--- name: "link" section: "5" 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/link/5" --- # link(5) dynamic loader and link editor interface ## NAME **link** – dynamic loader and link editor interface ## SYNOPSIS **#include \** **#include \** **#include \** ## DESCRIPTION The include file ⟨link.h⟩ declares several structures that are present in dynamically linked programs and libraries. The structures define the interface between several components of the link-editor and loader mechanism. The layout of a number of these structures within the binaries resembles the a.out format in many places as it serves such similar functions as symbol definitions (including the accompanying string table) and relocation records needed to resolve references to external entities. It also records a number of data structures unique to the dynamic loading and linking process. These include references to other objects that are required to complete the link-editing process and indirection tables to facilitate *Position* *Independent* *Code* (PIC for short) to improve sharing of code pages among different processes. The collection of data structures described here will be referred to as the *Run-time* *Relocation* *Section* *(RRS)* and is embedded in the standard text and data segments of the dynamically linked program or shared object image as the existing [a.out(5)](/a.out/5.md) format offers no room for it elsewhere. Several utilities cooperate to ensure that the task of getting a program ready to run can complete successfully in a way that optimizes the use of system resources. The compiler emits PIC code from which shared libraries can be built by [ld(1)](/ld/1.md). The compiler also includes size information of any initialized data items through the .size assembler directive. PIC code differs from conventional code in that it accesses data variables through an indirection table, the Global Offset Table, by convention accessible by the reserved name \_GLOBAL\_OFFSET\_TABLE\_. The exact mechanism used for this is machine dependent, usually a machine register is reserved for the purpose. The rational behind this construct is to generate code that is independent of the actual load address. Only the values contained in the Global Offset Table may need updating at run-time depending on the load addresses of the various shared objects in the address space. Likewise, procedure calls to globally defined functions are redirected through the Procedure Linkage Table (PLT) residing in the data segment of the core image. Again, this is done to avoid run-time modifications to the text segment. The linker-editor allocates the Global Offset Table and Procedure Linkage Table when combining PIC object files into an image suitable for mapping into the process address space. It also collects all symbols that may be needed by the run-time link-editor and stores these along with the image's text and data bits. Another reserved symbol, *\_DYNAMIC* is used to indicate the presence of the run-time linker structures. Whenever \_DYNAMIC is relocated to 0, there is no need to invoke the run-time link-editor. If this symbol is non-zero, it points at a data structure from which the location of the necessary relocation- and symbol information can be derived. This is most notably used by the start-up module, *crt0*. The \_DYNAMIC structure is conventionally located at the start of the data segment of the image to which it pertains. ## DATA STRUCTURES The data structures supporting dynamic linking and run-time relocation reside both in the text and data segments of the image they apply to. The text segments contain read-only data such as symbols descriptions and names, while the data segments contain the tables that need to be modified by during the relocation process. The \_DYNAMIC symbol references a *\_dynamic* structure: ``` struct _dynamic { int d_version; struct so_debug *d_debug; union { struct section_dispatch_table *d_sdt; } d_un; struct ld_entry *d_entry; }; ``` - *d\_version* This field provides for different versions of the dynamic linking implementation. The current version numbers understood by [ld(1)](/ld/1.md) and [ld.so(1)](/ld.so/1.md) are *LD\_VERSION\_SUN* *(3)*, which is used by the SunOS 4.x releases, and *LD\_VERSION\_BSD* *(8)*, which has been in use since FreeBSD 1.1. - *d\_un* Refers to a *d\_version* dependent data structure. - *so\_debug* this field provides debuggers with a hook to access symbol tables of shared objects loaded as a result of the actions of the run-time link-editor. The *section\_dispatch\_table* structure is the main “dispatcher” table, containing offsets into the image's segments where various symbol and relocation information is located. ``` struct section_dispatch_table { struct so_map *sdt_loaded; long sdt_sods; long sdt_filler1; long sdt_got; long sdt_plt; long sdt_rel; long sdt_hash; long sdt_nzlist; long sdt_filler2; long sdt_buckets; long sdt_strings; long sdt_str_sz; long sdt_text_sz; long sdt_plt_sz; }; ``` - *sdt\_loaded* A pointer to the first link map loaded (see below). This field is set by **ld.so** - *sdt\_sods* The start of a (linked) list of shared object descriptors needed by *this* object. - *sdt\_filler1* Deprecated (used by SunOS to specify library search rules). - *sdt\_got* The location of the Global Offset Table within this image. - *sdt\_plt* The location of the Procedure Linkage Table within this image. - *sdt\_rel* The location of an array of *relocation\_info* structures (see [a.out(5)](/a.out/5.md)) specifying run-time relocations. - *sdt\_hash* The location of the hash table for fast symbol lookup in this object's symbol table. - *sdt\_nzlist* The location of the symbol table. - *sdt\_filler2* Currently unused. - *sdt\_buckets* The number of buckets in *sdt\_hash* - *sdt\_strings* The location of the symbol string table that goes with *sdt\_nzlist*. - *sdt\_str\_sz* The size of the string table. - *sdt\_text\_sz* The size of the object's text segment. - *sdt\_plt\_sz* The size of the Procedure Linkage Table. A *sod* structure describes a shared object that is needed to complete the link edit process of the object containing it. A list of such objects (chained through *sod\_next*) is pointed at by the *sdt\_sods* in the section\_dispatch\_table structure. ``` struct sod { long sod_name; u_int sod_library : 1, sod_reserved : 31; short sod_major; short sod_minor; long sod_next; }; ``` - *sod\_name* The offset in the text segment of a string describing this link object. - *sod\_library* If set, *sod\_name* specifies a library that is to be searched for by **ld.so**. The path name is obtained by searching a set of directories (see also [ldconfig(8)](/ldconfig/8.md)) for a shared object matching *lib\.so.n.m*. If not set, *sod\_name* should point at a full path name for the desired shared object. - *sod\_major* Specifies the major version number of the shared object to load. - *sod\_minor* Specifies the preferred minor version number of the shared object to load. The run-time link-editor maintains a list of structures called *link* *maps* to keep track of all shared objects loaded into a process' address space. These structures are only used at run-time and do not occur within the text or data segment of an executable or shared library. ``` struct so_map { caddr_t som_addr; char *som_path; struct so_map *som_next; struct sod *som_sod; caddr_t som_sodbase; u_int som_write : 1; struct _dynamic *som_dynamic; caddr_t som_spd; }; ``` - *som\_addr* The address at which the shared object associated with this link map has been loaded. - *som\_path* The full path name of the loaded object. - *som\_next* Pointer to the next link map. - *som\_sod* The *sod* structure that was responsible for loading this shared object. - *som\_sodbase* Tossed out in later versions of the run-time linker. - *som\_write* Set if (some portion of) this object's text segment is currently writable. - *som\_dynamic* Pointer to this object's *\_dynamic* structure. - *som\_spd* Hook for attaching private data maintained by the run-time link-editor. Symbol description with size. This is simply an *nlist* structure with one field (*nz\_size*) added. Used to convey size information on items in the data segment of shared objects. An array of these lives in the shared object's text segment and is addressed by the *sdt\_nzlist* field of *section\_dispatch\_table*. ``` struct nzlist { struct nlist nlist; u_long nz_size; #define nz_un nlist.n_un #define nz_strx nlist.n_un.n_strx #define nz_name nlist.n_un.n_name #define nz_type nlist.n_type #define nz_value nlist.n_value #define nz_desc nlist.n_desc #define nz_other nlist.n_other }; ``` - *nlist* (see [nlist(3)](/nlist/3.md)). - *nz\_size* The size of the data represented by this symbol. A hash table is included within the text segment of shared object to facilitate quick lookup of symbols during run-time link-editing. The *sdt\_hash* field of the *section\_dispatch\_table* structure points at an array of *rrs\_hash* structures: ``` struct rrs_hash { int rh_symbolnum; /* symbol number */ int rh_next; /* next hash entry */ }; ``` - *rh\_symbolnum* The index of the symbol in the shared object's symbol table (as given by the *ld\_symbols* field). - *rh\_next* In case of collisions, this field is the offset of the next entry in this hash table bucket. It is zero for the last bucket element. The *rt\_symbol* structure is used to keep track of run-time allocated commons and data items copied from shared objects. These items are kept on linked list and is exported through the *dd\_cc* field in the *so\_debug* structure (see below) for use by debuggers. ``` struct rt_symbol { struct nzlist *rt_sp; struct rt_symbol *rt_next; struct rt_symbol *rt_link; caddr_t rt_srcaddr; struct so_map *rt_smp; }; ``` - *rt\_sp* The symbol description. - *rt\_next* Virtual address of next rt\_symbol. - *rt\_link* Next in hash bucket. Used internally by **ld.so**. - *rt\_srcaddr* Location of the source of initialized data within a shared object. - *rt\_smp* The shared object which is the original source of the data that this run-time symbol describes. The *so\_debug* structure is used by debuggers to gain knowledge of any shared objects that have been loaded in the process's address space as a result of run-time link-editing. Since the run-time link-editor runs as a part of process initialization, a debugger that wishes to access symbols from shared objects can only do so after the link-editor has been called from crt0. A dynamically linked binary contains a *so\_debug* structure which can be located by means of the *d\_debug* field in *\_dynamic*. ``` struct so_debug { int dd_version; int dd_in_debugger; int dd_sym_loaded; char *dd_bpt_addr; int dd_bpt_shadow; struct rt_symbol *dd_cc; }; ``` - *dd\_version* Version number of this interface. - *dd\_in\_debugger* Set by the debugger to indicate to the run-time linker that the program is run under control of a debugger. - *dd\_sym\_loaded* Set by the run-time linker whenever it adds symbols by loading shared objects. - *dd\_bpt\_addr* The address where a breakpoint will be set by the run-time linker to divert control to the debugger. This address is determined by the start-up module, *crt0.o*, to be some convenient place before the call to \_main. - *dd\_bpt\_shadow* Contains the original instruction that was at *dd\_bpt\_addr*. The debugger is expected to put this instruction back before continuing the program. - *dd\_cc* A pointer to the linked list of run-time allocated symbols that the debugger may be interested in. The *ld\_entry* structure defines a set of service routines within **ld.so**. ``` struct ld_entry { void *(*dlopen)(char *, int); int (*dlclose)(void *); void *(*dlsym)(void *, char *); char *(*dlerror)(void); }; ``` The *crt\_ldso* structure defines the interface between the start-up code in crt0 and **ld.so**. ``` struct crt_ldso { int crt_ba; int crt_dzfd; int crt_ldfd; struct _dynamic *crt_dp; char **crt_ep; caddr_t crt_bp; char *crt_prog; char *crt_ldso; struct ld_entry *crt_ldentry; }; #define CRT_VERSION_SUN 1 #define CRT_VERSION_BSD_2 2 #define CRT_VERSION_BSD_3 3 #define CRT_VERSION_BSD_4 4 ``` - *crt\_ba* The virtual address at which **ld.so** was loaded by crt0. - *crt\_dzfd* On SunOS systems, this field contains an open file descriptor to “*/dev/zero*” used to get demand paged zeroed pages. On FreeBSD systems it contains -1. - *crt\_ldfd* Contains an open file descriptor that was used by crt0 to load **ld.so**. - *crt\_dp* A pointer to main's *\_dynamic* structure. - *crt\_ep* A pointer to the environment strings. - *crt\_bp* The address at which a breakpoint will be placed by the run-time linker if the main program is run by a debugger. See *so\_debug* - *crt\_prog* The name of the main program as determined by crt0 (CRT\_VERSION\_BSD3 only). - *crt\_ldso* The path of the run-time linker as mapped by crt0 (CRT\_VERSION\_BSD4 only). The *hints\_header* and *hints\_bucket* structures define the layout of the library hints, normally found in “*/var/run/ld.so.hints*”, which is used by **ld.so** to quickly locate the shared object images in the file system. The organization of the hints file is not unlike that of an “a.out” object file, in that it contains a header determining the offset and size of a table of fixed sized hash buckets and a common string pool. ``` struct hints_header { long hh_magic; #define HH_MAGIC 011421044151 long hh_version; #define LD_HINTS_VERSION_1 1 long hh_hashtab; long hh_nbucket; long hh_strtab; long hh_strtab_sz; long hh_ehints; }; ``` - *hh\_magic* Hints file magic number. - *hh\_version* Interface version number. - *hh\_hashtab* Offset of hash table. - *hh\_strtab* Offset of string table. - *hh\_strtab\_sz* Size of strings. - *hh\_ehints* Maximum usable offset in hints file. ``` /* * Hash table element in hints file. */ struct hints_bucket { int hi_namex; int hi_pathx; int hi_dewey[MAXDEWEY]; int hi_ndewey; #define hi_major hi_dewey[0] #define hi_minor hi_dewey[1] int hi_next; }; ``` - *hi\_namex* Index of the string identifying the library. - *hi\_pathx* Index of the string representing the full path name of the library. - *hi\_dewey* The version numbers of the shared library. - *hi\_ndewey* The number of valid entries in *hi\_dewey*. - *hi\_next* Next bucket in case of hashing collisions. ## CAVEATS Only the (GNU) C compiler currently supports the creation of shared libraries. Other programming languages cannot be used.