1213700Smm README for LD 2213700Smm 3213700SmmThis is the GNU linker. It is distributed with other "binary 4213700Smmutilities" which should be in ../binutils. See ../binutils/README for 5207753Smmmore general notes, including where to send bug reports. 6207753Smm 7207753SmmThere are many features of the linker: 8207753Smm 9213700Smm* The linker uses a Binary File Descriptor library (../bfd) 10213700Smm that it uses to read and write object files. This helps 11207753Smm insulate the linker itself from the format of object files. 12207753Smm 13213700Smm* The linker supports a number of different object file 14207753Smm formats. It can even handle multiple formats at once: 15207753Smm Read two input formats and write a third. 16207753Smm 17207753Smm* The linker can be configured for cross-linking. 18207753Smm 19207753Smm* The linker supports a control language. 20207753Smm 21213700Smm* There is a user manual (ld.texinfo), as well as the 22207753Smm beginnings of an internals manual (ldint.texinfo). 23207753Smm 24207753SmmInstallation 25207753Smm============ 26213700Smm 27207753SmmSee ../binutils/README. 28207753Smm 29207753SmmIf you want to make a cross-linker, you may want to specify 30207753Smma different search path of -lfoo libraries than the default. 31213700SmmYou can do this by setting the LIB_PATH variable in ./Makefile 32213700Smmor using the --with-lib-path configure switch. 33207753Smm 34213700SmmTo build just the linker, make the target all-ld from the top level 35207753Smmdirectory (one directory above this one). 36213700Smm 37213700SmmPorting to a new target 38213700Smm======================= 39213700Smm 40207753SmmSee the ldint.texinfo manual. 41207753Smm 42207753SmmReporting bugs etc 43207753Smm=========================== 44207753Smm 45207753SmmSee ../binutils/README. 46213700Smm 47213700SmmKnown problems 48207753Smm============== 49213700Smm 50207753SmmThe Solaris linker normally exports all dynamic symbols from an 51207753Smmexecutable. The GNU linker does not do this by default. This is 52207753Smmbecause the GNU linker tries to present the same interface for all 53213700Smmsimilar targets (in this case, all native ELF targets). This does not 54207753Smmmatter for normal programs, but it can make a difference for programs 55207753Smmwhich try to dlopen an executable, such as PERL or Tcl. You can make 56207753Smmthe GNU linker export all dynamic symbols with the -E or 57207753Smm--export-dynamic command line option. 58213700Smm 59207753SmmHP/UX 9.01 has a shell bug that causes the linker scripts to be 60207753Smmgenerated incorrectly. The symptom of this appears to be "fatal error 61207753Smm- scanner input buffer overflow" error messages. There are various 62213700Smmworkarounds to this: 63207753Smm * Build and install bash, and build with "make SHELL=bash". 64207753Smm * Update to a version of HP/UX with a working shell (e.g., 9.05). 65207753Smm * Replace "(. ${srcdir}/scripttempl/${SCRIPT_NAME}.sc)" in 66213700Smm genscripts.sh with "sh ${srcdir}..." (no parens) and make sure the 67213700Smm emulparams script used exports any shell variables it sets. 68213700Smm