How to compile C source code without a main function?

On GCC, the -c switch is what you want.

-c means "compile, don't link", and you get a name.o output file.

Suppose you have hello.c:

#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
_start()
{
   exit(my_main());
}
int my_main()
{
   printf("Hello");
   return 0;
}

Compile as:

gcc  -nostartfiles  hello.c

and you can get an executable out of it.

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