golang/go · error

missing __text section

Error message

missing __text section

What it means

After copying the DWARF and `__LINKEDIT` data into the combined output, the linker needs the executable's `__text` section offset to compute where load-command header padding ends and executable code begins (it must insert the DWARF load command in that gap). A Mach-O executable without a `__text` section is not a valid executable, so the combine aborts.

Source

Thrown at src/cmd/link/internal/ld/macho_combine_dwarf.go:145

		dwarfsize = realdwarf.Filesz
	}

	// And finally the linkedit section.
	if _, err := exef.Seek(int64(linkseg.Offset), 0); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	linkstart := Rnd(dwarfstart+int64(dwarfsize), *FlagRound)
	if _, err := outf.Seek(linkstart, 0); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if _, err := io.Copy(outf, exef); err != nil {
		return err
	}

	// Now we need to update the headers.
	textsect := exem.Section("__text")
	if textsect == nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("missing __text section")
	}

	cmdOffset := imacho.FileHeaderSize(exem)
	dwarfCmdOffset := uint32(cmdOffset) + exem.FileHeader.Cmdsz
	availablePadding := textsect.Offset - dwarfCmdOffset
	if availablePadding < realdwarf.Len {
		return fmt.Errorf("no room to add dwarf info. Need at least %d padding bytes, found %d", realdwarf.Len, availablePadding)
	}
	// First, copy the dwarf load command into the header. It will be
	// updated later with new offsets and lengths as necessary.
	if _, err := outf.Seek(int64(dwarfCmdOffset), 0); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if _, err := io.CopyN(outf, bytes.NewReader(realdwarf.Raw()), int64(realdwarf.Len)); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if _, err := outf.Seek(int64(unsafe.Offsetof(exem.FileHeader.Ncmd)), 0); err != nil {
		return err

View on GitHub (pinned to b6b368adc5)

Solutions

1. Confirm the input is a main executable: `file bin` should report `Mach-O ... executable`.
2. Re-link with the standard Go/Apple linker to restore `__text`.
3. Avoid running packers/obfuscators before the DWARF-combine step.

# Confirm the input is a main executable with a __text section
file bin/app | grep -q 'executable' && otool -l bin/app | grep -q __text && echo 'valid executable' || echo 'not a valid executable for combineDwarf'

set +e
go build -o bin/app ./...
rc=$?
set -e
if [ $rc -ne 0 ]; then
  rm -f bin/app && go build -o bin/app ./...
fi

When it happens

Trigger: Passing a non-executable Mach-O (a dylib, a relocatable object, a bundle) to the combine-DWARF flow; a corrupt or hand-edited Mach-O whose `__TEXT,__text` section was removed; linking with a tool that emits a non-standard `__TEXT` segment layout.

Common situations: Wrong file handed to combineDwarf; binary mutated by an obfuscator/packer that strips `__text`; experimental linker output missing standard sections.

Related errors

• missing __LINKEDIT segment
• no room to add dwarf info. Need at least %d padding bytes, f
• unexpected content after code signature
• missing __DWARF segment
• unknown load command 0x%x (%s)

AI-assisted analysis of golang/go@b6b368adc5 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d51dfebc5251a08f. Report an issue: GitHub.