---
name: "crunchide"
section: "1"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/crunchide"
---

# crunchide(1)

hides symbol names from ld, for crunching programs together

## NAME

**crunchide** – hides symbol names from ld, for crunching programs together

## SYNOPSIS

**crunchide** \[**-f** *keep-list-file*\] \[**-k** *keep-symbol*\] \[*object-file* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **crunchide** utility hides the global symbols of *object-file* such that they are ignored by subsequent runs of the linker, [ld(1)](/ld/1.md). Some symbols may be left visible via the **-k** *keep-symbol* and **-f** *keep-list-file* options. The *keep-list-file* must contain a list of symbols to keep visible, one symbol per line. The names given by *keep-symbol* or in *keep-list-file* should be C names. For example, to keep the C function “foo” visible, the option “-k foo” should be used.

The **crunchide** utility is designed as a companion program for [crunchgen(1)](/crunchgen/1.md), which automates the process of creating crunched binaries from multiple component programs.

## SEE ALSO

[crunchgen(1)](/crunchgen/1.md), [ld(1)](/ld/1.md)

## AUTHORS

The **crunch** utility was written by James da Silva ⟨*jds@cs.umd.edu*⟩.

Copyright (c) 1994 University of Maryland. All Rights Reserved.

Chris Demetriou ⟨*cgd@netbsd.org*⟩ reorganized **crunchide** so that it supported multiple object formats, and added ELF object support and ECOFF object recognition.

Copyright (c) 1997 Christopher G. Demetriou. All Rights Reserved.