GNU Info
(binutils.info)ar cmdline
Controlling `ar' on the command line
====================================
ar [`-X32_64'] [`-']P[MOD [RELPOS] [COUNT]] ARCHIVE [MEMBER...]
When you use `ar' in the Unix style, `ar' insists on at least two
arguments to execute: one keyletter specifying the _operation_
(optionally accompanied by other keyletters specifying _modifiers_),
and the archive name to act on.
Most operations can also accept further MEMBER arguments, specifying
particular files to operate on.
GNU `ar' allows you to mix the operation code P and modifier flags
MOD in any order, within the first command-line argument.
If you wish, you may begin the first command-line argument with a
dash.
The P keyletter specifies what operation to execute; it may be any
of the following, but you must specify only one of them:
`d'
_Delete_ modules from the archive. Specify the names of modules to
be deleted as MEMBER...; the archive is untouched if you specify
no files to delete.
If you specify the `v' modifier, `ar' lists each module as it is
deleted.
`m'
Use this operation to _move_ members in an archive.
The ordering of members in an archive can make a difference in how
programs are linked using the library, if a symbol is defined in
more than one member.
If no modifiers are used with `m', any members you name in the
MEMBER arguments are moved to the _end_ of the archive; you can
use the `a', `b', or `i' modifiers to move them to a specified
place instead.
`p'
_Print_ the specified members of the archive, to the standard
output file. If the `v' modifier is specified, show the member
name before copying its contents to standard output.
If you specify no MEMBER arguments, all the files in the archive
are printed.
`q'
_Quick append_; Historically, add the files MEMBER... to the end of
ARCHIVE, without checking for replacement.
The modifiers `a', `b', and `i' do _not_ affect this operation;
new members are always placed at the end of the archive.
The modifier `v' makes `ar' list each file as it is appended.
Since the point of this operation is speed, the archive's symbol
table index is not updated, even if it already existed; you can
use `ar s' or `ranlib' explicitly to update the symbol table index.
However, too many different systems assume quick append rebuilds
the index, so GNU ar implements `q' as a synonym for `r'.
`r'
Insert the files MEMBER... into ARCHIVE (with _replacement_). This
operation differs from `q' in that any previously existing members
are deleted if their names match those being added.
If one of the files named in MEMBER... does not exist, `ar'
displays an error message, and leaves undisturbed any existing
members of the archive matching that name.
By default, new members are added at the end of the file; but you
may use one of the modifiers `a', `b', or `i' to request placement
relative to some existing member.
The modifier `v' used with this operation elicits a line of output
for each file inserted, along with one of the letters `a' or `r'
to indicate whether the file was appended (no old member deleted)
or replaced.
`t'
Display a _table_ listing the contents of ARCHIVE, or those of the
files listed in MEMBER... that are present in the archive.
Normally only the member name is shown; if you also want to see
the modes (permissions), timestamp, owner, group, and size, you can
request that by also specifying the `v' modifier.
If you do not specify a MEMBER, all files in the archive are
listed.
If there is more than one file with the same name (say, `fie') in
an archive (say `b.a'), `ar t b.a fie' lists only the first
instance; to see them all, you must ask for a complete listing--in
our example, `ar t b.a'.
`x'
_Extract_ members (named MEMBER) from the archive. You can use
the `v' modifier with this operation, to request that `ar' list
each name as it extracts it.
If you do not specify a MEMBER, all files in the archive are
extracted.
A number of modifiers (MOD) may immediately follow the P keyletter,
to specify variations on an operation's behavior:
`a'
Add new files _after_ an existing member of the archive. If you
use the modifier `a', the name of an existing archive member must
be present as the RELPOS argument, before the ARCHIVE
specification.
`b'
Add new files _before_ an existing member of the archive. If you
use the modifier `b', the name of an existing archive member must
be present as the RELPOS argument, before the ARCHIVE
specification. (same as `i').
`c'
_Create_ the archive. The specified ARCHIVE is always created if
it did not exist, when you request an update. But a warning is
issued unless you specify in advance that you expect to create it,
by using this modifier.
`f'
Truncate names in the archive. GNU `ar' will normally permit file
names of any length. This will cause it to create archives which
are not compatible with the native `ar' program on some systems.
If this is a concern, the `f' modifier may be used to truncate file
names when putting them in the archive.
`i'
Insert new files _before_ an existing member of the archive. If
you use the modifier `i', the name of an existing archive member
must be present as the RELPOS argument, before the ARCHIVE
specification. (same as `b').
`l'
This modifier is accepted but not used.
`N'
Uses the COUNT parameter. This is used if there are multiple
entries in the archive with the same name. Extract or delete
instance COUNT of the given name from the archive.
`o'
Preserve the _original_ dates of members when extracting them. If
you do not specify this modifier, files extracted from the archive
are stamped with the time of extraction.
`P'
Use the full path name when matching names in the archive. GNU
`ar' can not create an archive with a full path name (such archives
are not POSIX complaint), but other archive creators can. This
option will cause GNU `ar' to match file names using a complete
path name, which can be convenient when extracting a single file
from an archive created by another tool.
`s'
Write an object-file index into the archive, or update an existing
one, even if no other change is made to the archive. You may use
this modifier flag either with any operation, or alone. Running
`ar s' on an archive is equivalent to running `ranlib' on it.
`S'
Do not generate an archive symbol table. This can speed up
building a large library in several steps. The resulting archive
can not be used with the linker. In order to build a symbol
table, you must omit the `S' modifier on the last execution of
`ar', or you must run `ranlib' on the archive.
`u'
Normally, `ar r'... inserts all files listed into the archive. If
you would like to insert _only_ those of the files you list that
are newer than existing members of the same names, use this
modifier. The `u' modifier is allowed only for the operation `r'
(replace). In particular, the combination `qu' is not allowed,
since checking the timestamps would lose any speed advantage from
the operation `q'.
`v'
This modifier requests the _verbose_ version of an operation. Many
operations display additional information, such as filenames
processed, when the modifier `v' is appended.
`V'
This modifier shows the version number of `ar'.
`ar' ignores an initial option spelt `-X32_64', for compatibility
with AIX. The behaviour produced by this option is the default for GNU
`ar'. `ar' does not support any of the other `-X' options; in
particular, it does not support `-X32' which is the default for AIX
`ar'.
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