System Programming (SENG 3044)

Lecture 03: Loaders and Linkers

Walelign A. (M.Sc.)

Debre Berhan University

Faculty of Computing
Department of Software Engineering

January 4, 2021

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Outline

Basic Loader Functions

Machine-Dependent Loader Features
Machine-Independent Loader Features
Loader Design Options
Implementation Examples

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Introduction

Loading: loading an object program into memory for execution.

Relocation: modify the object program so that it can be loaded at
an address from the location originally specified.
Linking: combines two or more separate object programs and supplies
the information needed to allow references between them.
A loader is a system program that performs the loading function.
Many loaders also support relocation and linking. Some systems have
a linker to perform the linking and a separate loader to handle
relocation and loading.

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Type of loaders

Absolute loader
Bootstrap loader
Relocating loader (relative loader)
Design Options
Linking Loader
Linkage editors
Dynamic linking
Basic Loader Functions
The most fundamental functions of a loader:
:Bringing an object program into memory and starting its execution

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Absolute Loader

An object program is loaded at the address specified on the START

directive.
Absolute Program (e.g. SIC programs)
Advantage
I Simple and efficient
Disadvantages
I The need for programmer to specify the actual address at which it will
be loaded into memory
I Difficult to use subroutine libraries efficiently
Absolute loader only performs loading function
I Does not need to perform linking and program relocation.
I All functions are accomplished in a single pass

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Absolute Loader

In a Single Pass
I Check the Header record for program name, starting address, and
length
I Bring the object program contained in the Text record to the indicated
address
I No need to perform program linking and relocation
I Start the execution by jumping to the address specified in the End
record

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Absolute Loader

In a Single Pass
I Object Program Contains
F H record
F T record
F E record

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Type of loaders

Loading an absolute program

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Bootstrap Loader

Bootstrap Loader
I When a computer is first turned on or restarted, a special type of
absolute loader, called a bootstrap loader is executed
In PC, BIOS acts as a bootstrap loader
I This bootstrap loads the first program to be run by the computer –
usually an operating system
I It then jumps to the just loaded program to execute it.
I Normally, the just loaded program is very small (e.g., a disk sector’s
size, 512 bytes) and is a loader itself.
I The just loaded loader will continue to load another larger loader and
jump to it.
I This process repeats another until the entire large operating system is
loaded.

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Program Relocation

An object program that contains the information necessary to perform

address modification for relocation
The assembler can identify for the loader those parts of object
program that need modification.
No instruction modification is needed for
I immediate addressing (not a memory address)
I PC-relative, Base-relative addressing
The only parts of the program that require modification at load time
are those that specify direct addresses

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Instruction format vs, Relocatable Loader

In SIC/XE
I Relative and immediate addressing
Do not need to modify their object code after relocation
I Extended format
Whose values are affected by relocation
Need to modify when relocation
In SIC
I Format 3 with address field
Should be modified
SIC does not support PC-relative and base-relative addressing

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Relocation

Loaders that allow for program relocation are called relocating loaders
or relative loaders.
Two methods for specifying relocation as part of the object program
I Modification Records
F Suitable for a small number of relocations required
When relative or immediate addressing modes are extensively used
I Relocation bits
F Suitable for a large number of relocations required
When only direct addressing mode can be used in a machine with fixed
instruction format (e.g., the standard SIC machine)
A Modification record is used to describe each part of the object
code that must be changed when the program is relocated.

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Example of a SIC/XE Program

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Example of a SIC/XE Program

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Example of a SIC/XE Program

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Relocatable Program

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Object Program with Relocation by Modification Records

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Algorithm and Data Structure for a Linking Loader

Algorithm for a linking (and relocating) loader

I Modification records are used for relocation
F Not use the modification bits
F So that linking and relocation functions are performed using the same
mechanism.

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Implementation of An Assembler

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Implementation of a Linking Loader

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Data Structures

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Algorithm

Pass 1
I Assign addresses to all external symbols
F Loader is concerned only with Header and Define records in the control
sections
I To build up ESTAB
F Add control section name into ESTAB
F Add all external symbols in the Define record into ESTAB
Pass 2
I Perform the actual loading, relocation, and linking
I When Text record is encountered
F Read into the specified address (+CSADDR)
I When Modification record is encountered
F Lookup the symbol in ESTAB
F This value is then added to or subtracted from the indicated location in
memory

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Machine Independent Features

Automatic Library Search

Many linking loaders can automatically incorporate routines from a
subprogram library into the program being loaded. (E.g., the standard
C library)
The subroutines called by the program are automatically fetched from
the library, linked with the main program, and loaded.
The programmer does not need to take any action beyond mentioning
the subroutine names as external references in the source program

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Loader Design Options

Linkage Editor
The difference between a linkage editor and a linking loader:
I A linking loader performs all linking and relocation operations,
including automatic library search, and loads the linked program into
memory for execution.
I A linkage editor produces a linked version of the program, which is
normally written to a file for later execution.

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Dynamic Linking

Linkage editors perform linking before the program is loaded for

execution.
Linking loaders perform these same operations at load time.
Dynamic linking postpones the linking function until execution time.
I A subroutine is loaded and linked to the test of the program when it is
first called.
Dynamic linking is often used to allow several executing programs to
share one copy of a subroutine or library.
For example, a single copy of the standard C library can be loaded
into memory.

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Dynamic Linking Advantage

The subroutines that diagnose errors may never need to be called at

all.
However, without using dynamic linking, these subroutines must be
loaded and linked every time the program is run.
Using dynamic linking can save both space for storing the object
program on disk and in memory, and time for loading the bigger
object program.

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End

Question
Many Thanks!

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