ldconfig(8) manual page

NAME

ldconfig - determine run-time link bindings

SYNOPSIS

ldconfig [ -DvnNX ] directory ...

ldconfig -l [ -Dv ] library ...

ldconfig -p

ldconfig creates the necessary links and cache (for use by the run-time linker, ld.so) to the most recent shared libraries found in the directories specified on the command line, in the file /etc/ld.so.conf, and in the trusted directories and /lib). ldconfig checks the header and file names of the DLL's it encounters when determining which versions should have their links updated.

ldconfig should normally be run by the super-user as it may require write permission on some root owned directories and files. It is normally run automatically at bootup, from /etc/rc, or manually whenever new DLL's are installed.

OPTIONS

-D: Debug mode. Implies -N and -X.
-v: Verbose mode. Print current version number, the name of each directory as it is scanned and any links that are created.
-n: Only process directories specified on the command line. Don't process the trusted directories and /lib) nor those specified in /etc/ld.so.conf. Implies -N.
-N: Don't rebuild the cache. Unless -X is also specified, links are still updated.
-X: Don't update links. Unless -N is also specified, the cache is still rebuilt.
-l: Library mode. Manually link individual libraries. Intended for use by experts only.
-p: Print the lists of directories and candidate libraries stored in the current cache.

EXAMPLES

In the bootup file /etc/rc having the line

/sbin/ldconfig -v

will set up the correct links for the shared binaries and rebuild the cache.

On the command line

# /sbin/ldconfig -n /lib

as root after the installation of a new DLL, will properly update the shared library symbolic links in /lib.

FILES

/lib/ld.so: execution time linker/loader
/etc/ld.so.conf: File containing a list of colon, space, tab, newline, or comma spearated directories in which to search for libraries.
/etc/ld.so.cache: File containing an ordered list of libraries found in the directories specified in /etc/ld.so.conf.
lib*.so.version: shared libraries

BUGS

ldconfig's functionality, in conjunction with ld.so, is only available for executables compiled using libc version 4.4.3 or greater.

ldconfig, being a user process, must be run manually and has no means of dynamically determining and relinking shared libraries for use by ld.so when a new DLL is installed.

AUTHORS

David Engel and Mitch D'Souza.

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