How do I Create files needed to build and use DLLs under Linux?

Posted by Vivek Gite [Last updated: March 5, 2006]

You need to use command called dlltool. It create files needed to build and use DLLs. dlltool reads its inputs, which can come from the -d and -b options as well as object files specified on the command line. It then processes these inputs and if the -e option has been specified it creates an exports file. If the -l option has been specified it creates a library file and if the -z option has been specified it creates a def file. Any or all of the -e, -l and -z options can be present in one invocation of dlltool.

Here is an example of creating a DLL from a source file dll.c:

$ gcc -c dll.c
$ dlltool -e exports.o -l dll.lib dll.o
$ gcc dll.o exports.o -o dll.dll

Where,

-c : Specifies that when dlltool is creating the exports and library files it should omit the ".idata5" section. This is for compatibility with certain operating systems.
-e: Specifies the name of the export file to be created by dlltool.
-l : Specifies the name of the library file to be created by dlltool.

Creating a program (from an object file called program.o) that uses that DLL:

$ gcc program.o dll.lib -o program

Read the man page of dlltool for more information.

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