Lib - Manage and View System Libraries - languages Cheatsheets

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of managing and viewing system libraries. Understanding dynamic and static libraries is crucial for software development.

Displaying Available Libraries

ldconfig -p

Updating Library Resources

ldconfig

Displaying Libraries and File Locations

ldd

Dynamic vs. Static Libraries

Dynamic Libraries

Dynamic libraries (.so) are loaded at runtime. They offer flexibility and efficient resource usage.

Static Libraries

Static libraries (.a) are linked directly into the application during compilation. They result in larger executables but don't require runtime dependencies.

Standard Library Locations

Libraries are typically found in /lib. However, the system maintains a cache for efficient lookup.

Library Information Sources

/etc/ld.so.cache (binary cache)
/etc/ld.so.conf (configuration file)

For further reading, refer to the following resources:

GNU libc Dynamic Linking Documentation
Wikipedia: Shared Library
Stack Overflow: Dynamic Linking