OT: gcc/binutils question

[Giorgos Keramidas]

On 2007-11-15 17:17, Wojciech Puchar <wojtek at wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> wrote:
> how to convert arbitrary data (in file) to object file, so i will be able
> to do
>
> extern char something[]
>
> and use it - in C.

Try to file2c(1) utility.  Quoting from its manpage:

% EXAMPLES
%      The command:
%
%            date | file2c 'const char date[] = {' ',0};'
%
%      will produce:
%
%            const char date[] = {
%            83,97,116,32,74,97,110,32,50,56,32,49,54,58,50,56,58,48,53,
%            32,80,83,84,32,49,57,57,53,10
%            ,0};

> i did wrote converter that converts data from file to
>
> const char something[]={firstbyte,secondbyte,.....};
>
> and then cc to compile it.
>
> and it's VERY SLOW when data are few megs - while it's no work in fact.

I think there's something wrong with the converter, then.  The file2c(1)
utility converts my kernel (6 MB of data) in less than 3 seconds:

$ /usr/bin/time file2c 'const char kernel[] = {' '};' \
    < /boot/kernel/kernel > /dev/null
        2.98 real         2.92 user         0.11 sys
$