ELFEDIT(1)

📦
version 2.45.50.20251209 · 5 versions
, in ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💅 ELFEDIT(1) — the GNU Development Tools glow-up

okay bestie, so elfedit is a manual page from the GNU Development Tools collection, and we're about to make it make sense. sit down, hydrate, let's go 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

elfedit — update ELF header and program property of ELF files

no cap, that's literally it. it goes into your ELF files and edits the header and the program property. main character energy for binary tweaking 💖

🌸 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 program property of ELF files which have the matching ELF machine and file types. that's the whole vibe check right there — it only touches the ones that match. the options are what control how and which fields in the ELF header and program property get updated.

elffile... are the ELF files to be updated. and yes, both 32-bit and 64-bit ELF files are supported, as are archives containing ELF files. iconic range, honestly 👑

💖 OPTIONS 💖

okay so here's the thing: the long and short forms of options, shown here as alternatives, are equivalent. pick whichever feels right, no judgement.

⚠️ At least one of the --output-mach, --output-type, --output-osabi, --output-abiversion, --enable-x86-feature and --disable-x86-feature options must be given. like, you cannot just show up with nothing. at least one, bestie.
  • --input-mach=machine — sets the matching input ELF machine type to machine. if --input-mach isn't specified, it'll match any ELF machine types (so, all of them, no filter, live your life).

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. 🔥
  • --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. 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'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. that is a lot of operating systems and honestly they all ate 💅

  • --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'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 rules, 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. ✨
  • --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.
🫶 Note: --enable-x86-feature and --disable-x86-feature are available only on hosts with mmap support. if you don't have mmap, sorry bestie, these two are simply not invited to the party 😭
  • -v, --version — displays the version number of elfedit. quick lil flex.
  • -h, --help — displays the command-line options understood by elfedit. when in doubt, ask for help, that's growth 🌱
  • @file — reads 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. The file may itself contain additional @file options; any such options will be processed recursively. it's giving inception, fr fr 🌀

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

readelf(1), and the Info entries for binutils.

like, go read those too, they're the supporting cast and they understood the assignment 👑

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".

and that's the whole page, bestie 💜 this one's from binutils-2.45.50, dated 2025-12-09, and it lives in section 1 of the manual. go forth and edit those ELF headers responsibly 🌸🦋💖

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