@cindex search directory, from cmd line
@kindex -L@var{dir}
@item -L@var{searchdir}
+@itemx -L @var{searchdir}
Add path @var{searchdir} to the list of paths that @code{ld} will search
for archive libraries and @code{ld} control scripts. You may use this
option any number of times.
Normally, when @code{ld} places the global common symbols in the
appropriate output sections, it sorts them by size. First come all the
one byte symbols, then all the two bytes, then all the four bytes, and
-then everything else. This option disables that sorting.
+then everything else. This is to prevent gaps between symbols due to
+alignment constraints. This option disables that sorting.
@item -Tbss @var{org}
@kindex -Tbss @var{org}
@item * (@var{section})
@itemx * (@var{section}, @var{section}, @dots{})
-@itemx * (@var{section} @var{section} @dots{}
+@itemx * (@var{section} @var{section} @dots{})
@cindex input sections to output section
@kindex *(@var{section})
Instead of explicitly naming particular input files in a link control
@}
@end example
+@samp{[ @var{section} @dots{} ]} used to be accepted as an alternate way
+to specify named sections from all unallocated input files. Because
+some operating systems (VMS) allow brackets in file names, that notation
+is no longer supported.
+
@item @var{filename}@code{( COMMON )}
-@itemx ( COMMON )
-@kindex ( COMMON )
+@itemx *( COMMON )
+@kindex *( COMMON )
@cindex uninitialized data
@cindex commons in output
Specify where in your output file to place uninitialized data
@code{ld} permits you to refer to uninitialized data as if it
were in an input-file section named @code{COMMON}, regardless of the
input file's format.
-
-@samp{[ @var{section} @dots{} ]} used to be accepted as an alternate way
-to specify named sections from all unallocated input files. Because
-some operating systems (VMS) allow brackets in file names, this notation
-is no longer supported.
@end table
For example, the following command script arranges the output file into