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diff --git a/docs/README.sstrip b/docs/README.sstrip deleted file mode 100644 index b96c171..0000000 --- a/docs/README.sstrip +++ /dev/null @@ -1,40 +0,0 @@ -sstrip is a small utility that removes the contents at the end of an -ELF file that are not part of the program's memory image. - -Most ELF executables are built with both a program header table and a -section header table. However, only the former is required in order -for the OS to load, link and execute a program. sstrip attempts to -extract the ELF header, the program header table, and its contents, -leaving everything else in the bit bucket. It can only remove parts of -the file that occur at the end, after the parts to be saved. However, -this almost always includes the section header table, and occasionally -a few random sections that are not used when running a program. - -It should be noted that the GNU bfd library is (understandably) -dependent on the section header table as an index to the file's -contents. Thus, an executable file that has no section header table -cannot be used with gdb, objdump, or any other program based upon the -bfd library, at all. In fact, the program will not even recognize the -file as a valid executable. (This limitation is noted in the source -code comments for bfd, and is marked "FIXME", so this may change at -some future date. However, I would imagine that it is a pretty -low-priority item, as executables without a section header table are -rare in the extreme.) This probably also explains why strip doesn't -offer the option to do this. - -Shared library files may also have their section header table removed. -Such a library will still function; however, it will no longer be -possible for a compiler to link a new program against it. - -As an added bonus, sstrip also tries to removes trailing zero bytes -from the end of the file. (This normally cannot be done with an -executable that has a section header table.) - -sstrip is a very simplistic program. It depends upon the common -practice of putting the parts of the file that contribute to the -memory image at the front, and the remaining material at the end. This -permits it to discard the latter material without affecting file -offsets and memory addresses in what remains. However, the ELF -standard permits files to be organized in almost any order. So -although this procedure usually works in practice, it is not meant to -be taken too seriously. |