File: binutils.info,  Node: strip,  Next: c++filt,  Prev: strings,  Up: Top

8 strip
*******

     strip [`-F' BFDNAME |`--target='BFDNAME]
           [`-I' BFDNAME |`--input-target='BFDNAME]
           [`-O' BFDNAME |`--output-target='BFDNAME]
           [`-s'|`--strip-all']
           [`-S'|`-g'|`-d'|`--strip-debug']
           [`-K' SYMBOLNAME |`--keep-symbol='SYMBOLNAME]
           [`-N' SYMBOLNAME |`--strip-symbol='SYMBOLNAME]
           [`-w'|`--wildcard']
           [`-x'|`--discard-all'] [`-X' |`--discard-locals']
           [`-R' SECTIONNAME |`--remove-section='SECTIONNAME]
           [`-o' FILE] [`-p'|`--preserve-dates']
           [`--only-keep-debug']
           [`-v' |`--verbose'] [`-V'|`--version']
           [`--help'] [`--info']
           OBJFILE...

   GNU `strip' discards all symbols from object files OBJFILE.  The
list of object files may include archives.  At least one object file
must be given.

   `strip' modifies the files named in its argument, rather than
writing modified copies under different names.

`-F BFDNAME'
`--target=BFDNAME'
     Treat the original OBJFILE as a file with the object code format
     BFDNAME, and rewrite it in the same format.  *Note Target
     Selection::, for more information.

`--help'
     Show a summary of the options to `strip' and exit.

`--info'
     Display a list showing all architectures and object formats
     available.

`-I BFDNAME'
`--input-target=BFDNAME'
     Treat the original OBJFILE as a file with the object code format
     BFDNAME.  *Note Target Selection::, for more information.

`-O BFDNAME'
`--output-target=BFDNAME'
     Replace OBJFILE with a file in the output format BFDNAME.  *Note
     Target Selection::, for more information.

`-R SECTIONNAME'
`--remove-section=SECTIONNAME'
     Remove any section named SECTIONNAME from the output file.  This
     option may be given more than once.  Note that using this option
     inappropriately may make the output file unusable.

`-s'
`--strip-all'
     Remove all symbols.

`-g'
`-S'
`-d'
`--strip-debug'
     Remove debugging symbols only.

`--strip-unneeded'
     Remove all symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.

`-K SYMBOLNAME'
`--keep-symbol=SYMBOLNAME'
     Keep only symbol SYMBOLNAME from the source file.  This option may
     be given more than once.

`-N SYMBOLNAME'
`--strip-symbol=SYMBOLNAME'
     Remove symbol SYMBOLNAME from the source file. This option may be
     given more than once, and may be combined with strip options other
     than `-K'.

`-o FILE'
     Put the stripped output in FILE, rather than replacing the
     existing file.  When this argument is used, only one OBJFILE
     argument may be specified.

`-p'
`--preserve-dates'
     Preserve the access and modification dates of the file.

`-w'
`--wildcard'
     Permit regular expressions in SYMBOLNAMEs used in other command
     line options.  The question mark (?), asterisk (*), backslash (\)
     and square brackets ([]) operators can be used anywhere in the
     symbol name.  If the first character of the symbol name is the
     exclamation point (!) then the sense of the switch is reversed for
     that symbol.  For example:

            -w -K !foo -K fo*

     would cause strip to only keep symbols that start with the letters
     "fo", but to discard the symbol "foo".

`-x'
`--discard-all'
     Remove non-global symbols.

`-X'
`--discard-locals'
     Remove compiler-generated local symbols.  (These usually start
     with `L' or `.'.)

`--only-keep-debug'
     Strip a file, removing any sections that would be stripped by
     `--strip-debug' and leaving the debugging sections.

     The intention is that this option will be used in conjunction with
     `--add-gnu-debuglink' to create a two part executable.  One a
     stripped binary which will occupy less space in RAM and in a
     distribution and the second a debugging information file which is
     only needed if debugging abilities are required.  The suggested
     procedure to create these files is as follows:

       1. Link the executable as normal.  Assuming that is is called
          `foo' then...

       2. Run `objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.dbg' to create a file
          containing the debugging info.

       3. Run `objcopy --strip-debug foo' to create a stripped
          executable.

       4. Run `objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.dbg foo' to add a link
          to the debugging info into the stripped executable.

     Note - the choice of `.dbg' as an extension for the debug info
     file is arbitrary.  Also the `--only-keep-debug' step is optional.
     You could instead do this:

       1. Link the executable as normal.

       2. Copy `foo' to  `foo.full'

       3. Run `strip --strip-debug foo'

       4. Run `objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.full foo'

     ie the file pointed to by the `--add-gnu-debuglink' can be the
     full executable.  It does not have to be a file created by the
     `--only-keep-debug' switch.

`-V'
`--version'
     Show the version number for `strip'.

`-v'
`--verbose'
     Verbose output: list all object files modified.  In the case of
     archives, `strip -v' lists all members of the archive.