A dynamic linker loads shared library files for a specific executable file on a computer, allowing programs to function. The method varies by operating system, but the linker is always active and necessary for program execution.
A dynamic linker is a part of a computer’s operating system that links and loads individual shared libraries for a specific executable file on the computer. The shared library files for an executable include the code files and other resources needed to use the program. These files are essential for programs to run; without them, applications simply cannot function as intended. The method by which the dynamic linker works varies depending on the operating system used.
A shared library file is a file that the program requires to function. Without access to these files, the program will not be able to work as intended by the programmer. Before loading the program, these files are contained on the hard drive along with all other files on the computer system, but after the end user double-clicks an executable (.exe) file, the operating system fetches the library files required by the program. The operating system then moves those files into random access memory (RAM), allowing the program to access them quickly and efficiently while the program is running. It then associates the shared library files with the executable file, linking them together in the “mind” of the computer, keeping them associated during program execution.
As long as the computer’s operating system is running, the dynamic linker is active. It intervenes every time the end user loads a program, repeating the task of locating the required shared libraries and moving them into the computer’s memory. Although the operating system contains only a single iteration of the dynamic linker program, that iteration is sufficient to handle all the programs running on the computer.
How a dynamic linker works depends on the operating system. For example, the procedure by which the dynamic linker works for the Windows® operating system is different from the method used by Mac OS®. While in Windows®, the dynamic linker is part of the operating system, in Mac OS® the linker is actually seen by the operating system as a separate entity. While the implementation varies between operating systems, the function of the dynamic linker remains constant across the board.
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