Reproducible 18.04 amd64 with GCC 7.3.0 and Binutils 2.30 from the repos.

Steps to reproduce:

    git clone https://gem5.googlesource.com/public/gem5
    cd gem5
    git checkout d4b3e064adeeace3c3e7d106801f95c14637c12f
    scons -j16 --ignore-style --verbose build/ARM/gem5.debug |& tee build.log

Build takes about 10 miutes. Note that this is not cross compiling for ARM, ARM just shows in the command beause this is a system simulator.

Now open build.log and find the final link command near the very end, the one that generates the `-o .*gem5.debug` executable.

Put that command alone on a shell script file by itself, and add to it:

    -fuse-ld=gold

before the object files, and then the link fails with:

    /usr/bin/ld.gold: internal error in read_cie, at ../../gold/ehframe.cc:943

A quick look at the sources shows that the line is:

    gold_assert(r == 1);

in `Eh_frame::read_cie`.

Interestingly, if you do the same procedure but on a non-debug build:

    scons -j16 --verbose build/ARM/gem5.opt |& tee build.log

then it works with `-fuse-ld=gold`, and reduces the link time by half, which is awesome.

The only difference I can see there is that the build was done with `-O0` (including for object files of course) instead of `-O3`.

Modifying the link command to use `g++-8` GCC 8.2.0 from the repos made no difference.

Checking file sizes with `If ls -hlrS` shows that in both builds, there is one huge ~1Gb file, and several other much smaller Mb sized files.

The large file contains a lot of pybind11 boilerplate, the project is written in C++.

The final failing link command looks like this:

    #!/usr/bin/env bash
    g++ \
    -fuse-ld=gold \
    -o \
    build/ARM/gem5.debug \
    -pthread \
    -L/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86_64-linux-gnu \
    -L/usr/lib \
    -Xlinker \
    -export-dynamic \
    -Wl,-O1 \
    -Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions \
    -O0 \
    build/ARM/sim/main.do \
    build/ARM/systemc/dt/fx/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/sim/probe/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/testers/traffic_gen/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/filters/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/slicc_interface/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/utils/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/testers/memtest/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/dt/misc/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/dt/int/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/cache/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/cache/replacement_policies/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/simple/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/sim/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/structures/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/learning_gem5/part2/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/dt/bit/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/arm/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/base/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/kern/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/base/vnc/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/sim/power/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/unittest/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/probes/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/simple/probes/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/common/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/fault_model/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/cache/tags/indexing_policies/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/qos/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/arch/mips/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/garnet2.0/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/pred/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/net/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/i2c/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/cache/prefetch/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/protocol/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/pci/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/testers/directedtest/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/ps2/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/arch/generic/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/o3/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/cache/tags/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/arch/arm/tracers/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/serial/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/simple/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/core/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/storage/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/proto/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/python/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/dt/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/profiler/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/o3/probe/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/arch/arm/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/trace/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/dev/virtio/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/minor/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/mem/ruby/system/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/testers/garnet_synthetic_traffic/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/cpu/testers/rubytest/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/systemc/channel/lib.do.partial \
    build/ARM/base/date.do \
    -Lbuild/libelf \
    -Lbuild/iostream3 \
    -Lbuild/nomali \
    -Lbuild/drampower \
    -Lbuild/fputils \
    -Lbuild/libfdt \
    -Lbuild/googletest \
    -lpython2.7 \
    -lpthread \
    -ldl \
    -lutil \
    -lm \
    -lz \
    -lprotobuf \
    -lrt \
    -ltcmalloc \
    -lfdt \
    -lfputils \
    -ldrampower \
    -lnomali \
    -liostream3 \
    -lelf \
    -lpng \
    ;

If I also add `-v` to the GCC command the output is:

    Using built-in specs.
    COLLECT_GCC=g++
    COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/lto-wrapper
    OFFLOAD_TARGET_NAMES=nvptx-none
    OFFLOAD_TARGET_DEFAULT=1
    Target: x86_64-linux-gnu
    Configured with: ../src/configure -v --with-pkgversion='Ubuntu 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04' --with-bugurl=file:///usr/share/doc/gcc-7/README.Bugs --enable-languages=c,ada,c++,go,brig,d,fortran,objc,obj-c++ --prefix=/usr --with-gcc-major-version-only --program-suffix=-7 --program-prefix=x86_64-linux-gnu- --enable-shared --enable-linker-build-id --libexecdir=/usr/lib --without-included-gettext --enable-threads=posix --libdir=/usr/lib --enable-nls --with-sysroot=/ --enable-clocale=gnu --enable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-libstdcxx-time=yes --with-default-libstdcxx-abi=new --enable-gnu-unique-object --disable-vtable-verify --enable-libmpx --enable-plugin --enable-default-pie --with-system-zlib --with-target-system-zlib --enable-objc-gc=auto --enable-multiarch --disable-werror --with-arch-32=i686 --with-abi=m64 --with-multilib-list=m32,m64,mx32 --enable-multilib --with-tune=generic --enable-offload-targets=nvptx-none --without-cuda-driver --enable-checking=release --build=x86_64-linux-gnu --host=x86_64-linux-gnu --target=x86_64-linux-gnu
    Thread model: posix
    gcc version 7.3.0 (Ubuntu 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04) 
    COMPILER_PATH=/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/
    LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../../lib/:/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/:/lib/../lib/:/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/:/usr/lib/../lib/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../:/lib/:/usr/lib/
    COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-fuse-ld=gold' '-o' 'build/ARM/gem5.debug' '-pthread' '-L/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86_64-linux-gnu' '-L/usr/lib' '-O0' '-Lbuild/libelf' '-Lbuild/iostream3' '-Lbuild/nomali' '-Lbuild/drampower' '-Lbuild/fputils' '-Lbuild/libfdt' '-Lbuild/googletest' '-shared-libgcc' '-mtune=generic' '-march=x86-64'
    /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/collect2 -plugin /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/liblto_plugin.so -plugin-opt=/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/lto-wrapper -plugin-opt=-fresolution=/tmp/ccfPjadk.res -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lpthread -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc --sysroot=/ --build-id --eh-frame-hdr -m elf_x86_64 --hash-style=gnu --as-needed -dynamic-linker /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 -pie -z now -fuse-ld=gold -z relro -o build/ARM/gem5.debug /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/Scrt1.o /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/crti.o /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/crtbeginS.o -L/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86_64-linux-gnu -L/usr/lib -Lbuild/libelf -Lbuild/iostream3 -Lbuild/nomali -Lbuild/drampower -Lbuild/fputils -Lbuild/libfdt -Lbuild/googletest -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7 -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../../lib -L/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu -L/lib/../lib -L/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu -L/usr/lib/../lib -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../.. -export-dynamic -O1 -Bsymbolic-functions build/ARM/sim/main.do build/ARM/systemc/dt/fx/lib.do.partial build/ARM/sim/probe/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/testers/traffic_gen/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/filters/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/slicc_interface/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/utils/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/testers/memtest/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/dt/misc/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/dt/int/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/cache/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/cache/replacement_policies/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/simple/lib.do.partial build/ARM/sim/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/structures/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/lib.do.partial build/ARM/learning_gem5/part2/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/dt/bit/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/arm/lib.do.partial build/ARM/base/lib.do.partial build/ARM/kern/lib.do.partial build/ARM/base/vnc/lib.do.partial build/ARM/sim/power/lib.do.partial build/ARM/unittest/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/probes/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/simple/probes/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/common/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/fault_model/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/cache/tags/indexing_policies/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/qos/lib.do.partial build/ARM/arch/mips/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/garnet2.0/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/pred/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/network/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/net/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/i2c/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/cache/prefetch/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/protocol/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/pci/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/testers/directedtest/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/ps2/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/lib.do.partial build/ARM/arch/generic/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/o3/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/cache/tags/lib.do.partial build/ARM/arch/arm/tracers/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/serial/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/simple/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/core/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/storage/lib.do.partial build/ARM/proto/lib.do.partial build/ARM/python/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/dt/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/profiler/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/o3/probe/lib.do.partial build/ARM/arch/arm/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/trace/lib.do.partial build/ARM/dev/virtio/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/minor/lib.do.partial build/ARM/mem/ruby/system/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/testers/garnet_synthetic_traffic/lib.do.partial build/ARM/cpu/testers/rubytest/lib.do.partial build/ARM/systemc/channel/lib.do.partial build/ARM/base/date.do -lpython2.7 -lpthread -ldl -lutil -lz -lprotobuf -lrt -ltcmalloc -lfdt -lfputils -ldrampower -lnomali -liostream3 -lelf -lpng -lstdc++ -lm -lgcc_s -lgcc -lpthread -lc -lgcc_s -lgcc /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/crtendS.o /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/crtn.o
    /usr/bin/ld.gold: internal error in read_cie, at ../../gold/ehframe.cc:943
    collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

The zipped build files are 789M, let me know if you want them and how I can provide them.

Let me know if you need any further details and I'll provide, I'm really eager to profit from the shorter link time of this awesome linker!

Then I also reproduced on master Binutils:

    git checkout 8f531a8d1f9b9b9061368ddd89d1b7e7aafe9e38
    ./configure --enable-gold
    make -j`nproc`

by replacing the `/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/7/collect2` with the path to `gold/ld-new`.