--gc-sections and C library linkage issues (?)

[Benjamin Kosnik]

> > OK, I'm willing to add BFD support in time for binutils 2.10.1, provided
> > someone else (Benjamin?) is interested enough to make the necessary glibc
> > mods in time for the next glibc release.  The glibc changes shouldn't be
> > too major, but will need autoconf tests for the BFD support.  I figure
> > that if the next glibc release doesn't have .section foo,"awk" (or
> > "axk") as appropriate, then it's not worth doing.
> 
> Adding the changes isn't a problem.  Just the timing. 

I'm willing to help. The autoconf tests, etc seem pretty minimal, and 
thus do-able. 

> It would be good if this could be implemented now in its entirety so
> that later only the generated information has to be changed.

Yeah. I'm pretty much of this mindset too: I can't really go back to not 
using --gc-sections. (libstdc++-v3 can work without them, but the static 
binary size bloats and people freak and then these overly-complicated 
Makefile hacks get introduced and then I'm sad and hating the build system.)

I'd rather do the right thing, which happily benefits everybody, and get 
the linker --gc-sections stuff working to everybody's satisfaction.

> > How  long before we get to see your new elf linker, Ulrich? > 
> Don't hold your breath.


-benjamin