---
name: "elf_getaroff"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libelf"
version: "0.197-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/elf_getaroff"
---

# elf\_getaroff(3)

retrieve the offset of an archive member header

## NAME

elf\_getaroff - retrieve the offset of an archive member header

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <libelf.h>
int64_t elf_getaroff(Elf *elf);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Return the file offset, in bytes, of the archive member header currently referred to by an ELF descriptor.  This is the offset of the member header in the parent archive file.  This offset can be used with **elf\_rand**.

## PARAMETERS

- *elf*

  Elf descriptor referring to a member of an archive file header.

## RETURN VALUE

Return the file offset, in bytes, of the archive member header referred to by *elf*. If *elf* is NULL or is not a member of an archive, return -1.

## SEE ALSO

[**elf\_begin**(3)](/elf_begin/3.md), [**elf\_next**(3)](/elf_next/3.md), [**elf\_rand**(3)](/elf_rand/3.md), [**libelf**(3)](/libelf/3.md), [**elf**(5)](/elf/5.md)

## ATTRIBUTES

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Interface** | **Attribute** | **Value** |
| **elf\_getaroff**() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<elfutils-devel@sourceware.org\> or https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/.

## HISTORY

**elf\_getaroff** first appeared in elfutils 0.114.  This elfutils libelf function may not be found in other libelf implementations.