otool error : is not an object file

Question

I have two files on Mac OS. One Mach-O executable i386 and one data (same exec icon in my Finder).

When I execute otool -tV command on the first I have my assembler code printed. But when I write it for my second file I have this message : myFile: is not an object file.

Have an idea how to convert or directly read data files ?

Answer 1

The error from otool is because the data file is not a Mach-O object file, which has a pre-defined format used to store code, data, symbols etc.

It's not possible (or nearly impossible) to just convert a data file into an Object file.