linkers-lto

Enable Link-Time Optimization (LTO) by configuring your build system to pass LTO flags to Clang or GCC, and use the lld or gold linker to process the optimized intermediate code. This reduces binary size and improves runtime performance.

GNU ld is the standard system linker, while gold and lld are optimized alternatives. lld is faster and supports Link-Time Optimization more efficiently, whereas gold is historically used for large C++ applications to speed up linking compared to GNU ld.

Resolve undefined reference errors during LTO builds by checking symbol visibility and ensuring all required object files and libraries are correctly linked. LTO can expose hidden symbol conflicts that normal linking might ignore.

Yes, LTO works with both Clang and GCC compilers. You can safely enable Link-Time Optimization in your C/C++ projects by using compatible linker flags and selecting a linker like lld that fully supports LTO.

Use the --gc-sections linker flag alongside compiler flags like -ffunction-sections to strip unused code sections. This process significantly reduces the executable footprint and improves application load performance.

LTO increases link times and memory usage significantly during the build process. If your system lacks sufficient resources, linking may fail, so evaluate LTO trade-offs and ensure your linker configuration can handle the optimization load.