ELF Tutorial

This course explains the format of the ELF (Executable and Linking Format) file, which is the file format for almost all executable files and shared object files in Linux/Unix world.

By taking this course, you will learn to understand

1. ELF file format, like ELF header, program header table, and section header table;

2. The contents (the individual sections) in ELF file, like symbol section, dynamic section, relocation section, string table section, hash section, GNU versioning section, and so on;

3. How ELF file plays in dynamic linking (including variable relocation and function relocation);

4. How ELF file supports multiple versions of symbol;

5. How ELF file supports efficient symbol lookup;

6. Some common tools reading ELF file, like file, readelf, and objdump.

As part of the course, you will also learn to develop your own ELF reader program, enriching your understanding of ELF file format and contents. You can also extend this program for your future ELF file analysis or processing.

When you finish this course, you will have good knowledge and understanding about ELF file, especially if you work on the areas like Linux kernel, compiler/linker technology, performance analysis, and so on. It's also good for who with strong interests in how program is constructed and executes on Linux/Unix.