6 size

size [-A|-B|-G|--format=compatibility]
     [--help]
     [-d|-o|-x|--radix=number]
     [--common]
     [-t|--totals]
     [--target=bfdname] [-V|--version]
     [-f]
     [objfile…]

The GNU size utility lists the section sizes and the total size for each of the binary files objfile on its argument list. By default, one line of output is generated for each file or each module if the file is an archive.

objfile… are the files to be examined. If none are specified, the file a.out will be used instead.

The command-line options have the following meanings:

-A
-B
-G
--format=compatibility

Using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from GNU size resembles output from System V size (using -A, or --format=sysv), or Berkeley size (using -B, or --format=berkeley). The default is the one-line format similar to Berkeley’s. Alternatively, you can choose the GNU format output (using -G, or --format=gnu), this is similar to Berkeley’s output format, but sizes are counted differently.

Here is an example of the Berkeley (default) format of output from size:

$ size --format=Berkeley ranlib size
   text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
 294880   81920   11592  388392   5ed28 ranlib
 294880   81920   11888  388688   5ee50 size

The Berkeley style output counts read only data in the text column, not in the data column, the dec and hex columns both display the sum of the text, data, and bss columns in decimal and hexadecimal respectively.

The GNU format counts read only data in the data column, not the text column, and only displays the sum of the text, data, and bss columns once, in the total column. The --radix option can be used to change the number base for all columns. Here is the same data displayed with GNU conventions:

$ size --format=GNU ranlib size
      text       data        bss      total filename
    279880      96920      11592     388392 ranlib
    279880      96920      11888     388688 size

This is the same data, but displayed closer to System V conventions:

$ size --format=SysV ranlib size
ranlib  :
section         size         addr
.text         294880         8192
.data          81920       303104
.bss           11592       385024
Total         388392


size  :
section         size         addr
.text         294880         8192
.data          81920       303104
.bss           11888       385024
Total         388688
--help
-h
-H
-?

Show a summary of acceptable arguments and options.

-d
-o
-x
--radix=number

Using one of these options, you can control whether the size of each section is given in decimal (-d, or --radix=10); octal (-o, or --radix=8); or hexadecimal (-x, or --radix=16). In --radix=number, only the three values (8, 10, 16) are supported. The total size is always given in two radices; decimal and hexadecimal for -d or -x output, or octal and hexadecimal if you’re using -o.

--common

Print total size of common symbols in each file. When using Berkeley or GNU format these are included in the bss size.

-t
--totals

Show totals of all objects listed (Berkeley or GNU format mode only).

--target=bfdname

Specify that the object-code format for objfile is bfdname. This option may not be necessary; size can automatically recognize many formats. See Target Selection, for more information.

-v
-V
--version

Display the version number of size.

-f

Ignored. This option is used by other versions of the size program, but it is not supported by the GNU Binutils version.