I'm trying to compile a program using the bfd library. This is installed, both libbfd.so and libbfd.a exist in /usr/lib. The link command does have "-lbfd" and the main source compiles to a .o file just fine. Yet linking results in undefined reference to `bfd_openr' Readelf (and other means) verify that bfd_openr exists in the library.

So, I'm missing something... I think what I need most is a checklist: Everything needed to link a library into a program.

can you show command line you used and output?

The first thing I'd say is to double-check that you're not getting an error message like:

somewhere down the line.

Second, check that ld is finding the "correct" version of libbfd by passing "-Wl,-verbose" to gcc (i.e. tell it to pass the "-verbose" option to the linker) and have a look at where it finds libbfd - e.g. a successful hunt for -lasound on my system looks like:

That might tell you if ld is finding an older version of libbfd.

John G

Here are the actual commands. I even put in -L/usr/lib in wild hopes that gcc was being stupid and had to be told. Same error.

gcc -L/usr/lib -g -o lsstack -Wall -m64 -lbfd -liberty lsstack.o
lsstack.o: In function `get_file_symbols':
/home/darenw/SW/src/lsstack/lsstack.c:703: undefined reference to `bfd_openr'

(several more undef. ref. errors for other symbols follow)

The verbose flag is a good idea, John. Here's a relevant portion of the output:


/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/crtbegin.o
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libbfd.so failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libbfd.a failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libbfd.so failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libbfd.a failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/../../../../lib/libbfd.so succeeded
opened script file /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/../../../../lib/libbfd.so
opened script file /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/../../../../lib/libbfd.so
attempt to open /usr/lib/libbfd.a succeeded
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libiberty.so failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libiberty.a failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libiberty.so failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/libiberty.a failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/../../../../lib/libiberty.so failed
attempt to open /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.2/../../../../lib/libiberty.a succeeded

Then after some other libraries are found, the same unef. ref. errors appear.

But now I notice the package manager for my distro (Arch) doesn't know about libbfd as package. It may be supplied in some other package. I am checking...

Could you post the complete output of running the above command?

I wonder if this could be an problem with ordering - I didn't think it would be a problem for .o files, just for libraries included with -l, but it's worth trying. Could you try putting -lbfd after lsstack.o?

That's it! Program executable builds fine.

How dumb to forget about such a thing as ordering of libraries and .o on the command line. I guess I don't make that mistake often enough to consider it during those times when it _is_ a problem.

btw, libbfd comes from the binutils package, and is up to date.

gcc -W -Wall -g -o lsstack lsstack.c -lbfd -liberty