CODEWITHSUNDEEP
unixcommand-linelinkernm
Catskul
Catskul

Reputation: 19259

Why is the `nm` utility named as such?

The nm the utility to list symbols in a binary doesn't include in its documentation any explanation or clue of how it got to be named nm.

I imagine some of the long experienced UNIX developers can shed some light.

Why is the nm utility named as such?

Upvotes: 8

Views: 2262

Answers (3)

Fred Foo
Fred Foo

Reputation: 363677

It's an abbreviation for "names" or "name list".

Nm prints the name list (symbol table) of each object file in the argument list.

(V7 Unix manual, 1979)

Upvotes: 13

gpeche
gpeche

Reputation: 22514

Looking at http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/nm.html it looks like it is an abbreviation for "NaMe list".

Upvotes: 3

MJB
MJB

Reputation: 7686

Name symbols. Thus "nm" is the abbreviation chosen.

Upvotes: 1

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