Executable and Linkable Format

<p>In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, the Executable and Linkable Format (ELF, formerly named Extensible Linking Format) is a common standard <a href="/facts/File_format/qrXbwJaH">file format</a> for <a href="/facts/Executable/VSst9eLA">executable</a> files, <a href="/facts/Object_code/Sht3h4lW">object code</a>, <a href="/facts/Shared_library/xRzL3P7q">shared libraries</a>, and <a href="/facts/Core_dump/rnhaVc2f">core dumps</a>. First published in the specification for the <a href="/facts/Application_binary_interface/wc6pmKKb">application binary interface</a> (ABI) of the <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> operating system version named <a href="/facts/System_V_Release_4/Epm6GEY4">System V Release 4</a> (SVR4), and later in the Tool Interface Standard, it was quickly accepted among different vendors of <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> systems. In 1999, it was chosen as the standard binary file format for Unix and <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> systems on <a href="/facts/X86/Kypq5fgu">x86</a> processors by the 86open project.
</p><p>By design, the ELF format is flexible, extensible, and <a href="/facts/Cross-platform/16zqdvNR">cross-platform</a>. For instance, it supports different <a href="/facts/Endiannesses/wbrQnyu3">endiannesses</a> and address sizes so it does not exclude any particular <a href="/facts/Central_processing_unit/Jxp1bqMV">CPU</a> or <a href="/facts/Instruction_set_architecture/8p8vwUeE">instruction set architecture</a>. This has allowed it to be adopted by many different <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> on many different hardware <a href="/facts/Computing_platform/DmKwp5Bk">platforms</a>.
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Executable and Linkable Format open-in-new

Executable and Linkable Format