Re: where should libtool libraries be installed? /usr/lib? /usr/local/lib?

[Ed Hartnett]

Ralf Wildenhues <address@hidden> writes:

> Do not change the predefined value for $prefix.  Tell them to look at
>   ./configure --help
> for possible configuration options, educate them about --prefix! :-)

OK, the default location for installed libraries is /usr/local/lib.

I installed the library there, but, when I try to link to it, I get a
library not found error message.

Then I set LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib and everything works.

>From this I gathered that /usr/local/lib is not on the default search
path for libraries, which, if true, I find surprising.

> Which system did you see this on, compiler, output of
>   gcc -print-search-dirs
> in case you use gcc?

I did this, and /usr/local/lib is not in the list for libraries:

gcc -print-search-dirs
install:
/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/

programs:
/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-sol\
aris2.8/:/usr/lib/gcc/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/usr/lib/gcc/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/:/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/sparc-sun-sola\
ris2.8/bin/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/bin/:/usr/ccs/bin/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/\
2.95.3/:/usr/ccs/bin/

libraries:
/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/usr/lib/gcc/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/opt/g\
nu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/lib/:/u\
sr/ccs/bin/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/usr/ccs/bin/:/usr/ccs/lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/usr/ccs/lib/:/opt/gnu/gcc2-\
sparc-5.8/lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/opt/gnu/gcc2-sparc-5.8/lib/:/lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/lib/:/usr/lib/spa\
rc-sun-solaris2.8/2.95.3/:/usr/lib/

>> It used to be that we could always count on /usr/local/lib, but now,
>> we can't?
>
> I would not happen to know what we changed.  Which system?

The problem system (at the moment) is a Sun, but I am really trying to
grasp how this will work in the general case. Perhaps I have just
messed something up on the Sun.

>
> BTW, libtool stores this knowledge in sys_lib_search_path_spec.
> We have (or should have) a TODO list item to allow to override the value
> of this at configure time.

Is there something wrong about using LD_LIBRARY_PATH for this?

> Libtool will be, I believe.  Not quite sure about Automake.
> (This warning is more of a safety measure than anything else.  I am very
> much a fan of source tree != build tree != install tree, if only because
> the number of build trees on my system is several times higher than the
> number of source and install trees.)

OK, I agree with this.

Thanks for the answers!

Ed

-- 
Ed Hartnett  -- address@hidden