STRIP(1POSIX)

📦 version 2017a, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💅 STRIP(1POSIX) — the POSIX Programmer's Manual, but make it make sense 🎀

okay bestie, welcome to the POSIX Programmer's Manual page for strip. this is a development-utility girlie and she is HERE to delete stuff you don't need. let's go 🦋

✨ PROLOG ✨

so like, real talk first 🫶 this manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. the Linux implementation of this interface may differ — so if you're on Linux, go consult the corresponding Linux manual page for the actual Linux behavior, mmmkay? or honestly the interface might not even be implemented on Linux at all. no cap. 🙈

🌸 NAME 🌸

strip — remove unnecessary information from strippable files (DEVELOPMENT)

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

strip file...

that's it. that's the whole vibe. ✨

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so first thing, we gotta define our terms, because "strippable" is doing a lot of work here:

A strippable file is defined as a relocatable, object, or executable file. and on XSI-conformant systems, a strippable file can also be an archive of object or relocatable files. periodt. 👑

the strip utility shall remove from strippable files named by the file operands any information the implementor deems unnecessary for execution of those files. the nature of that information is unspecified — so like, don't @ me asking what exactly gets yeeted, because the standard literally will not tell you. 💀

the effect of strip on object and executable files shall be similar to the use of the -s option to c99 or fort77. and the effect of strip on an archive of object files shall be similar to the use of the -s option to c99 or fort77 for each object file in the archive. one by one, bestie, she does not skip anybody. 💅

⭐ OPTIONS ⭐

None.

not a single flag. zero. she came with no accessories and she still ate. 🔥

🦋 OPERANDS 🦋

the following operand shall be supported:

  • file — a pathname referring to a strippable file.

🌈 STDIN 🌈

Not used. she does not read from you. 🙅♀️

🧚 INPUT FILES 🧚

the input files shall be in the form of strippable files successfully produced by any compiler defined by this volume of POSIX.1‐2017, or produced by creating or updating an archive of such files using the ar utility. so like, if your compiler made it, you're good. 💜

🌸 ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES 🌸

the following environment variables shall affect the execution of strip:

  • LANG — provide a default value for the internationalization variables that are unset or null. (see the Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, Section 8.2, Internationalization Variables for the precedence of internationalization variables used to determine the values of locale categories.)
  • LC_ALL — if set to a non-empty string value, override the values of all the other internationalization variables. she overrides. main character energy fr. 👑
  • LC_CTYPE — determine the locale for the interpretation of sequences of bytes of text data as characters (for example, single-byte as opposed to multi-byte characters in arguments).
  • LC_MESSAGES — determine the locale that should be used to affect the format and contents of diagnostic messages written to standard error.
  • NLSPATH — determine the location of message catalogs for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.

💅 ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS 💅

Default.

✨ STDOUT ✨

Not used. she's not chatty like that.

💜 STDERR 💜

the standard error shall be used only for diagnostic messages. so if she's talking to stderr, something's up. 😭

🎀 OUTPUT FILES 🎀

the strip utility shall produce strippable files of unspecified format. again with the unspecified. she's mysterious. it's giving enigma. 🦋

⭐ EXTENDED DESCRIPTION ⭐

None.

🔥 EXIT STATUS 🔥

the following exit values shall be returned:

  • 0 — successful completion. slay. ✅
  • >0 — an error occurred. 😭

🌈 CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS 🌈

Default.

the following sections are informative. (so like, they're the gossip, not the rules 🫶)

🍓 APPLICATION USAGE 🍓

None.

🧚 EXAMPLES 🧚

None. (we're all just out here raw-dogging the synopsis, and honestly? iconic.)

💖 RATIONALE 💖

historically, this utility has been used to remove the symbol table from a strippable file. it was included since it is known that the amount of symbolic information can amount to several megabytes — and the ability to remove it in a portable manner was deemed important, especially for smaller systems. like yes, tiny systems need love too. 🥺

the behavior of strip on object and executable files is said to be the same as the -s option to a compiler. while the end result is essentially the same, it is not required to be identical. so same-ish. not twin sisters, just sisters. 💅

XSI-conformant systems support use of strip on archive files containing object files or relocatable files.

🦋 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 🦋

None.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

ar, c99, fort77

the Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, Chapter 8, Environment Variables

portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright (C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. in the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. the original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .

any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page are most likely to have been introduced during the conversion of the source files to man page format. to report such errors, see https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .

okay that's the whole page bestie, we made it 💖 this one came to you courtesy of IEEE/The Open Group, 2017 — and yeah, the page is literally called STRIP(1POSIX). mwah. 🎀✨🫶

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