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Subject: Re: [9front] Re: [PATCH] game boy advance header target for 5l
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On 3/2/23 10:33, cinap_lenrek@felloff.net wrote:
> i dont think that a.out (arm) have relocatable code.
> 
> aout2uimage does not relocate the image (abslute addresses
> are encoded inside instruction immediates) but only
> changes the header and handles some padding stuff.
> 
> the load address (and entry point) all *MUST* stay the
> same no matter if it is wrapped in a.out or uimage.
> 
> this is why you need the -T flag for the linker. theres
> no relocation info in a.out as far as i remember.
> so writing a external tool to convert an a.out to ????
> requiering relocation will have a hard time.
> 
> --
> cinap

I dont want to do relocation, I just want to know
why external programs that only work under assumptions
of how the a.out was linked are preferable to just
having the linker output correct files.

I wrote it this way because there was some existing
precedent in 5l creating boot images for ipaq and ixp1200
in the code. If everyone else is in agreement that this kind of header
code should only be done in external programs, should that code also be moved
to be external or deleted?