GNU Binutils
The facts below are what the maker publishes about GNU Binutils, checked and dated. Our editors have not written about it yet.
The facts
Each one read from GNU Binutils's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Address translation
- addr2line converts code addresses into source filenames and line numbers.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Archive management
- ar creates, modifies and extracts archive files used commonly as static libraries.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Assembler
- The as program assembles source code into machine-code object files.checked 15 Oct 2026
- BFD API
- The BFD manual documents a C API using bfd.h and libbfd.a to access object-file formats through a common interface.checked 15 Oct 2026
- BFD limitation
- Independent documentation notes that BFD API changes needed for new systems have limited its usefulness as a generic library, leaving GNU tools as its main clients.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Bug reporting
- Bug reports are handled through Sourceware Bugzilla and patches can be emailed to [email protected].checked 15 Oct 2026
- C++ demangling
- c++filt converts encoded C++ symbol names into readable names.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Community support
- The project provides bug-reporting, discussion and commit-notification mailing lists.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Current release
- The sourceware project page identifies version 2.47 as the latest release.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Developer complaint
- A Stack Overflow discussion reports that Binutils 2.39 introduced executable-stack linker warnings that can require assembly changes or linker flags.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The 2.47 documentation set includes manuals for the assembler, binary tools, linker, BFD, CTF, gprof, gprofng and SFrame libraries.checked 15 Oct 2026
- ELF inspection
- readelf displays the contents of ELF-format files.checked 15 Oct 2026
- ELF linker
- Gold is an alternative linker focused on ELF files.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- GNU ar supports plugins for additional object formats, including GCC and LLVM link-time-optimization plugins.checked 15 Oct 2026
- FSF legal status
- The Free Software Foundation is described as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on October 4, 1985.checked 15 Oct 2026
- FSF location
- The Free Software Foundation is reported as operating remotely with no physical headquarters, while being historically based in Boston.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Homebrew availability
- Homebrew provides brew install binutils and marks the formula keg-only because Apple Command Line Tools already provide equivalent tools.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Homebrew usage
- Homebrew reports 550,260 installs over the preceding 365 days for the binutils formula.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Homebrew version
- The Homebrew formula reports stable version 2.47.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent release coverage
- Linux Journal reported expanded RISC-V support, assembler and linker improvements, reproducible archives and enhanced AArch64 disassembly in 2.47.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent tool summary
- Wikipedia describes Binutils as GNU Project programming tools for executable code, assembly, linking and related development operations.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Libraries
- The distribution includes libbfd, libctf, libopcodes and libsframe libraries.checked 15 Oct 2026
- License
- The GitHub mirror identifies GPL-2.0 plus three other licenses, while Homebrew lists GPL-2.0-or-later, GPL-3.0-or-later, LGPL-2.0-or-later and LGPL-3.0-only components.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Homebrew platforms
- Homebrew supplies bottles for Apple Silicon macOS, Intel macOS Sonoma, Linux ARM64 and Linux x86_64.checked 15 Oct 2026
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