Shared Objects in Embedded Linux Filesystem

ashok449 · 07-03-2008, 07:36 AM

Dear All,

I just wondering why we require Shared Objects in Embedded Linux Filesystem, i.e, on flash/hard disk.

I found an embedded device with Shared Objects in Filesystem. Normally libraries are needed at the time of compilation why its still in the filesystem.

Any help is appreciable ...

-Ashok

sundialsvcs · 07-03-2008, 06:49 PM

Can you give a specific example?

estabroo · 07-03-2008, 09:55 PM

They aren't required, you can compile everything static, but if you have a lot of apps using the same libraries you'll waste a lot of space, which is why they are mostly left as shared.

ashok449 · 07-03-2008, 11:43 PM

Thnaks all for that,

you are right these are used by many application.

here are some of the source obects on the device, these are used at compile time but why we need on target/device filesystem.

# ls -l
-rwxr-xr-x 1 500 500 35892 Jun 30 2008 libclt.so.1.0.1
-rwxr-xr-x 1 500 500 60986 Jul 3 2008 libcmn.so.1.0.1
-rwxr-xr-x 1 500 500 155701 Jun 30 2008 libstdsoap2.so.1.0.1
-rwxr-xr-x 1 500 500 48664 Jun 30 2008 libsvr.so.1.0.1

estabroo · 07-04-2008, 09:02 AM

The reason you need them at run time is because they aren't included in your application. At compile time the linker figures out which of the libraries your application will need and puts in appropriate tags but doesn't include those libraries in the application. Then when you run the application the libraries get pulled in and used.

If you compile your application statically then the libraries do get included, your application size gets much larger, but you don't need the libraries at run time.

ashok449 · 07-06-2008, 05:55 AM

Now I got it , Thanks for all.

I love open source and wishes to all who involved in open source development.