Re: [boost] Library names in system layout on linux

Subject: Re: [boost] Library names in system layout on linux
From: Vladimir Prus (vladimir_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-11-08 03:44:59

Andrey Semashev wrote:

> Vladimir Prus wrote:
>> vicente.botet wrote:
>> 
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> we had discussion about the library names that are produced
>>>> on Linux, with --layout system:
>>>>
>>>> http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.build/19529
>>>>
>>>> Two person who package Boost for different Linuxes participated,
>>>> and I think we've agreed on some changes that will make them,
>>>> and hopefully linux users, a bit happier. Now, with --layout=system,
>>>> the libraries are named like this:
>>>>
>>>> libboost_filesystem_mt.so
>>>>
>>>> The proposal is to:
>>>>
>>>> 1. Drop 'mt', since most libraries are built with MT on Linux, and don't
>>>> use such special decorations.
>>> How will you name the single threaded version?
>> 
>> The same -- like it is done on Linux.
> 
> I'm not quite happy with this. I assume, other libraries don't have the
> configuration flexibility which boost has, therefore reduced mangling is 
> sufficient for them. With boost it can lead to subtle problems when an
> application begins using the wrong library. This small suffix doesn't
> complicate the name too much, so I'd like it to be there. As an
> alternative, we could drop 'mt', but introduce 'st' in single-threaded
> builds.

Recall, we're talking about --layout=system, which is explicitly meant for
system integrators. So it's not a "small suffix", it is "incompatible with
system naming of libraries". There is zillion ways to compile any library,
so this matter is not specific to boost.

It is known that compiled versions of some Boost libraries have different ABI
in ST and MT mode. But then, Boost is not one library of such kind.

- Volodya