PR ld/6430

            * testsuite/ld-elfcomm/elfcomm.exp (test_sort_common): Test the
            ascending/descending argument to the --sort-common command line
            option.
            * testsuite/ld-elfcomm/sort-common.s: New file.
            * ld.h (enum sort_order): New.
            * ldlang.c (lang_check: Fix comment.
            (lang_common): Sort commons in ascending or descending order.
            (lang_one_common): Likewise.
            * lexsup.c (ld_options): Have --sort-common take an option
            argument.
            (parse_args): Handle argument to --sort-common.
            * ld.texinfo (--sort-common): Document new optional argument.
            * NEWS: Mention new feature.

1 files changed, 7 insertions, 6 deletions

diff --git a/ld/ld.texinfo b/ld/ld.texinfo
index f4a3473..a2ec34a 100644
--- a/ld/ld.texinfo
+++ b/ld/ld.texinfo
@@ -1622,13 +1622,14 @@ and SunOS platforms.  On SunOS, the linker will automatically create a
 shared library if the @option{-e} option is not used and there are
 undefined symbols in the link.
 
-@item --sort-common
+@item --sort-common [= ascending | descending]
 @kindex --sort-common
-This option tells @command{ld} to sort the common symbols by alignment when
-it places them in the appropriate output sections.  First come all the
-sixteen-byte aligned symbols, then all the eight-byte, then all the
-four-byte, then all the two-byte, and then everything else.  This is to
-prevent gaps between symbols due to alignment constraints.
+This option tells @command{ld} to sort the common symbols by alignment in
+ascending or descending order when it places them in the appropriate output
+sections.  The symbol alignments considered are sixteen-byte or larger,
+eight-byte, four-byte, two-byte, and one-byte. This is to prevent gaps
+between symbols due to alignment constraints.  If no sorting order is
+specified, then descending order is assumed.
 
 @kindex --sort-section name
 @item --sort-section name