Architecture selection

An architecture is a type of CPU on which an object file is to run. Its name may contain a colon, separating the name of the processor family from the name of the particular CPU.

The command to list valid architecture values is objdump -i.

Here's how to specify the architecture for the GNU utilities:

objdump

1. -m command-line option
2. Deduced from the input file.

objcopy, nm, size, strings

Deduced from the input file.

ld

Input architecture is deduced from the input file.

Output architecture:

1. OUTPUT_ARCH script command (see Option Commands in Using LD in the full online GNU documentation)
2. Default architecture from the linker output target (see Target selection, above).