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ar

Included in pluginshared-skillsView on GitHub ↗

Files

SKILL.mdagentsreferencesscripts

Install

Install the containing plugin
/plugin install shared-skills@llm-skills
Invoke this skill after installation
/shared-skills:ar
Download ar-skill.zip
This skill is bundled inside shared-skills. Install the plugin once, then Claude Code can use any of its included skills. Browse the full plugin repository at github.com/alisonaquinas/llm-shared-skills.

SKILL.md

name: ar description: Manage Unix static library archives for build systems with ar. Use when the agent needs to inspect or modify .a library contents, rebuild symbol tables, or manage object file members.

ar

Create and manage static library archives for C/C++ compilation.

Quick Start

  1. Verify ar is available: ar --version or man ar
  2. Establish the command surface: man ar or ar --help
  3. Start with list-only operation: ar t libexample.a

Intent Router

Load only the reference file needed for the active request.

  • references/install-and-setup.md — Installing ar (GNU binutils) on macOS, Linux, Windows
  • references/cheatsheet.md — Common operations, member listing, symbol table management
  • references/advanced-usage.md — Archive format details, symbol handling, GNU vs BSD differences
  • references/troubleshooting.md — Symbol table issues, member conflicts, build errors

Core Workflow

  1. Verify ar is available: ar --version
  2. List archive contents (safe, read-only): ar t libexample.a
  3. Extract specific members if needed: ar x libexample.a module.o
  4. Rebuild with new members and refresh symbol table: ar rcs libexample.a module1.o module2.o

Quick Command Reference

ar --version                           # Check version
ar t libexample.a                      # List archive members (contents)
ar tv libexample.a                     # List with details and timestamps
ar x libexample.a                      # Extract all members
ar x libexample.a module.o             # Extract specific member
ar rcs libexample.a module1.o module2.o # Replace/create and rebuild symbol table
ar d libexample.a module.o             # Delete member from archive
ar s libexample.a                      # Rebuild symbol table only
man ar                                 # Full manual and options

Safety Notes

AreaGuardrail
Symbol tableAlways use s flag or rcs to rebuild symbol table after modifications. Linker depends on accurate index.
Member orderingSome linkers depend on member sequence. Verify link order matches expectations after modifications.
Architecture compatibilityVerify object files target same architecture as archive (32-bit vs 64-bit). Use file to check.
BackupsCreate backup before modifying existing archives. Archive damage can break builds.
Member namesObject file names are limited to 16 characters in archive. Longer names may be truncated.

Source Policy

  • Treat the installed ar behavior and man ar as runtime truth.
  • Use GNU binutils documentation for GNU ar specifics.

Resource Index

  • scripts/install.sh — Install ar (GNU binutils) on macOS or Linux.
  • scripts/install.ps1 — Install ar on Windows or any platform via PowerShell.
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