\input texinfo
@setfilename ld.info
-@c Copyright (C) 1991-2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1991-2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@syncodeindex ky cp
@c man begin INCLUDE
@include configdoc.texi
@end ifset
version @value{VERSION}.
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@c man begin COPYRIGHT
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1991-2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
no difference in the linker's behaviour for different non-zero values
of this option. Again this may change with future releases.
+@kindex -plugin @var{name}
+@item -plugin @var{name}
+Involve a plugin in the linking process. The @var{name} parameter is
+the absolute filename of the plugin. Usually this parameter is
+automatically added by the complier, when using link time
+optimization, but users can also add their own plugins if they so
+wish.
+
+Note that the location of the compiler originated plugins is different
+from the place where the @command{ar}, @command{nm} and
+@command{ranlib} programs search for their plugins. In order for
+those commands to make use of a compiler based plugin it must first be
+copied into the @file{$@{libdir@}/bfd-plugins} directory. All gcc
+based linker plugins are backward compatible, so it is sufficient to
+just copy in the newest one.
+
@kindex --push-state
@cindex push state governing input file handling
@item --push-state
@kindex --pop-state
@cindex pop state governing input file handling
+@item --pop-state
Undoes the effect of --push-state, restores the previous values of the
flags governing input file handling.
be restored by specifying @samp{--no-print-gc-sections} on the command
line.
+@kindex --gc-keep-exported
+@cindex garbage collection
+@item --gc-keep-exported
+When @samp{--gc-sections} is enabled, this option prevents garbage
+collection of unused input sections that contain global symbols having
+default or protected visibility. This option is intended to be used for
+executables where unreferenced sections would otherwise be garbage
+collected regardless of the external visibility of contained symbols.
+Note that this option has no effect when linking shared objects since
+it is already the default behaviour. This option is only supported for
+ELF format targets.
+
@kindex --print-output-format
@cindex output format
@item --print-output-format
@c man begin OPTIONS
The following options are supported to control microMIPS instruction
-generation when linking for MIPS targets.
+generation and branch relocation checks for ISA mode transitions when
+linking for MIPS targets.
@table @gcctabopt
used, all instruction encodings are used, including 16-bit ones where
possible.
+@kindex --ignore-branch-isa
+@item --ignore-branch-isa
+@kindex --no-ignore-branch-isa
+@itemx --no-ignore-branch-isa
+These options control branch relocation checks for invalid ISA mode
+transitions. If @samp{--ignore-branch-isa} is used, then the linker
+accepts any branch relocations and any ISA mode transition required
+is lost in relocation calculation, except for some cases of @code{BAL}
+instructions which meet relaxation conditions and are converted to
+equivalent @code{JALX} instructions as the associated relocation is
+calculated. By default or if @samp{--no-ignore-branch-isa} is used
+a check is made causing the loss of an ISA mode transition to produce
+an error.
+
@end table
@c man end
@item @code{PT_PHDR} (6)
Indicates a segment where the program headers may be found.
+@item @code{PT_TLS} (7)
+Indicates a segment containing thread local storage.
+
@item @var{expression}
An expression giving the numeric type of the program header. This may
be used for types not defined above.
Orphan sections are sections present in the input files which
are not explicitly placed into the output file by the linker
script. The linker will still copy these sections into the
-output file, but it has to guess as to where they should be
-placed. The linker uses a simple heuristic to do this. It
-attempts to place orphan sections after non-orphan sections of the
-same attribute, such as code vs data, loadable vs non-loadable, etc.
-If there is not enough room to do this then it places
-at the end of the file.
-
-For ELF targets, the attribute of the section includes section type as
-well as section flag.
+output file by either finding, or creating a suitable output section
+in which to place the orphaned input section.
+
+If the name of an orphaned input section exactly matches the name of
+an existing output section, then the orphaned input section will be
+placed at the end of that output section.
+
+If there is no output section with a matching name then new output
+sections will be created. Each new output section will have the same
+name as the orphan section placed within it. If there are multiple
+orphan sections with the same name, these will all be combined into
+one new output section.
+
+If new output sections are created to hold orphaned input sections,
+then the linker must decide where to place these new output sections
+in relation to existing output sections. On most modern targets, the
+linker attempts to place orphan sections after sections of the same
+attribute, such as code vs data, loadable vs non-loadable, etc. If no
+sections with matching attributes are found, or your target lacks this
+support, the orphan section is placed at the end of the file.
The command line options @samp{--orphan-handling} and @samp{--unique}
(@pxref{Options,,Command Line Options}) can be used to control which
or if @samp{--no-insn32} is used, all instruction encodings are used,
including 16-bit ones where possible.
+@cindex MIPS branch relocation check control
+@kindex --ignore-branch-isa
+@kindex --no-ignore-branch-isa
+The @samp{--ignore-branch-isa} and @samp{--no-ignore-branch-isa} options
+control branch relocation checks for invalid ISA mode transitions. If
+@samp{--ignore-branch-isa} is used, then the linker accepts any branch
+relocations and any ISA mode transition required is lost in relocation
+calculation, except for some cases of @code{BAL} instructions which meet
+relaxation conditions and are converted to equivalent @code{JALX}
+instructions as the associated relocation is calculated. By default
+or if @samp{--no-ignore-branch-isa} is used a check is made causing
+the loss of an ISA mode transition to produce an error.
+
@ifclear GENERIC
@lowersections
@end ifclear