# strip

## PROLOG



           This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual.  The
           Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult the
           corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or
           the interface may not be implemented on Linux.
    


## NAME



           strip — remove unnecessary information from strippable files
           (**DEVELOPMENT**)
    


## SYNOPSIS



           strip _file_...
    


## DESCRIPTION



           A strippable file is defined as a relocatable, object, or
           executable file.  On XSI-conformant systems, a strippable file can
           also be an archive of object or relocatable files.
    
           The _strip_ utility shall remove from strippable files named by the
           _file_ operands any information the implementor deems unnecessary
           for execution of those files. The nature of that information is
           unspecified. The effect of _strip_ on object and executable files
           shall be similar to the use of the **-s** option to _c99_ or _fort77_.
           The effect of _strip_ on an archive of object files shall be similar
           to the use of the **-s** option to _c99_ or _fort77_ for each object file
           in the archive.
    


## OPTIONS



           None.
    


## OPERANDS



           The following operand shall be supported:
    
           _file_      A pathname referring to a strippable file.
    


## STDIN



           Not used.
    


## INPUT FILES



           The input files shall be in the form of strippable files
           successfully produced by any compiler defined by this volume of
           POSIX.1‐2017 or produced by creating or updating an archive of
           such files using the _ar_ utility.
    


## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES



           The following environment variables shall affect the execution of
           _strip_ :
    
           _LANG_      Provide a default value for the internationalization
                     variables that are unset or null. (See the Base
                     Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, _Section 8.2_ ,
                     _Internationalization Variables_ for the precedence of
                     internationalization variables used to determine the
                     values of locale categories.)
    
           _LC_ALL_    If set to a non-empty string value, override the values
                     of all the other internationalization variables.
    
           _LC_CTYPE_  Determine the locale for the interpretation of sequences
                     of bytes of text data as characters (for example,
                     single-byte as opposed to multi-byte characters in
                     arguments).
    
           _LC_MESSAGES_
                     Determine the locale that should be used to affect the
                     format and contents of diagnostic messages written to
                     standard error.
    
           _NLSPATH_   Determine the location of message catalogs for the
                     processing of _LC_MESSAGES_.
    


## ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS



           Default.
    


## STDOUT



           Not used.
    


## STDERR



           The standard error shall be used only for diagnostic messages.
    


## OUTPUT FILES



           The _strip_ utility shall produce strippable files of unspecified
           format.
    


## EXTENDED DESCRIPTION



           None.
    


## EXIT STATUS



           The following exit values shall be returned:
    
            0    Successful completion.
    
           >0    An error occurred.
    


## CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS



           Default.
    
           _The following sections are informative._
    


## APPLICATION USAGE



           None.
    


## EXAMPLES



           None.
    


## RATIONALE



           Historically, this utility has been used to remove the symbol
           table from a strippable file. It was included since it is known
           that the amount of symbolic information can amount to several
           megabytes; the ability to remove it in a portable manner was
           deemed important, especially for smaller systems.
    
           The behavior of _strip_ on object and executable files is said to be
           the same as the **-s** option to a compiler. While the end result is
           essentially the same, it is not required to be identical.
    
           XSI-conformant systems support use of _strip_ on archive files
           containing object files or relocatable files.
    


## FUTURE DIRECTIONS



           None.
    


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