Quote:
Originally Posted by ste180783
what is the difference between a Packed ELF and a Unpacked ELF?
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It's exactly what it says.
An unpacked ELF simply contains the original program as compiled.
For a packed ELF, all of that original content has been packed, by methods similar to those used by ZIP or RAR packers. Then that packed content was placed into the data segment of a newly constructed ELF file, which contains only the code needed to first unpack and then launch the real program.
Normally the space savings from compressing the real program are significantly larger than the space losses due to adding the unpacker code. And for most cases the time delay due to real time unpacking is significantly smaller than the time gained by not having to transfer so large a file for each launch. So for all normal cases the packed ELFs are more efficient to use, requiring less storage space and allowing better launching speed.
Best regards: dlanor
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