BFD question

["Bloch, Jack" <Jack dot Bloch at icn dot siemens dot com>]

Can anyone help. I am writing an application that needs to read symbols from
an executable file.
I am running a stock SuSE 2.4.19 Kernel. I have libbfd version 2.12.90.0.15.

My code reads as follows :

bfd         *l_bfd          = NULL;
      char        *l_target	      = "elf32-i386";
      const char  *l_err          = NULL;
      long        l_storage       = 0;
      long        l_symnum	      = 0;
      long        l_ndx           = 0;
      int         l_dyn           = 0;
      int         l_flags         = 0;
      int         l_access        = (EXEC_P | HAS_SYMS);
      asymbol     **l_symbol      = NULL;
                         
      if (!p_file)
      { /* invalid file name */
         printf("INVALID FILE NAME FOR EXTRACT SYMBOLS !!!\n");
         return(-1); /* set error indicator */
      }   	
      printf("EXTRACTING SYMBOLS FOR FILE %s\n",p_file);
      
      /*****************/
      /* open the file */
      /*****************/ 
      
      if ((l_bfd = bfd_openr(p_file,l_target)) == NULL)
      { /* unable to open file */
       	l_err = bfd_errmsg(bfd_get_error ()); /* read BFD error */
         printf("ERROR %s OPENing FILE %s FOR SYMBOL EXTRACTION
!!!\n",l_err,p_file);
         return(-1); /* set error indicator */
      }
                 
      /***********************************/
      /* check the file format to ensure */
      /* an executable file.             */
      /***********************************/
      
      if (!bfd_check_format(l_bfd,bfd_object))
      { /* not an executable file */
         l_err = bfd_errmsg(bfd_get_error ()); /* read BFD error */
         printf("BFD ERROR %s VALIDATING EXECUTABLE SYMBOL FORMAT ON
%s\n",l_err,p_file);
         bfd_close(l_bfd); /* close file */
         return(-1); /* set error indicator */
      }     
      
      /*****************************************************/
      /* ensure that the given file has symbols associated */
      /* with it.                                          */
      /*****************************************************/
      
      l_flags = bfd_get_file_flags(l_bfd);
      if ((l_flags & l_access) == 0)
      { /* no symbols associated with this file */
         printf("NO SYMBOLIC INFORMATION FOUND FOR %s !!!\n",p_file);
         return(-1); /* set error indicator */
      }   	
      
      /******************************************************/
      /* determine the amount of memory needed to store the */
      /* program symbols. this can be static or dynamic     */
      /* storage.                                           */
      /******************************************************/
      
      l_storage = bfd_get_symtab_upper_bound(l_bfd);
      if (l_storage == 0);
      { /* static failed so try dynamic */
         printf("RETRIEVING STATIC STORAGE FAILED, TRYING DYNAMIC !!!\n");
         l_storage = bfd_get_dynamic_symtab_upper_bound(l_bfd);
         if (l_storage == 0);
         { /* cannot retrieve dynamic storage size */
            printf("FAILED TO RETRIEVE DYNAMIC STORAGE SIZE !!!\n");
            return(-1); /* set eror indicator */
         }
      }      
      return(0); /* set success indicator */

The call to bfd_get_file_flags returns a 0. The file is indeed an elf32-i386
target.


Please respond to jack.bloch@icn.siemens.com


Thanks in advance.