Linker and Loader

Runtime Linker,Static Linker and Loader
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Concept of Run Time Linker and Static Linker is same in case of Solaris and Linux.

There are two linkers:

・ A static linker (also called link-editor) that you use to link your application binaries after
compiling your source code into object files

・ A dynamic linker (also called as Run time linker or Interpreter) performing the run time linking of dynamic executable and shared libraries.
The runtime linker plays an important role in the execution of the program.
The dynamic linker is the runtime linker (also called loader or ld.so.1(1)). Since this loaded shared libraries also load executable file if not loaded by exec().

In Open-Solaris Dynamic linker is ld.so.1 that resides in /usr/lib/ld.so.1, which is soft link (symbolic link) to /lib/ld.so.1
In Linux Dynamic linker name is ld-linux.so.2 that resides in /lib/ld-linux.so.2

The first kind of linker is the link-editor (also called linker or static linker or native linker or program linker ie ld, and you use it to link object files into shared objects or executable. The user can either directly execute the link-editor, or it can be invoked by the compiler.

Please do not invoke link-editor directly ,if you use linker directly .init and .fini section will not registered properly.

By default, the static linker makes all applications' symbols global in scope (making them into what is also called "exported symbols"). This means it puts the symbols into the dynamic symbol table of the resulting binary such that other binary modules can access those symbols.

dynamic relocations that the dynamic linker performs are only necessary for the global (also known as external or exported) symbols. The static linker resolves references to local symbols (for example, names of static functions) statically when it links the binary.


Linking Stages
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There are 3 types of linking in case of Solaris,Linux,Windows.
1. Static Linking
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Static linking means that for each function your program calls, the assembly to that function is actually included in the executable file. Function calls are performed by calling the address of this code directly, the same way that functions of your program are called.

2. Dynamic Linking
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Dynamic Linking means there are shared libraries which are used by application.
This linking is done at compile and build time of an executable.
The required relocations of data and functions are done at load and run time by Run Time Linker.
3. Runtime Linking
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Runtime linking is linking that happens when a program calls a function from a library that is was not linked against at compile time. The library is mapped with dlopen() under Solaris ,Linux,UNIX, and LoadLibrary() under Microsoft Windows, both of which return a handle that is then passed to symbol resolution functions (dlsym() and GetProcAddress()), which actually return a function pointer that may be called directly from the program as if it were any normal function.


There can be two type of executable
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1. Static executable :This type of executable is build using static linking as described above.

What happen when running the static executable:
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The kernel ie exec() would load the executable and jump directly to its entry point(ehdr:e_entry) ie _start address used by linker. Static means "no interpreter (ie no run time linker)".
2.Dynamic executable:
This type of executable is build using dynamic linking or run time linking as described above.

What happen when running the dynamic executable:
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exec() (ie part of the kernel) works as loader and do the following:
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1. exec() loads the executable.
2. exec() inspects the executable to find the interpreter name.
3. exec() loads the interpreter(run time linker).
4. exec() jumps to the interpreter.

The interpreter(run time linker)
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1.Analyse and loads the executable dependencies.
2.relocates any loaded objects
3.and then jumps to the executable.
The Interpreter
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An executable file may have one PT_INTERP program header element if executable file not contains PT_INTERP section Then this is Static Executable.Dynamic Executable always contains PT_INTERP section in which the path of run time linker ] is written.
During exec ie loading executable, the system retrieves a path name from the PT_INTERP segment and creates the initial process image from the interpreter file's segments. That is, instead of using the original executable file's segment images, the system composes a memory image for the interpreter.
It then is the interpreter's responsibility to receive control from the system and provide an environment for the application program.
The interpreter receives control in one of two way:
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1. First, it may receive a file descriptor to read the executable file, positioned at
the beginning. It can use this file descriptor to read and/or map the
executable file's segments into memory.
2. Second, depending on the executable file format, the system may load the executable file into
memory instead of giving the interpreter an open file descriptor.
An interpreter may be either a shared object or an executable file. In Linux or Solaris this is a shared object.