RFC: ghc's dynamic linker

[Duncan Coutts]

On 28 Aug 2002 01:34:37 +0100
Alastair Reid <alastair@reid-consulting-uk.ltd.uk> wrote:

> > 2. The BFD way 

I was just about to ask about this. I was going to ask what ghc uses for
manipulating .o files. I've come accross BFD through gdb but have never
had to use it seriously.

I'll take Alastair's advice and try to steer clear if possible!

> I just want to remark that anyone contemplating hacking on object
> files should steer well clear of BFD which is the most inconsistently
> implemented, poorly (though abundantly) documented obstacle to quality
> programming it has ever been my misfortune to use.  Particularily
> galling is the fact that BFD provides little indication (in
> documentation, compile-time errors, etc.) that certain functionality
> is completely unimplemented on a particular platform.
> 
> In contrast, libelf is widely available (multiple implementations
> exist), well documented, a joy to use and covers everything (well,
> everything that GHC runs on) but Windows.  

Duncan