[Boost-users] [Python] Unable to use static library of boost.python due to undefined symbols

Subject: [Boost-users] [Python] Unable to use static library of boost.python due to undefined symbols
From: Philipp Münzel (mail_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-10-06 15:14:18

Hi folks,

I'm trying to build a python extension with statically linked
libboost_python on Linux.

I built boost_python with

./bjam -q --layout=system --with-python toolset=gcc variant=release
link=static threading=multi runtime-link=static 	

which results in a 700kb libboost_python.a

Then I try to build the hello world example located at
/libs/python/example/tutorial
but I fail, because their remain undefined symbols, despite the fact I
did define BOOST_PYTHON_STATIC_LIB.

Heres what I did:
$ cat hello.cpp
//  Copyright Joel de Guzman 2002-2004. Distributed under the Boost
//  Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt
//  or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
//  Hello World Example from the tutorial
//  [Joel de Guzman 10/9/2002]

#include <boost/python/module.hpp>
#include <boost/python/def.hpp>

char const* greet()
{
   return "hello, world";
}

BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(hello_ext)
{
    using namespace boost::python;
    def("greet", greet);
}

$ g++ -I/usr/local/include -I/usr/include/python
-DBOOST_PYTHON_STATIC_LIB -fpic -c -o hello.o
hello.cpp
$ g++ -shared -Wl,-soname,"libhello.so" -L/usr/local/lib -lboost_python
-fpic -o libhello.so hello.o
$ nm -u libhello.so
                 U PyString_Type
                 w _Jv_RegisterClasses
                 U _Py_NoneStruct
                 U _Unwind_Resume@@GCC_3.0
                 U _ZN5boost6python6detail11init_moduleEPKcPFvvE
                 U _ZN5boost6python6detail12gcc_demangleEPKc
                 U
_ZN5boost6python6detail17scope_setattr_docEPKcRKNS0_3api6objectES3_
                 U
_ZN5boost6python7objects15function_objectERKNS1_11py_functionE
                 U _ZN5boost6python7objects21py_function_impl_baseD2Ev
                 U _ZN5boost6python9converter19do_return_to_pythonEPKc
                 U _ZN5boost6python9converter8registry5queryENS0_9type_infoE
                 U
_ZNK5boost6python7objects21py_function_impl_base9max_arityEv
                 U
_ZNK5boost6python9converter12registration25expected_from_python_typeEv
                 U _ZTIN5boost6python7objects21py_function_impl_baseE
                 U _ZTIPKc@@CXXABI_1.3
                 U _ZTIc@@CXXABI_1.3
                 U _ZTVN10__cxxabiv120__si_class_type_infoE@@CXXABI_1.3
                 U _ZTVN5boost6python7objects21py_function_impl_baseE
                 U _ZdlPv@@GLIBCXX_3.4
                 U _Znwm@@GLIBCXX_3.4
                 U __cxa_atexit@@GLIBC_2.2.5
                 w __cxa_finalize@@GLIBC_2.2.5
                 U __cxa_guard_abort@@CXXABI_1.3
                 U __cxa_guard_acquire@@CXXABI_1.3
                 U __cxa_guard_release@@CXXABI_1.3
                 w __gmon_start__
                 U __gxx_personality_v0@@CXXABI_1.3
$ python
>>> import libhello
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: ./libhello.so: undefined symbol:
_ZNK5boost6python7objects21py_function_impl_base9max_arityEv

The example works marvellous when using the shared lib of boost_python,
but it has to be a static build for me.

I found a mailing list entry from 2002 mentioning the static build of
boost.python was broken, but that is for sure fixed by now, isn't it?

Regards,
Philipp