ELFEDIT(1)

📦
version 2.47+3build2 · 7 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

✨ NAME ✨

elfedit — the little glow-up artist for your ELF files 💅 it updates the ELF header and program property of ELF files, bestie. no cap.

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

elfedit [--input-mach=machine]
        [--input-type=type]
        [--input-osabi=osabi]
        [--input-abiversion=version]
        --output-mach=machine
        --output-type=type
        --output-osabi=osabi
        --output-abiversion=version
        --enable-x86-feature=feature
        --disable-x86-feature=feature
        [-v|--version]
        [-h|--help]
        elffile...

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

Okay so picture this: elfedit updates the ELF header and program property of ELF files — but only the ones that match the ELF machine and file types you asked for. The options are literally the whole control panel: they decide how the fields get updated and which fields in the ELF header and program property should be updated.

elffile... are the ELF files you're about to update. 💖 Both 32-bit and 64-bit ELF files are supported, and so are archives containing ELF files. iconic behaviour honestly.

👑 OPTIONS 👑

The long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are equivalent. And listen — at least one of the --output-mach, --output-type, --output-osabi, --output-abiversion, --enable-x86-feature and --disable-x86-feature options must be given. it's giving mandatory, periodt.

  • --input-mach=machine — sets the matching input ELF machine type to machine. If --input-mach isn't specified, it will match any ELF machine types. like, no filter, no preference, just vibes. The supported ELF machine types are: i386, IAMCU, L1OM, K1OM and x86-64. 🎀
  • --output-mach=machine — changes the ELF machine type in the ELF header to machine. The supported ELF machine types are the same as --input-mach. slay.
  • --input-type=type — sets the matching input ELF file type to type. If --input-type isn't specified, it will match any ELF file types. The supported ELF file types are: rel, exec and dyn. ✨
  • --output-type=type — changes the ELF file type in the ELF header to type. The supported ELF types are the same as --input-type.
  • --input-osabi=osabi — sets the matching input ELF file OSABI to osabi. If --input-osabi isn't specified, it will match any ELF OSABIs. The supported ELF OSABIs are: none, HPUX, NetBSD, GNU, Linux (which is an alias for GNU, iykyk), Solaris, AIX, Irix, FreeBSD, TRU64, Modesto, OpenBSD, OpenVMS, NSK, AROS and FenixOS. a whole menu fr fr 🍓
  • --output-osabi=osabi — changes the ELF OSABI in the ELF header to osabi. The supported ELF OSABI are the same as --input-osabi.
  • --input-abiversion=version — sets the matching input ELF file ABIVERSION to version. version must be between 0 and 255. If --input-abiversion isn't specified, it will match any ELF ABIVERSIONs.
  • --output-abiversion=version — changes the ELF ABIVERSION in the ELF header to version. version must be between 0 and 255. 🔢
  • --enable-x86-feature=feature — sets the feature bit in program property in exec or dyn ELF files with machine types of i386 or x86-64. The supported features are: ibt, shstk, lam_u48 and lam_u57. 💅
  • --disable-x86-feature=feature — clears the feature bit in program property in exec or dyn ELF files with machine types of i386 or x86-64. The supported features are the same as --enable-x86-feature.
🫶 heads up bestie: --enable-x86-feature and --disable-x86-feature are available only on hosts with mmap support. no mmap, no bit-flipping, sorry.
  • -v, --version — displays the version number of elfedit. cute little flex.
  • -h, --help — displays the command-line options understood by elfedit. your personal tour guide. 🌈
  • @file — reads command-line options from file. The options that get read are inserted in place of the original @file option. And if file doesn't exist, or can't be read? Then the option is treated literally, and not removed. it stays exactly where it is, standing there. 🙈 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 plot twist: the file may itself contain additional @file options — any such options will be processed recursively. it's giving inception, honestly. 🌀

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

readelf(1), and the Info entries for binutils. go read, bestie, knowledge is the accessory that never goes out of style. 📚

Copyright (c) 1991-2026 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".

and that's the whole page, babe 💖 this gorgeous lil' manpage is from binutils-2.47, dated 2026-09-19, and it lives its life as ELFEDIT(1). mwah, take care of your ELF files and they'll take care of you 🫶✨

📦 where this page comes from