How can I know if an ARM library is using hardfp?

Question

I don't have access to the build command, I just have the library in my system.

I guess I could build an hardfp executable that links against it and test, but I'm wondering if there's an easier way.

Answer 1

Execute readelf -A library.so: if the list of printed tags contains Tag_ABI_VFP_args: VFP registers, then it is a hardfp binary, otherwise assume softfp.

E.g. readelf -A /lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libm.so.6 will produce

Attribute Section: aeabi
File Attributes
  Tag_CPU_name: "7-A"
  Tag_CPU_arch: v7
  Tag_CPU_arch_profile: Application
  Tag_ARM_ISA_use: Yes
  Tag_THUMB_ISA_use: Thumb-2
  Tag_FP_arch: VFPv3-D16
  Tag_ABI_PCS_wchar_t: 4
  Tag_ABI_FP_denormal: Needed
  Tag_ABI_FP_exceptions: Needed
  Tag_ABI_FP_number_model: IEEE 754
  Tag_ABI_align_needed: 8-byte
  Tag_ABI_align_preserved: 8-byte, except leaf SP
  Tag_ABI_enum_size: int
  Tag_ABI_HardFP_use: SP and DP
  Tag_ABI_VFP_args: VFP registers
  Tag_ABI_optimization_goals: Aggressive Speed
  Tag_CPU_unaligned_access: v6

On the other side, readelf -A /lib/arm-linux-gnueabi/libm.so.6 produces

Attribute Section: aeabi
File Attributes
  Tag_CPU_name: "7-A"
  Tag_CPU_arch: v7
  Tag_CPU_arch_profile: Application
  Tag_ARM_ISA_use: Yes
  Tag_THUMB_ISA_use: Thumb-2
  Tag_FP_arch: VFPv3-D16
  Tag_ABI_PCS_wchar_t: 4
  Tag_ABI_FP_denormal: Needed
  Tag_ABI_FP_exceptions: Needed
  Tag_ABI_FP_number_model: IEEE 754
  Tag_ABI_align_needed: 8-byte
  Tag_ABI_align_preserved: 8-byte, except leaf SP
  Tag_ABI_enum_size: int
  Tag_ABI_optimization_goals: Aggressive Speed
  Tag_CPU_unaligned_access: v6