ELF32_GETPHDR(3)

💖 ELF32_GETPHDR(3) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Libelf Programmer's Manual ✨ today we're talking about elf32_getphdr and elf64_getphdr — the little duo that pulls the program header table out of a 32-bit or 64-bit ELF object file. no cap, they're giving librarian energy and we love that for them 📚

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✨ NAME ✨

elf32_getphdr, elf64_getphdr — retrieve the program header table for a 32-bit or 64-bit ELF object file 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <libelf.h>

Elf32_Phdr *elf32_getphdr(Elf *elf);
Elf64_Phdr *elf64_getphdr(Elf *elf);

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so basically, you hand it an ELF descriptor elf, and it hands you back the program header table for that file. that's the whole vibe. 🎀

now, quick side quests you're gonna want to know about:

• wanna know how many elements are chillin' in that program header table? that's elf32_getphdrnum and elf64_getphdrnum's whole job. 👑
• wanna resize the program header table, or just straight up delete it? elf32_newphdr and elf64_newphdr got you.
• and listen — this part matters — if you're changing an element of the program header table, you absolutely must call elf_flagphdr with ELF_C_SET and ELF_F_DIRTY, otherwise your new data is never gonna make it to disk. it's giving "wrote it but didn't hit save" 💀 don't be that girl.

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🍓 PARAMETERS 🍓

• elf — the ELF descriptor you're pulling the program header table out of. that's it, that's the one. 🫶

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⭐ RETURN VALUE ⭐

• on success? you get a pointer to the program header table. slay. ✨
• if there's no program header? you get NULL. it's not a fail, it's just... nothing there. 🙈
• on failure? also NULL — but this time it also sets a libelf error code. check it, bestie.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

elf32_newphdr(3), elf_errno(3), elf_getphdrnum(3), libelf(3), elf(5)

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💜 ATTRIBUTES 💜

for the whole explanation of what these terms even mean, go peek at attributes(7). but here's the tea for our two faves:

• Interface: elf32_getphdr(), elf64_getphdr()
• Attribute: Thread safety
• Value: MT-Safe 🔥

translation: they're thread safe, they don't start drama across threads, we stan.

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😭 REPORTING BUGS 😭

found a bug? don't gatekeep, tell somebody:

• email <elfutils-devel@sourceware.org>
• or go off in the bugzilla: https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🧚 thanks for reading, go write some beautiful ELF code, and remember: flag your phdr or it never happened 💅

this has been the Libelf manual, dated 2024-08-14, page ELF32_GETPHDR(3) — mwah, love u, bye 🎀