GNU ld to support incremental linking?

[Brian Carnes]

The last reference I can see to this issue is a Feb 2002 post to this list:

> "niv twig" <address@hidden> writes:
> > The gnu ld linker has no capability for incremental linking which is found
> > in almost all
> > other commercial linkers: Microsoft visual C++ linker, Sun ild (incremental
> > ld) linker for the Forte IDE, HP also has an incremental linker.
>
> Incremental linking will be added to the GNU linker when somebody
> volunteers to write it or to pay for it.
>
> Perhaps you could be that volunteer?
>
> Ian


Did any work ever get done on this?

The current gnu linker has an "incremental" flag, but it's documented as 
be identical to "-r" (relocatable output).  That is, it does a partial 
link - producing effectively a larger object file that can be used as 
input to future links, but which is not executable.  The "-Ur" option 
seems to create a relocatable executable with C++ link-time magic 
performed, for environments where the whole executable needs to 
relocated (VxWorks perhaps?).

Anyone have any information about what work may have been done on a true 
incremental link mode?

Anyone have any comments, wish lists, or warnings about how to go about 
potentially implementing it?

Brian