Gnu ld creates phantom sections

[Erik Christiansen <erik at dd dot nec dot com dot au>]

   Why would ld tack digits onto the end of the names of real sections,
just to create troublesome empty sections?

$ powerpc-linux-ld -V
GNU ld version 2.13.90.0.4 20020814
  Supported emulations:
   elf32ppclinux
   elf32ppc
   elf32ppcsim

   Despite no mention of them in the linker script, or single assembler
source file, ld created the following empty sections, in each case
tacking a digit onto a real section name, then had the cheek to bitch
about them:

powerpc-linux-ld: warning: no memory region specified for section
`.data.1'
powerpc-linux-ld: warning: no memory region specified for section
`.sdata.3'
powerpc-linux-ld: warning: no memory region specified for section
`.bss.2'
powerpc-linux-ld: warning: no memory region specified for section
`.sbss.4'
powerpc-linux-ld: warning: no memory region specified for section
`.sdata2.5'

   After some googling, the ld option: --gc-sections made them go away.

   The manpage seems to explain why --gc-sections helps:
   --gc-sections
        Enable  garbage  collection  of unused input sections.


   The phantom sections do not exist prior to involving ld:

   $ objdump -h init.o     # shows only: .text .data .bss .rom_init

   The linker script has:

SECTIONS
{
   .text : AT (__DATA_ROM1_START) { *(.text) *(.init) *(.fini) *(.eini) } > ram
   .sdata2 : AT (__DATA_ROM1_START + SIZEOF(.text))  {} > ram
   .data : AT (__DATA_ROM1_START + SIZEOF(.text) + SIZEOF(.sdata2))  {} > ram
   .sdata : AT (__DATA_ROM1_START + SIZEOF(.text) + SIZEOF(.sdata2) + SIZEOF(.data))  {} > ram
   __DATA_RAM_END = .;
   .sbss  : {} > ram
   . = 0x00200000;      /* Assume Flash code is max 2Mb and sdram allocated
                           for flash code is also Max 2Mb*/
   .bss   : {} > ram    /*After this 2MB normal ram starts*/
 
   . = __DATA_ROM1_START + SIZEOF(.text) + SIZEOF(.sdata2) + SIZEOF(.data) +
      SIZEOF(.sdata);
   .startup : { *(.rom_init)  } > rom
   __DATA_ROM_END = .;

   .heap : {} > rta           /* Bring the region into section namespace. */
}

   So the cause of their creation is unexplained, and thus unnerving.

   Haven't found anything directly relevant in the archives.

Regards,
Erik