---
name: "elfcopy"
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/elfcopy"
---

# elfcopy(1)

copy and translate object files

## NAME

**elfcopy**, **objcopy** – copy and translate object files

## SYNOPSIS

**elfcopy** \[**-I** *objformat* \| **-s** *objformat* \| **--input-target=***objformat*\] \[**-K** *symbolname* \| **--keep-symbol=***symbolname*\] \[**-L** *symbolname* \| **--localize-symbol=***symbolname*\] \[**-N** *symbolname* \| **--strip-symbol=***symbolname*\] \[**-O** *objformat* \| **--output-target=***objformat*\] \[**-R** *sectionname* \| **--remove-section=***sectionname*\] \[**-S** \| **--strip-all**\] \[**-V** \| **--version**\] \[**-W** *symbolname* \| **--weaken-symbol=***symbolname*\] \[**-X** \| **--discard-locals**\] \[**-d** \| **-g** \| **--strip-debug**\] \[**-h** \| **--help**\] \[**-j** *sectionname* \| **--only-section=***sectionname*\] \[**-p** \| **--preserve-dates**\] \[**-w** \| **--wildcard**\] \[**-x** \| **--discard-all**\] \[**--add-gnu-debuglink**=*filename*\] \[**--add-section** *sectionname*=*filename*\]\[ **--adjust-section-vma** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val* \| **--change-section-address** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val*\]\[ **--adjust-start**=*increment* \| **--change-start**=*increment*\]\[ **--adjust-vma**=*increment* \| **--change-addresses**=*increment*\] \[**--adjust-warnings** \| **--change-warnings**\] \[**--change-section-lma** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val*\] \[**--change-section-vma** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val*\] \[**--extract-dwo**\] \[**--gap-fill**=*val*\] \[**--globalize-symbol**=ar symbolname\] \[**--globalize-symbols**=*filename*\] \[**--localize-hidden**\] \[**--localize-symbols**=*filename*\] \[**--no-adjust-warnings** \| **--no-change-warnings**\] \[**--only-keep-debug**\] \[**--pad-to**=*address*\] \[**--prefix-alloc-sections**=*string*\] \[**--prefix-sections**=*string*\] \[**--prefix-symbols**=*string*\] \[**--rename-section** *oldname*=*newname*\[*,flags*\]\] \[**--set-section-flags** *sectionname*=*flags*\] \[**--set-start**=*address*\] \[**--srec-forceS3**\] \[**--srec-len**=*val*\] \[**--strip-dwo**\] \[**--strip-symbols=***filename*\] \[**--strip-unneeded**\] *infile* \[*outfile*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **elfcopy** utility copies the content of the binary object named by argument *infile* to that named by argument *outfile*, transforming it according to the command line options specified. If argument *outfile* is not specified, **elfcopy** will create a temporary file and will subsequently rename it as *infile*.

The **elfcopy** utility supports the following options:

- **-I** *objformat* \| **-s** *objformat* \| **--input-target=***objformat*

  Specify that the input file named by the argument *infile* is in the object format specified by the argument *objformat*.

- **-K** *symbolname* \| **--keep-symbol=***symbolname*

  Copy the symbol named by argument *symbolname* to the output.

- **-L** *symbolname* \| **--localize-symbol=***symbolname*

  Make the symbol named by argument *symbolname* local to the output file.

- **-N** *symbol* \| **--strip-symbol=***symbolname*

  Do not copy the symbol named by argument *symbolname* to the output.

- **-O** *objformat* \| **--output-target=***objformat*

  Write the output file using the object format specified in argument *objformat*. The argument *objformat* should be one of the target names recognized by [elftc\_bfd\_find\_target(3)](/elftc_bfd_find_target/3.md).

- **-R** *sectionname* \| **--remove-section=***sectionname*

  Remove any section with name *sectionname* from the output file.

- **-S** \| **--strip-all**

  Do not copy symbol and relocation information to the target file.

- **-V** \| **--version**

  Print a version identifier and exit.

- **-W** *symbolname* \| **--weaken-symbol=***symbolname*

  Mark the symbol named by argument *symbolname* as weak in the output.

- **-X** \| **--discard-locals**

  Do not copy compiler generated local symbols to the output.

- **-d** \| **-g** \| **--strip-debug**

  Do not copy debugging information to the target file.

- **-h** \| **--help**

  Display a help message and exit.

- **-j** *sectionname* \| **--only-section=***sectionname*

  Copy only the section named by argument *sectionname* to the output.

- **-p** \| **--preserve-dates**

  Set the access and modification times of the output file to the same as those of the input.

- **-w** \| **--wildcard**

  Use shell-style patterns to name symbols. The following meta-characters are recognized in patterns:

  - !

    If this is the first character of the pattern, invert the sense of the pattern match.

  - \*

    Matches any string of characters in a symbol name.

  - ?

    Matches zero or one character in a symbol name.

  - \[

    Mark the start of a character class.

  - \\

    Remove the special meaning of the next character in the pattern.

  - \]

    Mark the end of a character class.

- **-x** \| **--discard-all**

  Do not copy non-global symbols to the output.

- **--add-gnu-debuglink**=*filename*

  Create a .gnu\_debuglink section in the output file that references the debug data in *filename*.

- **--add-section** *sectionname*=*filename*

  Add a new section to the output file with name *sectionname*. The contents of the section are taken from the file named by argument *filename*. The size of the section will be the number of bytes in file *filename*.

-

  **--adjust-section-vma** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val* \| **--change-section-address** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val* Depending on the operator specified, increase, decrease or set both the virtual memory address and the load memory address of the section named by the argument *section*. The argument *val* specifies the desired increment, decrement or new value for the address.

-

  **--adjust-start**=*increment* \| **--change-start**=*increment* Increase the entry point address of the output ELF object by the value specified in the argument *increment*.

-

  **--adjust-vma**=*increment* \| **--change-addresses**=*increment* Increase the virtual memory address and the load memory address of all sections by the value specified by the argument *increment*.

- **--adjust-warnings** \| **--change-warnings**

  Issue a warning if the section specified by the options **--change-section-address**, **--change-section-lma** or **--change-section-vma** does not exist in the input object. This is the default.

- **--change-section-lma** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val*

  Change or set the load memory address of the section named by the argument *section*. Depending on the operator specified, the value in argument *val* will be used as an increment, a decrement or as the new value of the load memory address.

- **--change-section-vma** *section*{+\|-\|=}*val*

  Change or set the virtual memory address of the section named by the argument *section*. Depending on the operator specified, the value in argument *val* will be used as an increment, a decrement or as the new value of the virtual memory address.

- **--extract-dwo**

  Copy only .dwo debug sections to the output file.

- **--gap-fill**=*val*

  Fill the gaps between sections with the byte value specified by the argument *val*.

- **--globalize-symbol**=*symbolname*

  Make the symbol named by argument *symbolname* global, so that it is visible outside of the file in which it is defined.

- **--globalize-symbols**=*filename*

  Make each symbol listed in the file specified by *filename* global.

- **--localize-hidden**

  Make all hidden symbols local to the output file. This includes symbols with internal visiblity.

- **--localize-symbols**=*filename*

  Make each symbol listed in the file specified by *filename* local to the output file.

- **--no-adjust-warnings** \| **--no-change-warnings**

  Do not issue a warning if the section specified by the options **--change-section-address**, **--change-section-lma** or **--change-section-vma** is missing in the input object.

- **--only-keep-debug**

  Copy only debugging information to the output file.

- **--pad-to**=*address*

  Pad the load memory address of the output object to the value specified by the argument *address* by increasing the size of the section with the highest load memory address.

- **--prefix-alloc-sections**=*string*

  Prefix the section names of all the allocated sections with *string*.

- **--prefix-sections**=*string*

  Prefix the section names of all the sections with *string*.

- **--prefix-symbols**=*string*

  Prefix the symbol names of all the symbols with *string*.

- **--rename-section** *oldname*=*newname*\[*,flags*\]

  Rename the section named by argument *oldname* to *newname*, optionally changing the sections flags to that specified by argument *flags*. Allowed values for the argument *flags* are as for option **--set-section-flags** below.

- **--set-section-flags** *sectionname*=*flags*

  Set the flags for the section named by argument *sectionname* to those specified by argument *flags*. Argument *flags* is a comma separated list of the following flag names:

  - alloc

    The section occupies space in the output file.

  - code

    The section contains machine instructions.

  - contents

    This flag is accepted but is ignored.

  - data

    The section contains writeable data.

  - debug

    The section holds debugging information.

  - load

    The section is loadable.

  - noload

    The section should not be loaded into memory.

  - readonly

    The section is not writable.

  - rom

    The section contains ROM'able contents.

  - share

    This flag is accepted but is ignored.

- **--set-start**=*address*

  Set the start address of the output ELF object to the value specified by the argument *address*.

- **--srec-forceS3**

  Only generate S-records of type “S3”. This option is only meaningful when the output target is set to “srec”.

- **--srec-len**=*val*

  Set the maximum length of an S-record line to *val*. This option is only meaningful when the output target is set to “srec”.

- **--strip-dwo**

  Do not copy .dwo debug sections to the output file.

- **--strip-symbols=***filename*

  Do not copy any of the symbols specified by *filename* to the output.

- **--strip-unneeded**

  Do not copy symbols that are not needed for relocation processing.

## DIAGNOSTICS

The **elfcopy** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## SEE ALSO

[ar(1)](/ar/1.md), [ld(1)](/ld/1.md), [mcs(1)](/mcs/1.md), [strip(1)](/strip/1.md), [elf(3)](/elf/3.md), [elftc\_bfd\_find\_target(3)](/elftc_bfd_find_target/3.md), [ar(5)](/ar/5.md), [elf(5)](/elf/5.md)

## COMPATIBILITY

The **elfcopy** utility is expected to be option compatible with GNU **objcopy**.

## HISTORY

**elfcopy** has been implemented by Kai Wang ⟨*kaiwang27@users.sourceforge.net*⟩.