dyld
dyld is Apple's dynamic linker, the component responsible for loading and linking dynamic libraries for programs on Darwin-based systems such as macOS and iOS. It works with the Mach-O binary format to bring together the executable and its dependent libraries at runtime, preparing the process for execution.
During process startup, dyld locates the required dynamic libraries listed in the executable’s load commands, loads
A key performance feature of dyld is the use of a shared cache of system libraries, which
Security and system integrity considerations influence how dyld operates. macOS and iOS impose restrictions on dynamic
Over time, dyld has evolved through multiple generations (often referred to as dyld1, dyld2, and dyld3), incorporating