This is a study project implementing a basic ELF linker in Julia for educational purposes. The project aims to understand how dynamic linking works by building a simplified version of an ELF linker with comprehensive mathematical documentation.

Note: This project is AI-driven and developed for learning purposes. We are unable to accept pull requests at this time.

This linker is documented using Mathematical-Driven AI Development methodology with humble, appropriate mathematical notations:

• Complete Mathematical Specification - Comprehensive mathematical framework
• Mathematical-Driven Development Guide - Documentation structure and methodology

This is a mathematically-documented implementation of an ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) linker written in Julia. It demonstrates:

Algorithmic Components (Mathematical Expression):

• ELF parsing algorithms with mathematical transformations: $\Pi_{parse}: \text{BinaryFile} \to \mathcal{E}_{structured}$
• Symbol resolution using set theory: $\delta_{resolve}: \mathcal{S}{undefined} \times \mathcal{S}{global} \to (\mathcal{S}{resolved}, \mathcal{S}{unresolved})$
• Memory allocation with spatial mathematics: $\phi_{allocate}: \mathcal{S}{sections} \to \mathcal{M}{regions}$
• Relocation processing with address computation: $\rho_{relocate}: \mathcal{R}{entries} \to \mathcal{M}{patched}$

Structural Components (Direct Julia):

• Command-line interface with LLD/GCC compatibility
• File I/O and system interactions
• Configuration and error handling
• Library support and system integration

Complete Linking Pipeline:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/nyanrus/mini-elf-linker-jl.git
cd mini-elf-linker-jl

2. Install Julia dependencies:

julia --project=.

3. In the Julia REPL:

using Pkg
Pkg.instantiate()
using MiniElfLinker

4. Run tests to verify everything works:

julia --project=. test/runtests.jl

The linker provides a command-line interface with the following options:

USAGE:
    mini-elf-linker [OPTIONS] <input-files>...

OPTIONS:
    -o, --output <file>         Write output to <file>
    -L <dir>                    Add directory to library search path
    -l <lib>                    Link against library <lib>
    -e, --entry <symbol>        Set entry point symbol (default: main)
    --Ttext <addr>              Set text segment base address (hex)
    -shared                     Create shared library
    -static                     Force static linking, disable system libraries
    --no-system-libs            Disable automatic system library linking
    -v, --verbose               Verbose output
    -h, --help                  Show this help message
    --version                   Show version information

EXAMPLES:
    mini-elf-linker file.o                           # Link single object
    mini-elf-linker -o program file.o                # Specify output name
    mini-elf-linker -lm -lpthread file.o             # Link with math and pthread
    mini-elf-linker -L/opt/lib -lmath file.o         # Custom library path
    mini-elf-linker --entry start file.o             # Custom entry point
    mini-elf-linker --Ttext 0x800000 file.o          # Custom base address

You can also use the linker programmatically in Julia:

using MiniElfLinker

# Link object files to create an executable
link_to_executable(["main.o"], "my_program")

# Link multiple objects with custom settings
link_to_executable(["file1.o", "file2.o"], "program", 
                   base_address=0x400000, 
                   entry_symbol="main")

This repository includes an AI Playground directory (ai-playground/) containing AI-generated test files, experimental scripts, and development iterations. This space allows for:

• AI-assisted development experiments
• Testing new features and approaches
• Learning from previous development iterations
• Safe experimentation without cluttering the main repository

All files in the AI playground (except the README) are gitignored, making it a perfect space for AI development work while keeping the main project structure clean and focused.

Have a nice day!