linking executables

[Evert Carton]

Hi all,

I bet this question has been asked a thousand times.
Is it in any way possible to link to an executable.

Platform: Linux

What would like to do:

I have a binary, say mybin, I don't have the sources.

I would like to dlopen it and execute the main() function.
Is this, or a workaround possible.
I don't want to "exec()"-it in a forked process.

I bet this must sound like blasphemy ;-)

Regards,
Evert

[Christopher Benson-Manica]

Re: linking executables

Evert Carton <me@you.he> spoke thus:
[color=blue]
> I bet this question has been asked a thousand times.
> Is it in any way possible to link to an executable.[/color]
[color=blue]
> I would like to dlopen it and execute the main() function.
> Is this, or a workaround possible.
> I don't want to "exec()"-it in a forked process.[/color]
[color=blue]
> I bet this must sound like blasphemy ;-)[/color]

Actually, it sounds like you should have posted this question
elsewhere.

http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt

http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html

http://benpfaff.org/writings/clc/off-topic.html

--
Christopher Benson-Manica | I *should* know what I'm talking about - if I
ataru(at)cybers pace.org | don't, I need to know. Flames welcome.

[E. Robert Tisdale]

Re: linking executables

Evert Carton wrote:
[color=blue]
> I bet this question has been asked a thousand times.
> Is it in any way possible to link to an executable.
>
> Platform: Linux[/color]

I'll assume that means that you are using the GNU C compiler.
[color=blue]
> What would like to do:
>
> I have a binary, say mybin, I don't have the sources.
>
> I would like to dlopen it and execute the main() function.
> Is this, or a workaround possible.
> I don't want to "exec()"-it in a forked process.[/color]

man system
SYSTEM(3) Linux Programmer’s Manual
SYSTEM(3)

NAME
system - execute a shell command

SYNOPSIS
#include <stdlib.h>

int system(const char *string);

DESCRIPTION
system() executes a command specified in string
by calling /bin/sh -c string, and returns
after the command has been completed.
During execution of the command, SIGCHLD will be blocked,
and SIGINT and SIGQUIT will be ignored.
[color=blue]
> I bet this must sound like blasphemy ;-)[/color]

You might try asking this question in the gnu.gcc.help newsgroup.