Question

In linux 32bit elf format, what is the difference between program header table and section header table ??

Answer 1

I cannot stated it better than Hawngs. So here:

http://users.csc.calpoly.edu/~mhaungs/archive/paper/node13.html

and

http://users.csc.calpoly.edu/~mhaungs/archive/paper/node14.html

Answer 2

i found that on internet before and i am not satisfied with explanation

Answer 3

Don't know how to explain it any clearer.

Answer 4

thx anyway

Answer 5

What specifically are you looking for?

Answer 6

some better explanation with examples

Answer 7

This book has both. And it's very readable. http://www.iecc.com/linker/
maybe looking at it will provoke some specific questions which we can help with.

Answer 8

here's an excerpt from the book above, which very succinctly talks about the two headers:

Compilers, assemblers, and linkers treat the file as a set of logical sections described by a section header table, while the system loader treats the file as a set of segments described by a program header table. A single segment will usually consist of several sections. For example, a ``loadable read-only'' segment could contain sections for executable code, read-only data, and symbols for the dynamic linker. Relocatable files have section tables, executable files have program header tables, and shared objects have both. The sections are intended for further processing by a linker, while the segments are intended to be mapped into memory.

Does this help?