Extract text from ELF files
To convert your ELF file to another format, you need GNU Binutils or other Executable software.
To convert other file formats to the "Binary Object File" file type, you need software like GNU Binutils or a similar tool.
The .ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) file is the industry-standard container for binary executables, object code, and shared libraries on Unix and Linux systems. Beyond servers and desktops, this versatile format powers the firmware of embedded devices and game consoles like the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii. While highly efficient for machine execution, .ELF files present significant challenges for human analysis and cross-platform compatibility. They are compiled binary files, meaning they are not human-readable in standard text editors and are strictly locked to the specific processor architecture (e.g., x86, ARM, MIPS) they were built for. Users often struggle when trying to inspect the code for debugging, extract game assets, or flash the firmware onto a microcontroller that requires a flat binary format.
To overcome these limitations, converting the .ELF file is often necessary. For embedded systems development and ROM flashing, developers typically convert .ELF to HEX (Intel Hex) or BIN (Raw Binary) using toolchains like GNU Binutils. For reverse engineering, security analysis, or modding, the file is converted (disassembled) into ASM (Assembly) or decompiled into C/C++ pseudo-code using tools like Ghidra or IDA Pro. For game emulation, while some emulators run .ELF files directly, they are often packaged into ISOs or other container formats for better compatibility.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ELF file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PKG, EXE, MAIN, CHAL, MBN, CHALL, BIN, STLDR, ZIP, CHALL_BABY_REV, HELLO, ISO and CHALLENGE files.
If you want to convert ELF file to HEX, BIN, UF2, MBN, TEXT, EXE, ISO, MSI, APP, DMG, DEB or RPM, you can use GNU Binutils or similar software from the "Unix Binary Executable" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert JAR, APP, SCR, IPA, COM, AAB, PS1, DMG, VBS, EXE, XAPK or MSI files to ELF, try GNU Binutils or another comparable tool in the "Unix Binary Executable" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ELF converter.