The Build Process and Program Execution

Trace C source code through all compilation stages: preprocessing, compilation, assembly, and linking.

Explain the linking process, including symbol resolution, relocation, and the difference between strong and weak symbols.

Identify and explain ELF sections (.text, .data, .bss, .rodata, .plt, .got) and their roles in memory layout.

Explain the sequence of startup code execution before main(): vector table setup, copying initialized data, and zeroing BSS.

Write and modify linker scripts to control memory regions and section placement for embedded targets.

Set up a cross-compilation toolchain and apply target-specific optimization flags.

Use static analysis tools (e.g., cppcheck, clang-tidy) to detect undefined behavior and common C pitfalls.

Inspect DWARF debugging symbols using `readelf` or `dwarfdump` to understand how source-level debugging is enabled.