Re: executables

larus@cs.wisc.edu (James Larus)
Sat, 17 Dec 1994 13:57:22 GMT

          From comp.compilers

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[8 earlier articles]
executables htak@eskimo.com (1994-12-12)
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Re: executables robert@par.univie.ac.at (1994-12-14)
Re: Executables vadakke@cse.uta.edu (1994-12-14)
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Re: executables mleone+@cs.cmu.edu (Mark Leone) (1994-12-17)
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Re: executables richard@atheist.tamu.edu (1994-12-20)
| List of all articles for this month |

Newsgroups: comp.compilers
From: larus@cs.wisc.edu (James Larus)
Keywords: linker
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
References: <9412091616.AA12460@ada1.ssd.csd.harris.com> 94-12-095
Date: Sat, 17 Dec 1994 13:57:22 GMT

I've followed this thread about linkers with some amusement. Take it
from someone who knows more than he ever wanted to know about them:
don't make the same mistake. They are rather mundane beasts whose
principle complexity is that they process highly structured binary
data.


If you don't believe me, I can suggest two sources of information:


1. Sun publishes a volume on object file (ELF) formats and linking
that is part of the Solaris documentation. The same information (Unix
System V documenation) is also available as a Prentice-Hall book. The
Sun documetation has the advantage that it describes the details of
the Sun files instead of presenting the generic standard.


2. The GNU project distributes its binutils. This includes BFD, a
library for manipulating .o and a.out files and a linker. The code
isn't beautiful, but it works and has all of the details.


/Jim


James Larus
Computer Sciences Department
University of Wisconsin
1210 West Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53706
larus@cs.wisc.edu
608-262-9519
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