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(binutils.info)ar

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ar
**

     ar [-]P[MOD [RELPOS] [COUNT]] ARCHIVE [MEMBER...]
     ar -M [ <mri-script ]

   The GNU `ar' program creates, modifies, and extracts from archives.
An "archive" is a single file holding a collection of other files in a
structure that makes it possible to retrieve the original individual
files (called "members" of the archive).

   The original files' contents, mode (permissions), timestamp, owner,
and group are preserved in the archive, and can be restored on
extraction.

   GNU `ar' can maintain archives whose members have names of any
length; however, depending on how `ar' is configured on your system, a
limit on member-name length may be imposed for compatibility with
archive formats maintained with other tools.  If it exists, the limit
is often 15 characters (typical of formats related to a.out) or 16
characters (typical of formats related to coff).

   `ar' is considered a binary utility because archives of this sort
are most often used as "libraries" holding commonly needed subroutines.

   `ar' creates an index to the symbols defined in relocatable object
modules in the archive when you specify the modifier `s'.  Once
created, this index is updated in the archive whenever `ar' makes a
change to its contents (save for the `q' update operation).  An archive
with such an index speeds up linking to the library, and allows
routines in the library to call each other without regard to their
placement in the archive.

   You may use `nm -s' or `nm --print-armap' to list this index table.
If an archive lacks the table, another form of `ar' called `ranlib' can
be used to add just the table.

   GNU `ar' is designed to be compatible with two different facilities.
You can control its activity using command-line options, like the
different varieties of `ar' on Unix systems; or, if you specify the
single command-line option `-M', you can control it with a script
supplied via standard input, like the MRI "librarian" program.

ar cmdline

Controlling `ar' on the command line

ar scripts

Controlling `ar' with a script