mcs(1)                            SDK R4.11                           mcs(1)


NAME
       mcs - manipulate the comment section of an object file

SYNOPSIS
       mcs [-a string] [-c] [-d] [-n name] [-p] [-V] file ...

DESCRIPTION
       mcs is used to manipulate a section, by default the .comment section,
       in an ELF object file.  It is used to add to, delete, print, and
       compress the contents of a section in an ELF object file; it can only
       print the contents of a section in a COFF object file.  mcs must be
       given one or more of the options described below.  It applies each of
       the options in order to each file.

       These options are available:

       -a string
              Append string to the comment section of the ELF object files.
              If string contains embedded blanks, it must be enclosed in
              quotation marks.

       -c     Compress the contents of the comment section of the ELF object
              files.  All duplicate entries are removed.  The ordering of
              the remaining entries is not disturbed.

       -d     Delete the contents of the comment section from the ELF object
              files.  The section header for the comment section is also
              removed.

       -n name
              Specify the name of the comment section to access if other
              than .comment.  By default, mcs deals with the section named
              .comment.  This option can be used to specify another section.

       -p     Print the contents of the comment section on the standard
              output.  Each section printed is tagged by the name of the
              file from which it was extracted, using the format
              filename[membername]: for archive files; and filename: for
              other files.

       -V     Print, on standard error, the version number of mcs.

       If the input file is an archive [see ar(4)], the archive is treated
       as a set of individual files.  For example, if the -a option is
       specified, the string is appended to the comment section of each ELF
       object file in the archive; if the archive member is not an ELF
       object file, then it is left unchanged.

       If mcs is executed on an archive file, the archive symbol table will
       be removed unless -p is the only option specified.  The archive
       symbol table must be restored by executing the ar command with the
       -ts option before the archive can be linked by the ld command.  mcs
       will produce appropriate warning messages when this situation arises.

EXAMPLES
            mcs -p file            # Print file's comment section

            mcs -a string file    # Append string to file's comment section

FILES
       TMPDIR/mcs*         temporary files

       TMPDIR              usually /usr/tmp but can be redefined by setting
                           the environment variable TMPDIR [see tempnam() in
                           tmpnam(3S)].

SEE ALSO
       ar(1), as(1), cc(1), ld(1), tmpnam(3S), a.out(4), ar(4).
       See the ``Object Files'' chapter in Programmer's Guide: ANSI C and
       Programming Support Tools.

NOTES
       mcs cannot add to, delete or compress the contents of a section that
       is contained within a segment.


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