| README for LD | |
| This is the GNU linker. It is distributed with other "binary | |
| utilities" which should be in ../binutils. See ../binutils/README for | |
| more general notes, including where to send bug reports. | |
| There are many features of the linker: | |
| * The linker uses a Binary File Descriptor library (../bfd) | |
| that it uses to read and write object files. This helps | |
| insulate the linker itself from the format of object files. | |
| * The linker supports a number of different object file | |
| formats. It can even handle multiple formats at once: | |
| Read two input formats and write a third. | |
| * The linker can be configured for cross-linking. | |
| * The linker supports a control language. | |
| * There is a user manual (ld.texi), as well as the | |
| beginnings of an internals manual (ldint.texi). | |
| Installation | |
| ============ | |
| See ../binutils/README. | |
| If you want to make a cross-linker, you may want to specify | |
| a different search path of -lfoo libraries than the default. | |
| You can do this by setting the LIB_PATH variable in ./Makefile | |
| or using the --with-lib-path configure switch. | |
| To build just the linker, make the target all-ld from the top level | |
| directory (one directory above this one). | |
| Porting to a new target | |
| ======================= | |
| See the ldint.texi manual. | |
| Reporting bugs etc | |
| =========================== | |
| See ../binutils/README. | |
| Known problems | |
| ============== | |
| The Solaris linker normally exports all dynamic symbols from an | |
| executable. The GNU linker does not do this by default. This is | |
| because the GNU linker tries to present the same interface for all | |
| similar targets (in this case, all native ELF targets). This does not | |
| matter for normal programs, but it can make a difference for programs | |
| which try to dlopen an executable, such as PERL or Tcl. You can make | |
| the GNU linker export all dynamic symbols with the -E or | |
| --export-dynamic command line option. | |
| HP/UX 9.01 has a shell bug that causes the linker scripts to be | |
| generated incorrectly. The symptom of this appears to be "fatal error | |
| - scanner input buffer overflow" error messages. There are various | |
| workarounds to this: | |
| * Build and install bash, and build with "make SHELL=bash". | |
| * Update to a version of HP/UX with a working shell (e.g., 9.05). | |
| * Replace "(. ${srcdir}/scripttempl/${SCRIPT_NAME}.sc)" in | |
| genscripts.sh with "sh ${srcdir}..." (no parens) and make sure the | |
| emulparams script used exports any shell variables it sets. | |
| Copyright (C) 2012-2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
| Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, | |
| are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright | |
| notice and this notice are preserved. |