tcc - Tiny C Compiler

NAME SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION OPTIONS ENVIRONMENT SEE ALSO AUTHOR

SYNOPSIS

usage: tcc [options] [infile1 infile2...] [−run infile args...]

DESCRIPTION

TCC options are very much like gcc options. The main difference is that TCC can also execute directly the resulting program and give it runtime arguments.

Here are some examples to understand the logic:
"tcc −run a.c"

Compile a.c and execute it directly

"tcc −run a.c arg1"

Compile a.c and execute it directly. arg1 is given as first argument to the main() of a.c.

"tcc a.c −run b.c arg1"

Compile a.c and b.c, link them together and execute them. arg1 is given as first argument to the main() of the resulting program.

"tcc −o myprog a.c b.c"

Compile a.c and b.c, link them and generate the executable myprog.

"tcc −o myprog a.o b.o"

link a.o and b.o together and generate the executable myprog.

"tcc −c a.c"

Compile a.c and generate object file a.o.

"tcc −c asmfile.S"

Preprocess with C preprocess and assemble asmfile.S and generate object file asmfile.o.

"tcc −c asmfile.s"

Assemble (but not preprocess) asmfile.s and generate object file asmfile.o.

"tcc −r −o ab.o a.c b.c"

Compile a.c and b.c, link them together and generate the object file ab.o.

Scripting:

TCC can be invoked from scripts, just as shell scripts. You just need to add "#!/usr/local/bin/tcc −run" at the start of your C source:

#!/usr/local/bin/tcc −run
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("Hello World\n");
return 0;
}

TCC can read C source code from standard input when − is used in place of infile. Example:

echo 'main(){puts("hello");}' | tcc −run −

OPTIONS

−c

Generate an object file.

−o outfile

Put object file, executable, or dll into output file outfile.

−run source [args...]

Compile file source and run it with the command line arguments args. In order to be able to give more than one argument to a script, several TCC options can be given after the −run option, separated by spaces:

tcc "−run −L/usr/X11R6/lib −lX11" ex4.c

In a script, it gives the following header:

#!/usr/local/bin/tcc −run −L/usr/X11R6/lib −lX11

	−v		Display TCC version.
	−vv		Show included files. As sole argument, print search dirs. −vvv shows tries too.

−bench

Display compilation statistics.

Preprocessor options:
−Idir

Specify an additional include path. Include paths are searched in the order they are specified.

System include paths are always searched after. The default system include paths are: /usr/local/include, /usr/include and PREFIX/lib/tcc/include. (PREFIX is usually /usr or /usr/local).

−isystem dir

Specify a system include path to be added to the defaults.

−nostdinc

Do not search the default system include paths; only search include paths provided on the command line.

−include file

Include file above each input file.

−Dsym[=val]

Define preprocessor symbol sym to val. If val is not present, its value is 1. Function−like macros can also be defined: −DF(a)=a+1

−Usym

Undefine preprocessor symbol sym.

	−E		Preprocess only, to stdout or file (with −o).
	−P		Do not output "#line" directives.
	−P1		Output alternative "#line" directives.

−dD, −dM

Output "#define" directives.

−Wp,−opt

Same as −opt.

Compilation flags:

Note: each of the following options has a negative form beginning with −fno−.
−funsigned−char

Let the "char" type be unsigned.

−fsigned−char

Let the "char" type be signed.

−fno−common

Do not generate common symbols for uninitialized data.

−fleading−underscore

Add a leading underscore at the beginning of each C symbol.

−fms−extensions

Allow a MS C compiler extensions to the language. Currently this assumes a nested named structure declaration without an identifier behaves like an unnamed one.

−fdollars−in−identifiers

Allow dollar signs in identifiers

−freverse−funcargs

Evaluate function arguments right to left.

−fgnu89−inline

"extern inline" is like "static inline".

−fasynchronous−unwind−tables

Create eh_frame section [on]

−ftest−coverage

Create code coverage code. After running the resulting code an executable.tcov or sofile.tcov file is generated with code coverage.

Warning options:

−w

Disable all warnings.

Note: each of the following warning options has a negative form beginning with −Wno−.
−Wimplicit−function−declaration

Warn about implicit function declaration (missing prototype).

−Wdiscarded−qualifiers

Warn when const is dropped.

−Wunsupported

Warn about unsupported GCC features that are ignored by TCC.

−Wwrite−strings

Make string constants be of type "const char *" instead of "char *".

−Werror

Abort compilation if a warning is issued. Can be given an option to enable the specified warning and turn it into an error, for example −Werror=unsupported.

−Wall

Activate some useful warnings (−Wimplicit−function−declaration, −Wdiscard−qualifiers).

Linker options:
−Ldir

Specify an additional static library path for the −l option. The default library paths are /usr/local/lib, /usr/lib and /lib.

−lxxx

Link your program with dynamic library libxxx.so or static library libxxx.a. The library is searched in the paths specified by the −L option and LIBRARY_PATH variable.

−Bdir

Set the path where the tcc internal libraries (and include files) can be found (default is PREFIX/lib/tcc).

−shared

Generate a shared library instead of an executable.

−soname name

set name for shared library to be used at runtime

−static

Generate a statically linked executable (default is a shared linked executable).

−rdynamic

Export global symbols to the dynamic linker. It is useful when a library opened with dlopen() needs to access executable symbols.

−r

Generate an object file combining all input files.

−nostdlib

Don't implicitly link with libc, the C runtime files, and libtcc1.

−Wl,−nostdlib

Don't search the default paths for libraries (/usr/local/lib, /usr/lib and /lib). Only the paths specified with −L and LIBRARY_PATH are searched.

−Wl,−rpath=path

Put custom search path for dynamic libraries into executable.

−Wl,−Ipath
−Wl,−−dynamic−linker=path

Set the ELF interpreter (dynamic linker). This defaults to the value of the environment variable LD_SO if set, or a compiled−in default.

−Wl,−−enable−new−dtags

When putting a custom search path for dynamic libraries into the executable, create the new ELF dynamic tag DT_RUNPATH instead of the old legacy DT_RPATH.

−Wl,−−oformat=fmt

Use fmt as output format. The supported output formats are:
"elf32−i386"

ELF output format (default)

"binary"

Binary image (only for executable output)

"coff"

COFF output format (only for executable output for TMS320C67xx target)

−Wl,−−export−all−symbols
−Wl,−−export−dynamic

Export global symbols to the dynamic linker. It is useful when a library opened with dlopen() needs to access executable symbols.

−Wl,−subsystem=console/gui/wince/...

Set type for PE (Windows) executables.

−Wl,−[Ttext=# | section−alignment=# | file−alignment=# | image−base=# |
stack=#]

Modify executable layout.

−Wl,−Bsymbolic

Set DT_SYMBOLIC tag.

−Wl,−(no−)whole−archive

Turn on/off linking of all objects in archives.

Debugger options:

−g

Generate run time stab debug information so that you get clear run time error messages: " test.c:68: in function 'test5()': dereferencing invalid pointer" instead of the laconic "Segmentation fault".

−gdwarf[−x]

Generate run time dwarf debug information instead of stab debug information.

−b

Generate additional support code to check memory allocations and array/pointer bounds. −g is implied.

−bt[N]

Display N callers in stack traces. This is useful with −g or −b. When activated, "__TCC_BACKTRACE__" is defined.

With executables, additional support for stack traces is included. A function
" int tcc_backtrace(const char *fmt, ...); " is provided to trigger a stack trace with a message on demand.

Misc options:
−std=version

Define "__STDC_VERSION__": 201112 if version is c11 or gnu11; 199901 otherwise.

−x[c|a|b|n]

Specify content of next input file: respectively C, assembly, binary, or none.

−O[n]

Same as −D__OPTIMIZE__ except for −O0.

−pthread

Preprocess with −D_REENTRANT, link with −lpthread.

	−M		Just output makefile fragment with dependencies
	−MM		Like −M except mention only user header files, not system header files.
	−MD		Generate makefile fragment with dependencies.

−MMD

Like −MD except mention only user header files, not system header files.

−MF depfile

Use depfile as output for −MD.

−MP

Mention all dependencies as targets too.

−print−search−dirs

Print the configured installation directory and a list of library and include directories tcc will search.

−dumpversion

Print version.

−dt

With −run/−E: auto−define 'test_...' macros

Target specific options:
−mms−bitfields

Use an algorithm for bitfield alignment consistent with MSVC. Default is gcc's algorithm.

−mfloat−abi (ARM only)

Select the float ABI. Possible values: "softfp" and "hard"

−mno−sse

Do not use sse registers on x86_64

−m32, −m64

Pass command line to the i386/x86_64 cross compiler.

Note: GCC options −fx and −mx are ignored.

ENVIRONMENT

Environment variables that affect how tcc operates.
CPATH
C_INCLUDE_PATH

A colon−separated list of directories searched for include files, directories given with −I are searched first.

LIBRARY_PATH

A colon−separated list of directories searched for libraries for the −l option, directories given with −L are searched first.

AUTHOR

Fabrice Bellard

Updated 2026-06-01 - jenkler.se | uex.se