golang/go · error

%s -Wl,-V failed: %v %s

Error message

%s -Wl,-V failed: %v
%s

What it means

Returned by IsDWARFEnabledOnAIXLd when invoking `extld -Wl,-V` fails AND the combined output does not contain the marker `0711-317` (the AIX ld 'Undefined symbol: .main' error that proves ld actually ran). The check is used to detect whether the AIX linker supports DWARF under -bnoobjreorder (only ld >= 7.2.2). If ld is missing, crashes, or is not AIX ld, this error surfaces.

Source

Thrown at src/cmd/internal/dwarf/dwarf.go:1669

}

// byChildIndexCmp compares two *dwarf.Var by child index.
func byChildIndexCmp(a, b *Var) int { return cmp.Compare(a.ChildIndex, b.ChildIndex) }

// IsDWARFEnabledOnAIXLd returns true if DWARF is possible on the
// current extld.
// AIX ld doesn't support DWARF with -bnoobjreorder with version
// prior to 7.2.2.
func IsDWARFEnabledOnAIXLd(extld []string) (bool, error) {
	name, args := extld[0], extld[1:]
	args = append(args, "-Wl,-V")
	out, err := exec.Command(name, args...).CombinedOutput()
	if err != nil {
		// The normal output should display ld version and
		// then fails because ".main" is not defined:
		// ld: 0711-317 ERROR: Undefined symbol: .main
		if !bytes.Contains(out, []byte("0711-317")) {
			return false, fmt.Errorf("%s -Wl,-V failed: %v\n%s", extld, err, out)
		}
	}
	// gcc -Wl,-V output should be:
	//   /usr/bin/ld: LD X.X.X(date)
	//   ...
	out = bytes.TrimPrefix(out, []byte("/usr/bin/ld: LD "))
	vers := string(bytes.Split(out, []byte("("))[0])
	subvers := strings.Split(vers, ".")
	if len(subvers) != 3 {
		return false, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse %s -Wl,-V (%s): %v\n", extld, out, err)
	}
	if v, err := strconv.Atoi(subvers[0]); err != nil || v < 7 {
		return false, nil
	} else if v > 7 {
		return true, nil
	}
	if v, err := strconv.Atoi(subvers[1]); err != nil || v < 2 {
		return false, nil

View on GitHub (pinned to b6b368adc5)

Solutions

1. Ensure CC points at a working AIX gcc/xlc: `CC=<path> go build` and verify `<CC> -Wl,-V` runs manually.
2. Confirm you are actually on an AIX host when targeting GOOS=aix.
3. Check PATH includes the directory containing the external linker.
4. Use a newer AIX linker (>= 7.2.2) if DWARF support is the goal.

Example fix

// before
CC=/opt/freeware/bin/gcc-notreally go build # missing/broken

// after
CC=/opt/freeware/bin/gcc go build # valid AIX gcc, -Wl,-V works

// before building for AIX, verify the external linker runs -Wl,-V:
cc := os.Getenv("CC"); if cc == "" { cc = "gcc" }
out, err := exec.Command(cc, "-Wl,-V").CombinedOutput()
if err != nil { return fmt.Errorf("extld %s unusable: %w\n%s", cc, err, out) }

When it happens

Trigger: Building for GOOS=aix with an external linker (typically gcc) where `gcc -Wl,-V` fails — wrong extld configured (CC env var pointing at a non-existent or non-AIX compiler), PATH issues, broken AIX ld install, or ld crashing before printing its version banner.

Common situations: Cross-compiling to AIX from a non-AIX host without a proper AIX toolchain, mis-set CC/CXX environment variables, broken xlc/gcc install on the AIX build host, or running the AIX build path on a non-AIX system by mistake.

Related errors

• cannot parse %s -Wl,-V (%s): %v
• fail to seek
• dwarf: null reference in %d
• unqualified symbol name: %v
• subprogram DIE high not convertible to uint64

AI-assisted analysis of golang/go@b6b368adc5 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8114dd26a1139924. Report an issue: GitHub.