runpath stripped on ninja install

[mbiebl]

Version: 0.47.2-1

gnome-boxes uses subprojects: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-boxes/tree/master/subprojects
In Debian, gtk-frdp and libovf-glib are not packaged as system libraries yet, so when building gnome-boxes the internal subprojects are used.
The binary in the build dir has

RUNPATH              $ORIGIN/../subprojects/gtk-frdp/src:$ORIGIN/../subprojects/libovf-glib/govf

The two libraries are installed into pkglibdir and required by the binary:

  NEEDED               libgtk-frdp-0.1.so
  NEEDED               libgovf-0.1.so

After a ninja install, the runpath is gone from the binary. The result is, that the binary crashes, as it can't find the libraries.

[jpakkane]

To set the install time rpath, use install_rpath kwarg on the target.

[mbiebl]

Is this a bug in gnome-boxes then in how it uses subprojects?

[mbiebl]

@felipeborges bringing you into the loop here

[jpakkane]

FWICT Debian guidelines seem to indicate that each package is responsible for installing non-public shared libraries to a secret location and is also responsible for adding rpaths. This would seem to indicate that if gnome-boxes builds subprojects, it should set this up properly.

[mbiebl]

@jpakkane so, a bug in gnome-boxes then or the subprojects? which of those is supposed to set the install_rpath?

[jpakkane]

Rpath is the property of the executable that is running, so in this case it should be set on gnome-boxes executable (FWICT). Thus it would be the master project's responsibility.

[mbiebl]

If the subprojects are available as system libraries, then no rpath is needed in the binary. What's the idiomatic way to set rpath properly in this case?

[jpakkane]

Something like:

if dep_object.type_name() == 'internal'
  # set up rpath
else
  # deps comr from the system, no need for rpathing
endif

[mbiebl]

Thanks @jpakkane
I've filed https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-boxes/issues/242