al(1)

✨ NAME ✨

Okay bestie, meet al and al2, the Mono Assembly Linker 💖 al handles 1.0 assemblies and al2 handles 2.0 assemblies. Iconic duo 👑

🧚 SYNOPSIS 🧚

al [option] [source-files]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Okay so al is the Mono assembly linker, and it's literally the one that puts assemblies together 🫶 It takes a bunch of modules (.netmodule files), assembly manifest files, and resources and stitches them into one assembly.

Don't mix this up with the monolinker! 🙈 That one is a different tool that shrinks assemblies by getting rid of code that isn't used.

Use al for 1.0 assemblies and al2 for 2.0 assemblies. Not me mixing them up 💀

💅 OPTIONS 💅

• @<filename> — Pass in a response file to load in more options 📝
• -algid:<id> — Picks the algorithm used to hash files. The <id> has to be hexadecimal 🔢
• -base:<addr> | -baseaddress:<addr> — Sets the base address for the library. > THIS FEATURE ISN'T IMPLEMENTED. 😭
• -bugreport:<filename> — Supposed to make a 'Bug Report' file. > THIS FEATURE ISN'T IMPLEMENTED. 💀
• -comp:<text> | -company:<text> — Slips the company name into the assembly metadata. It's the same as adding [AssemblyCompany ("<text>")] in C# source 🏢
• -config:<text> | -configuration:<text> — Adds a configuration string to the metadata. Same energy as [AssemblyConfiguration ("<text>")] in C# ⚙️
• -copy:<text> | -copyright:<text> — Puts a copyright message in the metadata. Equivalent to [AssemblyCopyright ("<text>")] in C# ©️
• -c:<text> | -culture:<text> — Adds the supported culture to the metadata. It's [AssemblyCulture ("<text>")] in C# 🌍
• -delay | -delay+ | -delaysign | -delaysign+ — The output gets delay signed. This is the same as [AssemblyDelaySignAttribute (true)] in C# 🦋
• -delay- | -delaysign- — The output gets fully signed, not delay signed. This is the default when you're signing with -keyfile or -keyname ✨
• -descr:<text> | -description:<text> — Adds a description of the assembly to the metadata, like [AssemblyDescription ("<text>")] in C# 📖
• -e:<filename> | -evidence:<filename> — Embeds the file you name into the assembly as security evidence 🔐
• -fileversion:<version> — An optional Win32 version that overrides the normal assembly version 🎀
• -flags:<flags> — Sets the assembly flags. The <flags> have to be hexadecimal 🚩
• -fullpaths — Shows files with their fully-qualified filenames 🗺️
• -keyf:<filename> | -keyfile:<filename> — Strong-name signs the output with the key pair from the strong name key file (snk). You need a full key pair unless you also use delay signing (-delay+). Same as [AssemblyKeyFile ("<text>")] in C# 🔑
• -keyn:<text> | -keyname:<text> — Strong-name signs the output using a key pair from a container. Delay signing doesn't work with key containers, so don't even try 🙅‍♀️ It's the same as [AssemblyKeyName ("<text>")] in C# 🗝️
• -main:<method> — Names the method that's the entry point of the assembly 🚪
• -nologo — Hides the startup banner and copyright message 🤫
• -out:<filename> — The output file name for the assembly manifest 📦
• -prod:<text> | product:<text> — Adds the product name to the metadata, same as [AssemblyProduct ("<text>")] in C# 🛍️
• -productv[ersion]:<text> — Adds the product version to the metadata. It's [AssemblyInformationalVersion ("<text>")] in C# 🏷️
• -t[arget]:<target> | -target=<target> — Pick your vibe with a valid <target>:
  • lib or library makes a library (.dll) 📚
  • exe makes a console executable (.exe) 🖥️
  • win or winexe makes a Windows executable (.exe) 🪟
• -template:<filename> — Names an assembly to borrow default options from 🧩
• -title:<text> — Adds an assembly title to the metadata, like [AssemblyTitle ("<text>")] in C# 🎬
• -trade:<text> | -trademark:<text> — Adds a trademark message to the metadata. It's [AssemblyTrademark ("<text>")] in C™️
• -v:<version> | -version:<version> — Adds the assembly version to the metadata. You can throw in * to auto-generate the remaining numbers. Same as [AssemblyVersion ("<text>")] in C# 🔢
• -win32icon:<filename> — Uses this icon for the output 🖼️
• -win32res:<filename> — Points at the Win32 resource file 📁
• -? | -help — Shows info about al 🆘

🌸 SEE ALSO 🌸

sn(1), monolinker(1)

🌈 COPYRIGHT 🌈

Copyright (C) 2005 Novell, Inc (http://www.novell.com) 💜

📬 MAILING LISTS 📬

Visit http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/mono-devel-list for details 💌

🍓 WEB SITE 🍓

Visit http://www.mono-project.com for details 🌐

Okay that's the tea, bestie 🫶 Now go link your assemblies like the main character you are 💅✨ Byeee, al(1) 🧚🎀