Re: [Boost-build] Errors when compiling Boost on Windows with MinGW

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] Errors when compiling Boost on Windows with MinGW
From: Thomas Mang (thomasmang.ng_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-02-28 13:38:12

Am 28.02.2012 15:13, schrieb Lars Viklund:
> On Sun, Feb 26, 2012 at 07:02:44PM +0200, Paul wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>

>
>> I am trying to compile Boost on a windows machine. I have MinGW, with
>> gcc version 4.5.2. I followed the instructions here
>> (http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_49_0/more/getting_started/windows.html),
>> building from source, using Boost version 1.49.0. Step 5.3.1 Install
>> Boost.Build went fine, although I did need to append "mingw" to the
>> bootstrap.bat command, and "--toolset=gcc" to the "b2 install" command.
>> I invoked b2 (again, with "toolset=gcc", but without giving a
>> --build-dir, as the instructions say it isn't strictly necessary if the

Question: Do we need to specify the toolset explicilty when invoking 
bootstrap.bat or not (assuming multiple compilers are installed on a 
system and we want b2 for a non-defaulted compiler such as mingw)? The 
Getting Started documents don't say anything pointing into that direction.

I had defined 'using gcc: 4.6.1 ;' in the user-config.jam file but then 
invoked bootstrap.bat in a plain manner, without any options (though of 
course I had specified the toolset when invoking b2 for building the 
libraries). Does that do the right thing and builds the correct b2, or 
not (it does seem to build exactly the same b2 as if using msvc or 
nothing is defined in user-config.jam, which makes me really wonder a lot)?

I find the Getting Started guide a bit underdocumented and confusing.
Assume multiple compilers are on the same system (e.g. versions of msvc 
and mingw). For Windows, Section 5.3.1 does not point to anything at all 
of specifying toolsets, compilers etc. anywhere when building 
boost.Build (either in user-config.jam or on bootstrap ) -> is that 
generally correct for any compiler combination, or is there something 
important missing? Nor does it in Section 5.2.1 for Linux, and that did 
definitely issue errors when trying to build boost.build for the Intel 
compiler.
Don't get me wrong I love boost, but I think these sections are very 
clearly written in the sense 'simply do these steps' (and I don't see a 
real need of consulting boost.build docs when reading the point-by-point 
instructions) but apparently these might not be the right steps to do; 
at least that's my experience. For the unfamiliar people a bit difficult 
to guess what is right, and what might need adjustments.

Also boost.build documentation is not complete, e.g. does not list 
options available or refers to bjam still instead of b2 in the Getting 
Started guides.

thanks !