\input texinfo @c -*- Texinfo -*-
@setfilename binutils.info
+@include config.texi
@ifinfo
@format
@end ifinfo
@ifinfo
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
@c This file documents the GNU binary utilities "ar", "ld", "objcopy",
@c "objdump", "nm", "size", "strings", "strip", and "ranlib".
@c
-@c Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c
@c This text may be freely distributed under the terms of the GNU
@c General Public License.
@c
@setchapternewpage odd
-@settitle GNU Binary Utilities
+@settitle @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
@titlepage
@finalout
-@title The GNU Binary Utilities
-@subtitle Version 2.2
+@title The @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
+@subtitle Version @value{VERSION}
@sp 1
@subtitle May 1993
@author Roland H. Pesch
@end tex
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
@top Introduction
@cindex version
-This brief manual contains preliminary documentation for the GNU binary
-utilities (collectively version 2.2):
+This brief manual contains preliminary documentation for the @sc{gnu} binary
+utilities (collectively version @value{VERSION}):
@iftex
@table @code
@item c++filt
Demangle encoded C++ symbols
+@item addr2line
+Convert addresses into file names and line numbers
+
@item nlmconv
Convert object code into a Netware Loadable Module
@end table
* strings:: List printable strings from files
* strip:: Discard symbols
* c++filt:: Filter to demangle encoded C++ symbols
+* addr2line:: Convert addresses to file and line
* nlmconv:: Converts object code into an NLM
* Selecting The Target System:: How these utilities determine the target.
-* Index::
+* Reporting Bugs:: Reporting Bugs
+* Index:: Index
@end menu
@node ar
ar -M [ <mri-script ]
@end smallexample
-The GNU @code{ar} program creates, modifies, and extracts from
+The @sc{gnu} @code{ar} program creates, modifies, and extracts from
archives. An @dfn{archive} is a single file holding a collection of
other files in a structure that makes it possible to retrieve
the original individual files (called @dfn{members} of the archive).
extraction.
@cindex name length
-GNU @code{ar} can maintain archives whose members have names of any
+@sc{gnu} @code{ar} can maintain archives whose members have names of any
length; however, depending on how @code{ar} is configured on your
system, a limit on member-name length may be imposed for compatibility
with archive formats maintained with other tools. If it exists, the
@cindex compatibility, @code{ar}
@cindex @code{ar} compatibility
-GNU @code{ar} is designed to be compatible with two different
+@sc{gnu} @code{ar} is designed to be compatible with two different
facilities. You can control its activity using command-line options,
like the different varieties of @code{ar} on Unix systems; or, if you
specify the single command-line option @samp{-M}, you can control it
Most operations can also accept further @var{member} arguments,
specifying particular files to operate on.
-GNU @code{ar} allows you to mix the operation code @var{p} and modifier
+@sc{gnu} @code{ar} allows you to mix the operation code @var{p} and modifier
flags @var{mod} in any order, within the first command-line argument.
If you wish, you may begin the first command-line argument with a
issued unless you specify in advance that you expect to create it, by
using this modifier.
+@item f
+Truncate names in the archive. @sc{gnu} @code{ar} will normally permit file
+names of any length. This will cause it to create archives which are
+not compatible with the native @code{ar} program on some systems. If
+this is a concern, the @samp{f} modifier may be used to truncate file
+names when putting them in the archive.
+
@item i
Insert new files @emph{before} an existing member of the
archive. If you use the modifier @samp{i}, the name of an existing archive
@item l
This modifier is accepted but not used.
@c whaffor ar l modifier??? presumably compat; with
-@c what???---pesch@@cygnus.com, 25jan91
+@c what???---doc@@cygnus.com, 25jan91
@item o
@cindex dates in archive
The @code{ar} command language is @emph{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 @code{ar} for developers who already have scripts
+transition to @sc{gnu} @code{ar} for developers who already have scripts
written for the MRI ``librarian'' program.
The syntax for the @code{ar} command language is straightforward:
@item LIST
Display full contents of the current archive, in ``verbose'' style
regardless of the state of @code{VERBOSE}. The effect is like @samp{ar
-tv @var{archive}}). (This single command is a GNU @code{ld}
+tv @var{archive}}). (This single command is a @sc{gnu} @code{ld}
enhancement, rather than present for MRI compatibility.)
Requires prior use of @code{OPEN} or @code{CREATE}.
@chapter ld
@cindex linker
@kindex ld
-The GNU linker @code{ld} is now described in a separate manual.
-@xref{Top,, Overview,, Using LD: the GNU linker}.
+The @sc{gnu} linker @code{ld} is now described in a separate manual.
+@xref{Top,, Overview,, Using LD: the @sc{gnu} linker}.
@end iftex
@node nm
[ -r | --reverse-sort ] [ --size-sort ] [ -u | --undefined-only ]
[ -t @var{radix} | --radix=@var{radix} ] [ -P | --portability ]
[ --target=@var{bfdname} ] [ -f @var{format} | --format=@var{format} ]
+ [ --defined-only ] [-l | --line-numbers ]
[ --no-demangle ] [ -V | --version ] [ --help ] [ @var{objfile}@dots{} ]
@end smallexample
-GNU @code{nm} lists the symbols from object files @var{objfile}@dots{}.
+@sc{gnu} @code{nm} lists the symbols from object files @var{objfile}@dots{}.
If no object files are listed as arguments, @code{nm} assumes
@file{a.out}.
@c would be nice.
@table @code
@item A
-Absolute.
+The symbol's value is absolute, and will not be changed by further
+linking.
@item B
-BSS (uninitialized data).
+The symbol is in the uninitialized data section (known as BSS).
@item C
-Common.
+The symbol is common. Common symbols are uninitialized data. When
+linking, multiple common symbols may appear with the same name. If the
+symbol is defined anywhere, the common symbols are treated as undefined
+references. For more details on common symbols, see the discussion of
+--warn-common in @ref{Options,,Linker options,ld.info,The GNU linker}.
@item D
-Initialized data.
+The symbol is in the initialized data section.
+
+@item G
+The symbol is in an initialized data section for small objects. Some
+object file formats permit more efficient access to small data objects,
+such as a global int variable as opposed to a large global array.
@item I
-Indirect reference.
+The symbol is an indirect reference to another symbol. This is a GNU
+extension to the a.out object file format which is rarely used.
+
+@item N
+The symbol is a debugging symbol.
+
+@item R
+The symbol is in a read only data section.
+
+@item S
+The symbol is in an uninitialized data section for small objects.
@item T
-Text (program code).
+The symbol is in the text (code) section.
@item U
-Undefined.
+The symbol is undefined.
+
+@item W
+The symbol is weak. When a weak defined symbol is linked with a normal
+defined symbol, the normal defined symbol is used with no error. When a
+weak undefined symbol is linked and the symbol is not defined, the value
+of the weak symbol becomes zero with no error.
+
+@item -
+The symbol is a stabs symbol in an a.out object file. In this case, the
+next values printed are the stabs other field, the stabs desc field, and
+the stab type. Stabs symbols are used to hold debugging information;
+for more information, see @ref{Top,Stabs,Stabs Overview,stabs.info, The
+``stabs'' debug format}.
+
+@item ?
+The symbol type is unknown, or object file format specific.
@end table
@item
@item -C
@itemx --demangle
-@cindex demangling C++ symbols
+@cindex demangling in nm
Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
makes C++ function names readable. @xref{c++filt}, for more information
@cindex external symbols
Display only external symbols.
+@item -l
+@itemx --line-numbers
+@cindex symbol line numbers
+For each symbol, use debugging information to try to find a filename and
+line number. For a defined symbol, look for the line number of the
+address of the symbol. For an undefined symbol, look for the line
+number of a relocation entry which refers to the symbol. If line number
+information can be found, print it after the other symbol information.
+
@item -n
@itemx -v
@itemx --numeric-sort
@cindex undefined symbols
Display only undefined symbols (those external to each object file).
+@item --defined-only
+@cindex external symbols
+@cindex undefined symbols
+Display only defined symbols for each object file.
+
@item -V
@itemx --version
Show the version number of @code{nm} and exit.
[ -I @var{bfdname} | --input-target=@var{bfdname} ]
[ -O @var{bfdname} | --output-target=@var{bfdname} ]
[ -S | --strip-all ] [ -g | --strip-debug ]
+ [ -K @var{symbolname} | --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname} ]
[ -N @var{symbolname} | --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname} ]
[ -x | --discard-all ] [ -X | --discard-locals ]
[ -b @var{byte} | --byte=@var{byte} ]
[ -i @var{interleave} | --interleave=@var{interleave} ]
[ -R @var{sectionname} | --remove-section=@var{sectionname} ]
+ [ -p | --preserve-dates ] [ --debugging ]
[ --gap-fill=@var{val} ] [ --pad-to=@var{address} ]
[ --set-start=@var{val} ] [ --adjust-start=@var{incr} ]
[ --adjust-vma=@var{incr} ]
[ --adjust-warnings ] [ --no-adjust-warnings ]
[ --set-section-flags=@var{section}=@var{flags} ]
[ --add-section=@var{sectionname}=@var{filename} ]
+ [ --change-leading-char ] [ --remove-leading-char ]
+ [ --weaken ]
[ -v | --verbose ] [ -V | --version ] [ --help ]
@var{infile} [@var{outfile}]
@end smallexample
@code{objcopy} generates a raw binary file, it will essentially produce
a memory dump of the contents of the input object file. All symbols and
relocation information will be discarded. The memory dump will start at
-the virtual address of the lowest section copied into the output file.
+the load address of the lowest section copied into the output file.
When generating an S-record or a raw binary file, it may be helpful to
use @samp{-S} to remove sections containing debugging information. In
@itemx --strip-debug
Do not copy debugging symbols from the source file.
+@item --strip-unneeded
+Strip all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.
+
+@item -K @var{symbolname}
+@itemx --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname}
+Copy only symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may
+be given more than once.
+
@item -N @var{symbolname}
@itemx --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname}
-Do not copy symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option
-may be given more than once, and may be combined with other strip
-options.
+Do not copy symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option
+may be given more than once, and may be combined with strip options
+other than @code{-K}.
@item -x
@itemx --discard-all
@code{objcopy} ignores this option if you do not specify either @samp{-b} or
@samp{--byte}.
+@item -p
+@itemx --preserve-dates
+Set the access and modification dates of the output file to be the same
+as those of the input file.
+
+@item --debugging
+Convert debugging information, if possible. This is not the default
+because only certain debugging formats are supported, and the
+conversion process can be time consuming.
+
@item --gap-fill @var{val}
Fill gaps between sections with @var{val}. This is done by increasing
the size of the section with the lower address, and filling in the extra
size of the section will be the size of the file. This option only
works on file formats which can support sections with arbitrary names.
+@item --change-leading-char
+Some object file formats use special characters at the start of
+symbols. The most common such character is underscore, which compilers
+often add before every symbol. This option tells @code{objcopy} to
+change the leading character of every symbol when it converts between
+object file formats. If the object file formats use the same leading
+character, this option has no effect. Otherwise, it will add a
+character, or remove a character, or change a character, as
+appropriate.
+
+@item --remove-leading-char
+If the first character of a global symbol is a special symbol leading
+character used by the object file format, remove the character. The
+most common symbol leading character is underscore. This option will
+remove a leading underscore from all global symbols. This can be useful
+if you want to link together objects of different file formats with
+different conventions for symbol names. This is different from
+@code{--change-leading-char} because it always changes the symbol name
+when appropriate, regardless of the object file format of the output
+file.
+
+@item --weaken
+Change all global symbols in the file to be weak. This can be useful
+when building an object which will be linked against other objects using
+the @code{-R} option to the linker. This option is only effective when
+using an object file format which supports weak symbols.
+
@item -V
@itemx --version
Show the version number of @code{objcopy}.
@smallexample
objdump [ -a | --archive-headers ]
- [ -b @var{bfdname} | --target=@var{bfdname} ]
- [ -d | --disassemble ] [ -D | --disassemble-all ]
+ [ -b @var{bfdname} | --target=@var{bfdname} ] [ --debugging ]
+ [ -C | --demangle ] [ -d | --disassemble ]
+ [ -D | --disassemble-all ] [ --disassemble-zeroes ]
+ [ -EB | -EL | --endian=@{big | little @} ]
[ -f | --file-headers ]
[ -h | --section-headers | --headers ] [ -i | --info ]
[ -j @var{section} | --section=@var{section} ]
[ -r | --reloc ] [ -R | --dynamic-reloc ]
[ -s | --full-contents ] [ --stabs ]
[ -t | --syms ] [ -T | --dynamic-syms ] [ -x | --all-headers ]
- [ --version ] [ --help ] @var{objfile}@dots{}
+ [ -w | --wide ] [ --start-address=@var{address} ]
+ [ --stop-address=@var{address} ]
+ [ --prefix-addresses] [ --[no-]show-raw-insn ]
+ [ --adjust-vma=@var{offset} ]
+ [ --version ] [ --help ]
+ @var{objfile}@dots{}
@end smallexample
@code{objdump} displays information about one or more object files.
information you could list with @samp{ar tv}, @samp{objdump -a} shows
the object file format of each archive member.
+@item --adjust-vma=@var{offset}
+@cindex section addresses in objdump
+@cindex VMA in objdump
+When dumping information, first add @var{offset} to all the section
+addresses. This is useful if the section addresses do not correspond to
+the symbol table, which can happen when putting sections at particular
+addresses when using a format which can not represent section addresses,
+such as a.out.
+
@item -b @var{bfdname}
@itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
@cindex object code format
formats available with the @samp{-i} option.
@xref{Target Selection}, for more information.
+@item -C
+@itemx --demangle
+@cindex demangling in objdump
+Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
+Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
+makes C++ function names readable. @xref{c++filt}, for more information
+on demangling.
+
+@item --debugging
+Display debugging information. This attempts to parse debugging
+information stored in the file and print it out using a C like syntax.
+Only certain types of debugging information have been implemented.
+
@item -d
@itemx --disassemble
@cindex disassembling object code
Like @samp{-d}, but disassemble the contents of all sections, not just
those expected to contain instructions.
+@item --prefix-addresses
+When disassembling, print the complete address on each line. This is
+the older disassembly format.
+
+@item --disassemble-zeroes
+Normally the disassembly output will skip blocks of zeroes. This
+option directs the disassembler to disassemble those blocks, just like
+any other data.
+
+@item -EB
+@itemx -EL
+@itemx --endian=@{big|little@}
+@cindex endianness
+@cindex disassembly endianness
+Specify the endianness of the object files. This only affects
+disassembly. This can be useful when disassembling a file format which
+does not describe endianness information, such as S-records.
+
@item -f
@itemx --file-header
@cindex object file header
@item -l
@itemx --line-numbers
@cindex source filenames for object files
-Label the display (using debugging information) with the filename
-and source line numbers corresponding to the object code shown.
-Only useful with @samp{-d} or @samp{-D}.
+Label the display (using debugging information) with the filename and
+source line numbers corresponding to the object code or relocs shown.
+Only useful with @samp{-d}, @samp{-D}, or @samp{-r}.
@item -m @var{machine}
@itemx --architecture=@var{machine}
@cindex architecture
-Specify that the object files @var{objfile} are for architecture
-@var{machine}. You can list available architectures using the @samp{-i}
-option.
+@cindex disassembly architecture
+Specify the architecture to use when disassembling object files. This
+can be useful when disasembling object files which do not describe
+architecture information, such as S-records. You can list the available
+architectures with the @samp{-i} option.
@item -r
@itemx --reloc
Display source code intermixed with disassembly, if possible. Implies
@samp{-d}.
+@item --show-raw-insn
+When disassembling instructions, print the instruction in hex as well as
+in symbolic form. This is the default except when
+@code{--prefix-addresses} is used.
+
+@item --no-show-raw-insn
+When disassembling instructions, do not print the instruction bytes.
+This is the default when @code{--prefix-addresses} is used.
+
@item --stabs
@cindex stab
@cindex .stab
@code{.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 @samp{--syms}
-output.
+output. For more information on stabs symbols, see @ref{Top,Stabs,Stabs
+Overview,stabs.info, The ``stabs'' debug format}.
+
+@item --start-address=@var{address}
+@cindex start-address
+Start displaying data at the specified address. This affects the output
+of the @code{-d}, @code{-r} and @code{-s} options.
+
+@item --stop-address=@var{address}
+@cindex stop-address
+Stop displaying data at the specified address. This affects the output
+of the @code{-d}, @code{-r} and @code{-s} options.
@item -t
@itemx --syms
Display all available header information, including the symbol table and
relocation entries. Using @samp{-x} is equivalent to specifying all of
@samp{-a -f -h -r -t}.
+
+@item -w
+@item --wide
+@cindex wide output, printing
+Format some lines for output devices that have more than 80 columns.
@end table
@node ranlib
allows routines in the library to call each other without regard to
their placement in the archive.
-The GNU @code{ranlib} program is another form of GNU @code{ar}; running
+The @sc{gnu} @code{ranlib} program is another form of @sc{gnu} @code{ar}; running
@code{ranlib} is completely equivalent to executing @samp{ar -s}.
@xref{ar}.
@var{objfile}@dots{}
@end smallexample
-The GNU @code{size} utility lists the section sizes---and the total
+The @sc{gnu} @code{size} utility lists the section sizes---and the total
size---for each of the object or archive files @var{objfile} in its
argument list. By default, one line of output is generated for each
object file or each module in an archive.
@itemx -B
@itemx --format=@var{compatibility}
@cindex @code{size} display format
-Using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from GNU
+Using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from @sc{gnu}
@code{size} resembles output from System V @code{size} (using @samp{-A},
or @samp{--format=sysv}), or Berkeley @code{size} (using @samp{-B}, or
@samp{--format=berkeley}). The default is the one-line format similar to
[--help] [--version] @var{file}@dots{}
@end smallexample
-For each @var{file} given, GNU @code{strings} prints the printable
+For each @var{file} given, @sc{gnu} @code{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
+given with the options below) and are followed by an unprintable
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.
+and loaded sections of object files; for other types of files, it prints
+the strings from the whole file.
@code{strings} is mainly useful for determining the contents of non-text
files.
@item -a
@itemx --all
@itemx -
-Do not scan only the initialized data section of object files; scan
-the whole files.
+Do not scan only the initialized and loaded sections of object files;
+scan the whole files.
@item -f
@itemx --print-file-name
[ -I @var{bfdname} | --input-target=@var{bfdname} ]
[ -O @var{bfdname} | --output-target=@var{bfdname} ]
[ -s | --strip-all ] [ -S | -g | --strip-debug ]
+ [ -K @var{symbolname} | --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname} ]
[ -N @var{symbolname} | --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname} ]
[ -x | --discard-all ] [ -X | --discard-locals ]
[ -R @var{sectionname} | --remove-section=@var{sectionname} ]
+ [ -o @var{file} ] [ -p | --preserve-dates ]
[ -v | --verbose ] [ -V | --version ] [ --help ]
@var{objfile}@dots{}
@end smallexample
-GNU @code{strip} discards all symbols from object files
+@sc{gnu} @code{strip} discards all symbols from object files
@var{objfile}. The list of object files may include archives.
At least one object file must be given.
@itemx --strip-debug
Remove debugging symbols only.
+@item --strip-unneeded
+Remove all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.
+
+@item -K @var{symbolname}
+@itemx --keep-symbol=@var{symbolname}
+Keep only symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may
+be given more than once.
+
@item -N @var{symbolname}
@itemx --strip-symbol=@var{symbolname}
-Remove symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option
-may be given more than once, and may be combined with other strip
-options.
+Remove symbol @var{symbolname} from the source file. This option may be
+given more than once, and may be combined with strip options other than
+@code{-K}.
+
+@item -o @var{file}
+Put the stripped output in @var{file}, rather than replacing the
+existing file. When this argument is used, only one @var{objfile}
+argument may be specified.
+
+@item -p
+@itemx --preserve-dates
+Preserve the access and modification dates of the file.
@item -x
@itemx --discard-all
@item -s @var{format}
@itemx --format=@var{format}
-GNU @code{nm} can decode three different methods of mangling, used by
+@sc{gnu} @code{nm} can decode three different methods of mangling, used by
different C++ compilers. The argument to this option selects which
method it uses:
@table @code
@item gnu
-the one used by the GNU compiler (the default method)
+the one used by the @sc{gnu} compiler (the default method)
@item lucid
the one used by the Lucid compiler
@item arm
@end example
@end quotation
+@node addr2line
+@chapter addr2line
+
+@kindex addr2line
+@cindex address to file name and line number
+
+@smallexample
+addr2line [ -b @var{bfdname} | --target=@var{bfdname} ]
+ [ -C | --demangle ]
+ [ -e @var{filename} | --exe=@var{filename} ]
+ [ -f | --functions ] [ -s | --basename ]
+ [ -H | --help ] [ -V | --version ]
+ [ addr addr ... ]
+@end smallexample
+
+@code{addr2line} translates program addresses into file names and line
+numbers. Given an address and an executable, it uses the debugging
+information in the executable to figure out which file name and line
+number are associated with a given address.
+
+The executable to use is specified with the @code{-e} option. The
+default is @file{a.out}.
+
+@code{addr2line} has two modes of operation.
+
+In the first, hexadecimal addresses are specified on the command line,
+and @code{addr2line} displays the file name and line number for each
+address.
+
+In the second, @code{addr2line} reads hexadecimal addresses from
+standard input, and prints the file name and line number for each
+address on standard output. In this mode, @code{addr2line} may be used
+in a pipe to convert dynamically chosen addresses.
+
+The format of the output is @samp{FILENAME:LINENO}. The file name and
+line number for each address is printed on a separate line. If the
+@code{-f} option is used, then each @samp{FILENAME:LINENO} line is
+preceded by a @samp{FUNCTIONNAME} line which is the name of the function
+containing the address.
+
+If the file name or function name can not be determined,
+@code{addr2line} will print two question marks in their place. If the
+line number can not be determined, @code{addr2line} will print 0.
+
+The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are
+equivalent.
+
+@table @code
+@item -b @var{bfdname}
+@itemx --target=@var{bfdname}
+@cindex object code format
+Specify that the object-code format for the object files is
+@var{bfdname}.
+
+@item -C
+@itemx --demangle
+@cindex demangling in objdump
+Decode (@dfn{demangle}) low-level symbol names into user-level names.
+Besides removing any initial underscore prepended by the system, this
+makes C++ function names readable. @xref{c++filt}, for more information
+on demangling.
+
+@item -e @var{filename}
+@itemx --exe=@var{filename}
+Specify the name of the executable for which addresses should be
+translated. The default file is @file{a.out}.
+
+@item -f
+@itemx --functions
+Display function names as well as file and line number information.
+
+@item -s
+@itemx --basenames
+Display only the base of each file name.
+@end table
+
@node nlmconv
@chapter nlmconv
The commands to list valid values only list the values for which the
programs you are running were configured. If they were configured with
-@samp{--with-targets=all}, the commands list most of the available
+@samp{--enable-targets=all}, the commands list most of the available
values, but a few are left out; not all targets can be configured in at
once because some of them can only be configured @dfn{native} (on hosts
with the same type as the target system).
Some sample values are: @samp{a.out-hp300bsd}, @samp{ecoff-littlemips},
@samp{a.out-sunos-big}.
+You can also specify a target using a configuration triplet. This is
+the same sort of name that is passed to configure to specify a target.
+When you use a configuration triplet as an argument, it must be fully
+canonicalized. You can see the canonical version of a triplet by
+running the shell script @file{config.sub} which is included with the
+sources.
+
+Some sample configuration triplets are: @samp{m68k-hp-bsd},
+@samp{mips-dec-ultrix}, @samp{sparc-sun-sunos}.
+
@subheading @code{objdump} Target
Ways to specify:
which comes from @code{EMUL} in @file{config/@var{target}.mt}
@end enumerate
+@node Reporting Bugs
+@chapter Reporting Bugs
+@cindex bugs
+@cindex reporting bugs
+
+Your bug reports play an essential role in making the binary utilities
+reliable.
+
+Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or
+it may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is
+to help the entire community by making the next version of the binary
+utilities work better. Bug reports are your contribution to their
+maintenance.
+
+In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
+information that enables us to fix the bug.
+
+@menu
+* Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
+* Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
+@end menu
+
+@node Bug Criteria
+@section Have you found a bug?
+@cindex bug criteria
+
+If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@cindex fatal signal
+@cindex crash
+@item
+If a binary utility gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is
+a bug. Reliable utilities never crash.
+
+@cindex error on valid input
+@item
+If a binary utility produces an error message for valid input, that is a
+bug.
+
+@item
+If you are an experienced user of binary utilities, your suggestions for
+improvement are welcome in any case.
+@end itemize
+
+@node Bug Reporting
+@section How to report bugs
+@cindex bug reports
+@cindex bugs, reporting
+
+A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu}
+products. If you obtained the binary utilities from a support
+organization, we recommend you contact that organization first.
+
+You can find contact information for many support companies and
+individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
+distribution.
+
+In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for the binary
+utilities to @samp{bug-gnu-utils@@prep.ai.mit.edu}.
+
+The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
+@strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
+fact or leave it out, state it!
+
+Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
+problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
+assume that the name of a file you use in an example does not matter.
+Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is
+a stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where
+that pathname is stored in memory; perhaps, if the pathname were
+different, the contents of that location would fool the utility into
+doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and give a
+specific, complete example. That is the easiest thing for you to do,
+and the most helpful.
+
+Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the bug if
+it is new to us. Therefore, always write your bug reports on the assumption
+that the bug has not been reported previously.
+
+Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
+bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
+@emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
+bugs properly.
+
+To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+The version of the utility. Each utility announces it if you start it
+with the @samp{--version} argument.
+
+Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
+the bug in the current version of the binary utilities.
+
+@item
+Any patches you may have applied to the source, including any patches
+made to the @code{BFD} library.
+
+@item
+The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
+version number.
+
+@item
+What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the utilities---e.g.
+``@code{gcc-2.7}''.
+
+@item
+The command arguments you gave the utility to observe the bug. To
+guarantee you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy
+of the Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
+
+If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
+and then we might not encounter the bug.
+
+@item
+A complete input file, or set of input files, that will reproduce the
+bug. If the utility is reading an object file or files, then it is
+generally most helpful to send the actual object files, uuencoded if
+necessary to get them through the mail system. Making them available
+for anonymous FTP is not as good, but may be the only reasonable choice
+for large object files.
+
+If the source files were produced exclusively using @sc{gnu} programs
+(e.g., @code{gcc}, @code{gas}, and/or the @sc{gnu} @code{ld}), then it
+may be OK to send the source files rather than the object files. In
+this case, be sure to say exactly what version of @code{gcc}, or
+whatever, was used to produce the object files. Also say how
+@code{gcc}, or whatever, was configured.
+
+@item
+A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
+incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
+
+Of course, if the bug is that the utility gets a fatal signal, then we
+will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
+not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
+a chance to make a mistake.
+
+Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
+say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
+copy of the utility is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
+the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
+crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
+ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
+us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
+to draw any conclusion from our observations.
+
+@item
+If you wish to suggest changes to the source, send us context diffs, as
+generated by @code{diff} with the @samp{-u}, @samp{-c}, or @samp{-p}
+option. Always send diffs from the old file to the new file. If you
+even discuss something in the @code{ld} source, refer to it by context,
+not by line number.
+
+The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
+sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
+@end itemize
+
+Here are some things that are not necessary:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+A description of the envelope of the bug.
+
+Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
+which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
+changes will not affect it.
+
+This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
+will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
+with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
+We recommend that you save your time for something else.
+
+Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
+of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
+output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
+less time, and so on.
+
+However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
+report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
+
+@item
+A patch for the bug.
+
+A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
+the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
+a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
+to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
+
+Sometimes with programs as complicated as the binary utilities it is
+very hard to construct an example that will make the program follow a
+certain path through the code. If you do not send us the example, we
+will not be able to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that
+the bug is fixed.
+
+And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
+patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
+help us to understand.
+
+@item
+A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
+
+Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
+things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
+@end itemize
+
@node Index
@unnumbered Index
projects / binutils.git / blobdiff