readelf-like tool for Mac OS X?

Question

Is there a tool for reading Mac OS X binaries that would print information about relocation tables and symbol offsets similar to this readelf output?

readelf -r app

Relocation section '.rel.dyn' at offset 0x5ec contains 2 entries:
 Offset     Info    Type            Sym.Value  Sym. Name
08049d58  00001706 R_386_GLOB_DAT    00000000   __gmon_start__
08049d60  00000305 R_386_COPY        08049d60   _ZSt4cout

Relocation section '.rel.plt' at offset 0x5fc contains 13 entries:
 Offset     Info    Type            Sym.Value  Sym. Name
08049d24  00000107 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   0804868c   print
08049d28  00000207 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   0804869c   _ZNSt8ios_base4InitC1E
08049d2c  00000507 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   080486ac   _ZStlsISt11char_traits
08049d30  00000607 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   080486bc   _ZNSolsEPFRSoS_E
08049d34  00000707 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   08048664   _init
08049d38  00000807 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   080486dc   sleep
08049d3c  00000907 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   080486ec   _ZNKSsixEj
08049d40  00000b07 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   080486fc   _ZNKSs4sizeEv
08049d44  00000c07 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   0804870c   __libc_start_main
08049d48  00000d07 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   08048ae4   _fini
08049d4c  00001307 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   0804872c   _ZSt4endlIcSt11char_tr
08049d50  00001507 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   0804873c   __gxx_personality_v0
08049d54  00001607 R_386_JUMP_SLOT   0804874c   _ZNSt8ios_base4InitD1E

In this example, print is a function loaded from a shared library (I wrote) at runtime. readelf is able to display information about its location inside the app binary.

It doesn't print enough information. – karlphillip Jul 20 '10 at 03:10 — karlphillip, Jul 20 '10 at 03:10

score 105 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 19 '19 at 21:30

105

Using Macports:

Install macports.
Using macports port install binutils
gobjdump -p /path/to/app

Using Homebrew:

Install Homebrew
Do brew update && brew install binutils
/usr/local/path/to/gobjdump -p /path/to/app # or follow instructions to add it to your PATH

There are, of course, many other command-line options. Note that the binutils port cautions that installing it may cause other ports to fail to build. Having it around to port install/look at something/port uninstall can still be handy.

It's rather amazing that there isn't already some native tool to do this.

edited Nov 19 '19 at 21:30

rogerdpack

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answered Jul 23 '10 at 19:55

cbehanna

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If you use Homebrew, then you can install this via "brew install binutils". – louielouie May 23 '13 at 21:24
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For Homebrew users, as @louielouie mentioned, `brew install binutils` then all tools will be prefixed with a `g`, ie `greadelf`. See https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/Library/Formula/binutils.rb – acw Sep 09 '14 at 09:49
I get a message: `gobjdump: Matching formats: elf32-littlearm elf32-littlearm-symbian elf32-littlearm-vxworks` – IgorGanapolsky May 11 '16 at 22:01
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@IgorGanapolsky you can use greadelf -Ws /path/to/your/so/files – ck1910 Apr 12 '17 at 07:55

score 23 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 20 '10 at 03:13

23

otool -l test.o

answered Jul 20 '10 at 03:13

ergosys

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Nope, it also doesn't do the trick. – karlphillip Jul 22 '10 at 23:42
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You can do this with otool, you just need to pass additional options. man otool for details. – Chris Hanson Jul 23 '10 at 19:59
`otool -Sv libtest.a` is nicer, or `otool -STMRIHGv ` for any kind of library (`*.a`, `*.so`, `*.dylib`). `otool` is available at `/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/otool` after Xcode is installed. – Siu Ching Pong -Asuka Kenji- Mar 21 '16 at 15:12
Unfortunately I need to do this with `.so` files. – IgorGanapolsky May 11 '16 at 22:02

Jichao · Answer 3 · 2015-06-19T09:44:23.280

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ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
brew install binutils
greadelf filepath

install homebrew.
use homebrew to install binutils
the readelf in binutils is called greadelf.

edited Jun 19 '15 at 09:44

answered Jun 18 '15 at 19:06

Jichao

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greadelf requires a flag – IgorGanapolsky May 11 '16 at 22:03
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Use `greadelf -a `, the `-a` flag stands for all options which dumps everything – Allison May 05 '18 at 01:07
`-bash: greadelf: command not found`, with `binutils` installed. – hqzxzwb Nov 02 '22 at 12:27
@hqzxzwb brew doesn't add binutils automatically to your path because "it shadows the host toolchain". Try running /opt/homebrew/opt/binutils/bin/greadelf (or wherever your brew installation stores stuff). – ASLLOP Nov 09 '22 at 09:42

score 7 · Answer 4 · edited Feb 12 '18 at 18:15

7

You might try dwarfdump.

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edited Feb 12 '18 at 18:15

l'L'l

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answered Aug 26 '10 at 10:11

Peter Hosey

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+1 thanks nice tool to know about for those dealing with dwarf debug info – Bogatyr Mar 01 '12 at 07:29
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+1 for available in the Apple toolchain. It is available at `/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/dwarfdump` after Xcode is installed. – Siu Ching Pong -Asuka Kenji- Mar 21 '16 at 15:03
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Though you generally don't need the full path: You can just use `xcrun dwarfdump`. And you may have `/usr/bin/dwarfdump` as a shortcut to that, which means you can just type `dwarfdump` and it will Just Work. – Peter Hosey Jun 10 '16 at 05:57

score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 27 '10 at 00:01

5

Have you tried ObjConv? http://agner.org/optimize/#objconv

This utility can be used for converting object files between COFF/PE, OMF, ELF and Mach-O (used by Mac OS) formats for all 32-bit and 64-bit x86 platforms. Can modify symbol names in object files. Can build, modify and convert function libraries across platforms. Can dump object files and executable files. Also includes a very good disassembler supporting the SSE4, AVX, FMA and XOP instruction sets.

Ps.: The source code is included (GPL).

answered Jul 27 '10 at 00:01

carlfilips

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Nice to meet you carlfilips, and thank you. – karlphillip Jul 27 '10 at 00:20
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Nice to meet you too. Also, have a look at this http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/DeveloperTools/Conceptual/MachORuntime/Reference/reference.html – carlfilips Jul 27 '10 at 00:39

readelf-like tool for Mac OS X?

5 Answers5

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