PPT Slide
Linking & Loading a Process
- Symbol table - defined external symbols (code/data defined in this object file that can be called from elsewhere) and undefined external symbols (referenced in this module, but found elsewhere).
- Relocation information - information about the object file that permits the linker to connect object files into a coherent, executable unit (aka load module).
- UNIX notes:
- Many UNIX object files are in either COFF (Common Object File Format) or ELF (Executable and Linking Format).
- Unix file command can tell you something about the object file and/or executable.
- Unix ld command is used to combine object files into an executable; it is sometimes called implicitly.