strip (Unix)

In Unix, Plan 9, and Unix-like operating systems, the strip program is a command-line utility used to remove non-essential information from executable binary programs and object files. This information, which is not required for execution, typically includes debugging data, symbol tables, relocation information, and other metadata. Its primary purpose is to reduce the file size of the binary executable and potentially increase performance. The output of this process is known as a stripped binary.

strip

Original author(s)	Dennis Ritchie (AT&T Bell Laboratories)
Developer(s)	Various open-source and commercial developers
Initial release	June 12, 1972 (1972-06-12)
Written in	C
Operating system	Unix, Unix-like, Plan 9, Microsoft Windows
Platform	Cross-platform
Type	Command
License	Plan 9: MIT License

Description

strip is a GNU binary utility that is used to remove information in a compiled binary or object file that is not needed for its execution. This information typically includes debugging information and symbol tables; however, the exact scope of the changes made to the binary is left to the discretion of the program's implementer by using the command-line options.

Using strip can enhance the security of a binary by making it more difficult to reverse-engineer. The absence of symbol and debugging information complicates the program analysis of the binary.

The effect of strip can also be achieved directly by using the compiler or linker to perform the same process. A compiler is a program that translates source code written in a high-level programming language (like C or C ) into machine code that the computer’s processor can execute. A linker, on the other hand, takes one or more object files generated by the compiler and combines them into a single executable file, resolving any symbol references between them.

For example, in the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), this is done by using the "-s” option with gcc. This tells the linker to remove debugging information and symbols during the linking process, resulting in a smaller, stripped executable.

The GNU Project ships an implementation of strip as part of the GNU Binutils package. strip has been ported to other operating systems including Microsoft Windows.

See also

• Dead code elimination
• Executable compression
• List of Unix commands
• Strings (Unix)
• Debug symbol
• Symbol table

References

• "strip", The Single UNIX Specification, Version 2, The Open Group, 1997

External links

• strip – Shell and Utilities Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 4 from The Open Group
• strip(1) – Plan 9 Programmer's Manual, Volume 1