[pkg-boost-devel] Bug#593876: Bug#593876: libboost-filesystem-dev: Undeclared indirect dependency of boost_filesystem on boost_system causes link failure

[Steve M. Robbins]

> Why is this a problem?
> 
> The fact that boost_filesystem depends upon boost_system is an
> internal implementation detail that is exposed in the public headers--
> I'm not making direct use of it myself.

Let me see if I can paraphrase this.

1. Library A depends on Library B for some implementation details.
   Today -- at least with shared libs -- that detail is hidden by the
   shared library's dependency, a well known mechanism used for this
   purpose for ages.

2. The linker has been "improved" such that the above mechanism is
   broken.

3. You now want a new mechanism to capture this dependency.


I can't say I'm very much impressed by the improvements ...


(The above is, of course, slightly tongue-in-cheek and I don't
intend it as an attack on you, Roger ... unless you're also
responsible for the linker "improvements" ... :-))


> This is one place where proper support for pkg-config by Boost would
> be invaluable: all this specific knowledge would be exposed to the
> user in a form which would allow correct integration with project
> build systems, including autoconf/automake support for free.
> 
> I appreciate that this is difficult to fix directly in Debian, so
> please do forward this upstream if you feel it necessary.

The request for pkg-config is already made some 4 years ago in Debian
(bug #350539) and 3 years ago in Boost (ticket #1094).  

This cause needs a champion who understands pkg-config (not me!) to
work with upstream.  

Cheers,
-Steve
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 190 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-boost-devel/attachments/20100822/15772a85/attachment.pgp>