Unfortunately gcc doesn't accept arbitrary linkers via the `-fuse-ld=` flag. The only linkers it accepts are bfd, gold lld and mold. It is possible to use gcc to invoke wild as the linker, but currently to do that, you need to create a directory containing the wild linker and rename the binary (or a symlink) to "ld", then pass `-B/path/to/directory/containing/wild` to gcc.

As for why Rust uses gcc or clang to invoke the linker rather than invoking the linker directly - it's because the C compiler knows what linker flags are needed on the current platform in order to link against libc and the C runtime. Things like `Scrt1.o`, `crti.o`, `crtbeginS.o`, `crtendS.o` and `crtn.o`.

> It is possible to use gcc to invoke wild as the linker, but currently to do that, you need to create a directory containing the wild linker and rename the binary (or a symlink) to "ld", then pass `-B/path/to/directory/containing/wild` to gcc.

Instead of renaming and passing -B in, you can also modify the GCC «spec» file's «%linker» section to make it point to a linker of your choice, i.e.

  %linker:
  /scratch/bin/wild %{wild_options}

Linking options can be amended in the «%link_command» section.

It is possible to either modify the default «spec» file («gcc -dumpspecs») or pass your own along via «-specs=my-specs-file». I have found custom «spec» files to be very useful in the past.

The «spec» file format is documented at https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Spec-Files.html

Ah, good to know, thanks!

May be it's worth filing a feature request for gcc to have parity with clang for arbitrary linkers?

Because Rust compiler generates IR bytecode, not machine code.

That's the reason to use llvm as part of Rust compiler toolchain, not to use gcc or clang as linker manager?

You're right, @davidlattimore seems to have answered that.