PR ld/12549

bfd/
	* elflink.c (elf_link_add_object_symbols): Exclude weak refs when
	considering whether an --as-needed library is needed.
ld/
	* ld.texinfo (--as-needed): Update.
ld/testsuite/
	* ld-elf/pr14862.out: Expect no output.

1 files changed, 8 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/ld/ld.texinfo b/ld/ld.texinfo
index cc4e735b33..1f8e34db94 100644
--- a/ld/ld.texinfo
+++ b/ld/ld.texinfo
@@ -1143,11 +1143,14 @@ on the command line after the @option{--as-needed} option.  Normally
 the linker will add a DT_NEEDED tag for each dynamic library mentioned
 on the command line, regardless of whether the library is actually
 needed or not.  @option{--as-needed} causes a DT_NEEDED tag to only be
-emitted for a library that satisfies an undefined symbol reference
-from a regular object file or, if the library is not found in the
-DT_NEEDED lists of other libraries linked up to that point, an
-undefined symbol reference from another dynamic library.
-@option{--no-as-needed} restores the default behaviour.
+emitted for a library that @emph{at that point in the link} satisfies a
+non-weak undefined symbol reference from a regular object file or, if
+the library is not found in the DT_NEEDED lists of other libraries, a
+non-weak undefined symbol reference from another dynamic library.
+Object files or libraries appearing on the command line @emph{after}
+the library in question do not affect whether the library is seen as
+needed.  This is similar to the rules for extraction of object files
+from archives.  @option{--no-as-needed} restores the default behaviour.
 
 @kindex --add-needed
 @kindex --no-add-needed