Porting the Gold Linker to the LoongArch Architecture
Zilong Wang, Yagang Wang · 2024
This paper presents a comprehensive method for porting the Gold linker-an efficient, lightweight linker designed for the ELF file format within the GNU Binutils package-to the LoongArch architecture. The porting process involves addressing key tasks such as dynamic linking support, dynamic relocation entry generation, and relocation processing, guided by an indepth analysis of both the linker's workflow and the unique characteristics of the LoongArch architecture. Extensive testing, including correctness verification and performance benchmarking, demonstrates that the ported linker not only maintains full functionality and compatibility with LoongArch but also achieves significant performance improvements compared to other widely- used linkers.