https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=103362
Bug ID: 103362 Summary: -m option is not ignored when is immediately preceded by -o option Product: gcc Version: unknown Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: c++ Assignee: unassigned at gcc dot gnu.org Reporter: egor_suvorov at mail dot ru Target Milestone: --- Here is an issue that one of my students encountered today: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70069809/unrecognized-emulation-mode-ain-when-compiling-with-gcc-on-ubuntu/70069810 Consider any simple C++ program in a file named `main.cpp`. I compile it with `g++ main.cpp -o main`, but I accidentally add a dash before `main`: g++ main.cpp -o -main Expected behavior: the program is compiled to a file named `-main`. Real behavior: /usr/bin/ld: unrecognised emulation mode: ain Supported emulations: elf_x86_64 elf32_x86_64 elf_i386 elf_iamcu elf_l1om elf_k1om i386pep i386pe collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status My understanding: GCC treats `-main` as both `-m` option (targeting some unexisting `ain` architecture) AND name for the output file. For example, on my 64-bit Ubuntu I can write g++ main.cpp -o -melf_x86_64 and it will produce a binary named `-melf_x86_64`. However, the following command fails because I don't have 32-bit standard library installed: g++ main.cpp -o -melf_i386 yields: /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/9/libstdc++.so when searching for -lstdc++ /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/9/libstdc++.a when searching for -lstdc++ /usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lstdc++ /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/9/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/9/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.a when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.a when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.a when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.a when searching for -lm /usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lm /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/9/../../../x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1 when searching for libgcc_s.so.1 /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1 when searching for libgcc_s.so.1 /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1 when searching for libgcc_s.so.1 /usr/bin/ld: skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/9/libgcc.a when searching for -lgcc /usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lgcc collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status I suspect some other options may be be affected as well. `-m` here is special only because `main` start with `m`. Being able to read the option in two different ways simultaneously looks like a bug in my world. I can reproduce the behavior on a wide range of OSes: msys2 on Windows 10 (g++ 11.2.0), g++ 9.3.0 on 64-bit Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS, as well as trunk version on Godbolt.