ld "relocation R_X86_64_PC32 against symbol (recompile with -fPIC)" in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

Shared libraries require position-independent code. An object compiled without -fPIC contains absolute relocations the linker cannot place in a .so.

What this error means

Building a shared library or linking a static lib into one fails with "relocation R_X86_64_PC32 ... can not be used when making a shared object; recompile with -fPIC".

/usr/bin/ld: util.o: relocation R_X86_64_PC32 against symbol 'data' can not be used
when making a shared object; recompile with -fPIC

Common causes

How to fix it

Recompile with -fPIC

1. Add -fPIC to the compile flags for every object going into the shared library.
2. In CMake, set POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON on the target.

gcc -fPIC -c util.c -o util.o
gcc -shared util.o -o libutil.so

How to prevent it

• Compile every object destined for a shared library with -fPIC, or set CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE for the project.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• CMake documentation
• GitHub Actions documentation