1 <!doctype linuxdoc system>
4 <title>cl65 Users Guide
5 <author>Ullrich von Bassewitz, <htmlurl url="mailto:uz@cc65.org" name="uz@cc65.org">
6 <date>01.08.2000, 27.11.2000, 02.10.2001
9 cl65 is the compile & link utility for cc65, the 6502 C compiler. It was
10 designed as a smart frontend for the C compiler (cc65), the assembler (ca65),
11 the object file converter (co65), and the linker (ld65).
14 <!-- Table of contents -->
17 <!-- Begin the document -->
21 cl65 is a frontend for cc65, ca65, co65 and ld65. While you may not use the
22 full power of the tools when calling them through cl65, most features are
23 available, and the use of cl65 is much simpler.
28 The cl65 compile and link utility may be used to convert, compile, assemble
29 and link files. While the separate tools do just one step, cl65 knows how to
30 build object files from C files (by calling the compiler, then the assembler)
34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
35 Usage: cl65 [options] file [...]
37 -c Compile and assemble but don't link
41 -l name Create an assembler listing file
42 -m name Create a map file
43 -mm model Set the memory model
44 -o name Name the output file
45 -r Enable register variables
46 -t sys Set the target system
47 -u sym Force an import of symbol `sym'
50 -C name Use linker config file
51 -Cl Make local variables static
52 -D sym[=defn] Define a preprocessor symbol
53 -I dir Set a compiler include directory path
54 -L path Specify a library search path
55 -Ln name Create a VICE label file
57 -Oi Optimize code, inline functions
58 -Or Optimize code, honour the register keyword
59 -Os Optimize code, inline known C funtions
60 -S Compile but don't assemble and link
61 -T Include source as comment
62 -V Print the version number
63 -W name[,...] Supress compiler warnings
64 -Wa options Pass options to the assembler
65 -Wl options Pass options to the linker
68 --add-source Include source as comment
69 --asm-args options Pass options to the assembler
70 --asm-define sym[=v] Define an assembler symbol
71 --asm-include-dir dir Set an assembler include directory
72 --bin-include-dir dir Set an assembker binary include directory
73 --bss-label name Define and export a BSS segment label
74 --bss-name seg Set the name of the BSS segment
75 --cfg-path path Specify a config file search path
76 --check-stack Generate stack overflow checks
77 --code-label name Define and export a CODE segment label
78 --code-name seg Set the name of the CODE segment
79 --codesize x Accept larger code by factor x
80 --config name Use linker config file
81 --cpu type Set cpu type
82 --create-dep name Create a make dependency file
83 --create-full-dep name Create a full make dependency file
84 --data-label name Define and export a DATA segment label
85 --data-name seg Set the name of the DATA segment
87 --debug-info Add debug info
88 --feature name Set an emulation feature
89 --force-import sym Force an import of symbol `sym'
90 --forget-inc-paths Forget include search paths (compiler)
91 --help Help (this text)
92 --include-dir dir Set a compiler include directory path
93 --ld-args options Pass options to the linker
94 --lib file Link this library
95 --lib-path path Specify a library search path
96 --list-targets List all available targets
97 --listing name Create an assembler listing file
98 --list-bytes n Number of bytes per assembler listing line
99 --mapfile name Create a map file
100 --memory-model model Set the memory model
101 --module Link as a module
102 --module-id id Specify a module id for the linker
103 --o65-model model Override the o65 model
104 --obj file Link this object file
105 --obj-path path Specify an object file search path
106 --register-space b Set space available for register variables
107 --register-vars Enable register variables
108 --rodata-name seg Set the name of the RODATA segment
109 --signed-chars Default characters are signed
110 --standard std Language standard (c89, c99, cc65)
111 --start-addr addr Set the default start address
112 --static-locals Make local variables static
113 --target sys Set the target system
114 --version Print the version number
115 --verbose Verbose mode
116 --zeropage-label name Define and export a ZEROPAGE segment label
117 --zeropage-name seg Set the name of the ZEROPAGE segment
118 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
121 Most of the options have the same meaning than the corresponding compiler,
122 assembler or linker option. See the documentation for these tools for an
123 explanation. If an option is available for more than one of the tools, it
124 is set for all tools, where it is available. One example for this is <tt/-v/:
125 The compiler, the assembler and the linker are all called with the <tt/-v/
128 There are a few remaining options that control the behaviour of cl65:
132 <tag><tt>-S</tt></tag>
134 This option forces cl65 to stop after the assembly step. This means that
135 C files are translated into assembler files, but nothing more is done.
136 Assembler files, object files and libraries given on the command line
140 <tag><tt>-c</tt></tag>
142 This options forces cl65 to stop after the assembly step. This means
143 that C and assembler files given on the command line are translated into
144 object files, but there is no link step, and object files and libraries
145 given on the command line are ignored.
148 <tag><tt>-o name</tt></tag>
150 The -o option is used for the target name in the final step. This causes
151 problems, if the linker will not be called, and there are several input
152 files on the command line. In this case, the name given with -o will be
153 used for all of them, which makes the option pretty useless. You
154 shouldn't use -o when more than one output file is created.
157 <tag><tt>-t sys, --target sys</tt></tag>
159 The default for this option is different from the compiler and linker in the
160 case that the option is missing: While the other tools (compiler, assembler
161 and linker) will use the "none" system settings by default, cl65 will use
162 the C64 as a target system by default. This was chosen since most people
163 seem to use cc65 to develop for the C64.
165 <tag><tt>-Wa options, --asm-args options</tt></tag>
167 Pass options directly to the assembler. This may be used to pass options
168 that aren't directly supported by cl65. Several options may be separated by
169 commas, the commas are replaced by spaces when passing them to the
170 assembler. Beware: Passing arguments directly to the assembler may interfere
171 with some of the defaults, because cl65 doesn't parse the options passed. So
172 if cl65 supports an option by itself, do not pass this option to the
173 assembler by means of the <tt/-Wa/ switch.
175 <tag><tt>-Wl options, --ld-args options</tt></tag>
177 Pass options directly to the linker. This may be used to pass options that
178 aren't directly supported by cl65. Several options may be separated by
179 commas, the commas are replaced by spaces when passing them to the linker.
180 Beware: Passing arguments directly to the linker may interfere with some of
181 the defaults, because cl65 doesn't parse the options passed. So if cl65
182 supports an option by itself, do not pass this option to the linker by means
183 of the <tt/-Wl/ switch.
191 Since cl65 was created to simplify the use of the cc65 development
192 package, it tries to be smart about several things.
196 <item> If you don't give a target system on the command line, cl65
199 <item> When linking, cl65 will supply the names of the startup file and
200 library for the target system to the linker, so you don't have to do
203 <item> If the final step is the linker, and the name of the output file was
204 not explicitly given, cl65 will use the name of the first input file
205 without the extension, provided that the name of this file has an
206 extension. So you don't need to name the executable name in most
207 cases, just give the name of your "main" file as first input file.
210 The command line is parsed from left to right, and the actual processing tool
211 (compiler, assembler, ...) is invoked whenever a file name is encountered.
212 This means that only the options to the left of a file name are in effect when
213 this file is processed. It does also mean that you're able to specify
214 different options for different files on the command line. As an example.
217 cl65 -Oirs main.c -O -g module.c
220 translates main.c with full optimization and module.c with less optimization
221 and debug info enabled.
223 The type of an input file is derived from its extension:
226 <item>C files: <tt/.c/
227 <item>Assembler files: <tt/.s/, <tt/.asm/, <tt/.a65/
228 <item>Object files: <tt/.o/ <tt/.obj/
229 <item>Libraries: <tt/.a/, <tt/.lib/
230 <item>GEOS resource files: <tt/.grc/
231 <item>o65 files: <tt/.o65/, <tt/.emd/, <tt/.joy/, <tt/.tgi/
234 Please note that the program cannot handle input files with unknown file
240 The morse trainer software, which consists of one C file (morse.c) and one
241 assembler file (irq.s) will need the following separate steps to compile
242 into an executable named morse:
245 cc65 -g -Oi -t c64 morse.c
248 ld65 -o morse -t c64 c64.o morse.o irq.o c64.lib
251 When using cl65, this is simplified to
254 cl65 -g -Oi morse.c irq.s
257 As a general rule, you may use cl65 instead of cc65 at most times,
258 especially in makefiles to build object files directly from C files. Use
269 <sect>Bugs/Feedback<p>
271 If you have problems using the utility, if you find any bugs, or if you're
272 doing something interesting with it, I would be glad to hear from you. Feel
273 free to contact me by email (<htmlurl url="mailto:uz@cc65.org" name="uz@cc65.org">).
279 cl65 (and all cc65 binutils) are (C) Copyright 1998-2004 Ullrich von
280 Bassewitz. For usage of the binaries and/or sources the following
283 This software is provided 'as-is', without any expressed or implied
284 warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
285 arising from the use of this software.
287 Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
288 including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
289 freely, subject to the following restrictions:
292 <item> The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
293 claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
294 in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
295 appreciated but is not required.
296 <item> Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not
297 be misrepresented as being the original software.
298 <item> This notice may not be removed or altered from any source