Call `atexit` when linking to libc dynamically on Linux

Question

If I have the following program written in C (compiled with GCC on Debian 8.7), I am able to call `atexit()` as you would expect: ``` #include <stdlib.h> void exit_handler(void) { return; } int main () { atexit(exit_handler); return 0; } ``` And when I compile and run it: ``` $ gcc test.c $ ./a.out ``` Outputs nothing, just as you would expect. In fact, when I run `ldd`, I get: ``` $ ldd a.out linux-vdso.so.1 (0x00007fffbe592000) libc.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x00007fe07d3a8000) /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007fe07d753000) ``` However, `libc` does not seem to have any symbols for `atexit`, amd only has`__cxa_atexit` and `__cxa_threaded_atexit_impl`: ``` $ nm --dynamic /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 | grep 'atexit' 0000000000037d90 T __cxa_atexit 0000000000037fa0 T __cxa_thread_atexit_impl ``` As you would then expect, if I try to link to `libc` dynamically, I cannot actually call `atexit()`, such as in the following Racket program which links to `libc` and tries t…

Accepted Answer

I did some poking around on a Centos 7 virtual machine, and I think I found it — but it was anything but obvious!

Found it!

In `/usr/lib64/libc_nonshared.a`:

```
$ nm /usr/lib64/libc_nonshared.a | grep -i atexit
atexit.oS:
0000000000000000 T atexit
                 U __cxa_atexit
$
```

Why look in that library? Good question — and a long story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin…

Steps taken to get there

- Use the `test.c` code from the question.

Compile it with `gcc -v test.c`:

```
$ gcc -v test.c
Using built-in specs.
COLLECT_GCC=gcc
COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=/usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/lto-wrapper
Target: x86_64-redhat-linux
Configured with: ../configure --prefix=/usr --mandir=/usr/share/man --infodir=/usr/share/info --with-bugurl=http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla --enable-bootstrap --enable-shared --enable-threads=posix --enable-checking=release --with-system-zlib --enable-__cxa_atexit --disable-libunwind-exceptions --enable-gnu-unique-object --enable-linker-build-id --with-linker-hash-style=gnu --enable-languages=c,c++,objc,obj-c++,java,fortran,ada,go,lto --enable-plugin --enable-initfini-array --disable-libgcj --with-isl=/builddir/build/BUILD/gcc-4.8.5-20150702/obj-x86_64-redhat-linux/isl-install --with-cloog=/builddir/build/BUILD/gcc-4.8.5-20150702/obj-x86_64-redhat-linux/cloog-install --enable-gnu-indirect-function --with-tune=generic --with-arch_32=x86-64 --build=x86_64-redhat-linux
Thread model: posix
gcc version 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-11) (GCC) 
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-mtune=generic' '-march=x86-64'
 /usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/cc1 -quiet -v test.c -quiet -dumpbase test.c -mtune=generic -march=x86-64 -auxbase test -version -o /tmp/ccPHTer7.s
GNU C (GCC) version 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-11) (x86_64-redhat-linux)
    compiled by GNU C version 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-11), GMP version 6.0.0, MPFR version 3.1.1, MPC version 1.0.1
GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=96 --param ggc-min-heapsize=124992
ignoring nonexistent directory "/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/include-fixed"
ignoring nonexistent directory "/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../x86_64-redhat-linux/include"
#include "..." search starts here:
#include <...> search starts here:
 /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/include
 /usr/local/include
 /usr/include
End of search list.
GNU C (GCC) version 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-11) (x86_64-redhat-linux)
    compiled by GNU C version 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-11), GMP version 6.0.0, MPFR version 3.1.1, MPC version 1.0.1
GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=96 --param ggc-min-heapsize=124992
Compiler executable checksum: 356f86e67978d665416e07d560c8ba0d
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-mtune=generic' '-march=x86-64'
 as -v --64 -o /tmp/cc5WHEA4.o /tmp/ccPHTer7.s
GNU assembler version 2.25.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux) using BFD version version 2.25.1-22.base.el7 
COMPILER_PATH=/usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/:/usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/:/usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/
LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64/:/lib/../lib64/:/usr/lib/../lib64/:/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../:/lib/:/usr/lib/
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-mtune=generic' '-march=x86-64'
 /usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/collect2 --build-id --no-add-needed --eh-frame-hdr --hash-style=gnu -m elf_x86_64 -dynamic-linker /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64/crt1.o /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64/crti.o /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/crtbegin.o -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5 -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64 -L/lib/../lib64 -L/usr/lib/../lib64 -L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../.. /tmp/cc5WHEA4.o -lgcc --as-needed -lgcc_s --no-as-needed -lc -lgcc --as-needed -lgcc_s --no-as-needed /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/crtend.o /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64/crtn.o
$
```

The interesting part is the `collect2` command line at the end. Written with one argument per line, that is:

```
/usr/libexec/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/collect2
--build-id
--no-add-needed
--eh-frame-hdr
--hash-style=gnu
-m
elf_x86_64
-dynamic-linker
/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64/crt1.o
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64/crti.o
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/crtbegin.o
-L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5
-L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../lib64
-L/lib/../lib64
-L/usr/lib/../lib64
-L/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../..
/tmp/cc5WHEA4.o
-lgcc
--as-needed
-lgcc_s
--no-as-needed
-lc
-lgcc
--as-needed
-lgcc_s
--no-as-needed
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/crtend.o
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.8.5/../../../../…

Call `atexit` when linking to libc dynamically on Linux

Solution

Problem