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#rev 2020-09-10 bonaccos

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= Using pkg-config to set variables =
When compiling software from source you might need to set variables such as {{{$CFLAGS}}} or {{{$LDFLAGS}}}. Here the {{{pkg-config}}} command comes handy. You can easily set this variables by typing (tcsh):

== Using pkg-config to set variables ==

When compiling software from source you might need to set variables such as `CFLAGS` or `LDFLAGS`. Here the `pkg-config` command comes handy. Nevertheless, `pkg-config` only works with libraries supporting `pkg-config`, meaning that there is a '''/pkgconfig''' sub-directory in the library directory with a corresponding `*.pc` file. If that is the case you can easily set these variables by typing (bash):
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> setenv CFLAGS `"pkg-config --cflags PACKAGE-NAME"` export CFLAGS="`pkg-config --cflags PACKAGE-NAME`"
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> setenv LDLAGS `"pkg-config --libs PACKAGE-NAME"` export LDLAGS="`pkg-config --libs PACKAGE-NAME`"
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where {{{PACKAGE-NAME}}} is the package you need. However, {{{pkg-config}}} looks for packages contained in the {{{$PATH}}} variable only. If you need {{{pkg-config}}} to search in a non default path you may set the {{{$PKG_CONFIG_PATH}}} variable accordingly. This variable must contain paths leading to a directory containing {{{*.pc}}} files. Very often a package comes with a {{{pkg-config}}} directory containing the corresponding {{{*.pc}}} files. You may set multiple paths in the {{{$PKG_CONFIG_PATH}}} variable using {{{:}}} as separator.
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It is important to note that the {{{--libs}}} option sometimes only returns the link time directory, omitting the run time directory. Therefore, you might have to correct the {{{LDFLAGS}}} variable accordingly. where '''PACKAGE-NAME''' is the package you need. However, by default `pkg-config` looks for '''*.pc''' files in system defined paths only. If you need `pkg-config` to search another path as well you may set the `PKG_CONFIG_PATH` variable accordingly. This variable contain paths leading to a directory containing `*.pc'` files. A package might come with a `pkg-config` directory containing the corresponding `*.pc` files. You may set multiple paths in the `PKG_CONFIG_PATH` variable using colon (`:`) as separator.
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Remark: Paths contained in {{{$PKG_CONFIG_PATH}}} are preferred over the default paths by {{{pkg-config}}}.

Here is an example (again in tcsh):
Here is an example setting two additional paths:
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> setenv CFLAGS `"pkg-config --cflags gtk+-2.0"` export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="path1-to-*.pc-files:path2-to-*.pc-files"
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type {{{man pkg-config}}} fore further information.
It is important to note that the `--libs` option sometimes only returns the link time directory, omitting the run time directory. Therefore, you might have to correct the `LDFLAGS` variable accordingly.

Remark: Paths contained in `PKG_CONFIG_PATH` are preferred over the default path by `pkg-config`. This means if a corresponding `*.pc` file is found in the `PKG_CONFIG_PATH` directories, a `*.pc` with the same name for instance in `/usr/lib/pkgconfig` will not be considered.

Here is an example:

{{{
export CFLAGS=`"pkg-config --cflags gtk+-2.0"`
}}}

More details can be found in the [[https://manpages.debian.org/buster/pkgconf/pkg-config.1.en.html|pkg-config(1) manpage]].

----
[[CategoryLXSW]]

PKG-CONFIG

Using pkg-config to set variables

When compiling software from source you might need to set variables such as CFLAGS or LDFLAGS. Here the pkg-config command comes handy. Nevertheless, pkg-config only works with libraries supporting pkg-config, meaning that there is a /pkgconfig sub-directory in the library directory with a corresponding *.pc file. If that is the case you can easily set these variables by typing (bash):

export CFLAGS="`pkg-config --cflags PACKAGE-NAME`"

and

export LDLAGS="`pkg-config --libs PACKAGE-NAME`"

where PACKAGE-NAME is the package you need. However, by default pkg-config looks for *.pc files in system defined paths only. If you need pkg-config to search another path as well you may set the PKG_CONFIG_PATH variable accordingly. This variable contain paths leading to a directory containing *.pc' files. A package might come with a pkg-config directory containing the corresponding *.pc files. You may set multiple paths in the PKG_CONFIG_PATH variable using colon (:) as separator.

Here is an example setting two additional paths:

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="path1-to-*.pc-files:path2-to-*.pc-files"

It is important to note that the --libs option sometimes only returns the link time directory, omitting the run time directory. Therefore, you might have to correct the LDFLAGS variable accordingly.

Remark: Paths contained in PKG_CONFIG_PATH are preferred over the default path by pkg-config. This means if a corresponding *.pc file is found in the PKG_CONFIG_PATH directories, a *.pc with the same name for instance in /usr/lib/pkgconfig will not be considered.

Here is an example:

export CFLAGS=`"pkg-config --cflags gtk+-2.0"`

More details can be found in the pkg-config(1) manpage.


CategoryLXSW

Workstations/Linux/Applications/PKGConfig (last edited 2020-09-10 09:22:14 by bonaccos)