.init_array vs. .ctors sections on ARM

[Sebastian Huber <sebastian dot huber at embedded-brains dot de>]

Hello,

the default linker command file on ARM ELF looks like this 
(arm-none-eabi-ld --verbose):

...
  .init_array     :
  {
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY(.init_array.*) 
SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY(.ctors.*)))
    KEEP (*(.init_array EXCLUDE_FILE (*crtbegin.o *crtbegin?.o 
*crtend.o *crtend?.o ) .ctors))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_end = .);
  }
  .fini_array     :
  {
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_start = .);
    KEEP (*(SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY(.fini_array.*) 
SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY(.dtors.*)))
    KEEP (*(.fini_array EXCLUDE_FILE (*crtbegin.o *crtbegin?.o 
*crtend.o *crtend?.o ) .dtors))
    PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_end = .);
  }
  .ctors          :
  {
    /* gcc uses crtbegin.o to find the start of
       the constructors, so we make sure it is
       first.  Because this is a wildcard, it
       doesn't matter if the user does not
       actually link against crtbegin.o; the
       linker won't look for a file to match a
       wildcard.  The wildcard also means that it
       doesn't matter which directory crtbegin.o
       is in.  */
    KEEP (*crtbegin.o(.ctors))
    KEEP (*crtbegin?.o(.ctors))
    /* We don't want to include the .ctor section from
       the crtend.o file until after the sorted ctors.
       The .ctor section from the crtend file contains the
       end of ctors marker and it must be last */
    KEEP (*(EXCLUDE_FILE (*crtend.o *crtend?.o ) .ctors))
    KEEP (*(SORT(.ctors.*)))
    KEEP (*(.ctors))
  }
  .dtors          :
  {
    KEEP (*crtbegin.o(.dtors))
    KEEP (*crtbegin?.o(.dtors))
    KEEP (*(EXCLUDE_FILE (*crtend.o *crtend?.o ) .dtors))
    KEEP (*(SORT(.dtors.*)))
    KEEP (*(.dtors))
  }
...

Why are the .ctors and .dtors input sections used in two output 
sections? Would this result in two output sections with partly identical 
content?

--
Sebastian Huber, embedded brains GmbH

Address : Dornierstr. 4, D-82178 Puchheim, Germany
Phone   : +49 89 189 47 41-16
Fax     : +49 89 189 47 41-09
E-Mail  : sebastian.huber@embedded-brains.de
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