# Object file stripper

The object file stripper utility removes information from the specified files. The files can be object files or archive files.

Note

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

## Command

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

hexagon-strip [<option...>] [-x] <file...>
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Where `<option>` is one or more of the following:

--discard-all                  | -x
    --discard-locals               | -X
    --help                         | -h
    --input-target=<objformat>     | -I <objformat>
    --keep-symbol=<symbolname>     | -K <symbolname>
    --only-keep-debug
    --output-file=<filename>       | -o <filename>
    --output-target=<objformat>    | -O <objformat>
    --preserve-dates               | -p
    --remove-section=<sectionname> | -R <sectionname>
    --strip-all                    | -s
    --strip-debug                  | -d | -g | -S
    --strip-unneeded
    --strip-symbol=<symbolname>    | -N <symbol>
    --version                      | -V
    --wildcard                     | -w
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## Options

--discard-all
    -x
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Remove all non-global symbols from the object file.

--discard-locals
    -X
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Remove compiler-generated local symbols from the object file.

--help
    -h
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Display command usage information and then exit.

--input-target=<objformat>
    -I <objformat>
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This option is accepted for compatibility with the GNU object file stripper, but it is ignored.

--keep-symbol=<symbolname>
    -K <symbolname>
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Keep the specified symbol even if it would otherwise be stripped. This option can be specified more than once.

--only-keep-debug
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Remove all information from the object file except for the debugging information.

--output-file=<filename>
    -o <filename>
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Write the output file to a new file with the specified name. The default operation is to overwrite the input file.

--output-target=<objformat>
    -O <objformat>
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Specify file format of the stripped object file. The possible values are:

- `ETF_ELF` - ELF object (Default)

--preserve-dates
    -p
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Set the access and modification times of the object file to the same as those of the input.

--remove-section=<sectionname>
    -R <sectionname>
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Remove the specified section from the object file.

--strip-all
    -s
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Remove all symbols from the object file.

--strip-debug
    -d
    -g
    -S
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Remove debugging information from the object file.

--strip-symbol=<symbolname>
    -N <symbol>
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Remove the specified symbol even if it would otherwise be kept. This option can be specified more than once.

--strip-unneeded
    
      Remove all symbols that are not required for relocation processing.
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--version
    -V
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Display the utility version identifier and then exit.

--wildcard
    -w
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Use shell-style patterns to specify 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
- `*` - Match any string of characters in a symbol name
- `?` - Match 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

Last Published: Oct 06, 2026

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