Re: Newbie help in compiling boost

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-09-17 08:13:54

The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
that has been posted to gmane.comp.lib.boost.user as well.

Murali Krishnan Ganapathy <gmkrishn_at_[hidden]> writes:

> I have traced the problem with mkdir, though whether the build
> completes or not,
> only time will tell (it is currently building the python and the C
> libraries).
>
> The problem with mkdir still baffles me. It is to do with the %TEMP%
> or %TMP% variable.
> On my machine both %TEMP% and %TMP% expand to "C:\Documents and
> Settings\Maha & Murali\..."
> I confirm this when I see the "environment variables" listing
> (My Computer -> Properites -> Advanced -> Environment Variables). However
> when I do a "SET" on the command prompt %TEMP% expands to "C:\DOCUME~1\..."
> the underlying DOS file name.
>
> I guess boost.jam creates the directory in TEMP and then moves it over
> (why?).

It doesn't. 

> When boost.jam tries to make a directory it tries to access %TEMP%.
> Machine complains that there is no "C;\DOCUME~1\...." (it is not
> checking the 8.3 version I guess)
> and the mkdir1 fails.

The exact command being executed by bjam is:

mkdir "C:\Boost"

However, bjam is writing this command into a temporary .CMD file in
%TEMP% before executing it. Probably that's what's failing.

> The work around is to have a simple %TEMP% and %TMP%.
> I reset %TEMP% and %TMP% to "C:\Temp" (no spaces and less than 8
> chars), now boost is
> building as I write this.
>
> I guess this should be considered as a minor bug in bjam?

Maybe so. Any Win/DOS experts out there who can suggest a correct
fix?

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com