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kefir(1) General Commands Manual kefir(1) NAME kefir -- C17/C23 language compiler SYNOPSIS kefir [options] files... [-run [args...]] DESCRIPTION kefir command-line options follow c99(1) compiler interface, extending it with some of supported gcc(1) flags and flags for special kefir features. Unknown command-line flags are ignored with a warning printed for each such flag passed to the compiler. kefir compiler driver features multiple oper- ation modes. Command-line flags are parsed in left-to-right order with later flags overriding earlier. Some of operation modes, once selected, prevent further parsing and immediately invoke selected mode (refer to "OPTIONS" section for details). OPTIONS The following options terminate command-line argument parsing: -h | --help Print help text -v | --version Print compiler version --compiler-info Print compiler information --environment-info Print compiler environment information (see "ENVIRONMENT" section below) --environment-header Print compiler environment header file (based on "ENVIRONMENT" sec- tion and current target) -verbose Report commands executed by the driver verbosely If passed, -cc1 argument invokes kefir-cc1 compiler directly, skipping the driver. The argument shall always be passed first to take an effect. The rest of command-line options are parsed normally: -c Skip the link-edit phase of the compilation, save object files -S Skip assembling phase of the compilation, save assembly files -E Preprocess C-language source files, print results to standard out- put -P Preprocess C-language source files, print results to standard out- put -std= standard Determine language standard. For C23, supported values are: c23, c2x, gnu23, gnu2x, iso9899:2024. For C17 [default], any other value not explicitly listed for C23. -x -language Specify processing for the next input files. Supported values: none [default], c, c-header, cpp-output, assembler, assembler-with-cpp. -preprocess-save Preprocess C-language source files, save results -o file Save results to the output file --target specification Generate code for specified target system (see "TARGET" section be- low) -O level Code optimization level (default is 0). All non-zero levels are equivalent to 1. All non-numerical levels (such as -Os) are also equivalent to 1. -fpreprocessed Skip preprocessor directive processing and macro expansion. Pre- processor skips over any directive except for line directive, and acts solely as tokenizer. --preprocessor-linemarkers Include linemarkers into preprocessor output [default: off]. Like- marker content slightly differs from gcc, which might break some builds. Enable with care. -funsigned-char Let the type char be unsigned. By default, it is target-specific. -fsigned-char Let the type char be signed. By default, it is target-specific. -fcommon Place tentative definitions into common section (equivalent to com- mon attribute applied to all variables). -fvisibility=default|internal|hidden|protected Set visibility for symbols in the program, unless overriden by par- ticular symbol attribute. -fno-common Do not place tentative definitions into common section [default]. -ffast-math Enable additional floating-point math optimization at the expense of correctness in edge cases. Currently only enables -fcx-limited- range option. [default: off] -fcx-limited-range Perform more efficient handling of complex floating-point multipli- cation and division at the expense of correctness in edge cases [default: off] -ffreestanding Assert that compilation targets freestanding environment [default: off] -fno-freestanding Assert that compilation targets hosted environment -fhosted Assert that compilation targets hosted environment [default: on] -D name[=value] Define preprocessor macro -U name Undefine predefined preprocessor macro -I directory Add directory to preprocessor include path -isystem directory Add directory to preprocessor system include path -iquote directory Add directory to preprocessor include path for quoted includes ex- clusively (processed before -I ). -idirafter directory Add directory to preprocessor system include path (after processing other system include directories) --embed-dir= directory Add directory to preprocessor embed search path -M Output a make rule describing the dependencies of source file (in- cluding the dependencies from system path) -MM Output a make rule describing the dependencies of source file (ex- cluding the dependencies from system path and their transitive in- cludes) -MD Output a make rule describing the dependencies of source file (in- cluding the dependencies from system path), while also running nor- mal compilation pipeline. -MMD Output a make rule describing the dependencies of source file (ex- cluding the dependencies from system path and their transitive in- cludes), while also running normal compilation pipeline. -MP Output a phony target for each depenendency of source file -MT target Override the default target name of make rule produced by depen- dency generation -MF filename Override the default output file for make rule produced by depen- dency generation. -dM Generate list of define directives for preprocessor macros. -include file Include file during preprocessing phase -s Strip linked executable -r Retain relocations in linked executable -e entry Override entry point of linked executable -u symbol Add undefined symbol to linked executable -l library Link library -L directory Add directory to linker library search path -rpath directory Add directory to runtime library search path -soname name Pass -soname option to the linker -pthread Define macros and link pthread library -rdynamic Pass --export-dynamic option to the linker -static Produce a statically linked executable -shared Produce a shared object -fPIC | -fpic Produce position-independent code [default] -fno-pic Do not produce position-independent code [default] -pie Produce position-independent executable (requires -fPIC flag) -no-pie Do not produce position-independent executable [default] -masm=ASSEMBLER Produce code for the following assembler: [x86_64-gas-intel, x86_64-gas-intel_prefix, x86_64-gas-att (default), x86_64-yasm, in- tel (alias for x86_64-gas-intel), att (alias for x86_64-gas-att)]. Also affects assembler flags. Note that KEFIR_AS or AS envinronment variable shall be point to the respective assembler executable. -fomit-frame-pointer Omit frame pointer in leaf functions that do not need it [default on optimization levels > 0] -fno-omit-frame-pointer Always use frame pointer in all functions [default on optimization level 0] -g | -ggdb Produce debug information [default: off] -g[level] | -ggdb[level] Produce debug information if level is greater than 0 [default: off] -nostartfiles Do not link start files -nodefaultlibs Do not link default libraries -nolibc Do not link libc -nostdlib Do not link start files and default libraries -nostdinc Do not add standard library to include path -nortinc Do not add runtime includes to include path --enable-atomics Enables atomic support. Implies --Wdeclare-atomic-support option and links appropriate atomic primitives library (libatomic/libcom- piler_rt) where necessary. --disable-atomics Disables atomic support. Implies --Wno-declare-atomic-support op- tion. -Wp,option Pass "option" to preprocessing phase as command line option. If op- tion contains commas, it is split into multiple options -Xpreprocessor option Pass "option" to preprocessing phase as command line option -Wc,option Pass "option" to compiling phase as command line option. If option contains commas, it is split into multiple options -Wa,option Pass "option" to assembler phase as command line option. If option contains commas, it is split into multiple options -Xassembler option Pass "option" to assembler phase as command line option. -Wl,option Pass "option" to linking phase as command line option. If option contains commas, it is split into multiple options -z -keyword Pass "-z keyword" to linking phase as command line options. -Xlinker option Pass "option" to linking phase as command line option -Woption Pass "--option" to compiling phase as command line option -W option Pass "option" to compiling phase as command line option --restrictive-c Enable restrictive compiling mode with C extensions disabled --permissive-c Enable permissive compiling mode with C extensions enabled [de- fault] --print-tokens Print tokenized source in JSON format --print-ast Print AST in JSON format --print-ir Print intermediate representation in JSON format --print-opt Print optimization representation code in JSON format --print-opt-full Print optimization representation of complete module in JSON format -run [file args...] Run the linked executable with the rest of command line arguments. If no input file was specified, the first argument is treated as input file. -runarg arg Pass an argument to the runned process (shall precede -run flag) -run-stdin file Redirect runned process stdin from file (shall precede -run flag) -run-stdout file Redirect runned process stdout to file (shall precede -run flag) -run-stderr file Redirect runned process stderr to file (shall precede -run flag) -run-stderr2out Redirect runned process stderr to stdout (shall precede -run flag) COMPILER OPTIONS Extra compiler options available via -W switch: --c17-standard Use C17 language language standard. --c23-standard Use C23 language language standard. --pp-timestamp timestamp Override preprocessor timestamp --json-errors Print errors in JSON format to stderr --tabular-errors Print errors in tabular format to stderr --target-profile profile Generate code for specified target (see "TARGET" subsection) --source-id identifier Force use provided source file identifier --extension-lib libpath Load extension library --system-include-dir dir Add directory to include search path and mark it as a system in- clude path (used for dependency output) --embed-dir directory Add directory to preprocessor embed search path --debug-info Include debug information into produced output --optimizer-max-inline-depth depth Maximum depth of function inlining (5 by default). --optimizer-max-inlines-per-func inlines Maximum number of inlined functions (10 by default). --enable-lowering Perform target-specific SSA lowering (mandatory for bit-precise in- teger support) [default] --disable-lowering Skip target-specific SSA lowering. --preprocessor-assembly-mode Enable assembly preprocessing mode (default for .S files). In this mode, leading '$' characters are not treated as identifier part. --preprocessor-normal-mode Disable assembly preprocessing mode (default). --feature-[name] Enable compiler feature (see "FEATURES" subsection) --no-feature-[name] Disable compiler feature (see "FEATURES" subsection) --internal-[flag] Enable compiler internal flag (see "INTERNALS" subsection) --no-internal-[flag] Disable compiler internal flag (see "INTERNALS" subsection) --codegen-[option] Enable option for code generator (see "CODEGEN" subsection) --no-codegen-[option] Disable option for code generator (see "CODEGEN" subsection) --optimizer-pipeline spec Optimizer pipeline specification (see "OPTIMIZER" subsection) --precise-bitfield-load-store Load and store bitfields at byte boundaries [default: on]. Pro- vides extra correctness for structures allocated close to a bound- ary with unmapped memory pages at the expense of less efficient bitfield handling. Does not change bitfield layout. --no-precise-bitfield-load-store Load and store bitfields at machine word boundaries [default: off]. May cause failures for structures allocated close to boundaries with unmapped memory pages. Does not change bitfield layout. --declare-atomic-support Declare support of atomics (might require explicit linking of soft- ware atomic library such as libatomic or libcompiler_rt). --no-declare-atomic-support Declare the absence of atomic support via defining __STDC_NO_ATOM- ICS__ macro. --declare-decimal-support Declare support of decimal floating-point (might require explicit linking of libgcc); has effect only is kefir has been built with decimal-capable compiler. --no-declare-decimal-support Do not declare support of decimal floating-point; suppresses defin- itions of kefir-specific support macros. --declare-decimal-bitint-conv-support Declare support of decimal floating-point conversion to/from bit- precise integers (requires linking with recent libgcc >=14); has effect only is kefir has been built with decimal-capable compiler. --no-declare-decimal-support Do not declare support of decimal floating-point conversion to/from bit-precise integers; suppresses definitions of kefir-specific sup- port macros. --optimize-stack-frame Optimize stack frame layout by reusing space for variables for dis- joint lifetimes. Might increase compilation time and memory use on very large functions. [default: on]. --no-optimize-stack-frame Do not optimize stack frame layout and allocate each variable sepa- rately. --unsigned-char Let the type char be unsigned. By default, it is target-specific. --signed-char Let the type char be signed. By default, it is target-specific. --codegen-tentative-common Place tentative definitions into common section (equivalent to com- mon attribute applied to all variables). --codegen-tentative-no-common Do not place tentative definitions into common section [default]. --codegen-visibility-default Keep default visibility for all symbols [default]. --codegen-visibility-hidden Make all symbols hidden unless an attribute specifies otherwise. --codegen-visibility-protected Make all symbols protected unless an attribute specifies otherwise. --codegen-visibility-internal Make all symbols internal unless an attribute specifies otherwise. --codegen-decimal-default Use platform-native decimal number encoding [default]. --codegen-decimal-bid Use decimal number BID encoding. Requires kefir to be compiled with BID-enabled compiler to provide correct encoding of static data. --codegen-decimal-dpd Use decimal number DPD encoding. Requires kefir to be compiled with DPD-enabled compiler to provide correct encoding of static data. FEATURES Supported features (to be used with --Wfeature-[feature-name] and --Wno-feature-[feature-name] flags): fail-on-attributes Fail if __attribute__((...)) is encountered [default: off] missing-function-return-type Permit function definitions with missing return type [default: on] designated-init-colons Permit "fieldname:" syntax in designated initializers [default: on] labels-as-values Permit label-addressing with && operator [default: on] non-strict-qualifiers Disable strict qualifier checks for pointers [default: on] signed-enums Force all enums to have signed integral type [default: off] implicit-function-decl Permit implicit funciton declarations at use-site [default: on] empty-structs Permit empty structure/union definitions [default: on] ext-pointer-arithmetics Permit pointer arithmetics with function and void pointers [de- fault: on] missing-braces-subobj Permit missing braces for subobject initialization with scalar [de- fault: on] statement-expressions Enable statement expressions [default: on] omitted-conditional-operand Permit omission of the middle ternary expression operand [default: on] int-to-pointer Permit any integral type conversion to pointer [default: on] permissive-pointer-conv Permit conversions between any pointer types [default: on] named-macro-vararg Permit named macro variable arguments [default: on] include-next Permit include_next preprocessor directive [default: on] fail-on-assembly Disable support of inline assembly [default: off] va-args-comma-concat Enable special processing for ", ##__VA_ARGS" case in preprocessor [default: on] switch-case-ranges Enable support for ranges in switch cases [default: on] designator-subscript-ranges Enable support for ranges in designator subscripts [default: on] imprecise-decimal-bitint-conv Enable imprecise conversions between bit-precise integers and deci- mal floating-point values during constant evaluation if precise na- tive routines are not available [default: off] max-parser-errors [num] Set maximum number of parser errors produced; use -1 for unbounded number of errors. Note that printed error list is non-exhaustive irrespective of the setting. [default: 24] max-analyzer-errors [num] Set maximum number of analyzer errors produced; use -1 for un- bounded number of errors. Note that printed error list is non-ex- haustive irrespective of the setting. [default: 24] Werror-compiler-ref Include compiler source code references into reported errors [de- fault: on]. Wno-error-compiler-ref Exclude compiler source code references from reported errors [de- fault: off]. CODEGEN Supported code geneator options (to be used with --Wcodegen-[option] and --Wno-codegen-[option] flags): emulated-tls Use emulated TLS [disabled by default, enabled on openbsd platform] tls-common Generate common section for thread-local storage if respective at- tribute is on [enabled for linux and netbsd] pic Generate position-independent code omit-frame-pointer Omit frame pointer in leaf function that do not need it valgrind-compatible-x87 Replace x87 opcodes not supported by Valgrind by more expensive al- ternatives [default: on] imprecise-decimal-bitint-conv Use imprecise conversions between bit-precise integers and decimal floating-point values in generated code [default: off] syntax=SYNTAX Produce assembly output with specified syntax [x86_64-intel_nopre- fix, x86_64-intel_prefix, x86_64-att (default), x86_64-yasm]. details=DETAILS-SPEC Augment assembly output with internal code generator details in comments. DETAILS-SPEC can be: vasm (virtual assembly), vasm+regs (virtual assembly and register allocations), devasm (devirtualized assembly). optimize Perform low-level optimizations in code generator [default: on for -O1 and higher]. no-optimize Disable low-level optimizations in code generator. OPTIMIZER Optimizer pipeline specification consists of comma separated names of pipeline passes: noop No-operation pass phi-removal Wherever possible, substitue phi nodes of SSA representation by ac- tual references mem2reg Pull function local variables into registers memory-ssa Perform memory SSA-based optimizations for store-load, load-load, store-store sequences. sroa Perfrom limited scalar replacement of non-escaping aggregates. op-simplify General code simplification constant-fold Folding constant expressions canonicalize Canonicalizations for late pipeline stages gvn Global value numering pass to eliminate redundant arithmetic and bitwise operations local-alloc-sink Moving local variable allocations closer to their actual uses (does not affect effective variable lifetimes). dead-code-elimination Eliminating dead code, blocks and phi links. merge-blocks Remove unnecessary jump and branch instructions and merge respec- tive blocks. dead-alloc Remove dead local variable allocations. inline-func Perform function inlining. tail-call Perform tail call optimization. lowering Perform target-specific lowering of the SSA representation. Manda- tory for bit-precise integer support. inline-asm-untie Untie inline assembly non-memory parameters from directly linking to memory locations. Improves integration with mem2reg. TARGET Target platforms are specified in format [<backend>-]<platform>[-<variant>] where backend opt [default] platform <arch>-<os> | host [default] arch x86_64 | hostcpu [default] platform linux | freebsd | openbsd | netbsd | hostos [default] variant none | musl | gnu | system | default Backend and variant are optional parts of the target specification. Variant "none" avoids any implicit library linkages and include path. On linux, "default" is equivalent to "gnu", on other platforms -- to "system". ENVIRONMENT Environment variables that affect kefir operation: KEFIR_AS | AS Override the default "as" assembler KEFIR_LD | LD Override the default "ld" linker KEFIR_RTINC Specify kefir runtime include location. Mandatory for all platform variants except "*-none" KEFIR_MUSL_INCLUDE Specify musl include paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "linux-musl" platform variant KEFIR_MUSL_LIB Specify musl library paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "linux-musl" platform variant KEFIR_MUSL_DYNAMIC_LINKER Specify dynamic linker path. Optional for "linux-musl" platform variant KEFIR_GNU_INCLUDE Specify GNU include paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "linux- gnu" platform variant KEFIR_GNU_LIB Specify GNU library paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "linux- gnu" platform variant KEFIR_GNU_DYNAMIC_LINKER Specify dynamic linker path. Optional for "linux-gnu" platform variant KEFIR_FREEBSD_INCLUDE Specify FreeBSD include paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "freebsd-system" platform variant KEFIR_FREEBSD_LIB Specify FreeBSD library paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "freebsd-system" platform variant KEFIR_FREEBSD_DYNAMIC_LINKER Specify dynamic linker path. Optional for "freebsd-system" platform variant KEFIR_OPENBSD_INCLUDE Specify OpenBSD include paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "openbsd-system" platform variant KEFIR_OPENBSD_LIB Specify OpenBSD library paths (separated by ';'). Mandatory for "openbsd-system" platform variant KEFIR_OPENBSD_DYNAMIC_LINKER Specify dynamic linker path. Optional for "openbsd-system" platform variant KEFIR_TMPDIR Override kefir temporary directory KEFIR_DRIVER_CLI_QUIET Assign "yes" (without quotes) to suppress warnings related to un- known command line options. SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH Override preprocessor timestamp to specified value. Expects Unix epoch timestamp. EXIT STATUS Normally kefir exits with 0 exit code. In case of any errors in any of com- pilation stages, all further compilation is aborted and non-zero exit code returned. STANDARDS kefir implements C17 language standard as specified in its final draft, and C23 language stadard as specified in the first draft of C2Y. NOTES The kefir compiler is licensed under the terms of GNU GPLv3 license. Run- time code provided along with kefir is licensed under the terms of BSD-3-Clause license. kefir is developed and maintained by Jevgenij Protopopov (legally: Jevgenijs Protopopovs) Please report bugs found in kefir to jevgenij@protopopov.lv kefir is available online at https://sr.ht/~jprotopopov/kefir/ with read- only mirrors at https://git.protopopov.lv/kefir and https://codeberg.org/jprotopopov/kefir FreeBSD ports 15.quarterly April 2026 kefir(1)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | OPTIONS | ENVIRONMENT | EXIT STATUS | STANDARDS | NOTES
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