READELF(1)

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

hey bestie 💖 welcome to the readelf page — it's from the GNU Development Tools manual, section 1, and honestly? it's a whole personality.

✨ NAME ✨

readelf — display information about ELF files 🦋

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

readelf [-a|--all]
        [-h|--file-header]
        [-l|--program-headers|--segments]
        [-S|--section-headers|--sections]
        [-g|--section-groups]
        [-t|--section-details]
        [-e|--headers]
        [-s|--syms|--symbols]
        [--dyn-syms|--lto-syms]
        [--sym-base=[0|8|10|16]]
        [--demangle=style|--no-demangle]
        [--quiet]
        [--recurse-limit|--no-recurse-limit]
        [-U method|--unicode=method]
        [-X|--extra-sym-info|--no-extra-sym-info]
        [-n|--notes]
        [-r|--relocs]
        [-u|--unwind]
        [-d|--dynamic]
        [-V|--version-info]
        [-A|--arch-specific]
        [-D|--use-dynamic]
        [-L|--lint|--enable-checks]
        [-x <number or name>|--hex-dump=<number or name>]
        [-p <number or name>|--string-dump=<number or name>]
        [-R <number or name>|--relocated-dump=<number or name>]
        [-j <number or name>|--display-section=<number or name>]
        [-z|--decompress]
        [-c|--archive-index]
        [-w|--debug-dump]
        [-wa|--debug-dump=abbrev]
        [-wA|--debug-dump=addr]
        [-wr|--debug-dump=aranges]
        [-wc|--debug-dump=cu_index]
        [-wL|--debug-dump=decodedline]
        [-wf|--debug-dump=frames]
        [-wF|--debug-dump=frames-interp]
        [-wg|--debug-dump=gdb_index]
        [-wi|--debug-dump=info]
        [-wk|--debug-dump=links]
        [-wo|--debug-dump=loc]
        [-wm|--debug-dump=macro]
        [-wp|--debug-dump=pubnames]
        [-wt|--debug-dump=pubtypes]
        [-wR|--debug-dump=Ranges]
        [-wl|--debug-dump=rawline]
        [-ws|--debug-dump=str]
        [-wO|--debug-dump=str-offsets]
        [-wu|--debug-dump=trace_abbrev]
        [-wT|--debug-dump=trace_aranges]
        [-wU|--debug-dump=trace_info]
        [-wK|--debug-dump=follow-links]
        [-wN|--debug-dump=no-follow-links]
        [-wD|--debug-dump=use-debuginfod]
        [-wE|--debug-dump=do-not-use-debuginfod]
        [--debug-dir=dir]
        [-P|--process-links]
        [--dwarf-depth=n]
        [--dwarf-start=n]
        [--ctf=section]
        [--ctf-parent=section]
        [--ctf-symbols=section]
        [--ctf-strings=section]
        [--sframe=section]
        [-I|--histogram]
        [--got-contents]
        [-v|--version]
        [-W|--wide]
        [-T|--silent-truncation]
        [-H|--help]
        elffile...

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

okay so readelf displays information about one or more ELF format object files. and the options? they control what particular information to display. like, you pick the vibe, it gives you the tea. 🫖✨

elffile... are the object files to be examined. 32-bit and 64-bit ELF files are supported, as are archives containing ELF files. so basically it eats everything, no cap.

this program performs a similar function to objdump but it goes into more detail and it exists independently of the BFD library, so if there is a bug in BFD then readelf will not be affected. not me being the emotionally unbothered friend who doesn't inherit your drama 😭💀 iconic behaviour honestly.

🌈 OPTIONS 🌈

the long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are equivalent. at least one option besides -v or -H must be given. like bestie, you have to actually ask for something, standing there silently is not it 💀

  • -a, --all — equivalent to specifying --file-header, --program-headers, --sections, --symbols, --relocs, --dynamic, --notes, --got-contents, --version-info, --arch-specific, --unwind, --section-groups and --histogram. it's giving "give me EVERYTHING" 👑
note — this option does not enable --use-dynamic itself, so if that option is not present on the command line then dynamic symbols and dynamic relocs will not be displayed. so close bestie, but not quite the full slay 🙈
  • -h, --file-header — displays the information contained in the ELF header at the start of the file. the opening credits, if you will 🎬
  • -l, --program-headers, --segments — displays the information contained in the file's segment headers, if it has any.
  • --quiet — suppress "no symbols" diagnostic. it's not a problem bestie, we don't need the commentary 🫶
  • -S, --sections, --section-headers — displays the information contained in the file's section headers, if it has any.
  • -g, --section-groups — displays the information contained in the file's section groups, if it has any.
  • -t, --section-details — displays the detailed section information. implies -S.
  • -s, --symbols, --syms — displays the entries in symbol table section of the file, if it has one. if a symbol has version information associated with it then this is displayed as well. the version string is displayed as a suffix to the symbol name, preceded by an @ character. for example foo@VER_1. if the version is the default version to be used when resolving unversioned references to the symbol then it is displayed as a suffix preceded by two @ characters. for example foo@@VER_2. two at-signs = default version, that's the lore 📖✨
  • --dyn-syms — displays the entries in dynamic symbol table section of the file, if it has one. the output format is the same as the format used by the --syms option.
  • --lto-syms — displays the contents of any LTO symbol tables in the file.
  • --sym-base=[0|8|10|16] — forces the size field of the symbol table to use the given base. any unrecognized options will be treated as 0. --sym-base=0 represents the default and legacy behaviour — this will output sizes as decimal for numbers less than 100000. for sizes 100000 and greater hexadecimal notation will be used with a 0x prefix. --sym-base=8 will give the symbol sizes in octal. --sym-base=10 will always give the symbol sizes in decimal. --sym-base=16 will always give the symbol sizes in hexadecimal with a 0x prefix. pick your number system, pick your fighter 💅
  • -C, --demangle[=style] — decode (demangle) low-level symbol names into user-level names. this makes C++ function names readable. different compilers have different mangling styles. the optional demangling style argument can be used to choose an appropriate demangling style for your compiler. translating the cryptic into the cunty, we love to see it 🧚
  • --no-demangle — do not demangle low-level symbol names. this is the default.
  • --recurse-limit, --no-recurse-limit, --recursion-limit, --no-recursion-limit — enables or disables a limit on the amount of recursion performed whilst demangling strings. since the name mangling formats allow for an infinite level of recursion it is possible to create strings whose decoding will exhaust the amount of stack space available on the host machine, triggering a memory fault. the limit tries to prevent this from happening by restricting recursion to 2048 levels of nesting.

the default is for this limit to be enabled, but disabling it may be necessary in order to demangle truly complicated names. note however that if the recursion limit is disabled then stack exhaustion is possible and any bug reports about such an event will be rejected. so like, turn it off at your own risk bestie, no one's gonna hold your hand about it 😭

  • -U [d|i|l|e|x|h], --unicode=[default|invalid|locale|escape|hex|highlight] — controls the display of non-ASCII characters in identifier names. the default (--unicode=locale or --unicode=default) is to treat them as multibyte characters and display them in the current locale. all other versions of this option treat the bytes as UTF-8 encoded values and attempt to interpret them. if they cannot be interpreted or if the --unicode=invalid option is used then they are displayed as a sequence of hex bytes, encloses in curly parethesis characters.

using the --unicode=escape option will display the characters as as unicode escape sequences (\uxxxx). using the --unicode=hex will display the characters as hex byte sequences enclosed between angle brackets.

using the --unicode=highlight will display the characters as unicode escape sequences but it will also highlighted them in red, assuming that colouring is supported by the output device. the colouring is intended to draw attention to the presence of unicode sequences when they might not be expected. red flag but make it ✨intentional✨

  • -X, --extra-sym-info — when displaying details of symbols, include extra information not normally presented. currently this just adds the name of the section referenced by the symbol's index field, if there is one. in the future more information may be displayed when this option is enabled.

enabling this option effectively enables the --wide option as well, at least when displaying symbol information.

  • --no-extra-sym-info — disables the effect of the --extra-sym-info option. this is the default.
  • -e, --headers — display all the headers in the file. equivalent to -h -l -S. the whole header situation, all at once 🎀
  • -n, --notes — displays the contents of the NOTE segments and/or sections, if any.
  • -r, --relocs — displays the contents of the file's relocation section, if it has one.
  • -u, --unwind — displays the contents of the file's unwind section, if it has one. only the unwind sections for IA64 ELF files, as well as ARM unwind tables (".ARM.exidx" / ".ARM.extab") are currently supported. if support is not yet implemented for your architecture you could try dumping the contents of the .eh_frames section using the --debug-dump=frames or --debug-dump=frames-interp options. not every architecture got the invite, we move 🚶‍♀️
  • -d, --dynamic — displays the contents of the file's dynamic section, if it has one.
  • -V, --version-info — displays the contents of the version sections in the file, if they exist.
  • -A, --arch-specific — displays architecture-specific information in the file, if there is any.
  • -D, --use-dynamic — when displaying symbols, this option makes readelf use the symbol hash tables in the file's dynamic section, rather than the symbol table sections.

when displaying relocations, this option makes readelf display the dynamic relocations rather than the static relocations.

  • -L, --lint, --enable-checks — displays warning messages about possible problems with the file(s) being examined. if used on its own then all of the contents of the file(s) will be examined. if used with one of the dumping options then the warning messages will only be produced for the things being displayed. it's the friend who tells you your outfit has a stain, but only the parts you asked about 💀🫶
  • -x <number or name>, --hex-dump=<number or name> — okay bestie, this one dumps the section you point at as straight-up hexadecimal bytes. A number means "hey, grab the section at that index in the section table", and literally any other string means "grab every section with that name in the object file". You can stack this flag as many times as your heart desires on one command line, and you'll get that many hex dumps. 💅
  • -R <number or name>, --relocated-dump=<number or name> — same hex-bytes energy as before, but the contents of the section get relocated first, and then they're shown to you. Number = section index in the section table; any other string = all sections with that name in the object file. Also repeatable as many times as you want for multiple relocated dumps. 🔥
  • -p <number or name>, --string-dump=<number or name> — now we're printing the section out as printable strings instead of hex. Number = section index in the section table; any other string = every section with that name in the object file. Yes, you can repeat it for multiple string dumps. 🎀
  • -j <number or name>, --display-section — the ✨vibes-based✨ one: it shows the section's contents according to whatever its section header type says it is. Sections with relocations get shown like you'd passed --relocations, sections with symbols get shown like you'd passed --syms, and so on down the line. A number = a particular section by index in the section table; any other string = all sections with that name in the input file(s). Stackable for multiple section dumps, obviously. 🦋
  • -z, --decompress — politely asks that whatever sections got dumped by x, R or p be decompressed before they're displayed. And if they weren't compressed to begin with? Then nothing happens, they're just shown as-is. No drama. 💜
  • -c, --archive-index — shows the file symbol index info hiding in the header part of binary archives. Does exactly what the t command does for ar, except it does it without using the BFD library. icon behavior. 👑
  • -w[lLiaprmfFsOoRtUuTgAckK], --debug-dump[=rawline,=decodedline,=info,=abbrev,=pubnames,=aranges,=macro,=frames,=frames-interp,=str,=str-offsets,=loc,=Ranges,=pubtypes,=trace_info,=trace_abbrev,=trace_aranges,=gdb_index,=addr,=cu_index,=links,=follow-links] — the big one. It displays the DWARF debug sections in the file, if there are any. Compressed debug sections get automatically (and temporarily!) decompressed before display. If one or more of the optional letters or words follows the switch, then only those type(s) of data get dumped. Here's the whole menu, no skipping: 💀
    • "a", "=abbrev" — displays the contents of the .debug_abbrev section.
    • "A", "=addr" — displays the contents of the .debug_addr section.
    • "c", "=cu_index" — displays the contents of the .debug_cu_index and/or .debug_tu_index sections.
    • "f", "=frames" — display the raw contents of a .debug_frame section.
    • "F", "=frames-interp" — display the interpreted contents of a .debug_frame section.
    • "g", "=gdb_index" — displays the contents of the .gdb_index and/or .debug_names sections.
    • "i", "=info" — displays the contents of the .debug_info section. Heads up: the output from this one can also be limited by the --dwarf-depth and --dwarf-start options.
    • "k", "=links" — displays the contents of the .gnu_debuglink, .gnu_debugaltlink and .debug_sup sections, if any of them exist. Also shows any links to separate dwarf object files (dwo) if they're specified by the DW_AT_GNU_dwo_name or DW_AT_dwo_name attributes in the .debug_info section.
    • "K", "=follow-links" — display the contents of any selected debug sections found in linked, separate debug info file(s). Ngl this can result in multiple versions of the same debug section being displayed if it lives in more than one file.

Plus: when displaying DWARF attributes, if a form is found that references the separate debug info file, the referenced contents get displayed too.

Note — in some distributions this option is enabled by default. It can be disabled via the N debug option. The default can be chosen when configuring the binutils via the --enable-follow-debug-links=yes or --enable-follow-debug-links=no options. If those aren't used, then the default is to enable the following of debug links.

Note — if support for the debuginfod protocol was enabled when the binutils were built, then this option will also attempt to contact any debuginfod servers mentioned in the DEBUGINFOD_URLS environment variable. 😭 This could take some time to resolve. You can turn that behaviour off with the =do-not-use-debuginfod debug option.

  • "N", "=no-follow-links" — disables the following of links to separate debug info files.
  • "D", "=use-debuginfod" — enables contacting debuginfod servers if there's a need to follow debug links. This is the default behaviour.
  • "E", "=do-not-use-debuginfod" — disables contacting debuginfod servers when there's a need to follow debug links.
  • "l", "=rawline" — displays the contents of the .debug_line section in a raw format.
  • "L", "=decodedline" — displays the interpreted contents of the .debug_line section.
  • "m", "=macro" — displays the contents of the .debug_macro and/or .debug_macinfo sections.
  • "o", "=loc" — displays the contents of the .debug_loc and/or .debug_loclists sections.
  • "O", "=str-offsets" — displays the contents of the .debug_str_offsets section.
  • "p", "=pubnames" — displays the contents of the .debug_pubnames and/or .debug_gnu_pubnames sections.
  • "r", "=aranges" — displays the contents of the .debug_aranges section.
  • "R", "=Ranges" — displays the contents of the .debug_ranges and/or .debug_rnglists sections.
  • "s", "=str" — displays the contents of the .debug_str, .debug_line_str and/or .debug_str_offsets sections.
  • "t", "=pubtype" — displays the contents of the .debug_pubtypes and/or .debug_gnu_pubtypes sections.
  • "T", "=trace_aranges" — displays the contents of the .trace_aranges section.
  • "u", "=trace_abbrev" — displays the contents of the .trace_abbrev section.
  • "U", "=trace_info" — displays the contents of the .trace_info section.
Note: displaying the contents of .debug_static_funcs, .debug_static_vars and debug_weaknames sections is not currently supported. F in the chat. 🙈
  • --dwarf-depth=n — caps the dump of the ".debug_info" section at n children. Only useful with --debug-dump=info. The default is to print all DIEs; the special value 0 for n also does that. With a non-zero n, DIEs at or deeper than n levels won't get printed. And the range for n is zero-based. 🧚
  • --dwarf-start=n — prints only DIEs beginning with the DIE numbered n. Again, only useful with --debug-dump=info. If you specify it, it suppresses printing of any header information and all DIEs before the DIE numbered n. Only siblings and children of the specified DIE get printed. You can pair it up with --dwarf-depth. 🫶
  • --debug-dir=dir — search dir when looking for separate debug info files.
  • -P, --process-links — displays the contents of non-debug sections found in separate debuginfo files that are linked to the main file. This option automatically implies the -wK option, and only sections requested by other command line options will be displayed.
  • --ctf[=section] — display the contents of the specified CTF section. CTF sections themselves contain a lot of subsections, and all of them get displayed in order. By default, display the name of the section named .ctf, which is the name emitted by ld. ✨
  • --ctf-parent=member — so if the CTF section contains ambiguously-defined types, it'll consist of an archive of many CTF dictionaries, all inheriting from one dictionary that holds the unambiguous types. That member is by default named .ctf, just like the section containing it, but you can change the name using the "ctf_link_set_memb_name_changer" function at link time. So when you're looking at CTF archives created by a linker that used the name changer to rename the parent archive member, --ctf-parent lets you specify the name used for the parent. 💅
  • --ctf-parent-section=section — this one lets you pick a completely different section for the CTF parent dictionary (the unambiguous types) than for the child dictionaries (the ambiguous remainder). The linker does not emit ELF objects structured like this, but some third-party linkers may. It's also convenient for inspecting CTF written out as multiple raw files to compose them with objcopy — which can put them in different ELF sections but not in different members of a single CTF dict.
  • --ctf-symbols=section, --ctf-strings=section — specify the name of another section from which the CTF file can inherit strings and symbols. By default, the ".symtab" and its linked string table are used. Heads up: if either --ctf-symbols or --ctf-strings is specified, the other must be specified as well. ✨
  • --got-contents — displays the contents of the file's Global Offset Table (GOT) sections, if it has any. For MIPS, this option is similar to --arch-specific, but it only displays the GOT-related contents, and it's ignored when --arch-specific is used. 🌈
  • -I, --histogram — display a histogram of bucket list lengths when displaying the contents of the symbol tables. 📊💖
  • -v, --version — bestie, if you just gotta know what version of readelf you're running, this is the move. it'll display the version number, periodt. 💅
  • -W, --wide — okay so by default, readelf is all about that 80-column life and will break section header and segment listing lines for 64-bit ELF files so they fit into 80 columns. but if your terminal is wider than 80 columns and you want each section header and each segment on a single line (which is, like, so much more readable, no cap), then this option is your bestie. it's giving "I have space and I'm gonna use it" energy. ✨
  • -T, --silent-truncation — normally when readelf is showing a symbol name and has to truncate it to fit into an 80-column display, it adds a suffix of "[...]" to the name. but this option disables that behaviour, which means you get 5 more characters of the name displayed, and it restores the old readelf behaviour from before release 2.35. nostalgic vibes, fr fr. 🕰️
  • -H, --help — need a little help, bestie? this displays all the command-line options understood by readelf. it's like a cheat sheet but make it official. 🙌
  • @file — so you can also read command-line options from a file by using @file. the options read from the file are inserted in place of the original @file option. if the file doesn't exist, or can't be read, then the option is treated literally and not removed. inside the file, options are separated by whitespace. you can include a whitespace character in an option by wrapping the entire option in either single or double quotes. and you can include any character (including a backslash) by putting a backslash before it. plus, the file can itself contain additional @file options, and any such options will be processed recursively. it's like a whole inception situation but for command-line options. 🌀

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

go check out objdump(1) and the Info entries for binutils. tell them I said hi. 💖

copyright (c) 1991-2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

and the legal tea is: "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"."

so basically, share it, remix it, just keep the same license and don't add any cover texts or whatever. it's giving open-source royalty. 👑

and that's a wrap on readelf(1) from binutils-2.47, dated 2026-09-19. now go forth and inspect those ELF files like the main character you are. 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from