SIZE(1)

📦
version 2.35.1 · 2 versions
, in debian bookworm, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute

💖 SIZE(1) — the size girlies' era 💖

okay bestie, we're doing GNU Development Tools today, and the star of the show is size. yes, she's one of the binutils girlies, and yes, she's lowkey iconic. let's get into it.

✨ NAME ✨

size — list section sizes and total size of binary files. that's it, that's the whole job, and she does it flawlessly. 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

size [-A|-B|-G|--format=compatibility]
     [--help]
     [-d|-o|-x|--radix=number]
     [--common]
     [-t|--totals]
     [--target=bfdname] [-V|--version]
     [objfile...]

like. look at her. so structured. so organized. main character energy fr fr. ✨

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

the GNU size utility lists the section sizes and the total size for each of the binary files objfile on its argument list. so you hand her some binaries and she tells you how big everything is. she's not nosy, she's informative. 💖

by default, one line of output is generated for each file, or each module if the file is an archive. one line per file. clean. minimal. slay.

objfile... are the files to be examined. and if you specify none of them? bestie. she'll just use the file a.out instead. she has a default. she's prepared. we love a girl with a backup plan. 🎀

💅 OPTIONS 💅

the command-line options have the following meanings. buckle up, there's a lot of them and honestly? every single one ate.

  • -A, -B, -G, --format=compatibility — using one of these options, you can choose whether the output from GNU size resembles output from System V size (using -A, or --format=sysv), or Berkeley size (using -B, or --format=berkeley). the default is the one-line format similar to Berkeley's. alternatively, you can choose the GNU format output (using -G, or --format=gnu) — this is similar to Berkeley's output format, but sizes are counted differently. yes bestie, differently. she contains multitudes. 🦋

here's an example of the Berkeley (default) format of output from size:

$ size --format=Berkeley ranlib size
   text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
 294880   81920   11592  388392   5ed28 ranlib
 294880   81920   11888  388688   5ee50 size

the Berkeley style output counts read only data in the "text" column, not in the "data" column. the "dec" and "hex" columns both display the sum of the "text", "data", and "bss" columns in decimal and hexadecimal respectively. okay? okay. 🫶

the GNU format counts read only data in the "data" column, not the "text" column, and only displays the sum of the "text", "data", and "bss" columns once, in the "total" column. the --radix option can be used to change the number base for all columns. here's the same data displayed with GNU conventions:

$ size --format=GNU ranlib size
      text       data        bss      total filename
    279880      96920      11592     388392 ranlib
    279880      96920      11888     388688 size

and this is the same data, but displayed closer to System V conventions:

$ size --format=SysV ranlib size
ranlib  :
section         size         addr
.text         294880         8192
.data          81920       303104
.bss           11592       385024
Total         388392

size  :
section         size         addr
.text         294880         8192
.data          81920       303104
.bss           11888       385024
Total         388688

three formats. three vibes. all valid. the range. 😭✨

  • --help — show a summary of acceptable arguments and options. she's helpful, she's polite, she's the moment.
  • -d, -o, -x, --radix=number — using one of these options, you can control whether the size of each section is given in decimal (-d, or --radix=10); octal (-o, or --radix=8); or hexadecimal (-x, or --radix=16). in --radix=number, only the three values (8, 10, 16) are supported. and the total size? always given in two radices: decimal and hexadecimal for -d or -x output, or octal and hexadecimal if you're using -o. she gives you a little bonus. a little extra. she's generous like that. 💖
  • --common — print total size of common symbols in each file. when using Berkeley or GNU format these are included in the bss size. 🎀
  • -t, --totals — show totals of all objects listed (Berkeley or GNU format mode only). read that again bestie. only in Berkeley or GNU format mode. don't come for her in SysV mode, she will not be doing that. 💀
  • --target=bfdname — specify that the object-code format for objfile is bfdname. this option may not be necessary; size can automatically recognize many formats. she's smart, she figures it out, but sometimes you just gotta spell it out for her and that's fine. 🦋
  • -V, --version — display the version number of size. know your girl's version, it's basic manners. ✨
  • @file — read command-line options from file. the options read are inserted in place of the original @file option. if file does not exist, or cannot be read, then the option will be treated literally, and not removed. 😭

options in file are separated by whitespace. a whitespace character may be included in an option by surrounding the entire option in either single or double quotes. any character (including a backslash) may be included by prefixing the character to be included with a backslash. and the plot twist? the file may itself contain additional @file options; any such options will be processed recursively. it's giving inception. it's giving recursion queen. 🌈

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

ar(1), objdump(1), readelf(1), and the Info entries for binutils. go read your sisters' pages too, they're all serving. 💜

Copyright (c) 1991-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

ngl, that's a whole lot of legal text, but we respect the paperwork in this house. 🫶

and that's the page bestie!! this gorgeous little manual is from binutils-2.35.1, dated 2022-11-21 — a certified classic, still slaying to this day. periodt. 💅✨💖

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