Object file copier
==================++

The object file copier utility copies the contents of the specified ELF `infile` object file to a new object file named `outfile`, while performing transformations on the copied file that are specified by the command options.

If the `outfile` argument is not specified, the utility names the copied file `infile`, thus overwriting the original file.

Note

This utility returns zero on success, or greater than zero if an error occurs.

# Command

To start the object file copier utility from the command line:

hexagon-llvm-objcopy [<option...>] [<input...>]
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Where `option` is one or more of the following:

--add-gnu-debuglink=<debug-file>
    --add-section=section=<file>
    --binary-architecture=<value>
    --build-id-link-dir=<dir>
    --build-id-link-input=<suffix>
    --build-id-link-output=<suffix>
    --compress-debug-sections=[zlib|zlib-gnu]
    -decompress-debug-sections
    -disable-deterministic-archives | -U
    -discard-all
    --dump-section=section=<file>
    -enable-deterministic-archives  | -D
    -extract-dwo
    --globalize-symbol=<symbol>
    --help
    --input-target=<value>
    -keep-file-symbols
    --keep-global-symbol=<symbol>
    --keep-global-symbols=<filename>
    --keep-section=<section>
    --keep-symbol=<symbol>
    -localize-hidden
    --localize-symbol=<symbol>
    -only-keep-debug
    --only-section=section
    --output-target=<value>
    --prefix-symbols=<prefix>
    -preserve-dates
    --redefine-sym=<old>=<new>
    --redefine-syms=<filename>
    --rename-section=<old>=<new>[,<flag1>,...]
    --remove-section=<section>
    --split-dwo=<dwo-file>
    -strip-all
    -strip-all-gnu
    -strip-debug                    | -g
    -strip-dwo
    -strip-non-alloc
    -strip-sections
    --strip-symbol=<symbol>
    -strip-unneeded
    --target=<value>
    -version
    -weaken
    --weaken-symbol=<symbol>
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# Options

--add-gnu-debuglink=<debug-file>
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Add a `.gnu_debuglink` for the specified debug file.

--add-section=section=<file>
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Make a section named `section` with the contents of the specified file.

--binary-architecture=<value>
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Used when transforming an architecture-less format (such as binary) to another format.

--build-id-link-dir=<dir>
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Set the directory for `--build-id-link-input` and `--build-id-link-output` to `<dir>`.

--build-id-link-input=<suffix>
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Hard-link the input to the `<dir>/xx/xxx<suffix>` name derived from the Hexagon build ID.

--build-id-link-output=<suffix>
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Hard-link the output to the `<dir>/xx/xxx<suffix>` name derived from the Hexagon build ID.

--compress-debug-sections=[zlib|zlib-gnu]
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Compress DWARF debug sections using the specified style.

Supported styles: `zlib-gnu` and `zlib`.

-decompress-debug-sections
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Decompress DWARF debug sections.

-disable-deterministic-archives
    -U
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Disable deterministic mode when copying archives (use real values for UIDs, GIDs, and timestamps).

-discard-all
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Remove all local symbols except file and section symbols.

--dump-section=section=<file>
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Dump the contents of the specified section into the specified file.

-enable-deterministic-archives
    -D
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Enable deterministic mode when copying archives (use zero for UIDs, GIDs, and timestamps).

-extract-dwo
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Remove all sections that are not DWARF `.dwo` sections from file.

--globalize-symbol=<symbol>
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Mark the specified symbol as global.

--help
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Display command usage information and then exit.

--input-target=<value>
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Format of the input file.

-keep-file-symbols
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Do not remove file symbols.

--keep-global-symbol=<symbol>
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Convert all symbols except the specified symbol to local.

This option can be repeated to convert all except a set of symbols to local.

--keep-global-symbols=<filename>
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Read a list of symbols from the specified file and run it as if `--keep-global-symbol=symbol` is set for each symbol.

`filename` contains one symbol per line and can contain comments beginning with #. Leading and trailing white spaces are stripped from each line.

This option can be repeated to read symbols from many files.

--keep-section=<section>
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Do not remove specified section.

--keep-symbol=<symbol>
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Do not remove the specified symbol.

-localize-hidden
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Mark all symbols that have hidden or internal visibility set as local.

--localize-symbol=<symbol>
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Mark the specified symbol as local.

-only-keep-debug
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Currently ignored. This option is only for compatibility with GNU `objcopy`.

--only-section=<section>
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Remove all but `<section>`.

--output-target=<value>
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Format of the output file.

--prefix-symbols=<prefix>
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Add the specified prefix to the start of every symbol name.

-preserve-dates
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Preserve access and modification timestamps.

--redefine-sym=old=new
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Change the symbol name from `old` to `new`.

--redefine-syms=<filename>
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Reads a list of symbol pairs from `<filename>` and runs as if `--redefine-sym=old=new` is set for each one.

The `<filename>` contains two symbols per line separated with a whitespace character, and it might contain comments beginning with #. Leading and trailing whitespace characters are stripped from each line.

This option can be repeated to read symbols from many files.

--rename-section=old=new[,<flag1>,...]
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Rename a section from `old` to `new`, optionally with specified flags.

Flags supported for GNU compatibility: `alloc`, `load`, `noload`, `readonly`, `debug`, `code`, `data`, `rom`, `share`, `contents`, `merge`, `strings`.

--remove-section=<section>
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Remove the specified section.

--split-dwo=<dwo-file>
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Equivalent to `extract-dwo` on the input file to `<dwo-file>` and `strip-dwo` on the input file.

-strip-all
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Remove non-allocated sections other than `.gnu.warning*` sections.

-strip-all-gnu
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Compatible with GNU `objcopy` option, `--strip-all`.

-strip-debug
    -g
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Remove all debug information.

-strip-dwo
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Remove all DWARF `*.dwo` sections from the file.

-strip-non-alloc
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Remove all non-allocated sections.

-strip-sections
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Remove all section headers.

--strip-symbol=<symbol>
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Remove the specified symbol.

-strip-unneeded
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Remove all symbols not required by relocations.

--target=<value>
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Format of the input and output file.

-version
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Display the version identifier and then exit.

-weaken
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Mark all global symbols as weak.

--weaken-symbol=<symbol>
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Mark the specified symbol as weak.

Last Published: Oct 06, 2026

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