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cmd/link: help text for linkmode isn't helpful #40750

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mvdan opened this issue Aug 13, 2020 · 2 comments
Open

cmd/link: help text for linkmode isn't helpful #40750

mvdan opened this issue Aug 13, 2020 · 2 comments
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compiler/runtime Issues related to the Go compiler and/or runtime. Documentation NeedsInvestigation Someone must examine and confirm this is a valid issue and not a duplicate of an existing one.
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Unplanned

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@mvdan
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mvdan commented Aug 13, 2020 

$ go version
go version devel +5c7748dc9d Mon Aug 10 23:44:58 2020 +0000 linux/amd64
$ go tool link -h 2>&1 | grep -A1 linkmode
  -linkmode mode
    	set link mode

At least, it could tell me what the modes are, and ideally point me at the docs for what they do.

I realise that the compiler and linker are fairly low level and mostusers shouldn't be looking at go tool link -h, but given that -linkmode=external is somewhat well known and widely used, it's confusing that it's hard to find its definition without looking at the code.

CC @cherrymui @jeremyfaller
@ALTree
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ALTree commented Aug 13, 2020 •
edited

go doc cmd/link does a slightly better job:

$ go doc cmd/link | grep -A2 linkmode

    -linkmode mode
    	Set link mode (internal, external, auto).
    	This sets the linking mode as described in cmd/cgo/doc.go.

It says what the options are, and it points to a longer explanation in cmd/cgo/doc.go.

@mvdan
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mvdan commented Aug 13, 2020

Oh, right. That sounds more helpful, though I had forgotten about go doc cmd/link and go tool link -h doesn't point me towards it.

Perhaps we could keep go tool link -h in sync with go doc cmd/link, at least when it comes to flags. And for everything else that isn't flags, go tool link -h could tell the user to look at go doc cmd/link.

@andybons andybons added the NeedsInvestigation Someone must examine and confirm this is a valid issue and not a duplicate of an existing one. label Aug 13, 2020
@andybons andybons added this to the Unplanned milestone Aug 13, 2020
@gopherbot gopherbot added the compiler/runtime Issues related to the Go compiler and/or runtime. label Jul 13, 2022
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compiler/runtime Issues related to the Go compiler and/or runtime. Documentation NeedsInvestigation Someone must examine and confirm this is a valid issue and not a duplicate of an existing one.
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