Are object files platform independent?

Question

Is it possible to compile program on one platform and link with other ? What does object file contain ? Can we delink an executable to produce object file ?

Answer 1

I just wanted to say that as long as they use the same processor architecture and object format, as well as calling convention(usually nowadays, the processor maker creates one), there are many chances for object files to work interchangeably.

However, even in C the compiler makes some assumptions about certain library functions like stack protection(that I know of) being present, which need not be the same on both platforms. in the case that such code is generated, the objects will not be directly compatible.

System calls are not really relevant as long as the systems share them at all as normally they are called through C wrappers in the standard libraries.

In the end this only applies to C and very similar OSes like Linux and the BSDs, but it can happen.