Macros always add -R/usr/local/lib regardless of boost location

[kalleh]

I have the following calls in in my configure.ac:

BOOST_REQUIRE BOOST_BIND BOOST_ASIO BOOST_ARRAY BOOST_SYSTEM BOOST_THREADS BOOST_SMART_PTR

And this results in -R/usr/local/lib being added to my compiler options even though my boost headers and libraries resides in /usr not /usr/local.

[tsuna]

Can you please send me your entire config.log? (since github's issue tracking system doesn't support adding attachments to an issue, please send it directly to me by email.)

[kalleh]

I've sent it by email!

[tsuna]

Are you sure that you don't have boost in /usr/local?

configure:15292: g++ -o conftest -g -O2    -L/usr/lib conftest.o -lboost_system-d-1_38  >&5
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lboost_system-d-1_38
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
configure:15301: $? = 1
[...]
configure:15286: re-using the existing conftest.o
configure:15292: g++ -o conftest -g -O2    -L/usr/local/lib conftest.o -lboost_system-mt  >&5
configure:15301: $? = 0
configure:15340: result: yes

With -L/usr/lib it didn't link but it worked with -L/usr/local/lib...

[kalleh]

No sorry, I also tried distclean etc if the setting were cached somehow with no success. Please note that the app still compiles, mainly (?) because g++ does not support the -R during compilation (it's only a linker flag).

kalle@ubuntu:/usr/local/lib$ pwd /usr/local/lib kalle@ubuntu:/usr/local/lib$ ls python2.6 site_ruby

[kalleh]

I don't know if this can trigger this bug, but I only have the -mt version of the boost libraries installed. boost.m4 works perfectly though and identifies this case, but the only issue is the extra -R/-L flags which is not necessary.

[tsuna]

OK, I think I understand the bug. boost.m4 is trying various combinations of -L flags and -l flags to guess the one that works. The problem in your case is that it manages to find the right -l with the wrong -L because GCC ignores the "bogus" -L because the library specified with the -l can be found in GCC's default search path. I don't have time to fix this right now but I'll take a look in a few days when I have some free time in my hands.

[kalleh]

No worries there is no hurry, as I said the build works, this bug just creates unnecessary warnings in the output. And thanks for your time helping me debug this problem!

[UX-admin]

You can also avoid the -R/usr/local issue completely by setting the -R to $ORIGIN:

-R$ORIGIN

where $ORIGIN is a special linker keyword, not a shell variable, and it will cause all Boost libraries depending on eachother to search in their own directory ($ORIGIN) first. $ORIGIN is supported by GNU, SunOS (Solaris / illumos), and HP-UX ld.