5.7.7.18 Fat-lto-objects Option

The -ffat-lto-objects option requests that the compiler generate fat object files, which contain both object code and GIMPLE (one of GCC’s internal representations), written to unique ELF sections. Such objects files are useful for library code that could be linked with projects that do and do not use the standard link-time optimizer, controlled by the -flto option.

The -fno-fat-lto-objects form of this option, which is the default if no option is specified, suppresses the inclusion of the object code into object files, resulting in faster builds. However, such object files must always be linked using the standard link-time optimizer.