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The ELF Object File Format by Dissection

Issue 13

From Issue #13
May 1995

May 01, 1995  By Eric Youngdale
 in
The Executable and Linking Format has been a popular topic lately, as people ask why the kernel configuration script asks whether or not to configure loading ELF executables. Since ELF will eventually be the common object file format for Linux binaries, it is appropriate to document it a bit. Last month, Eric introduced us to ELF, and this month, he gives us a guided tour of real ELF files.
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Very good article indeed.

ms's picture
Submitted by ms (not verified) on Fri, 09/24/2010 - 11:47.

Very good article indeed.

Very good description of the ELF file format

Vikings's picture
Submitted by Vikings (not verified) on Sun, 09/12/2010 - 23:07.

Hi all
I'm trying to write a small ELF loader, enough to interface the L4/Fiasco microkernel from a non-ELF executable files (LX types, OS/2 flavour). So after the loadable segments have been read into their virtual space, What is the next step? Set up the .got table, but how?
Greetings

Good article

Tapas Mishra's picture
Submitted by Tapas Mishra (not verified) on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 00:16.

This is a very good article.I came across it by chance but it is a very good article as I am new to kernel development it did helped me.

Another year, another reader..

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 05:50.

2010 and still useful to at least me :)
Although the output of readelf is more verbose these days..

Allocation of global data

Brian Trugillo's picture
Submitted by Brian Trugillo (not verified) on Mon, 02/16/2009 - 04:45.

Global data as well as static data will be allocated on the .data section of the linker directive.

where the global data goes into ?

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 05:59.

thank you very much for the detailed info.
where the global data goes into, in which section the global data goes ?

How to change Entry Point Address?

Hari Prasath's picture
Submitted by Hari Prasath (not verified) on Mon, 08/13/2007 - 01:30.

Hi Eric,

IT was a good material on ELF.....

Is it possible to change the entry point address of an ELF object file.How to do it?

Question

Arbey's picture
Submitted by Arbey (not verified) on Mon, 05/14/2007 - 11:38.

hello, I have a problem and I believe that you can solve to me, beforehand thank you very much. I must make an operating system that it loaded to me from a USB, then I am using bootmaker, but when attempt to run it leaves the following message to me:
error: cannot load "kernel.elf"

as I solve it? thank you very much

sorry for my english, if someone speak spanish, better.

link to the previous part

Hibou57's picture
Submitted by Hibou57 (not verified) on Sun, 12/03/2006 - 17:45.

To give a link to the first part (it was missing)...
Part 1 : The ELF Object File Format - Introduction

It is realy a good article

Gayanath's picture
Submitted by Gayanath (not verified) on Fri, 01/06/2006 - 01:44.

This is a very good article, Most of the programmers don't know what are the thigs happenning when they compiled ,Thank u very much.
Gayanath

Great Article.

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/16/2005 - 10:53.

This is a very good article.
It is a recommended read especially during the late night.

The ELF format is almost invisible to most users.
This good article also let me understanding how much time/work
has been devoted by the freelance programmers around the world
because even something seemingly trivial but really important
needs good design from the great minds. I am very grateful.
Thanks!

For those rude or impolite persons, please be humble because
you did/do nothing good to the community but just mumble harshly.
And that will NOT win any honor to you.

(I am not a native English speaker. Forgive me if you do not understand my writing.)

Great Article.

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/16/2005 - 10:53.

This is a very good article.
It is a recommended read especially during the late night.

The ELF format is almost invisible to most users.
This good article also let me understanding how much time/work
has been devoted by the freelance programmers around the world
because even something seemingly trivial but really important
needs good design from the great minds. I am very grateful.
Thanks!

For those rude or impolite persons, please be humble because
you did/do nothing good to the community but just mumble harshly.
And that will NOT win any honor to you.

(I am not a native English speaker. Forgive me if you do not understand my writing.)

I must admit that I also foun

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/19/2005 - 10:12.

I must admit that I also found this article useful, even in the year 2005. Gave me quite an insight as to what was actually happening in the ELF format representation of my process.

Hey Its a very good article.

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/06/2005 - 01:28.

Hey Its a very good article. this isn't a shit. watch your words...

Re: Kernel Korner: The ELF Object File Format by Dissection

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 05/06/2004 - 02:00.

Well 9 years on, and there are still people out here who are grateful for you article.
It certainly helped me solve a problem.

AlanB

Re: Kernel Korner: The ELF Object File Format by Dissection

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 04/18/2003 - 02:00.

Hello Eric, thanks a lot. Very good!

Great Article

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/30/2007 - 19:30.

Hi Eric, I've just read this article and I think its still relevant and useful to a lot of people. Thanks a lot.

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