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67Next: <a href="Invocation.html#Invocation" accesskey="n" rel="next">Invocation</a>, Previous: <a href="index.html#Top" accesskey="p" rel="previous">Top</a>, Up: <a href="index.html#Top" accesskey="u" rel="up">Top</a> &nbsp; [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="LD-Index.html#LD-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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70<a name="Overview-1"></a>
71<h2 class="chapter">1 Overview</h2>
72
73<a name="index-GNU-linker"></a>
74<a name="index-what-is-this_003f"></a>
75
76
77
78<p><code>ld</code> combines a number of object and archive files, relocates
79their data and ties up symbol references. Usually the last step in
80compiling a program is to run <code>ld</code>.
81</p>
82<p><code>ld</code> accepts Linker Command Language files written in
83a superset of AT&amp;T&rsquo;s Link Editor Command Language syntax,
84to provide explicit and total control over the linking process.
85</p>
86
87<p>This version of <code>ld</code> uses the general purpose BFD libraries
88to operate on object files. This allows <code>ld</code> to read, combine, and
89write object files in many different formats&mdash;for example, COFF or
90<code>a.out</code>.  Different formats may be linked together to produce any
91available kind of object file.  See <a href="BFD.html#BFD">BFD</a>, for more information.
92</p>
93<p>Aside from its flexibility, the <small>GNU</small> linker is more helpful than other
94linkers in providing diagnostic information.  Many linkers abandon
95execution immediately upon encountering an error; whenever possible,
96<code>ld</code> continues executing, allowing you to identify other errors
97(or, in some cases, to get an output file in spite of the error).
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