VAX-11 Linker Reference Manual

This manual serves as a comprehensive guide to the VAX-11 Linker, a vital programming development tool. It details how the linker transforms output from language translators (like assemblers and compilers) into executable, shareable, or system images compatible with VAX-11 hardware.

The document covers the linker's core functions, including virtual memory allocation, resolving symbolic references (local, global, and universal) across modules and libraries, and initializing image contents. It explains how to generate an image map and a symbol table file for detailed insights into the linking process.

Key aspects of image creation are discussed, focusing on program sections (defining memory requirements), image sections (grouping program sections by attributes), and clustering (organizing related object modules for performance). The LINK command and its various qualifiers (e.g., for debugging, shareable image creation, or map output) are thoroughly explained. The manual also describes how to use options files for advanced linking instructions and provides an in-depth look at shareable images, their benefits (such as memory conservation and software update compatibility), and their creation using transfer vectors and position-independent code. Supplementary information on linker messages, image map illustrations, and the VAX-11 Object Language specification is included in the appendices.