linux file type question

[leohung]

what is .so file &
what is .a file.
are they the same?

[Muzzafarath]

.so = shared object.
.a = archive of functions.

[leohung]

So how to use the .a file to produce .so file

[DMR]

So how to use the .a file to produce .so fileAs far as I know, you don't. What Muzzfarath was alluding to is the fact that .so files are shared libraries, and .a files are static libraries. While both types are libraries, the method and syntax used to create each type is different, as are the internal workings of each.