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-
- ------------- SObjA.doc for version 1.01 -------------
-
-
- NAME
-
- SObjA - Convert object files from Sun to Amiga format.
-
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- SObjA [Options] Input-Filename [Output-Filename]
-
- SObjA -m [Options] [Output-Filename]
-
- MakeBSS Input-Filename Output-Filename
-
- Options:
-
- -C[Filename] Omits the 'common' information from the output file
- and creates a temporary file to be read when the
- '-m' option is used. The default name is
- 'sobja-common'. This option has a different
- meaning when '-m' is used.
-
- -c[Filename] As above but appends to the temporary file. This
- option has a different meaning when '-m' is used.
-
- -b Replaces the 'common' information in the output file
- with a BSS hunk. Useful for converting a program
- that is in a single object file or where none
- of object files in a program define the same
- global variable.
-
- -s Include symbol information in the output file.
-
- -m Make a file containing a BSS hunk from the temporary
- file generated by SObjA with the '-c' and '-C'
- options. The input filename is 'sobja-common' by
- default, or it can be set using '-c' or '-C'
- followed by the filename. The output filename is
- given by itself on the command line or
- 'bss.o-amiga' by default.
-
- -v Turns on some debugging code.
-
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- SObjA is a utility for converting object files generated by GCC
- (The GNU C Compiler) on a Sun-2 or Sun-3 to Amiga's object file
- format as input to The Software Distillery's Blink. When converting
- files it requires an input filename. If the output filename is
- omited, it will be the same as the input's with a '-amiga' appended
- to it.
- BLink does not support common blocks. This support is needed for
- GCC to compile programs that define any global variable in more than
- one file. This is common in programs written for UN*X. SObjA has a
- solution. It isn't very pretty but it works. SObjA can accumulate
- common block information in a file called 'sobja-common' by default.
- Once all the files in a program have been converted, it can read this
- file and generate a file with a BSS hunk with definitions for the
- common block references. This file can then be linked with the other
- output files using Blink to generate an executable program.
- Another option allows SObjA to convert a file and output a BSS
- hunk for the common block references as part of the output file. This
- option will probably work with programs written for other Amiga C
- compilers.
- The default case is for SObjA to output common block references
- as specified in _The AmigaDOS Manual - 2nd Edition_. At this time I
- don't know of any freely redistributable linkers for the Amiga that
- support this. (BONUS: Write a good free Amiga linker.)
- Note that each option must be preceded by a dash, the order of
- the options and other arguments doesn't matter, and options that take
- an argument should not have a space before the argument. If it
- doesn't like the command line, it will give you a 'usage' message.
- If this program is renamed to MakeBSS it acts differently. It
- does the same thing as the '-m' option except that the input and
- output filename are the only thing allowed on the command line.
-
-
- EXAMPLE
-
- You have three Sun format object files: main.c, brain.c, drain.c
-
- SObjA -s -C main.c ; Notice the case of -C
- SObjA -s -c brain.c
- SObjA -s -c drain.c
- SObjA -m ; Make bss.o-amiga
-
- BLink main.o-amiga brain.o-amiga drain.o-amiga bss.o-amiga TO barf
-
- Assuming you don't need a startup library or scanned libraries,
- this will produce an executible with symbol information. The files
- 'sobja-common' and 'bss.o-amiga' will be in the current directory.
-
-
- BUGS
-
- Lots of them I'm sure.
-
-
- GRAFFITI
-
- "All the pumping's nearly over for my sweet heart,
- This is the one for me,
- Time to meet the chef,
- O boy! running man is out of death.
- Feel cold and old, it's getting hard to catch my breath.
- 's back to ash, now you've had your flash boy
- The rocks, in time, compress
- your blood to oil,
- your flesh to coal,
- enrich the soil,
- not everybody's goal."
-
- - "Anyway", Genesis - _The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway_.
-
-