mcs(1)                                                               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 (manipulate comment section) 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.

OPTIONS
     -a string
          Append string to the comment section of the ELF object files.

          If string contains embedded blanks, it must be enclosed in quota-
          tion 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.

          By default, mcs deals with the section named .comment.

     -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 the version number of mcs on the standard error output.

     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



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mcs(1)                                                               mcs(1)

     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.

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

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

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), cc(1), ld(1), tmpnam(3S), a.out(4), ar(4).

































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