9. Command-line options

Here’s the list of command-line options accepted by the ELD:

9.1. Common options for all the backends

9.1.1. Compatibility Or Ignored Options

-EL: Link little endian objects.

-Qy: This option is ignored for SVR4 compatibility

--add-needed: Deprecated

--copy-dt-needed-entries: Add the dynamic libraries mentioned to DT_NEEDED

--ignore-unknown-opts: Disable warnings of unimplemented options

--nmagic: Turn off page alignment of sections, and disable linking against shared libraries

--no-add-needed: Deprecated

--no-allow-shlib-undefined: Do not allow undefined symbols from dynamic library when creating executables

--no-copy-dt-needed-entries: Turn off the effect of the –copy-dt-needed-entries

--no-omagic: This option negates most of the effects of the -N option.Disable linking with shared libraries

--omagic: Set the text and data sections to be readable and writable. Also, do not page-align the data segment, and disable linking against shared libraries.

-plugin <pluginfile>: Specify a plugin file

-plugin-opt <plugin-opt>: Specify plugin options

-thin-archive-rule-matching-compatibility, --thin-archive-rule-matching-compatibility: Provides rule-matching compatibility when fat archives are converted to thin archives

9.1.2. DIAGNOSITC OPTIONS

-W<warn-type>

Print warnings which are OFF by default

-Wall : print all warnings
-W[no]linker-script : display warnings detected while parsing linker scripts
-W[no]attribute-mix : display a warning if object files of RISC-V with different attributes are being linked
-W[no-]archive-file : display warnings detected while reading archive files
-W[no-]linker-script-memory : display warnings detected while processing linker script memory command
-W[no-]bad-dot-assignments : display warnings for bad dot assignments
-Wwhole-archive : display a warning when whole-archive is enabled for any archive file

-color <on/off>: Enable color output for diagnostics

-cref, --cref: Print the references for a symbol or section

-t: Print all files processed by the linker

-display_hotness <value>: Display hotness information for optimization remarks

--emit-timing-stats <filename>: Emit time statistics of various linker operatons to the specified file

-emit-timing-stats-in-output, --emit-timing-stats-in-output: Insert link-time stats in section .note.qc.timing

--error-limit <max-error-number>: Maximum number of errors to emit before stopping (0 = no limit)

--error-style <style>: Specify an error style, LLVM/GNU

--fatal-internal-errors: Enable fatal internal errors

--fatal-warnings: Enable fatal warnings

--gc-cref <symbol/section>: Print the references for a symbol or section when garbage collection is enabled

--no-fatal-internal-errors: Disable fatal internal errors

--no-fatal-warnings: Disable fatal warnings

--no-warn-mismatch: Do not Warn on incompatible files passed to the linker.

-opt-record-file, --opt-record-file: Create diagnostic yaml file

-print-timing-stats, --print-timing-stats: Print time statistics of various linker operatons to console

--progress-bar: Show Progress Bar

--summary: Display linker run summary at the end

--time-region <region>: Emit time statistics for specified region of linker operation

-trace <trace-type>

Allow tracing of

–trace=linker-script : trace linker script
–trace=files : trace input files
–trace=reloc=<pattern> : trace relocations
–trace=symbol=<symbol-name> : trace symbol
–trace=all-symbols : trace all symbols
–trace=LTO : trace LTO
–trace=garbage-collection : trace linker garbage collection
–trace=plugin : trace plugin
–trace=threads : trace threads
–trace=assignments : trace symbol assignments
–trace=command-line : trace header info
–trace=live-edges : trace reachable sections when garbage collection is enabled
–trace=merge-strings : trace linker string optimization
–trace=trampolines : trace trampolines
–trace=wrap-symbols : trace symbol wrap options
–trace=symdef : trace symbol resolution from symdef files
–trace=dynamic-linking : trace dynamic linking

--trace-linker-script: Trace stages of linker script processing

--trace-lto: Trace stages of lto

-trace-merge-strings <option>: Emit diagnostics describing how strings were merged. Options: all(default), allocatable_sections, <output section (regex)>

-trace-reloc <relocation>: trace a particular relocation

-trace-section <section_name>: Show metadata about a particular section

-y <symbol>: Trace a particular symbol

--verbose: Enable verbose output

-verbose=<verbose-level>: Enable verbose output

-verify-options <option>: Verify certain internal linker computations - currently supports reloc

--warn-common: Warn on common symbols

--warn-limit <maxwarnings>: Maximum number of warnings to emit (0 = no limit)

--warn-mismatch: Warn on incompatible files passed to the linker.

9.1.3. DYNAMIC LIBRARY OPTIONS

-Bgroup: Enable runtime linker to handle lookups in this object and its dependencies to be performed only inside this group

-Bsymbolic: Bind references to global symbols to the definition within the shared library

-Bsymbolic-functions: Bind references to global functions to the definition within the shared library

-g: Enable debug output when building shared libraries or executables

-fPIC: Enable PIC mode

--hash-size <size>: Specify a hash size when creating the hash sections for the dynamic loader

-hash-style <hashstyle>: Specify a hash style when creating the hash sections for the dynamic loader

--no-warn-shared-textrel: Don’t Warn if the linker adds a DT_TEXTREL

-soname=<name>, --soname=<name>: Set the internal DT_SONAME field to the specified name

--warn-shared-textrel: Warn if the linker adds a DT_TEXTREL

9.1.4. DYNAMIC LIBRARY/EXECUTABLE OPTIONS

-dynamic-linker <path>: Set the path to the dynamic linker

-export-dynamic, --export-dynamic: Add all symbols to the dynamic symbol table when creating executables

-export-dynamic-symbol <symbol>: Export specified symbol to dynamic symbol table

-force-dynamic, --force-dynamic: Build executable as a force dynamic executable

-no-dynamic-linker, --no-dynamic-linker: The program does not need a dynamic linker when creating static PIE executables

--no-export-dynamic

-rpath <path>: Add a path to the runtime library search path

-rpath-link <path>: Specifies the path to search

9.1.5. Extended Options

--align-segments: Align segments to page boundaries

--allow-bss-conversion: Dont produce an error when mixing NOBITS, and PROGBITS sections in the same segment

-copy-farcalls-from-file <filename>: Copy far calls instead of using trampolines

-z <extended-opts>

Extended Options or Non standard options.

Available options are:

-z=combreloc : Combines multiple reloc sections and sorts them to make dynamicsymbol lookup caching
-z=now : Enables immediate binding
-z=nocopyreloc : Disables Copy Relocation

--disable-new-dtags: Disable new dynamic tags

-dump-mapping-file <outputfilename>: Dump mapping file to output file

-dump-response-file <outputfilename>: Dump response file to output file

-emit-relocs-llvm, --emit-relocs-llvm: Emit relocations sections

--enable-new-dtags: Enable new dynamic tags

-mapping-file <INI-file>: Reproduce link using a mapping file

--no-align-segments: Dont align segments to page boundaries

-no-emit-relocs, --no-emit-relocs: Dont emit relocations in the output file, applicable to –emit-relocs-llvm option too

-no-reuse-trampolines-file <filename>: Dont reuse trampolines for symbols specified in file

--no-verify: Dont verify link output

-reproduce <tarfilename>: Write a tar file containing input files and command line options to inspect and re-link

-reproduce-compressed <tarfilename>: Write compressed tar file in zlib format containing input files and command line options to inspect and re-link.

-reproduce-on-fail <tarfilename>: Write reproduce tar file when link failscontaining input files and command line options to inspect and re-link.

-rosegment, --rosegment: Put read-only non-executable sections in their own segment

--script-options <matchtype>: Specify a match type, match-gnu/match-llvm

--use-old-style-trampoline-name: Use old style of naming trampolines

9.1.6. GENERAL OPTIONS

--build-id: Request creation of “.note.gnu.build-id” ELF note section

-build-id=fast/md5/sha1/tree/uuid/0x<hexstring>/none: Request creation of “.note.gnu.build-id” ELF note section

-o <outputfile>: Path to file to write output

--repository-version: Print the Linker Repository version

-sysroot <sysroot-path>: Set the system root

--version: Print the Linker version

9.1.7. Help!

--help, -help: Print option help

--help-hidden, -help-hidden: Print hidden option help

9.1.8. Input Format

-b <input-format>: Specify input format for inputs following this option. Supported values: binary,default

9.1.9. OUTPUT KIND

-Bdynamic: Link against dynamic library

-dynamic: Create dynamic executable (default)

-no-pie: Do not create a PIE executable

-pie: Create PIE executable

-r: Create relocatable object file

-shared: Create dynamic library

-static: Create static executable

9.1.10. Link Time Speedup

-enable-threads=<option>: make linker fully threaded, available options: all

-no-threads, --no-threads: Disable Threads at Link time

--thread-count <threadcount>: Specify the number of threads for all linker operations

-threads, --threads: Enable Threads at Link time

9.1.11. LLVM and Target Options

-m: Select target emulation

-mabi <mabi>: Target ABI

-march <march>: Target architecture

-mcpu <mcpu>: Target CPU

-mllvm <option>: Options to pass to LLVM

-mtriple <triple>: Target triple to link for

9.1.12. LTO Options

-exclude-lto-filelist <list_of_files>: Specify a list of files that are to be disregarded while using embedded bitcode section for LTO. This has no effect if -flto switch is not used.

-flto, --flto: Enable LTO if a Bitcode file is present.

-flto-options <option>: Specify various options with LTO

-flto-use-as, --flto-use-as: Use the standalone assembler instead of the integrated assembler for LTO

-include-lto-filelist <list_of_files>: Specify a list of files with embedded bitcode sections that are to be used for LTO. This has no effect if -flto switch is used

-save-temps, --save-temps: Save the temporary files produced by LTO

-save-temps=<filename>: Save the temporary files produced by LTO

9.1.13. EXECUTABLE OPTIONS

-L: Path to search for libraries or linker scripts

-Y <path>: Add path to the default library search path

-emit-relocs, --emit-relocs: Make Emit relocs behave just like GNU.

-e <symbolname>: Name of entry point symbol

-fini <symbol>: Specify a finalizer function

--image-base <address>

-init <symbol>: Specify an initializer function

-l: Root name of library to use

--library-path <path>: Path to search for libraries or linker scripts

--library=<namespec>: library to use

-no-whole-archive, --no-whole-archive: Restores the default behavior of loading archive members

--noinhibit-exec: Retain the executable output file whenever it is still usable

-nostdlib: Disable default search path for libraries

-whole-archive, --whole-archive: Force load of all members in a static library

9.1.14. Map Options

-Map <filename>: Dump the output layout to the map file

-MapDetail <option>: Detail information in the map file

-MapStyle <fileformat>: Dump the output layout to the map file in YAML/Text/Binary Form

-M: Emit the map file

-trampoline-map <filename>: Dump Trampoline Information in YAML format

--color-map: Color the map file

9.1.15. Misc Features

-allow-incompatible-section-mix, --allow-incompatible-section-mix: Allow incompatible section mix

9.1.16. OPTIMIZATION OPTIONS

--eh-frame-hdr: Create EH Frame Header section for faster exception handling

-gc-sections, --gc-sections: Enable garbage collection

-no-gc-sections, --no-gc-sections: Disable garbage collection

--no-merge-strings: Disable String Merging

--no-trampolines: Disable Trampolines

-print-gc-sections, --print-gc-sections: Print sections that are garbage collected

9.1.17. Features From other Linkers

-R <filename>: Read symbol names and addresses from filename

-symdef, --symdef: Output SymDef file to console

--symdef-file <filename>: Emit SymDef file

--symdef-style <style>: Determine how to handle symbol resolution for symbols from symdef file, Options available are provide

9.1.18. Plugin Options

--no-default-plugins: Allow no plugins to be implicitly loaded

--plugin-config <config-file>: Specify a plugin configuration

9.1.19. SYMBOL RESOLUTION OPTIONS

--allow-multiple-definition: Allow multiple definitions

-allow-shlib-undefined, --allow-shlib-undefined: Allow undefined symbols from dynamic library when creating executables

--as-needed: This option affects ELF DT_NEEDED tags for dynamic libraries mentioned on the command line

-defsym symbol=<expression>: Create a global symbol in the output file containing the absolute address given by expression

-end-group, --end-group: End a group

--no-as-needed: This option restores the default behavior of adding DT_NEEDED entries

-no-undefined, --no-undefined: Report unresolved symbol references from regular object files

-start-group, --start-group: Start a group

-u: Force symbol to be entered in the output file as an undefined symbol

--use-shlib-undefines: Resolve undefined symbols from dynamic libraries

--warn-once: Warn only once for every undefined reference

9.1.20. SCRIPT OPTIONS

-T <linkerscriptfile>: Use the given linker script in place of the default script.

-Tbss <address>: Specify an address for the .bss section

-Tdata <address>: Specify an address for the .data section

-Ttext <address>: Specify an address for the .text section

-Ttext-segment <address>: Specify an address for the .text-segment segment

-default-script <pluginfile>: Use the linker script as the default linker script.

--no-check-sections: Do not check section addresses for overlaps

-dynamic-list <list-of-symbols>: Specify a list of symbols if present will be exported

--check-sections: Check section addresses for overlaps(default)

--exclude-libs <libs>: Specifies a list of archive libraries from which symbols should not be automatically exported

-extern-list <list-of-symbols>: Specify a list of symbols that exists as external dependencies

--global-merge-non-alloc-strings: merge non-alloc strings across output sections

--map-section <section>: Specify a input section that maps to a output section

-orphan-handling <mode>: Specify how to handle orphan sections. Options available are place,error, warn

--print-memory-usage: Print memory usage when MEMORY linker script directive is used

-section-start <address>: Specify a virtual output section address for a specified section

-sort-section=<option>: Sort sections. Options availabe are name , alignment

-unique-output-sections, --unique-output-sections: Place each input section in a unique output section

--unresolved-symbols <option>: Determine how to handle unresolved symbols, Options available are ignore-all,report-all(Default), ignore-in-object-files, ignore-in-shared-libs

-version-script <linkersciptfile>: Use the linker script as a version script.

9.1.21. SYMBOL OPTIONS

-d: Assign space to common symbols

--demangle: Demangle C++ symbols

--demangle-style <value>: Specify whether the linker should demangle symbols when emitting errors or emitting Map files

--discard-all: Discard all symbols

--discard-locals: Discard all local symbols

--no-demangle: Dont demangle C++ symbols

-portable <symbol>: Specify symbol to be portable wrapped to

--sort-common: sort common symbols by alignment

-sort-common=<option>: Sort common symbols by ascdending/descending order of alignment

--strip-all: Omit all symbol informations from output

--strip-debug: Omit all debug information from output

-wrap <symbol>: Specify symbol to be wrapped to

9.2. ARM and AArch64 specific options

9.2.1. ARM/AArch64 Linker Options

-compact, --compact: Create a smaller output file. The Loader need to support such files

--disable-bss-conversion: Don’t convert BSS to NonBSS when BSS/NonBSS Sections are mixed

--enable-bss-mixing: Enable mixing BSS/NonBSS sections

--use-mov-veneer: Use movt/movw to load address in veneers with absolute relocation

9.2.2. ARM Linker Option ONLY

-execute-only, --execute-only: Mark executable sections execute-only on AArch64

-fix-cortex-a53-843419, --fix-cortex-a53-843419: Fix the cortex a53 errata 843419

--fix-cortex-a8: Fix the Cortex A8 bug

-fropi, --fropi: Enable Read write data access relative to a static base registers.

-frwpi, --frwpi: Enable Read write data access relative to a static base registers.

--no-fix-cortex-a8: Dont Fix the Cortex A8 bug

9.3. Hexagon specific options

9.3.1. Hexagon Linker experimental Options

--relax: Enable Hexagon Relaxation (default behavior)

-relax=<regex>: Restrict relaxation to only certain sections

9.3.2. Hexagon Options

--gpsize=<maxsize>: Set the maximum size of objects to be optimized using GP

9.4. RISCV specific options

9.4.1. Symbol Patching

--patch-base <value>: Specify base image to generate patch for

--patch-enable: Enable symbol patching using indirection

9.4.2. RISCV Linker Options

--disable-bss-conversion: Don’t convert BSS to NonBSS when BSS/NonBSS Sections are mixed

--enable-bss-mixing: Enable mixing BSS/NonBSS sections

--keep-labels: Keep all local labels for debugging purposes

--no-relax-gp: Disable GP relaxation

--no-relax: Disable relaxation

--no-relax-c: Disable relaxation to compressed instructions

--relax: Enable relaxation (default behavior)