ARMCLANG: L6776W: Debug Frame Does Not Describe Executable Section

Information in this knowledgebase article applies to:

• MDK-ARM v 5.26 and older
• Arm Compiler 6 (Armclang) v 6.10 and older

ISSUE

Building a project using Arm Compiler 6 produces this linker message:

 Warning: L6776W: The debug frame ... does not describe an executable section

CAUSE

Optimization is done by the Compiler. The Linker resolves references to objects, and removes unused or duplicated code, to reduce the overall code size. The Linker also includes debug information for the objects it links.

Currently, when the linker resolves a duplicate code reference for an executable section, it may leave in debug information (called a debug frame) for this removed duplicate section. This warning at the end of linking identifies the debug frame that no longer describes anything.

RESOLUTION

This is safe to ignore. The only symptom is a bigger debug portion of the AXF file, since the linker did not optimize out the duplicate debug information.

This issue was fixed in Arm Compiler 6 (Armclang) Version 6.11, released October 25, 2018. This will be a part of the next MDK release. Other workarounds are:

• Update the compiler See Application Note 267:Update Arm compilation tools without updating MDK
• Increase the optimization level: If the compiler has optimization level -O0, it will not remove duplicate references. At higher optimization levels (for example, -O2), these references may be optimized before they reach the linker, removing a duplicate entry, and therefore removing the cause of this warning.
• Ignore it: - In µVision, under Project -> Options For Target -> on the top right of the Linker tab, next to disable Warnings, type L6776 in the box and click OK.

STATUS

Fixed in MDK v5.27.

MORE INFORMATION

• µVision: Using different versions of the ARM Compiler
• Application Note 267:Update Arm compilation tools without updating MDK
• Refer to --diag_suppress=tag[,tag,…] in the Linker User Guide.
• Refer to -O (armclang) in the Compiler Reference Guide.
• Refer to About mapping symbols in the Linker User Guide.

SEE ALSO

• Refer to List of the armlink error and warning messages in the Errors and Warnings Reference Guide.
• Refer to --callgraph, --no_callgraph in the Linker User Guide.
• Refer to Arm Compiler Migration and Compatibility Guide in the Migration and Compatibility Guide.

Last Reviewed: Monday, February 4, 2019