This is Info file binutils.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the input file ./binutils.texi. START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY * Binutils:: The GNU binary utilities "ar", "ld", "objcopy", "objdump", "nm", "size", "strings", "strip", and "ranlib". END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.  File: binutils.info, Node: Top, Next: ar, Prev: (dir), Up: (dir) Introduction ************ This brief manual contains preliminary documentation for the GNU binary utilities (collectively version 2.2): * Menu: * ar:: Create, modify, and extract from archives * ld:(ld)Overview. Combine object and archive files * nm:: List symbols from object files * objcopy:: Copy and translate object files * objdump:: Display information from object files * ranlib:: Generate index to archive contents * size:: List section sizes and total size * strings:: List printable strings from files * strip:: Discard symbols * c++filt:: Filter to demangle encoded C++ symbols * Index::  File: binutils.info, Node: ar, Next: nm, Prev: Top, Up: Top ar ** ar [-]P[MOD [RELPOS]] ARCHIVE [MEMBER...] ar -M [ '), and continues executing even after errors. If you redirect standard input to a script file, no prompts are issued, and `ar' abandons execution (with a nonzero exit code) on any error. The `ar' command language is *not* designed to be equivalent to the command-line options; in fact, it provides somewhat less control over archives. The only purpose of the command language is to ease the transition to GNU `ar' for developers who already have scripts written for the MRI "librarian" program. The syntax for the `ar' command language is straightforward: * commands are recognized in upper or lower case; for example, `LIST' is the same as `list'. In the following descriptions, commands are shown in upper case for clarity. * a single command may appear on each line; it is the first word on the line. * empty lines are allowed, and have no effect. * comments are allowed; text after either of the characters `*' or `;' is ignored. * Whenever you use a list of names as part of the argument to an `ar' command, you can separate the individual names with either commas or blanks. Commas are shown in the explanations below, for clarity. * `+' is used as a line continuation character; if `+' appears at the end of a line, the text on the following line is considered part of the current command. Here are the commands you can use in `ar' scripts, or when using `ar' interactively. Three of them have special significance: `OPEN' or `CREATE' specify a "current archive", which is a temporary file required for most of the other commands. `SAVE' commits the changes so far specified by the script. Prior to `SAVE', commands affect only the temporary copy of the current archive. `ADDLIB ARCHIVE' `ADDLIB ARCHIVE (MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE)' Add all the contents of ARCHIVE (or, if specified, each named MODULE from ARCHIVE) to the current archive. Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'. `ADDMOD MEMBER, MEMBER, ... MEMBER' Add each named MEMBER as a module in the current archive. Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'. `CLEAR' Discard the contents of the current archive, cancelling the effect of any operations since the last `SAVE'. May be executed (with no effect) even if no current archive is specified. `CREATE ARCHIVE' Creates an archive, and makes it the current archive (required for many other commands). The new archive is created with a temporary name; it is not actually saved as ARCHIVE until you use `SAVE'. You can overwrite existing archives; similarly, the contents of any existing file named ARCHIVE will not be destroyed until `SAVE'. `DELETE MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE' Delete each listed MODULE from the current archive; equivalent to `ar -d ARCHIVE MODULE ... MODULE'. Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'. `DIRECTORY ARCHIVE (MODULE, ... MODULE)' `DIRECTORY ARCHIVE (MODULE, ... MODULE) OUTPUTFILE' List each named MODULE present in ARCHIVE. The separate command `VERBOSE' specifies the form of the output: when verbose output is off, output is like that of `ar -t ARCHIVE MODULE...'. When verbose output is on, the listing is like `ar -tv ARCHIVE MODULE...'. Output normally goes to the standard output stream; however, if you specify OUTPUTFILE as a final argument, `ar' directs the output to that file. `END' Exit from `ar', with a `0' exit code to indicate successful completion. This command does not save the output file; if you have changed the current archive since the last `SAVE' command, those changes are lost. `EXTRACT MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE' Extract each named MODULE from the current archive, writing them into the current directory as separate files. Equivalent to `ar -x ARCHIVE MODULE...'. Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'. `LIST' Display full contents of the current archive, in "verbose" style regardless of the state of `VERBOSE'. The effect is like `ar tv ARCHIVE'). (This single command is a GNU `ld' enhancement, rather than present for MRI compatibility.) Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'. `OPEN ARCHIVE' Opens an existing archive for use as the current archive (required for many other commands). Any changes as the result of subsequent commands will not actually affect ARCHIVE until you next use `SAVE'. `REPLACE MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE' In the current archive, replace each existing MODULE (named in the `REPLACE' arguments) from files in the current working directory. To execute this command without errors, both the file, and the module in the current archive, must exist. Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'. `VERBOSE' Toggle an internal flag governing the output from `DIRECTORY'. When the flag is on, `DIRECTORY' output matches output from `ar -tv '.... `SAVE' Commit your changes to the current archive, and actually save it as a file with the name specified in the last `CREATE' or `OPEN' command. Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.  File: binutils.info, Node: nm, Next: objcopy, Prev: ar, Up: Top nm ** nm [ -a | --debug-syms ] [ -g | --extern-only ] [ -B ] [ -C | --demangle ] [ -s | --print-armap ] [ -A | -o | --print-file-name ] [ -n | -v | --numeric-sort ] [ -p | --no-sort ] [ -r | --reverse-sort ] [ -u | --undefined-only ] [ -t RADIX | --radix=RADIX ] [ -P | --portability ] [ --target=BFDNAME ] [ -f FORMAT | --format=FORMAT ] [ -V | --version ] [ --help ] [ OBJFILE... ] GNU `nm' lists the symbols from object files OBJFILE.... If no object files are listed as arguments, `nm' assumes `a.out'. For each symbol, `nm' shows: * The symbol value, in the radix selected by options (see below), or hexadecimal by default. * The symbol type. At least the following types are used; others are, as well, depending on the object file format. If lowercase, the symbol is local; if uppercase, the symbol is global (external). `A' Absolute. `B' BSS (uninitialized data). `C' Common. `D' Initialized data. `I' Indirect reference. `T' Text (program code). `U' Undefined. * The symbol name. The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are equivalent. `-A' `-o' `--print-file-name' Precede each symbol by the name of the input file (or archive element) in which it was found, rather than identifying the input file once only, before all of its symbols. `-a' `--debug-syms' Display all symbols, even debugger-only symbols; normally these are not listed. `-B' The same as `--format=bsd' (for compatibility with the MIPS `nm'). `-C' `--demangle' Decode ("demangle") low-level symbol names into user-level names. Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this makes C++ function names readable. *Note c++filt::, for more information on demangling. `-f FORMAT' `--format=FORMAT' Use the output format FORMAT, which can be `bsd', `sysv', or `posix'. The default is `bsd'. Only the first character of FORMAT is significant; it can be either upper or lower case. `-g' `--extern-only' Display only external symbols. `-n' `-v' `--numeric-sort' Sort symbols numerically by their addresses, rather than alphabetically by their names. `-p' `--no-sort' Do not bother to sort the symbols in any order; print them in the order encountered. `-P' `--portability' Use the POSIX.2 standard output format instead of the default format. Equivalent to `-f posix'. `-s' `--print-armap' When listing symbols from archive members, include the index: a mapping (stored in the archive by `ar' or `ranlib') of which modules contain definitions for which names. `-r' `--reverse-sort' Reverse the order of the sort (whether numeric or alphabetic); let the last come first. `-t RADIX' `--radix=RADIX' Use RADIX as the radix for printing the symbol values. It must be `d' for decimal, `o' for octal, or `x' for hexadecimal. `--target=BFDNAME' Specify an object code format other than your system's default format. *Note objdump::, for information on listing available formats. `-u' `--undefined-only' Display only undefined symbols (those external to each object file). `-V' `--version' Show the version number of `nm' and exit. `--help' Show a summary of the options to `nm' and exit.  File: binutils.info, Node: objcopy, Next: objdump, Prev: nm, Up: Top objcopy ******* objcopy [ -F FORMAT | --format=FORMAT ] [ -I FORMAT | --input-format=FORMAT ] [ -O FORMAT | --output-format=FORMAT ] [ -S | --strip-all ] [ -g | --strip-debug ] [ -x | --discard-all ] [ -X | --discard-locals ] [ -v | --verbose ] [ -V | --version ] [ --help ] INFILE [OUTFILE] The GNU `objcopy' utility copies the contents of an object file to another. `objcopy' uses the GNU BFD Library to read and write the object files. It can write the destination object file in a format different from that of the source object file. The exact behavior of `objcopy' is controlled by command-line options. `objcopy' creates temporary files to do its translations and deletes them afterward. `objcopy' uses BFD to do all its translation work; it knows about all the formats BFD knows about, and thus is able to recognize most formats without being told explicitly. *Note BFD: (ld.info)BFD the GNU linker. `INFILE' `OUTFILE' The source and output files respectively. If you do not specify OUTFILE, `objcopy' creates a temporary file and destructively renames the result with the name of the input file. `-I FORMAT' `--input-format=FORMAT' Consider the source file's object format to be FORMAT, rather than attempting to deduce it. `-O FORMAT' `--output-format=FORMAT' Write the output file using the object format FORMAT. `-F FORMAT' `--format=FORMAT' Use FORMAT as the object format for both the input and the output file; i.e. simply transfer data from source to destination with no translation. `-S' `--strip-all' Do not copy relocation and symbol information from the source file. `-g' `--strip-debug' Do not copy debugging symbols from the source file. `-x' `--discard-all' Do not copy non-global symbols from the source file. `-X' `--discard-locals' Do not copy compiler-generated local symbols. (These usually start with `L' or `.'.) `-V' `--version' Show the version number of `objcopy'. `-v' `--verbose' Verbose output: list all object files modified. In the case of archives, `objcopy -V' lists all members of the archive. `--help' Show a summary of the options to `objcopy'.  File: binutils.info, Node: objdump, Next: ranlib, Prev: objcopy, Up: Top objdump ******* objdump [ -a ] [ -b BFDNAME ] [ -d ] [ -f ] [ -h | --header ] [ -i ] [ -j SECTION ] [ -l ] [ -m MACHINE ] [ -r | --reloc ] [ -s ] [ --stabs ] [ -t | --syms ] [ -x ] [ --version ] [ --help ] OBJFILE... `objdump' displays information about one or more object files. The options control what particular information to display. This information is mostly useful to programmers who are working on the compilation tools, as opposed to programmers who just want their program to compile and work. OBJFILE... are the object files to be examined. When you specify archives, `objdump' shows information on each of the member object files. The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are equivalent. At least one option besides `-l' must be given. `-a' If any of the OBJFILE files are archives, display the archive header information (in a format similar to `ls -l'). Besides the information you could list with `ar tv', `objdump -a' shows the object file format of each archive member. `-b BFDNAME' Specify that the object-code format for the object files is BFDNAME. This option may not be necessary; OBJDUMP can automatically recognize many formats. For example, objdump -b oasys -m vax -h fu.o displays summary information from the section headers (`-h') of `fu.o', which is explicitly identified (`-m') as a VAX object file in the format produced by Oasys compilers. You can list the formats available with the `-i' option. `-d' Disassemble. Display the assembler mnemonics for the machine instructions from OBJFILE. `-f' File header. Display summary information from the overall header of each of the OBJFILE files. `-h' `--header' Header. Display summary information from the section headers of the object file. `--help' Print a summary of the options to `objdump' and exit. `-i' Display a list showing all architectures and object formats available for specification with `-b' or `-m'. `-j NAME' Display information only for section NAME. `-l' Label the display (using debugging information) with the source filename and line numbers corresponding to the object code shown. `-m MACHINE' Specify that the object files OBJFILE are for architecture MACHINE. You can list available architectures using the `-i' option. `-r' `--reloc' Relocation. Print the relocation entries of the file. `-s' Display the full contents of any sections requested. `--stabs' Display the full contents of any sections requested. Display the contents of the .stab and .stab.index and .stab.excl sections from an ELF file. This is only useful on systems (such as Solaris 2.0) in which `.stab' debugging symbol-table entries are carried in an ELF section. In most other file formats, debugging symbol-table entries are interleaved with linkage symbols, and are visible in the `--syms' output. `-t' `--syms' Symbol Table. Print the symbol table entries of the file. This is similar to the information provided by the `nm' program. `--version' Print the version number of `objdump' and exit. `-x' Display all available header information, including the symbol table and relocation entries. Using `-x' is equivalent to specifying all of `-a -f -h -r -t'.  File: binutils.info, Node: ranlib, Next: size, Prev: objdump, Up: Top ranlib ****** ranlib [-vV] ARCHIVE `ranlib' generates an index to the contents of an archive and stores it in the archive. The index lists each symbol defined by a member of an archive that is a relocatable object file. You may use `nm -s' or `nm --print-armap' to list this index. An archive with such an index speeds up linking to the library and allows routines in the library to call each other without regard to their placement in the archive. The GNU `ranlib' program is another form of GNU `ar'; running `ranlib' is completely equivalent to executing `ar -s'. *Note ar::. `-v' `-V' Show the version number of `ranlib'.  File: binutils.info, Node: size, Next: strings, Prev: ranlib, Up: Top size **** size [ -A | -B | --format=COMPATIBILITY ] [ --help ] [ -d | -o | -x | --radix=NUMBER ] [ --target=BFDNAME ] [ -V | --version ] OBJFILE... The GNU `size' utility lists the section sizes--and the total size--for each of the object or archive files OBJFILE in its argument list. By default, one line of output is generated for each object file or each module in an archive. OBJFILE... are the object files to be examined. The command line options have the following meanings: `-A' `-B' `--format=COMPATIBILITY' Using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from GNU `size' resembles output from System V `size' (using `-A', or `--format=sysv'), or Berkeley `size' (using `-B', or `--format=berkeley'). The default is the one-line format similar to Berkeley's. Here is an example of the Berkeley (default) format of output from `size': size --format Berkeley ranlib size text data bss dec hex filename 294880 81920 11592 388392 5ed28 ranlib 294880 81920 11888 388688 5ee50 size This is the same data, but displayed closer to System V conventions: size --format SysV ranlib size ranlib : section size addr .text 294880 8192 .data 81920 303104 .bss 11592 385024 Total 388392 size : section size addr .text 294880 8192 .data 81920 303104 .bss 11888 385024 Total 388688 `--help' Show a summary of acceptable arguments and options. `-d' `-o' `-x' `--radix=NUMBER' Using one of these options, you can control whether the size of each section is given in decimal (`-d', or `--radix=10'); octal (`-o', or `--radix=8'); or hexadecimal (`-x', or `--radix=16'). In `--radix=NUMBER', only the three values (8, 10, 16) are supported. The total size is always given in two radices; decimal and hexadecimal for `-d' or `-x' output, or octal and hexadecimal if you're using `-o'. `--target=BFDNAME' Specify that the object-code format for OBJFILE is BFDNAME. This option may not be necessary; `size' can automatically recognize many formats. *Note objdump::, for information on listing available formats. `-V' `--version' Display the version number of `size'.  File: binutils.info, Node: strings, Next: strip, Prev: size, Up: Top strings ******* strings [-afov] [-MIN-LEN] [-n MIN-LEN] [-t RADIX] [-] [--all] [--print-file-name] [--bytes=MIN-LEN] [--radix=RADIX] [--help] [--version] FILE... For each FILE given, GNU `strings' prints the printable character sequences that are at least 4 characters long (or the number given with the options below) and are followed by a NUL or newline character. By default, it only prints the strings from the initialized data sections of object files; for other types of files, it prints the strings from the whole file. `strings' is mainly useful for determining the contents of non-text files. `-a' `--all' `-' Do not scan only the initialized data section of object files; scan the whole files. `-f' `--print-file-name' Print the name of the file before each string. `--help' Print a summary of the program usage on the standard output and exit. `-MIN-LEN' `-n MIN-LEN' `--bytes=MIN-LEN' Print sequences of characters that are at least MIN-LEN characters long, instead of the default 4. `-o' Like `-t o'. Some other versions of `strings' have `-o' act like `-t d' instead. Since we can not be compatible with both ways, we simply chose one. `-t RADIX' `--radix=RADIX' Print the offset within the file before each string. The single character argument specifies the radix of the offset--`o' for octal, `x' for hexadecimal, or `d' for decimal. `-v' `--version' Print the program version number on the standard output and exit.  File: binutils.info, Node: strip, Next: c++filt, Prev: strings, Up: Top strip ***** strip [ -F FORMAT | --format=FORMAT | --target=FORMAT ] [ -I FORMAT | --input-format=FORMAT ] [ -O FORMAT | --output-format=FORMAT ] [ -s | --strip-all ] [ -S | -g | --strip-debug ] [ -x | --discard-all ] [ -X | --discard-locals ] [ -v | --verbose ] [ -V | --version ] [ --help ] OBJFILE... GNU `strip' discards all symbols from object files OBJFILE. The list of object files may include archives. At least one object file must be given. `strip' modifies the files named in its argument, rather than writing modified copies under different names. `-F FORMAT' `--format=FORMAT' `--target=FORMAT' Treat the original OBJFILE as a file with the object code format FORMAT, and rewrite it in the same format. `--help' Show a summary of the options to `strip' and exit. `-I FORMAT' `--input-format=FORMAT' Treat the original OBJFILE as a file with the object code format FORMAT. `-O FORMAT' `--output-format=FORMAT' Replace OBJFILE with a file in the output format FORMAT. `-s' `--strip-all' Remove all symbols. `-g' `-S' `--strip-debug' Remove debugging symbols only. `-x' `--discard-all' Remove non-global symbols. `-X' `--discard-locals' Remove compiler-generated local symbols. (These usually start with `L' or `.'.) `-V' `--version' Show the version number for `strip'. `-v' `--verbose' Verbose output: list all object files modified. In the case of archives, `strip -v' lists all members of the archive.  File: binutils.info, Node: c++filt, Next: Index, Prev: strip, Up: Top c++filt ******* c++filt [ -_ | --strip-underscores ] [ -s FORMAT | --format=FORMAT ] [ --help ] [ --version ] [ SYMBOL... ] The C++ language provides function overloading, which means that you can write many functions with the same name (providing each takes parameters of different types). All C++ function names are encoded into a low-level assembly label (this process is known as "mangling"). The `c++filt' program does the inverse mapping: it decodes ("demangles") low-level names into user-level names so that the linker can keep these overloaded functions from clashing. Every alphanumeric word (consisting of letters, digits, underscores, dollars, or periods) seen in the input is a potential label. If the label decodes into a C++ name, the C++ name replaces the low-level name in the output. You can use `c++filt' to decipher individual symbols: c++filt SYMBOL If no SYMBOL arguments are given, `c++filt' reads symbol names from the standard input and writes the demangled names to the standard output. All results are printed on the standard output. `-_' `--strip-underscores' On some systems, both the C and C++ compilers put an underscore in front of every name. For example, the C name `foo' gets the low-level name `_foo'. This option removes the initial underscore. `-s FORMAT' `--format=FORMAT' GNU `nm' can decode three different methods of mangling, used by different C++ compilers. The argument to this option selects which method it uses: `gnu' the one used by the GNU compiler (the default method) `lucid' the one used by the Lucid compiler `arm' the one specified by the C++ Annotated Reference Manual `--help' Print a summary of the options to `c++filt' and exit. `--version' Print the version number of `c++filt' and exit. *Warning:* `c++filt' is a new utility, and the details of its user interface are subject to change in future releases. In particular, a command-line option may be required in the the future to decode a name passed as an argument on the command line; in other words, c++filt SYMBOL may in a future release become c++filt OPTION SYMBOL  File: binutils.info, Node: Index, Prev: c++filt, Up: Top Index ***** * Menu: * .stab: objdump. * ar compatibility: ar. * nm compatibility: nm. * nm compatibility: nm. * nm format: nm. * nm format: nm. * size display format: size. * size number format: size. * all header information, object file: objdump. * ar: ar. * architecture: objdump. * architectures available: objdump. * archive contents: ranlib. * archive headers: objdump. * archives: ar. * c++filt: c++filt. * collections of files: ar. * compatibility, ar: ar. * contents of archive: ar-cmdline. * creating archives: ar-cmdline. * dates in archive: ar-cmdline. * debug symbols: objdump. * debugging symbols: nm. * deleting from archive: ar-cmdline. * demangling C++ symbols: c++filt. * demangling C++ symbols: nm. * disassembling object code: objdump. * discarding symbols: strip. * ELF object file format: objdump. * external symbols: nm. * external symbols: nm. * extract from archive: ar-cmdline. * file name: nm. * header information, all: objdump. * input file name: nm. * libraries: ar. * listings strings: strings. * machine instructions: objdump. * moving in archive: ar-cmdline. * MRI compatibility, ar: ar-scripts. * name duplication in archive: ar-cmdline. * name length: ar. * nm: nm. * objdump: objdump. * object code format: nm. * object code format: objdump. * object code format: size. * object file header: objdump. * object file information: objdump. * object file sections: objdump. * object formats available: objdump. * operations on archive: ar-cmdline. * printing from archive: ar-cmdline. * printing strings: strings. * quick append to archive: ar-cmdline. * radix for section sizes: size. * ranlib: ranlib. * relative placement in archive: ar-cmdline. * relocation entries, in object file: objdump. * removing symbols: strip. * repeated names in archive: ar-cmdline. * replacement in archive: ar-cmdline. * scripts, ar: ar-scripts. * section headers: objdump. * section information: objdump. * section sizes: size. * sections, full contents: objdump. * size: size. * sorting symbols: nm. * source file name: nm. * source filenames for object files: objdump. * stab: objdump. * strings: strings. * strings, printing: strings. * strip: strip. * symbol index: ranlib. * symbol index: ar. * symbol index, listing: nm. * symbol table entries, printing: objdump. * symbols: nm. * symbols, discarding: strip. * undefined symbols: nm. * Unix compatibility, ar: ar-cmdline. * updating an archive: ar-cmdline. * version: Top. * writing archive index: ar-cmdline.  Tag Table: Node: Top918 Node: ar1769 Node: ar-cmdline3935 Node: ar-scripts10370 Node: nm16051 Node: objcopy19624 Node: objdump21994 Node: ranlib25572 Node: size26306 Node: strings28993 Node: strip30625 Node: c++filt32286 Node: Index34647  End Tag Table