mcs(1)        UNIX System V(Software Generation System Utilities)        mcs(1)


NAME
      mcs - manipulate the comment section of an object file

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

DESCRIPTION
      The mcs command 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, and 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.

      The following options are available.

      -a string
            Append string to the comment section of the 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[member_name]: 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 only the -p option has been specified.  The archive
      symbol table must be restored by executing the ar command with the -s
      option before the archive can be linked by the ld command.  mcs will
      produce appropriate warning messages when this situation arises.



10/89                                                                    Page 1

mcs(1)        UNIX System V(Software Generation System Utilities)        mcs(1)


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

SEE ALSO
      ar(1), s(1), c(1), d(1), tmpnam(3S), 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.


































Page 2                                                                    10/89