---
name: "shtool-arx"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "shtool"
version: "2.0.8-10"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/shtool-arx"
---

# shtool-arx(1)

GNU shtool ar(1) extensional command

## NAME

shtool-arx - GNU shtool [ar(1)](/ar/1.md) extensional command

## SYNOPSIS

**shtool arx** \[**-t**\|**--trace**\] \[**-C**\|**--command** *cmd*\] *op* *archive* *file* \[*file* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**shtool arx** is a wrapper around the archiving tool [**ar**(1)](/ar/1.md). It provides the ability to create archives out of existing archives, i.e., if one of *file* matches "`"*.a"`", the archive member files of *file* are used instead of *file* itself.

The trick of this command is the automatic handling of archive members which is especially interesting if one wants to construct a (usually top-level) library archive out of pre-built sub-library archives (usually staying inside subdirs) in a large source tree. For **GNU** **libtool** based projects, a similar functionality is provided by **GNU** **libtool** internally, too.

## OPTIONS

The following command line options are available.

- **-t**, **--trace**

  Shows the actually involved shell commands.

- **-C**, **--command** *cmd*

  Set the used [**ar**(1)](/ar/1.md) command to *cmd* instead of just "ar" (searched in `$PATH`).

## EXAMPLE

```
 #   Makefile
 AR=ar
 RANLIB=ranlib
   :
 OBJS=foo.o bar.o
 LIBS=baz/libbaz.a quux/libquux.a
   :
 libfoo.a: $(OBJS) $(LIBS)
     shtool arx -C $(AR) rc libfoo.a $(OBJS) $(LIBS)
     $(RANLIB) libfoo.a
```

## HISTORY

The **GNU shtool** **arx** command was originally written by Ralf S. Engelschall \<rse@engelschall.com\> in 1999 for **GNU shtool**. It was prompted by need to build libraries out of sub-libraries inside the **OSSP** project.

## SEE ALSO

[**shtool**(1)](/shtool/1.md), [**ar**(1)](/ar/1.md).