man > ranlib(1)

RANLIB(1)                               GNU Development Tools                              RANLIB(1)

NAME
       ranlib - generate an index to an archive

SYNOPSIS
       ranlib [--plugin name] [-DhHvVt] archive

DESCRIPTION
       ranlib generates an index to the contents of an archive and stores it in the archive.  The
       index lists each symbol defined by a member of an archive that is a relocatable object file.

       You may use nm -s or nm --print-armap to list this index.

       An archive with such an index speeds up linking to the library and allows routines in the
       library to call each other without regard to their placement in the archive.

       The GNU ranlib program is another form of GNU ar; running ranlib is completely equivalent to
       executing ar -s.

OPTIONS
       -h
       -H
       --help
           Show usage information for ranlib.

       -v
       -V
       --version
           Show the version number of ranlib.

       -D  Operate in deterministic mode.  The symbol map archive member's header will show zero for
           the  UID,  GID,  and  timestamp.   When  this  option is used, multiple runs will produce
           identical output files.

           If binutils was configured with --enable-deterministic-archives, then this mode is on  by
           default.  It can be disabled with the -U option, described below.

       -t  Update the timestamp of the symbol map of an archive.

       -U  Do  not  operate in deterministic mode.  This is the inverse of the -D option, above: the
           archive index will get actual UID, GID, timestamp, and file mode values.

           If binutils was configured without --enable-deterministic-archives, then this mode is  on
           by default.

       @file
           Read  command-line  options  from  file.   The  options read are inserted in place of the
           original @file option.  If file does not exist, or cannot be read, then the  option  will
           be treated literally, and not removed.

           Options  in  file are separated by whitespace.  A whitespace character may be included in
           an option by surrounding the entire option  in  either  single  or  double  quotes.   Any
           character  (including  a  backslash)  may  be  included  by prefixing the character to be
           included with a backslash.  The file may itself contain  additional  @file  options;  any
           such options will be processed recursively.

SEE ALSO
       ar(1), nm(1), and the Info entries for binutils.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (c) 1991-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

       Permission  is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the
       GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or  any  later  version  published  by  the  Free
       Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-
       Cover  Texts.   A  copy  of  the  license  is  included  in  the  section  entitled "GNU Free
       Documentation License".

binutils-2.42                                2026-02-09                                    RANLIB(1)