Static Linking

Definitions

1. The build-time process of resolving all external symbol references by copying the required object code from static libraries directly into the output executable, resulting in a larger but fully self-contained binary that does not depend on shared libraries at runtime.

   In plain English: Gluing all the library code your program needs directly into the program file itself, so it has no external dependencies.

   Example: "We statically link musl libc for our Alpine Docker image so there are zero runtime library dependencies."

Related Terms

• ABI
• Binary
• Build System
• Header File
• Linker
• Machine Code
• Static Binary
• Static Library
• Translation Unit