STRIP linux command manual

STRIP(1)                  GNU Development Tools                    STRIP(1)



NAME
       strip - Discard symbols from object files.

SYNOPSIS
       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...

DESCRIPTION
       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.

OPTIONS
       -F bfdname
       --target=bfdname
           Treat the original objfile as a file with the object  code  format
           bfdname, and rewrite it in the same format.

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

       --info
           Display a list showing all architectures and object formats avail-
           able.

       -I bfdname
       --input-target=bfdname
           Treat the original objfile as a file with the object  code  format
           bfdname.

       -O bfdname
       --output-target=bfdname
           Replace objfile with a file in the output format bfdname.

       -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 exist-
           ing 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 dis-
           tribution 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.
               "foo" then...

           1.
               create a file containing the debugging info.

           1.
               stripped executable.

           1.
               to add a link to the debugging info  into  the  stripped  exe-
               cutable.

           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.
           1.
           1.
           1.

           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.

SEE ALSO
       the Info entries for binutils.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (c) 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001,  2002,
       2003 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 1.1  or
       any  later  version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
       Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no  Back-Cover
       Texts.   A  copy  of  the  license is included in the section entitled
       ''GNU Free Documentation License''.



binutils-2.15.90.0.3              2004-05-04                         STRIP(1)