Editing Executable and Linkable Format (section)

== Applications ==

=== Unix-like systems ===
{{prose|date=November 2016}}
The ELF format has replaced older executable formats in various environments.
It has replaced [[a.out]] and [[COFF]] formats in [[Unix-like]] operating systems:
* [[Linux]]
* [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]] / [[Illumos]]
* [[IRIX]]
* [[FreeBSD]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://docs.freebsd.org/doc/4.9-RELEASE/usr/share/doc/handbook/binary-formats.html | title=Binary Formats | access-date=2019-03-31 | archive-date=2019-03-31 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331192807/https://docs.freebsd.org/doc/4.9-RELEASE/usr/share/doc/handbook/binary-formats.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[NetBSD]]
* [[OpenBSD]]
* [[Redox (operating system)|Redox]]
* [[DragonFly BSD]]
* [[Syllable Desktop (operating system)|Syllable]]
* [[HP-UX]] (except for 32-bit PA-RISC programs which continue to use [[System Object Model (file format)|SOM]])
* [[QNX]] Neutrino
* [[MINIX]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wiki.minix3.org/en/MinixReleases |title=MinixReleases – Minix Wiki |publisher=Wiki.minix3.org |access-date=2014-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330150621/http://wiki.minix3.org/en/MinixReleases |archive-date=2013-03-30 }}</ref>

=== Non-Unix adoption ===

ELF has also seen some adoption in non-Unix operating systems, such as:
* [[OpenVMS]], in its [[Itanium]] and [[amd64]] versions<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vmssoftware.com/pdfs/State_of_Port_20160906.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-10-19 |archive-date=2020-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915215111/https://vmssoftware.com/pdfs/State_of_Port_20160906.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[BeOS]] Revision 4 and later for [[x86]] based computers (where it replaced the [[Portable Executable]] format; the [[PowerPC]] version stayed with [[Preferred Executable Format]])
* [[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]], an open source reimplementation of BeOS
* [[RISC OS]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riscos.info/index.php/GCCSDK |title=GCCSDK – RISC OS |publisher=Riscos.info |date=2012-04-22 |access-date=2014-01-19 |archive-date=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219211405/http://www.riscos.info/index.php/GCCSDK |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Stratus VOS]], in PA-RISC and x86 versions
* [[SkyOS]]
* [[Fuchsia OS]]
* [[Z/TPF]]
* [[NonStop (server computers)|HPE NonStop OS]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://h20628.www2.hp.com/km-ext/kmcsdirect/emr_na-c02543407-12.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530042640/http://h20628.www2.hp.com/km-ext/kmcsdirect/emr_na-c02543407-12.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-05-30 |title=Guardian Programmer's Guide |publisher=Hewlett Packard Enterprise |access-date=2018-05-30 }} p. 44 archived from [http://h20628.www2.hp.com/km-ext/kmcsdirect/emr_na-c02543407-12.pdf the original] on 2018-5-30</ref>
* [[DDC-I|Deos]]

[[Microsoft Windows]] also uses the ELF format, but only for its [[Windows Subsystem for Linux]] compatibility system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/under-the-hood-of-microsofts-windows-subsystem-for-linux/|title=Under the hood of Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux|last=Foley|first=Mary Jo|website=ZDNet|access-date=2016-08-19}}</ref>

=== Game consoles ===

Some game consoles also use ELF:
* PlayStation Portable,<ref>PlayStation Portable use encrypted & relocated ELF : PSP</ref> PlayStation Vita, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
* GP2X
* Dreamcast
* GameCube
* Nintendo 64
* Wii
* Wii U

=== PowerPC ===

Other (operating) systems running on PowerPC that use ELF:
* AmigaOS 4, the ELF executable has replaced the prior [[Extended Hunk Format]] (EHF) which was used on Amigas equipped with PPC processor expansion cards.
* MorphOS
* AROS
* Café OS (The operating system run by the Wii U)

=== Mobile phones ===

Some operating systems for mobile phones and mobile devices use ELF:
* Symbian OS v9 uses E32Image<ref>''[https://web.archive.org/web/20091213034509/http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.php/E32Image Symbian OS executable file format]''</ref> format that is based on the ELF file format;
* Sony Ericsson, for example, the W800i, W610, W300, etc.
* Siemens, the SGOLD and SGOLD2 platforms: from Siemens C65 to S75 and BenQ-Siemens E71/EL71;
* Motorola, for example, the E398, SLVR L7, v360, v3i (and all phone LTE2 which has the patch applied).
* Bada, for example, the Samsung Wave S8500.
* Nokia phones or tablets running the Maemo or the Meego OS, for example, the Nokia N900.
* [[Android (operating system)|Android]] uses ELF {{mono|.so}} (shared object<ref>
{{cite book
| last1 = Rosen
| first1 = Kenneth
| last2 = Host
| first2 = Douglas
| last3 = Klee
| first3 = Rachel
| last4 = Rosinski
| first4 = Richard
| title = UNIX: The Complete Reference
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2Et--84HIkwC
| edition = 2
| publisher = McGraw Hill Professional
| date = 2007
| page = 707
| isbn = 9780071706988
| access-date = 2017-06-08
| quote = Dynamically linked libraries are also called shared objects (.so).
}}
</ref>) libraries for the [[Java Native Interface]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} With [[Android Runtime]] (ART), the default since Android 5.0 "Lollipop", all applications are compiled into native ELF binaries on installation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Android formats |url=https://lief-project.github.io/doc/latest/tutorials/10_android_formats.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230216233708/https://lief-project.github.io/doc/latest/tutorials/10_android_formats.html |access-date=17 Jan 2023 |archive-date=16 February 2023 |work=Quarks Lab |last=Thomas |first=Romain}}</ref> It's also possible to use native Linux software from package managers like Termux, or compile them from sources via Clang or GCC, that are available in repositories.

{{Anchor|np}}
Some phones can run ELF files through the use of a patch that adds assembly code to the main firmware, which is a feature known as ''ELFPack'' in the underground modding culture. The ELF file format is also used with the [[Atmel AVR]] (8-bit), AVR32<ref>
{{citation
| chapter-url=http://www.sco.com/developers/gabi/2009-10-26/ch4.eheader.html#e_machine
| title=System V Application Binary Interface
| chapter=Chapter 4: Object Files
| at=e_machine
| date=2009-10-26
}}
</ref>
and with Texas Instruments MSP430 microcontroller architectures. Some implementations of Open Firmware can also load ELF files, most notably Apple's implementation used in almost all PowerPC machines the company produced.

=== Blockchain platforms ===

* Solana uses ELF format for its on-chain programs (smart contracts). The platform processes ELF files compiled to BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter) byte-code, which are then deployed as shared objects and executed in Solana's runtime environment. The BPF loader validates and processes these ELF files during program deployment.<ref>{{Cite web
	| url = https://solana.com/docs/core/programs
	| title = Solana Programs
	| date = 2024-11-11
	| publisher = Solana Foundation
	| access-date = 2024-11-11
	| quote = Solana leverages the LLVM compiler infrastructure to compile programs into Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) files.}}
</ref>