Boost.Python not found: location differs per distribution

[gerion0]

I have the problem that Boost.Python is not found with this line:

boost_dep = dependency('boost', modules : ['python3'])

This results in -lboost_python3 and the search of libboost_python3.so, that is not part of my system. I use gentoo. My Boost.Python is installed as:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   22 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-2.7-mt.so -> libboost_python-2.7.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   29 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-2.7.so -> libboost_python-2.7.so.1.65.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 284K 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-2.7.so.1.65.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   22 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-3.5-mt.so -> libboost_python-3.5.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   29 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-3.5.so -> libboost_python-3.5.so.1.65.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 272K 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-3.5.so.1.65.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   22 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-3.6-mt.so -> libboost_python-3.6.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   29 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-3.6.so -> libboost_python-3.6.so.1.65.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 272K 10. Jan 12:59 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-3.6.so.1.65.0

A symlink tolibboost_python3.so fixes the problem of course. Writing ['python-3.6'] does not since python3 is hardcoded.

I have filed a bug in Gentoo, too (resolved as invalid). Appearently this is handled in different ways within several distributions:

• Debian/Ubuntu (versions differ but the pattern is equal)

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   22 Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python.a -> libboost_python-py27.a
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 641K Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python-py27.a
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   30 Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python-py27.so -> libboost_python-py27.so.1.62.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 296K Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python-py27.so.1.62.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 633K Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python-py35.a
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   30 Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python-py35.so -> libboost_python-py35.so.1.62.0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 292K Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python-py35.so.1.62.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   23 Nov 12  2016 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_python.so -> libboost_python-py27.so

• OpenSuse

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 818K  4. Okt 19:22 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-py2_7.so.1.68.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 802K  4. Okt 19:22 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-py3.so.1.68.0

Edit: Remove the self created symlink to libboost_python3.so on Gentoo. This is my workaround fix, but not from the distribution.

[jtojnar]

And yet another on NixOS:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27 Jan  1  1970 /nix/store/lzq2p4xwji0vifmf58zfhmvnhh7pi1g8-boost-1.67_0/lib/libboost_python37.so -> libboost_python37.so.1.67.0
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 336K Jan  1  1970 /nix/store/lzq2p4xwji0vifmf58zfhmvnhh7pi1g8-boost-1.67_0/lib/libboost_python37.so.1.67.0

[gerion0]

The naming pattern for Gentoo has changed. Now it is (seem similar to Debian/Ubuntu):

% ls -lh /usr/lib64/libboost_python*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   20  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python27-mt.so -> libboost_python27.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python27.so -> libboost_python27.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python27.so.1 -> libboost_python27.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python27.so.1.70 -> libboost_python27.so.1.70.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 350K  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python27.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   20  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python36-mt.so -> libboost_python36.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python36.so -> libboost_python36.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python36.so.1 -> libboost_python36.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python36.so.1.70 -> libboost_python36.so.1.70.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 345K  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python36.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   20  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python37-mt.so -> libboost_python37.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python37.so -> libboost_python37.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python37.so.1 -> libboost_python37.so.1.70.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   27  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python37.so.1.70 -> libboost_python37.so.1.70.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 345K  1. Jul 15:40 /usr/lib64/libboost_python37.so.1.70.0

[DimStar77]

the openSUSE variant given are incomplete - the full overview is:

lzeus:~ # ls -la /usr/lib64/libboost_python*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     31 Dec 24 14:22 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-py2_7.so -> libboost_python-py2_7.so.1.71.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 556744 Dec 24 14:23 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-py2_7.so.1.71.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     29 Dec 24 14:20 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-py3.so -> libboost_python-py3.so.1.71.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 552616 Dec 24 14:23 /usr/lib64/libboost_python-py3.so.1.71.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     24 Dec 24 14:22 /usr/lib64/libboost_python.so -> libboost_python-py2_7.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     22 Dec 24 14:22 /usr/lib64/libboost_python3.so -> libboost_python-py3.so

(there are _python and _python3 symlinks in place)

[DimStar77]

meson-testsuite-boost.patch.txt

on openSUSE, I need this patch to get the test suite passed due to this issue (using boost 1.71)

[mensinda]

This should now be fixed with #6887, closing. Feel free to reopen if there are still issues on some distros.