This patch enables a first part of the linker relaxation in order to fix unreachable branches in large binaries. It has been tested by compiling gcc. However, the exact maximum branch offset (1<<25) could not be tested as other problems are appearing. However, the generation of stubs when considering that the maximum offset is (1<<24) is working fine and able to fully compile gcc. This is simply generating more stubs than actually needed. Note that as I'll stop working for AIX at this end of this month. Thus, I hope we'll have the time to merge it before. Moreover, Kavana and Ayappan will retrieve my work and knowledge on Binutils for AIX. Thus, they will be able to submit patches if anything goes wrong after the merge. I'm also adding my personal mail in order to answer questions but I won't have access to AIX anymore. bfd/ChangeLog: * coff-rs6000.c (xcoff_reloc_type_noop): Add info argument. (xcoff_reloc_type_fail): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_pos): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_neg): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_rel): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_toc): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_ba): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_crel): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_tls): Likewise. (xcoff_reloc_type_br): Add stub handler. (xcoff_ppc_relocate_section): Add info to xcoff_calculate_relocation. (xcoff_stub_indirect_call_code): New constant. (xcoff_stub_shared_call_code): Likewise. (bfd_xcoff_backend_data): Add stub code fields. (bfd_pmac_xcoff_backend_data): Likewise. * coff64-rs6000.c (xcoff64_reloc_type_br): Add stub handler. (xcoff64_ppc_relocate_section): Add info to xcoff64_calculate_relocation. (xcoff64_stub_indirect_call_code): New constant. (xcoff64_stub_shared_call_code): Likewise. (bfd_xcoff_backend_data): Add stub code fields. (bfd_xcoff_aix5_backend_data): Likewise. * libxcoff.h (struct xcoff_backend_data_rec): Add stub fields. (bfd_xcoff_stub_indirect_call_code): New define. (bfd_xcoff_stub_indirect_call_size): New define. (bfd_xcoff_stub_shared_call_code): New define. (bfd_xcoff_stub_shared_call_size): New define. (xcoff_reloc_function): Add info argument. (enum xcoff_stub_type): New enum. (struct xcoff_stub_hash_entry): New structure. * xcofflink.c (struct xcoff_link_hash_table): Add stub hash table and params fields. (xcoff_stub_hash_entry): New define. (xcoff_stub_hash_lookup): New define. (stub_hash_newfunc): New function. (_bfd_xcoff_bfd_link_hash_table_free): Free the new stub hash table. (_bfd_xcoff_bfd_link_hash_table_create): Create the new stub hash table. (xcoff_link_add_symbols): Save rawsize for XTY_SD. (bfd_xcoff_link_init): New function. (xcoff_stub_csect_name): New function. (xcoff_stub_get_csect_in_range): New function. (xcoff_stub_name): New function. (bfd_xcoff_get_stub_entry): New function. (bfd_xcoff_type_of_stub): New function. (xcoff_add_stub): New function. (xcoff_build_one_stub): New function. (bfd_xcoff_size_stubs): New function. (bfd_xcoff_build_stubs): New function. (xcoff_stub_create_relocations): New function. (xcoff_link_input_bfd): Adapt relocations to stub. (xcoff_write_global_symbol): Adapt to new TOC entries generated for stubs. (_bfd_xcoff_bfd_final_link): Handle stub file. * xcofflink.h (struct bfd_xcoff_link_params): New structure. ld/ChangeLog: * emultempl/aix.em (params): New variable. (stub_file): New variable. (xcoff_add_stub_section): New function. (xcoff_layout_sections_again): New function (hook_in_stub): New function. (_after_allocation): Add stub creation. (_create_output_section_statements): Allocate stub file and pass params to backend.