Re: objcopy elf32-i386 to pe-i386 breaks R_386_32 relocations

[Nick Clifton]

Hi Dave,

>    I think there's a bug in the way objcopy handles R_386_32 (absolute
> 32-bit) relocation entries when translating from elf to pe-i386
> (windows) object files.

> The symptom is that R_386_32 relocations in elf get translated into
> DIR16 entries in the pe-i386. (Or perhaps just not translated, since I
> think DIR16 is numerical value 1, which I think is the same numerical
> value as R_386_REL, and possibly also the same value as bfd uses
> internally, though that part is pure speculation from a very quick
> look at the source.)
Your speculation is correct.  Objcopy does not perform *any* translation 
of relocations.  This is why it very rarely works when translating 
object files.  Your best bet is to link the elf32-i386 object files into 
a fully linked program first and then use objcopy to translate it into a 
pe-i386 executable.  (But beware of shared libraries/DLLs.  Objcopy will 
not translate between uses of shared library functions and uses of DLL 
functions either).
Cheers
  Nick