Static and Dynamic Libraries


Libraries can be static (.a) or dynamic (.so)
the .a suffix means "archive"
such files are generated by "ar"
it's a very simple format
the archives are not bound to host executable files
"tar" is similar: it is the "tape archive"
the .so suffix means "shared object"
the files are generated by "ld" (or the gcc frontend)
the format is ELF, they are not generic archives

Static libraries are easier to use
Static libraries make debugging easier
Dynamic libraries require less memory
Using dynamic libraries in custom projects is not trivial