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) 1991-2023 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".