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Installing the software

Installation

An exported ipc_shm consists of C++ header files installed under "ipc/..." in the include-root; and a library such as libipc_shm.a. Certain items are also exported for people who use CMake to build their own projects; we make it particularly easy to use ipc_shm proper in that case (find_package(IpcShm)). However documentation is generated monolithically for all of Flow-IPC; not for ipc_shm separately.

The basic prerequisites for building the above:

  • Linux;
  • a C++ compiler with C++ 17 support;
  • Boost headers (plus certain libraries) install;
  • {fmt} install;
  • dependency headers and library (from within this overall project) install(s); in this case those of: flow, ipc_core, ipc_transport_structured, ipc_session;
  • CMake;
  • Cap'n Proto (a/k/a capnp).

The basic prerequisites for using the above:

  • Linux, C++ compiler, Boost, {fmt}, above-listed dependency lib(s), capnp (but CMake is not required); plus:
  • your source code #includeing any exported ipc/ headers must be itself built in C++ 17 mode;
  • any executable using the ipc_* libraries must be linked with certain Boost and ubiquitous system libraries.

We intentionally omit version numbers and even specific compiler types in the above description; the CMake run should help you with that.

To build ipc_shm:

  1. Ensure a Boost install is available. If you don't have one, please install the latest version at boost.org. If you do have one, try using that one (our build will complain if insufficient). (From this point on, that's the recommended tactic to use when deciding on the version number for any given prerequisite. E.g., same deal with CMake in step 2.)
  2. Ensure a {fmt} install is available (available at {fmt} web site if needed).
  3. Ensure a CMake install is available (available at CMake web site if needed).
  4. Ensure a capnp install is available (available at Cap'n Proto web site if needed).
  5. Use CMake cmake (command-line tool) or ccmake (interactive text-UI tool) to configure and generate a build system (namely a GNU-make Makefile and friends). Details on using CMake are outside our scope here; but the basics are as follows. CMake is very flexible and powerful; we've tried not to mess with that principle in our build script(s).
    1. Choose a tool. ccmake will allow you to interactively configure aspects of the build system, including showing docs for various knobs our CMakeLists.txt (and friends) have made availale. cmake will do so without asking questions; you'll need to provide all required inputs on the command line. Let's assume cmake below, but you can use whichever makes sense for you.
    2. Choose a working build directory, somewhere outside the present ipc distribution. Let's call this $BUILD: please mkdir -p $BUILD. Below we'll refer to the directory containing the present README.md file as $SRC.
    3. Configure/generate the build system. The basic command line: cd $BUILD && cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=... -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=... $SRC, where $CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX/{include|lib|...} will be the export location for headers/library/goodies; CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE={Release|RelWithDebInfo|RelMinSize|Debug|} specifies build config. More options are available -- CMAKE_* for CMake ones; CFG_* for Flow-IPC ones -- and can be viewed with ccmake or by glancing at $BUILD/CMakeCache.txt after running cmake or ccmake.
      • Regarding CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE, you can use the empty "" type to supply your own compile/link flags, such as if your organization or product has a standard set suitable for your situation. With the non-blank types we'll take CMake's sensible defaults -- which you can override as well. (See CMake docs; and/or a shortcut is checking out $BUILD/CMakeCache.txt.)
      • This is the likeliest stage at which CMake would detect lacking dependencies. See CMake docs for how to tweak its robust dependency-searching behavior; but generally if it's not in a global system location, or not in the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX (export) location itself, then you can provide more search locations by adding a semicolon-separated list thereof via -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=....
      • Alternatively most things' locations can be individually specified via ..._DIR settings.
    4. Build using the build system generated in the preceding step: In $BUILD run make.
    5. Install (export): In $BUILD run make install.

To use ipc_shm:

  • #include the relevant exported header(s).
  • Link the exported library (such as libipc_shm.a) and the required other libraries to your executable(s).
    • If using CMake to build such executable(s):
      1. Simply use find_package(IpcShm) to find it.
      2. Then use target_link_libraries(... IpcShm::ipc_shm) on your target to ensure all necessary libraries are linked. (This will include the libraries themselves and the dependency libraries it needs to avoid undefined-reference errors when linking. Details on such things can be found in CMake documentation; and/or you may use our CMake script(s) for inspiration; after all we do build all the libraries and a *_link_test.exec executable.)
    • Otherwise specify it manually based on your build system of choice (if any). To wit, in order:
      • Link against libipc_shm.a, libipc_session.a, libipc_transport_structured.a, libipc_core.a, and libflow.a.
      • Link against Boost libraries mentioned in a flow/.../CMakeLists.txt line (search flow dependency for it): set(BOOST_LIBS ...).
      • Link against the {fmt} library, libfmt.
      • Link against the system pthreads library and librt.
  • Read the documentation to learn how to use Flow-IPC's (and/or Flow's) various features.