C++ Linkers and the One Definition Rule
summary
Linking is unpacked with concrete examples on Windows and Linux: compile to object, use ar/lib to make static archives, or build DLL/so and resolve via PLT/GOT at load time; object file 1.6KB linking to an 8.3KB binary (~80× source), x86-64 relative calls limited to 32-bit (2GB) offsets, syscalls during startup measured 28 vs 284 (Linux vs Windows), tools used include nm/dumpbin/readelf/objdump/strace and Godbolt, symbol hijack demonstrated via LD_PRELOAD, and exports tightened with GCC visibility attribute.
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chapters (11)
- 0:00Linkers and ODR
- 1:13Why linkers in C++
- 10:02Symbol resolution in linkers
- 21:01Address space randomization
- 30:15Linking source files
- 37:44Static libraries benefits
- 39:32Shared libraries trade-offs
- 56:20Windows vs Linux shared libs
- 1:01:20One Definition Rule
- 1:18:13Security risks with shared libs
- 1:21:08Key takeaways
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