be used to pass specific flags to that
2971assembler. The @option{-n} can be used to prevent dlltool from deleting
2972these temporary assembler files when it is done, and if @option{-n} is
252b5132
RH
2973specified twice then this will prevent dlltool from deleting the
2974temporary object files it used to build the library.
2975
2976Here is an example of creating a DLL from a source file @samp{dll.c} and
2977also creating a program (from an object file called @samp{program.o})
2978that uses that DLL:
2979
2980@smallexample
2981 gcc -c dll.c
2982 dlltool -e exports.o -l dll.lib dll.o
2983 gcc dll.o exports.o -o dll.dll
2984 gcc program.o dll.lib -o program
2985@end smallexample
2986
0285c67d
NC
2987@c man end
2988
2989@c man begin OPTIONS dlltool
2990
252b5132
RH
2991The command line options have the following meanings:
2992
c7c55b78 2993@table @env
252b5132
RH
2994
2995@item -d @var{filename}
2996@itemx --input-def @var{filename}
2997@cindex input .def file
2aa9814e 2998Specifies the name of a @file{.def} file to be read in and processed.
252b5132
RH
2999
3000@item -b @var{filename}
3001@itemx --base-file @var{filename}
3002@cindex base files
3003Specifies the name of a base file to be read in and processed. The
3004contents of this file will be added to the relocation section in the
3005exports file generated by dlltool.
3006
3007@item -e @var{filename}
3008@itemx --output-exp @var{filename}
3009Specifies the name of the export file to be created by dlltool.
3010
3011@item -z @var{filename}
3012@itemx --output-def @var{filename}
2aa9814e 3013Specifies the name of the @file{.def} file to be created by dlltool.
252b5132
RH
3014
3015@item -l @var{filename}
3016@itemx --output-lib @var{filename}
3017Specifies the name of the library file to be created by dlltool.
3018
3019@item --export-all-symbols
3020Treat all global and weak defined symbols found in the input object
3021files as symbols to be exported. There is a small list of symbols which
c7c55b78 3022are not exported by default; see the @option{--no-default-excludes}
252b5132 3023option. You may add to the list of symbols to not export by using the
c7c55b78 3024@option{--exclude-symbols} option.
252b5132
RH
3025
3026@item --no-export-all-symbols
2aa9814e 3027Only export symbols explicitly listed in an input @file{.def} file or in
252b5132
RH
3028@samp{.drectve} sections in the input object files. This is the default
3029behaviour. The @samp{.drectve} sections are created by @samp{dllexport}
3030attributes in the source code.
3031
3032@item --exclude-symbols @var{list}
3033Do not export the symbols in @var{list}. This is a list of symbol names
3034separated by comma or colon characters. The symbol names should not
3035contain a leading underscore. This is only meaningful when
c7c55b78 3036@option{--export-all-symbols} is used.
252b5132
RH
3037
3038@item --no-default-excludes
c7c55b78 3039When @option{--export-all-symbols} is used, it will by default avoid
252b5132
RH
3040exporting certain special symbols. The current list of symbols to avoid
3041exporting is @samp{DllMain@@12}, @samp{DllEntryPoint@@0},
c7c55b78 3042@samp{impure_ptr}. You may use the @option{--no-default-excludes} option
252b5132 3043to go ahead and export these special symbols. This is only meaningful
c7c55b78 3044when @option{--export-all-symbols} is used.
252b5132
RH
3045
3046@item -S @var{path}
3047@itemx --as @var{path}
3048Specifies the path, including the filename, of the assembler to be used
3049to create the exports file.
3050
6364e0b4
NC
3051@item -f @var{options}
3052@itemx --as-flags @var{options}
3053Specifies any specific command line options to be passed to the
252b5132 3054assembler when building the exports file. This option will work even if
c7c55b78 3055the @option{-S} option is not used. This option only takes one argument,
252b5132
RH
3056and if it occurs more than once on the command line, then later
3057occurrences will override earlier occurrences. So if it is necessary to
6364e0b4 3058pass multiple options to the assembler they should be enclosed in
252b5132
RH
3059double quotes.
3060
3061@item -D @var{name}
3062@itemx --dll-name @var{name}
2aa9814e
BE
3063Specifies the name to be stored in the @file{.def} file as the name of
3064the DLL when the @option{-e} option is used. If this option is not
3065present, then the filename given to the @option{-e} option will be
3066used as the name of the DLL.
252b5132
RH
3067
3068@item -m @var{machine}
3069@itemx -machine @var{machine}
3070Specifies the type of machine for which the library file should be
c7c55b78 3071built. @command{dlltool} has a built in default type, depending upon how
252b5132
RH
3072it was created, but this option can be used to override that. This is
3073normally only useful when creating DLLs for an ARM processor, when the
c36774d6 3074contents of the DLL are actually encode using Thumb instructions.
252b5132
RH
3075
3076@item -a
3077@itemx --add-indirect
c7c55b78 3078Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
252b5132
RH
3079should add a section which allows the exported functions to be
3080referenced without using the import library. Whatever the hell that
3081means!
3082
3083@item -U
3084@itemx --add-underscore
c7c55b78 3085Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
252b5132
RH
3086should prepend an underscore to the names of the exported functions.
3087
3088@item -k
3089@itemx --kill-at
c7c55b78 3090Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
d67a454c
NC
3091should not append the string @samp{@@ <number>}. These numbers are
3092called ordinal numbers and they represent another way of accessing the
3093function in a DLL, other than by name.
252b5132
RH
3094
3095@item -A
3096@itemx --add-stdcall-alias
c7c55b78 3097Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports file it
252b5132
RH
3098should add aliases for stdcall symbols without @samp{@@ <number>}
3099in addition to the symbols with @samp{@@ <number>}.
3100
607dea97
NC
3101@item -p
3102@itemx --ext-prefix-alias @var{prefix}
3103Causes @command{dlltool} to create external aliases for all DLL
3104imports with the specified prefix. The aliases are created for both
3105external and import symbols with no leading underscore.
3106
252b5132
RH
3107@item -x
3108@itemx --no-idata4
c7c55b78
NC
3109Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports and library
3110files it should omit the @code{.idata4} section. This is for compatibility
252b5132
RH
3111with certain operating systems.
3112
3113@item -c
3114@itemx --no-idata5
c7c55b78
NC
3115Specifies that when @command{dlltool} is creating the exports and library
3116files it should omit the @code{.idata5} section. This is for compatibility
252b5132
RH
3117with certain operating systems.
3118
3119@item -i
3120@itemx --interwork
c7c55b78 3121Specifies that @command{dlltool} should mark the objects in the library
252b5132 3122file and exports file that it produces as supporting interworking
c36774d6 3123between ARM and Thumb code.
252b5132
RH
3124
3125@item -n
3126@itemx --nodelete
c7c55b78 3127Makes @command{dlltool} preserve the temporary assembler files it used to
252b5132
RH
3128create the exports file. If this option is repeated then dlltool will
3129also preserve the temporary object files it uses to create the library
f9346411
DS
3130file.
3131
3132@item -t @var{prefix}
3133@itemx --temp-prefix @var{prefix}
3134Makes @command{dlltool} use @var{prefix} when constructing the names of
3135temporary assembler and object files. By default, the temp file prefix
3136is generated from the pid.
252b5132
RH
3137
3138@item -v
3139@itemx --verbose
3140Make dlltool describe what it is doing.
3141
3142@item -h
3143@itemx --help
3144Displays a list of command line options and then exits.
3145
3146@item -V
3147@itemx --version
3148Displays dlltool's version number and then exits.
3149
3150@end table
3151
0285c67d
NC
3152@c man end
3153
2aa9814e
BE
3154@menu
3155* def file format:: The format of the dlltool @file{.def} file
3156@end menu
3157
3158@node def file format
3159@section The format of the @command{dlltool} @file{.def} file
3160
3161A @file{.def} file contains any number of the following commands:
3162
3163@table @asis
3164
3165@item @code{NAME} @var{name} @code{[ ,} @var{base} @code{]}
3166The result is going to be named @var{name}@code{.exe}.
3167
3168@item @code{LIBRARY} @var{name} @code{[ ,} @var{base} @code{]}
3169The result is going to be named @var{name}@code{.dll}.
3170
3171@item @code{EXPORTS ( ( (} @var{name1} @code{[ = } @var{name2} @code{] ) | ( } @var{name1} @code{=} @var{module-name} @code{.} @var{external-name} @code{) )}
3172@item @code{[} @var{integer} @code{] [ NONAME ] [ CONSTANT ] [ DATA ] [ PRIVATE ] ) *}
3173Declares @var{name1} as an exported symbol from the DLL, with optional
3174ordinal number @var{integer}, or declares @var{name1} as an alias
3175(forward) of the function @var{external-name} in the DLL
3176@var{module-name}.
3177
3178@item @code{IMPORTS ( (} @var{internal-name} @code{=} @var{module-name} @code{.} @var{integer} @code{) | [} @var{internal-name} @code{= ]} @var{module-name} @code{.} @var{external-name} @code{) ) *}
3179Declares that @var{external-name} or the exported function whose
3180ordinal number is @var{integer} is to be imported from the file
3181@var{module-name}. If @var{internal-name} is specified then this is
3182the name that the imported function will be referred to in the body of
3183the DLL.
3184
3185@item @code{DESCRIPTION} @var{string}
3186Puts @var{string} into the output @file{.exp} file in the
3187@code{.rdata} section.
3188
3189@item @code{STACKSIZE} @var{number-reserve} @code{[, } @var{number-commit} @code{]}
3190@item @code{HEAPSIZE} @var{number-reserve} @code{[, } @var{number-commit} @code{]}
3191Generates @code{--stack} or @code{--heap}
3192@var{number-reserve},@var{number-commit} in the output @code{.drectve}
3193section. The linker will see this and act upon it.
3194
3195@item @code{CODE} @var{attr} @code{+}
3196@item @code{DATA} @var{attr} @code{+}
3197@item @code{SECTIONS (} @var{section-name} @var{attr}@code{ + ) *}
3198Generates @code{--attr} @var{section-name} @var{attr} in the output
3199@code{.drectve} section, where @var{attr} is one of @code{READ},
3200@code{WRITE}, @code{EXECUTE} or @code{SHARED}. The linker will see
3201this and act upon it.
3202
3203@end table
3204
0285c67d
NC
3205@ignore
3206@c man begin SEEALSO dlltool
2aa9814e 3207The Info pages for @file{binutils}.
0285c67d
NC
3208@c man end
3209@end ignore
3210
252b5132
RH
3211@node readelf
3212@chapter readelf
3213
3214@cindex ELF file information
3215@kindex readelf
3216
0285c67d
NC
3217@c man title readelf Displays information about ELF files.
3218
252b5132 3219@smallexample
0285c67d 3220@c man begin SYNOPSIS readelf
c7c55b78
NC
3221readelf [@option{-a}|@option{--all}]
3222 [@option{-h}|@option{--file-header}]
3223 [@option{-l}|@option{--program-headers}|@option{--segments}]
3224 [@option{-S}|@option{--section-headers}|@option{--sections}]
3225 [@option{-e}|@option{--headers}]
3226 [@option{-s}|@option{--syms}|@option{--symbols}]
3227 [@option{-n}|@option{--notes}]
3228 [@option{-r}|@option{--relocs}]
3229 [@option{-u}|@option{--unwind}]
3230 [@option{-d}|@option{--dynamic}]
3231 [@option{-V}|@option{--version-info}]
947ed062 3232 [@option{-A}|@option{--arch-specific}]
c7c55b78
NC
3233 [@option{-D}|@option{--use-dynamic}]
3234 [@option{-x} <number>|@option{--hex-dump=}<number>]
18bd398b
NC
3235 [@option{-w[liaprmfFsoR]}|
3236 @option{--debug-dump}[=line,=info,=abbrev,=pubnames,=aranges,=macro,=frames,=frames-interp,=str,=loc,=Ranges]]
947ed062 3237 [@option{-I}|@option{-histogram}]
c7c55b78 3238 [@option{-v}|@option{--version}]
d974e256 3239 [@option{-W}|@option{--wide}]
c7c55b78 3240 [@option{-H}|@option{--help}]
252b5132 3241 @var{elffile}@dots{}
0285c67d 3242@c man end
252b5132
RH
3243@end smallexample
3244
0285c67d
NC
3245@c man begin DESCRIPTION readelf
3246
c7c55b78 3247@command{readelf} displays information about one or more ELF format object
252b5132
RH
3248files. The options control what particular information to display.
3249
fb52b2f4
NC
3250@var{elffile}@dots{} are the object files to be examined. 32-bit and
325164-bit ELF files are supported, as are archives containing ELF files.
252b5132 3252
9eb20dd8
NC
3253This program performs a similar function to @command{objdump} but it
3254goes into more detail and it exists independently of the @sc{bfd}
3255library, so if there is a bug in @sc{bfd} then readelf will not be
3256affected.
3257
0285c67d
NC
3258@c man end
3259
3260@c man begin OPTIONS readelf
3261
252b5132
RH
3262The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
3263equivalent. At least one option besides @samp{-v} or @samp{-H} must be
3264given.
3265
c7c55b78 3266@table @env
252b5132
RH
3267@item -a
3268@itemx --all
c7c55b78
NC
3269Equivalent to specifiying @option{--file-header},
3270@option{--program-headers}, @option{--sections}, @option{--symbols},
3271@option{--relocs}, @option{--dynamic}, @option{--notes} and
3272@option{--version-info}.
252b5132
RH
3273
3274@item -h
3275@itemx --file-header
3276@cindex ELF file header information
3277Displays the information contained in the ELF header at the start of the
3278file.
3279
3280@item -l
3281@itemx --program-headers
3282@itemx --segments
3283@cindex ELF program header information
3284@cindex ELF segment information
3285Displays the information contained in the file's segment headers, if it
3286has any.
3287
3288@item -S
3289@itemx --sections
3290@itemx --section-headers
3291@cindex ELF section information
3292Displays the information contained in the file's section headers, if it
3293has any.
3294
3295@item -s
3296@itemx --symbols
3297@itemx --syms
3298@cindex ELF symbol table information
3299Displays the entries in symbol table section of the file, if it has one.
3300
3301@item -e
3302@itemx --headers
c7c55b78 3303Display all the headers in the file. Equivalent to @option{-h -l -S}.
252b5132 3304
779fe533
NC
3305@item -n
3306@itemx --notes
1ec5cd37
NC
3307@cindex ELF notes
3308Displays the contents of the NOTE segments and/or sections, if any.
779fe533 3309
252b5132
RH
3310@item -r
3311@itemx --relocs
3312@cindex ELF reloc information
f5e21966
NC
3313Displays the contents of the file's relocation section, if it has one.
3314
3315@item -u
3316@itemx --unwind
3317@cindex unwind information
3318Displays the contents of the file's unwind section, if it has one. Only
3319the unwind sections for IA64 ELF files are currently supported.
252b5132 3320
947ed062
NC
3321@item -u
3322@itemx --unwind
3323@cindex unwind information
3324Displays the contents of the file's unwind section, if it has one. Only
3325the unwind sections for IA64 ELF files are currently supported.
3326
252b5132
RH
3327@item -d
3328@itemx --dynamic
3329@cindex ELF dynamic section information
3330Displays the contents of the file's dynamic section, if it has one.
3331
3332@item -V
3333@itemx --version-info
3334@cindex ELF version sections informations
3335Displays the contents of the version sections in the file, it they
3336exist.
3337
947ed062
NC
3338@item -A
3339@itemx --arch-specific
3340Displays architecture-specific information in the file, if there
3341is any.
3342
252b5132
RH
3343@item -D
3344@itemx --use-dynamic
c7c55b78 3345When displaying symbols, this option makes @command{readelf} use the
6dbb55b6 3346symbol table in the file's dynamic section, rather than the one in the
252b5132
RH
3347symbols section.
3348
3349@item -x <number>
3350@itemx --hex-dump=<number>
3351Displays the contents of the indicated section as a hexadecimal dump.
3352
18bd398b
NC
3353@item -w[liaprmfFsoR]
3354@itemx --debug-dump[=line,=info,=abbrev,=pubnames,=aranges,=macro,=frames,=frames-interp,=str,=loc,=Ranges]
252b5132
RH
3355Displays the contents of the debug sections in the file, if any are
3356present. If one of the optional letters or words follows the switch
3357then only data found in those specific sections will be dumped.
3358
947ed062
NC
3359@item -I
3360@itemx --histogram
252b5132
RH
3361Display a histogram of bucket list lengths when displaying the contents
3362of the symbol tables.
3363
3364@item -v
3365@itemx --version
3366Display the version number of readelf.
3367
d974e256
JJ
3368@item -W
3369@itemx --wide
3370Don't break output lines to fit into 80 columns. By default
3371@command{readelf} breaks section header and segment listing lines for
337264-bit ELF files, so that they fit into 80 columns. This option causes
3373@command{readelf} to print each section header resp. each segment one a
3374single line, which is far more readable on terminals wider than 80 columns.
3375
252b5132
RH
3376@item -H
3377@itemx --help
c7c55b78 3378Display the command line options understood by @command{readelf}.
252b5132
RH
3379
3380@end table
3381
0285c67d
NC
3382@c man end
3383
3384@ignore
3385@c man begin SEEALSO readelf
3386objdump(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils}.
3387@c man end
3388@end ignore
252b5132
RH
3389
3390@node Selecting The Target System
947ed062 3391@chapter Selecting the Target System
252b5132 3392
947ed062 3393You can specify two aspects of the target system to the @sc{gnu}
252b5132
RH
3394binary file utilities, each in several ways:
3395
3396@itemize @bullet
3397@item
3398the target
3399
3400@item
3401the architecture
252b5132
RH
3402@end itemize
3403
3404In the following summaries, the lists of ways to specify values are in
3405order of decreasing precedence. The ways listed first override those
3406listed later.
3407
3408The commands to list valid values only list the values for which the
3409programs you are running were configured. If they were configured with
c7c55b78 3410@option{--enable-targets=all}, the commands list most of the available
252b5132
RH
3411values, but a few are left out; not all targets can be configured in at
3412once because some of them can only be configured @dfn{native} (on hosts
3413with the same type as the target system).
3414
3415@menu
3416* Target Selection::
3417* Architecture Selection::
252b5132
RH
3418@end menu
3419
3420@node Target Selection
3421@section Target Selection
3422
3423A @dfn{target} is an object file format. A given target may be
3424supported for multiple architectures (@pxref{Architecture Selection}).
3425A target selection may also have variations for different operating
3426systems or architectures.
3427
3428The command to list valid target values is @samp{objdump -i}
3429(the first column of output contains the relevant information).
3430
3431Some sample values are: @samp{a.out-hp300bsd}, @samp{ecoff-littlemips},
3432@samp{a.out-sunos-big}.
3433
3434You can also specify a target using a configuration triplet. This is
f20a759a
ILT
3435the same sort of name that is passed to @file{configure} to specify a
3436target. When you use a configuration triplet as an argument, it must be
3437fully canonicalized. You can see the canonical version of a triplet by
252b5132
RH
3438running the shell script @file{config.sub} which is included with the
3439sources.
3440
3441Some sample configuration triplets are: @samp{m68k-hp-bsd},
3442@samp{mips-dec-ultrix}, @samp{sparc-sun-sunos}.
3443
c7c55b78 3444@subheading @command{objdump} Target
252b5132
RH
3445
3446Ways to specify:
3447
3448@enumerate
3449@item
c7c55b78 3450command line option: @option{-b} or @option{--target}
252b5132
RH
3451
3452@item
3453environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3454
3455@item
3456deduced from the input file
3457@end enumerate
3458
c7c55b78 3459@subheading @command{objcopy} and @command{strip} Input Target
252b5132
RH
3460
3461Ways to specify:
3462
3463@enumerate
3464@item
c7c55b78 3465command line options: @option{-I} or @option{--input-target}, or @option{-F} or @option{--target}
252b5132
RH
3466
3467@item
3468environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3469
3470@item
3471deduced from the input file
3472@end enumerate
3473
c7c55b78 3474@subheading @command{objcopy} and @command{strip} Output Target
252b5132
RH
3475
3476Ways to specify:
3477
3478@enumerate
3479@item
c7c55b78 3480command line options: @option{-O} or @option{--output-target}, or @option{-F} or @option{--target}
252b5132
RH
3481
3482@item
c7c55b78 3483the input target (see ``@command{objcopy} and @command{strip} Input Target'' above)
252b5132
RH
3484
3485@item
3486environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3487
3488@item
3489deduced from the input file
3490@end enumerate
3491
c7c55b78 3492@subheading @command{nm}, @command{size}, and @command{strings} Target
252b5132
RH
3493
3494Ways to specify:
3495
3496@enumerate
3497@item
c7c55b78 3498command line option: @option{--target}
252b5132
RH
3499
3500@item
3501environment variable @code{GNUTARGET}
3502
3503@item
3504deduced from the input file
3505@end enumerate
3506
252b5132 3507@node Architecture Selection
947ed062 3508@section Architecture Selection
252b5132
RH
3509
3510An @dfn{architecture} is a type of @sc{cpu} on which an object file is
3511to run. Its name may contain a colon, separating the name of the
3512processor family from the name of the particular @sc{cpu}.
3513
3514The command to list valid architecture values is @samp{objdump -i} (the
3515second column contains the relevant information).
3516
3517Sample values: @samp{m68k:68020}, @samp{mips:3000}, @samp{sparc}.
3518
c7c55b78 3519@subheading @command{objdump} Architecture
252b5132
RH
3520
3521Ways to specify:
3522
3523@enumerate
3524@item
c7c55b78 3525command line option: @option{-m} or @option{--architecture}
252b5132
RH
3526
3527@item
3528deduced from the input file
3529@end enumerate
3530
c7c55b78 3531@subheading @command{objcopy}, @command{nm}, @command{size}, @command{strings} Architecture
252b5132
RH
3532
3533Ways to specify:
3534
3535@enumerate
3536@item
3537deduced from the input file
3538@end enumerate
3539
252b5132
RH
3540@node Reporting Bugs
3541@chapter Reporting Bugs
3542@cindex bugs
3543@cindex reporting bugs
3544
3545Your bug reports play an essential role in making the binary utilities
3546reliable.
3547
3548Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or
3549it may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is
3550to help the entire community by making the next version of the binary
3551utilities work better. Bug reports are your contribution to their
3552maintenance.
3553
3554In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
3555information that enables us to fix the bug.
3556
3557@menu
3558* Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
3559* Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
3560@end menu
3561
3562@node Bug Criteria
947ed062 3563@section Have You Found a Bug?
252b5132
RH
3564@cindex bug criteria
3565
3566If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
3567
3568@itemize @bullet
3569@cindex fatal signal
3570@cindex crash
3571@item
3572If a binary utility gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is
3573a bug. Reliable utilities never crash.
3574
3575@cindex error on valid input
3576@item
3577If a binary utility produces an error message for valid input, that is a
3578bug.
3579
3580@item
3581If you are an experienced user of binary utilities, your suggestions for
3582improvement are welcome in any case.
3583@end itemize
3584
3585@node Bug Reporting
947ed062 3586@section How to Report Bugs
252b5132
RH
3587@cindex bug reports
3588@cindex bugs, reporting
3589
3590A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu}
3591products. If you obtained the binary utilities from a support
3592organization, we recommend you contact that organization first.
3593
3594You can find contact information for many support companies and
3595individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
3596distribution.
3597
3598In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for the binary
2f952d20 3599utilities to @samp{bug-binutils@@gnu.org}.
252b5132
RH
3600
3601The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
3602@strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
3603fact or leave it out, state it!
3604
3605Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
3606problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
3607assume that the name of a file you use in an example does not matter.
3608Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is
3609a stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where
3610that pathname is stored in memory; perhaps, if the pathname were
3611different, the contents of that location would fool the utility into
3612doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and give a
3613specific, complete example. That is the easiest thing for you to do,
3614and the most helpful.
3615
3616Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the bug if
3617it is new to us. Therefore, always write your bug reports on the assumption
3618that the bug has not been reported previously.
3619
3620Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
947ed062
NC
3621bell?'' This cannot help us fix a bug, so it is basically useless. We
3622respond by asking for enough details to enable us to investigate.
3623You might as well expedite matters by sending them to begin with.
252b5132
RH
3624
3625To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
3626
3627@itemize @bullet
3628@item
3629The version of the utility. Each utility announces it if you start it
c7c55b78 3630with the @option{--version} argument.
252b5132
RH
3631
3632Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
3633the bug in the current version of the binary utilities.
3634
3635@item
3636Any patches you may have applied to the source, including any patches
3637made to the @code{BFD} library.
3638
3639@item
3640The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
3641version number.
3642
3643@item
3644What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the utilities---e.g.
3645``@code{gcc-2.7}''.
3646
3647@item
3648The command arguments you gave the utility to observe the bug. To
3649guarantee you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy
3650of the Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
3651
3652If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
3653and then we might not encounter the bug.
3654
3655@item
3656A complete input file, or set of input files, that will reproduce the
3657bug. If the utility is reading an object file or files, then it is
3658generally most helpful to send the actual object files, uuencoded if
757acbc5 3659necessary to get them through the mail system. Note that
2f952d20 3660@samp{bug-binutils@@gnu.org} is a mailing list, so you should avoid
757acbc5
ILT
3661sending very large files to it. Making the files available for
3662anonymous FTP is OK.
252b5132
RH
3663
3664If the source files were produced exclusively using @sc{gnu} programs
c7c55b78 3665(e.g., @command{gcc}, @command{gas}, and/or the @sc{gnu} @command{ld}), then it
252b5132 3666may be OK to send the source files rather than the object files. In
c7c55b78 3667this case, be sure to say exactly what version of @command{gcc}, or
252b5132 3668whatever, was used to produce the object files. Also say how
c7c55b78 3669@command{gcc}, or whatever, was configured.
252b5132
RH
3670
3671@item
3672A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
3673incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
3674
3675Of course, if the bug is that the utility gets a fatal signal, then we
3676will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
3677not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
3678a chance to make a mistake.
3679
3680Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
f20a759a 3681say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as your
252b5132
RH
3682copy of the utility is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
3683the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
3684crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
3685ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
3686us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
3687to draw any conclusion from our observations.
3688
3689@item
3690If you wish to suggest changes to the source, send us context diffs, as
c7c55b78 3691generated by @command{diff} with the @option{-u}, @option{-c}, or @option{-p}
252b5132 3692option. Always send diffs from the old file to the new file. If you
c7c55b78 3693wish to discuss something in the @command{ld} source, refer to it by
f20a759a 3694context, not by line number.
252b5132
RH
3695
3696The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
3697sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
3698@end itemize
3699
3700Here are some things that are not necessary:
3701
3702@itemize @bullet
3703@item
3704A description of the envelope of the bug.
3705
3706Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
3707which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
3708changes will not affect it.
3709
3710This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
3711will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
3712with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
3713We recommend that you save your time for something else.
3714
3715Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
3716of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
3717output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
3718less time, and so on.
3719
3720However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
3721report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
3722
3723@item
3724A patch for the bug.
3725
3726A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
3727the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
3728a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
3729to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
3730
3731Sometimes with programs as complicated as the binary utilities it is
3732very hard to construct an example that will make the program follow a
3733certain path through the code. If you do not send us the example, we
3734will not be able to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that
3735the bug is fixed.
3736
3737And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
3738patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
3739help us to understand.
3740
3741@item
3742A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
3743
3744Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
3745things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
3746@end itemize
3747
947ed062 3748@include fdl.texi
cf055d54 3749
252b5132
RH
3750@node Index
3751@unnumbered Index
3752
3753@printindex cp
3754
3755@contents
3756@bye