# ELF: understand \-Wl,\-\-compress-debug-sections · gitcafe/zig

[View on GitCafe](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zig/commit/1f410b500c8dbe33191a54a4ae02a6fb0febec46)

Repository: [gitcafe/zig](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zig)

Visibility: public

Requested revision: 1f410b500c8dbe33191a54a4ae02a6fb0febec46

Requested commit: 1f410b500c8dbe33191a54a4ae02a6fb0febec46

Commit: 1f410b500c8dbe33191a54a4ae02a6fb0febec46

Tree: 7948dd086ed915e1dbd2d94a32e314ea6bb9af10

Author: Motiejus Jakštys

Committer: Andrew Kelley

## Message

```
ELF: understand -Wl,--compress-debug-sections

This argument is both a compiler and a linker flag. The linker flag was
not understood; now it is. Go likes to use it as a linker flag.

Tested with sqlite3. The size difference is significant, and I confirmed
gdb understands both binaries.

zlib: 3.66MB
------------

    CC="zig cc"
    CFLAGS="-Wl,--compress-debug-sections=zlib -O2"
    ./configure --disable-tcl
    make

        FILE SIZE        VM SIZE
     --------------  --------------
      39.1%  1.43Mi  88.4%  1.43Mi    .text
      19.6%   734Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_info
      16.4%   613Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_loc
      13.1%   492Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_line
       4.2%   157Ki   9.5%   157Ki    .rodata
       2.3%  87.6Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_ranges
       1.5%  56.2Ki   0.0%       0    .symtab
       1.1%  40.2Ki   0.0%       0    .strtab
       1.0%  38.2Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_str
       0.7%  26.2Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_frame
       0.4%  15.3Ki   0.9%  15.3Ki    .data
       0.1%  4.71Ki   0.3%  4.71Ki    .dynsym
       0.1%  3.65Ki   0.2%  3.26Ki    [16 Others]
       0.1%  2.55Ki   0.2%  2.55Ki    .rela.plt
       0.1%  2.12Ki   0.0%       0    [ELF Section Headers]
       0.0%       0   0.1%  2.02Ki    .bss
       0.0%  1.84Ki   0.1%  1.84Ki    .dynstr
       0.0%  1.72Ki   0.1%  1.72Ki    .plt
       0.0%  1.58Ki   0.1%  1.58Ki    .hash
       0.0%  1.17Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_abbrev
       0.0%  1.01Ki   0.1%  1.01Ki    .rela.dyn
     100.0%  3.66Mi 100.0%  1.62Mi    TOTAL

none: 8.56MB
------------

    CC="zig cc" CFLAGS="-O2" ./configure --disable-tcl
    make

        FILE SIZE        VM SIZE
     --------------  --------------
      41.1%  3.52Mi   0.0%       0    .debug_loc
      18.5%  1.59Mi   0.0%       0    .debug_info
      16.7%  1.43Mi  88.4%  1.43Mi    .text
      11.8%  1.01Mi   0.0%       0    .debug_line
       5.9%   515Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_ranges
       1.8%   157Ki   9.5%   157Ki    .rodata
       1.3%   118Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_frame
       1.3%   110Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_str
       0.6%  56.2Ki   0.0%       0    .symtab
       0.5%  40.2Ki   0.0%       0    .strtab
       0.2%  15.3Ki   0.9%  15.3Ki    .data
       0.1%  4.71Ki   0.3%  4.71Ki    .dynsym
       0.0%  3.64Ki   0.2%  3.26Ki    [16 Others]
       0.0%  2.98Ki   0.0%       0    .debug_abbrev
       0.0%  2.55Ki   0.2%  2.55Ki    .rela.plt
       0.0%  2.12Ki   0.0%       0    [ELF Section Headers]
       0.0%       0   0.1%  2.02Ki    .bss
       0.0%  1.84Ki   0.1%  1.84Ki    .dynstr
       0.0%  1.72Ki   0.1%  1.72Ki    .plt
       0.0%  1.58Ki   0.1%  1.58Ki    .hash
       0.0%  1.01Ki   0.1%  1.01Ki    .rela.dyn
     100.0%  8.56Mi 100.0%  1.62Mi    TOTAL

```

## Parents

- [ade9bd9287fcdd730a7562811d0e50a6899a6cf2](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zig/commit/ade9bd9287fcdd730a7562811d0e50a6899a6cf2?format=markdown)

[Source at this commit](https://git.cafe/gitcafe/zig/tree/1f410b500c8dbe33191a54a4ae02a6fb0febec46?format=markdown)