ELFEDIT(1)

📦 version 2.45.1, in arch rolling

💅 elfedit(1) — GNU Development Tools ✨

okay bestie, so this is the elfedit(1) page from the GNU Development Tools fam — yes that GNU, the binutils girlies. sit down, grab a strawberry drink 🍓, and let's get into it.

✨ NAME ✨

elfedit — the little tool that goes in and updates the ELF header and program property of ELF files. glow-up for your binaries, basically 💅

🦋 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 🌸

so elfedit updates the ELF header and the program property of ELF files — but only the ones that match the ELF machine and file types you asked for. like, it's not out here editing everyone's files, it's selective. main character energy but make it respectful 🎀

the way it works: the options control how and which fields in the ELF header and program property get updated.

elffile... is the list of ELF files to be updated. 32-bit and 64-bit ELF files are both supported, and so are archives containing ELF files. equal opportunity editor, we love to see it 🫶

💅 OPTIONS 💅

the long and short forms of options — shown here as alternatives — are equivalent. ngl that's just how it is.

important bestie: at least one of --output-mach, --output-type, --output-osabi, --output-abiversion, --enable-x86-feature and --disable-x86-feature must be given. no vibes-only mode, you have to actually want something 😭
  • --input-mach=machine — sets the matching input ELF machine type to machine. if you don't specify --input-mach, it'll match any ELF machine types. 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. supported machine types? same as --input-mach, we keep the lineup consistent 🔥
  • --input-type=type — sets the matching input ELF file type to type. if --input-type isn't specified, it'll 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. supported types are the same as --input-type. iconic, no notes.
  • --input-osabi=osabi — sets the matching input ELF file OSABI to osabi. if --input-osabi isn't specified, it'll match any ELF OSABIs. the supported ELF OSABIs are: none, HPUX, NetBSD, GNU, Linux (alias for GNU), Solaris, AIX, Irix, FreeBSD, TRU64, Modesto, OpenBSD, OpenVMS, NSK, AROS and FenixOS. yes that's all of them, count them if you want 🧚
  • --output-osabi=osabi — changes the ELF OSABI in the ELF header to osabi. supported 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'll match any ELF ABIVERSIONs.
  • --output-abiversion=version — changes the ELF ABIVERSION in the ELF header to version. version must be between 0 and 255 (same rule, bestie, no exceptions).
  • --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. turning it on ✨
  • --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. supported features are the same as --enable-x86-feature. turning it off 💀
note: --enable-x86-feature and --disable-x86-feature are available only on hosts with mmap support. if your host doesn't have it, these options are just not invited to the party 🙈
  • -v, --version — displays the version number of elfedit. so you know exactly which girl you're dealing with 💜
  • -h, --help — displays the command-line options understood by elfedit. the full menu, chefs kiss 👑
  • @file — reads command-line options from file. the options read get inserted in place of the original @file option. if file doesn't exist, or can't be read, then the option is treated literally, and not removed — so it just sits there, being itself.

options in file are separated by whitespace. a whitespace character can be included in an option by surrounding the entire option in either single or double quotes. any character (including a backslash) can be included by prefixing the character to be included with a backslash. and file may itself contain additional @file options — any such options get processed recursively, because it's turtles all the way down 🐢

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

  • readelf(1) — the sibling, the icon
  • and the Info entries for binutils 📚

Copyright (c) 1991-2025 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". slay, legally speaking ⚖️💖

and that's the page, bestie 🦋 this was binutils-2.45.1, dated 2026-01-23, straight from the ELFEDIT(1) girlies — ily, go update those headers responsibly 🫶✨💅

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