How to build boost threads library on AIX 4.3.3 with VisualAge 5

From: robertpsather (tropostropos_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-09-12 05:00:49

Building Boost on AIX is difficult.  Here's a recipe that worked for 
me, for building on the following platform:
Boost source download version 28
AIX 4.3.3 on RS/6000
VisualAge 5.0
Jam: downloaded binary of Boost.Jam  Version 3.1.0. OS=AIX.
bash shell

Building Boost

Setup:  Downloaded version 28 tar.gz file to ~/boost.  Un-gzipped and 
untarred.  Set export BOOST_ROOT=/home/satherb/boost/boost_1_28_0
Attempt:  jam "-sTOOLS=vacpp"
Result:  Many compilation errors, in building of regexp library.  For 
example:
   Error: "libs/regex/build/../src/cpp_regex_traits.cpp", line 
196.39: 1540-0257 (S) An object or reference of 
type "std::messages_base::catalog" cannot be
       initialized with an expression of type "int".
Attempt:  in cpp_regex_traits.cpp", line 196, changed "-1" 
to "(size_t) –1"
Result:  compiler says "cannot be initialised with type unsigned 
long."  for the same line.
Attempt:  Noted that www.boost.org says that threads lib does not 
depend on regex or python.  Edited Jamfile to comment out unnecessary 
targets python and regex.
Result:  Most errors are "Thread support is unavailable".  Looking at 
source indicates this is because BOOST_HAS_THREADS macro is undefined.
Attempt:  export BOOST_HAS_THREADS=1
Result:  same errors.
Attempt:  run ./configure
Result:  configure gives error message that says "compiler does not 
produce output" (or something like that)
However, running configure again worked!  Here were the recent 
settings of environmental variables:
                export BOOST_ROOT=/home/satherb/boost/boost_1_28_0
                export _MT=1
          export CC=xlC_r
          export CXX=xlC
          export _POSIX_THREADS=1
          export LIBS=-lpthread

(I don't know which of these was the key.  If you discover the 
answer, please let me know.)
Attempt: Did as configure suggested:  "Adjustments to boost 
configuration have been written to user.hpp, copy this to 
boost/config/user.hpp to use "as is"  "
Result:  jam still gives "Thread support is unavailable" errors.
Attempt:  added a line to boost/config/user.hpp:  
    #define BOOST_HAS_THREADS 
Result:  builds!

(Don't know yet if it works properly, of course.   The examples don't 
build.)

Bob Sather
bob.sather_at_lloydstsb.delete_this_part.co.uk