Wild is a new, fast linker for Linux designed for significantly faster linking than traditional linkers like ld. It leverages parallelization and a novel approach to symbol resolution, claiming to be up to 4x faster for large projects like Firefox and Chromium. Wild aims to be drop-in compatible with existing workflows, requiring no changes to source code or build systems. It also offers advanced features like incremental linking and link-time optimization, further enhancing development speed. While still under development, Wild shows promise as a powerful tool to accelerate the build process for complex C++ projects.
David Lattimore has introduced "wild," a new linker designed specifically for Linux systems, aiming to significantly accelerate the linking process. Lattimore posits that linking is often a performance bottleneck in software development, especially noticeable in large projects or during iterative development cycles. Wild aims to address this by employing several optimization strategies.
The core principle behind wild's speed is its extensive use of parallelization. The linker leverages multi-core processors to perform linking operations concurrently, dividing the workload across available cores to minimize overall linking time. This parallel approach is applied to various stages of the linking process, enhancing efficiency. Furthermore, wild utilizes memory mapping techniques to efficiently handle large files and reduce I/O overhead, further contributing to its speed.
Beyond parallelization and memory mapping, wild incorporates additional optimizations. It employs a carefully designed internal data structure to facilitate fast lookups and operations, minimizing processing time. The linker also implements incremental linking, allowing it to reuse previously linked outputs, dramatically reducing redundant work when only minor changes are made to the codebase. This incremental approach is particularly beneficial in iterative development workflows, where small code modifications are frequently linked. Lattimore claims substantial performance improvements compared to traditional linkers, showcasing wild's potential to streamline the development process.
While presented as a fast linker, wild is also designed with compatibility in mind. It aims to support a wide range of object file formats, ensuring its usability with existing projects and libraries. This broad compatibility makes it a potential drop-in replacement for slower linkers, simplifying adoption for developers.
The project is open-source, hosted on GitHub, encouraging community involvement and contributions. While the current focus is on Linux, future development might explore expanding support to other operating systems. Lattimore's work represents a promising advance in linker technology, potentially offering substantial benefits for developers working on Linux by reducing build times and enhancing productivity.
Summary of Comments ( 35 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42814683
HN commenters generally praised Wild's speed and innovative approach to linking. Several expressed excitement about its potential to significantly improve build times, particularly for large C++ projects. Some questioned its compatibility and maturity, noting it's still early in development. A few users shared their experiences testing Wild, reporting positive results but also mentioning some limitations and areas for improvement, like debugging support and handling of complex linking scenarios. There was also discussion about the technical details behind Wild's performance gains, including its use of parallelization and caching. A few commenters drew comparisons to other linkers like mold and lld, discussing their relative strengths and weaknesses.
The Hacker News post titled "Wild – A Fast Linker for Linux" (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42814683) has generated a fair amount of discussion, with a focus on the performance benefits and potential of the Wild linker.
Several commenters express excitement about the speed improvements Wild offers compared to traditional linkers like ld. Some share anecdotal evidence or express anticipation of trying it out in their own projects to see the real-world impact on build times. The potential for significantly reducing link times, particularly in large projects, is a recurring theme and a key driver of interest.
One commenter notes the importance of fast linking, particularly in iterative development cycles where frequent recompilation and linking can be a significant bottleneck. They highlight how improvements in this area can lead to more productive development.
Another commenter points out the project's utilization of Mold's design. They mention this as a positive aspect, suggesting the project benefits from a proven architecture and can further build upon it.
There's a discussion around specific technical details. One comment thread delves into the implementation details of parsing and handling debug information, which appears to be a contributing factor to Wild's speed. The decision to avoid using regular expressions for this task is highlighted as a potentially smart performance optimization.
There are also comments acknowledging the challenges of linker development. One commenter mentions that writing a linker is complex, implying that creating a fast and robust one like Wild is a significant achievement.
The overall sentiment is positive and optimistic. Many commenters see Wild as a promising development in the linking space, with the potential to significantly improve build times for Linux developers. There's a clear interest in its future development and adoption.