Cmake cannot find Boost libraries

Question

I am new to Cmake and boost libraries in C++. I am working on a project that needs boost and Cmake. I am using Cmake version 2.8.11, MS Visual Studio 2013 and Boost 1.54.0. When I try to configure from Cmake, it is giving the following error:

CMake Error at C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1106     (message):
Unable to find the requested Boost libraries.

Boost version: 1.54.0

Boost include path: D:/boost_1_54_0

The following Boost libraries could not be found:

      boost_thread
      boost_system
      boost_log
      boost_log_setup
      boost_program_options

No Boost libraries were found.  You may need to set BOOST_LIBRARYDIR to the
directory containing Boost libraries or BOOST_ROOT to the location of Boost.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:20 (find_package)

I have seen quite a few questions related to mine and tried, but all went in vain. My Cmakelists.txt file looks like this:

################################
# Boost
################################
ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DBOOST_LOG_DYN_LINK)
ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DBoost_USE_STATIC_LIBS=ON)
set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY FIND_LIBRARY_USE_LIB64_PATHS ON)
set(Boost_INCLUDE_DIR D:/boost_1_54_0)
set(Boost_LIBRARY_DIR D:/boost_1_54_0/stage/lib)
find_package( Boost 1.54.0 REQUIRED thread system log log_setup program_options)
find_package( Threads )
INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES( ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR} )
LINK_DIRECTORIES(${Boost_LIBRARY_DIR})

The CMake output after setting Boost_DEBUG ON is as follows:

[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:476 ]     _boost_TEST_VERSIONS = 1.56.0;1.56;1.55.0;1.55;1.54.0;1.54
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:478 ]     Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED = TRUE
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:480 ] Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS = TRUE
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:482 ] Boost_USE_STATIC_RUNTIME = 
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:484 ] Boost_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS = 
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:486 ] Boost_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS = 
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:538 ] Declared as CMake or Environmental Variables:
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:540 ]   BOOST_ROOT = D:/boost_1_54_0
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:542 ]   BOOST_INCLUDEDIR = 
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:544 ]   BOOST_LIBRARYDIR = 
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:546 ] _boost_TEST_VERSIONS = 1.56.0;1.56;1.55.0;1.55;1.54.0;1.54
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:615 ] Include debugging info:
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:617 ]   _boost_INCLUDE_SEARCH_DIRS =    D:/boost_1_54_0/include;D:/boost_1_54_0;PATHS;C:/boost/include;C:/boost;/sw/local/include
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:619 ]   _boost_PATH_SUFFIXES = boost-1_56_0;boost_1_56_0;boost/boost-1_56_0;boost/boost_1_56_0;boost-1_56;boost_1_56;boost/boost-1_56;boost/boost_1_56;boost-1_55_0;boost_1_55_0;boost/boost-1_55_0;boost/boost_1_55_0;boost-1_55;boost_1_55;boost/boost-1_55;boost/boost_1_55;boost-1_54_0;boost_1_54_0;boost/boost-1_54_0;boost/boost_1_54_0;boost-1_54;boost_1_54;boost/boost-1_54;boost/boost_1_54
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:639 ] location of version.hpp: D:/boost_1_54_0/boost/version.hpp
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:663 ] version.hpp reveals boost 1.54.0
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:739 ] guessed _boost_COMPILER = -vc120
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:749 ] _boost_MULTITHREADED = -mt
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:792 ] _boost_RELEASE_ABI_TAG = -
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:794 ] _boost_DEBUG_ABI_TAG = -gd
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:842 ] _boost_LIBRARY_SEARCH_DIRS = D:/boost_1_54_0/lib;D:/boost_1_54_0/stage/lib;D:/boost_1_54_0/lib;D:/boost_1_54_0/../lib;D:/boost_1_54_0/stage/lib;PATHS;C:/boost/lib;C:/boost;/sw/local/lib
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:930 ] Searching for THREAD_LIBRARY_RELEASE: libboost_thread-vc120-mt-1_54;libboost_thread-vc120-mt;libboost_thread-mt-1_54;libboost_thread-mt;libboost_thread;libboost_thread-vc120-mt-s-1_54;libboost_thread-vc120-mt-s;libboost_thread-mt-s-1_54;libboost_thread-mt-s
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:966 ] Searching for THREAD_LIBRARY_DEBUG: libboost_thread-vc120-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_thread-vc120-mt-gd;libboost_thread-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_thread-mt-gd;libboost_thread-mt;libboost_thread;libboost_thread-vc120-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_thread-vc120-mt-s-gd;libboost_thread-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_thread-mt-s-gd
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:930 ] Searching for SYSTEM_LIBRARY_RELEASE: libboost_system-vc120-mt-1_54;libboost_system-vc120-mt;libboost_system-mt-1_54;libboost_system-mt;libboost_system;libboost_system-vc120-mt-s-1_54;libboost_system-vc120-mt-s;libboost_system-mt-s-1_54;libboost_system-mt-s
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:966 ] Searching for SYSTEM_LIBRARY_DEBUG: libboost_system-vc120-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_system-vc120-mt-gd;libboost_system-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_system-mt-gd;libboost_system-mt;libboost_system;libboost_system-vc120-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_system-vc120-mt-s-gd;libboost_system-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_system-mt-s-gd
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:930 ] Searching for LOG_LIBRARY_RELEASE: libboost_log-vc120-mt-1_54;libboost_log-vc120-mt;libboost_log-mt-1_54;libboost_log-mt;libboost_log;libboost_log-vc120-mt-s-1_54;libboost_log-vc120-mt-s;libboost_log-mt-s-1_54;libboost_log-mt-s
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:966 ] Searching for LOG_LIBRARY_DEBUG: libboost_log-vc120-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_log-vc120-mt-gd;libboost_log-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_log-mt-gd;libboost_log-mt;libboost_log;libboost_log-vc120-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_log-vc120-mt-s-gd;libboost_log-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_log-mt-s-gd
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:930 ] Searching for LOG_SETUP_LIBRARY_RELEASE: libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-1_54;libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt;libboost_log_setup-mt-1_54;libboost_log_setup-mt;libboost_log_setup;libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-s-1_54;libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-s;libboost_log_setup-mt-s-1_54;libboost_log_setup-mt-s
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:966 ] Searching for LOG_SETUP_LIBRARY_DEBUG: libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-gd;libboost_log_setup-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_log_setup-mt-gd;libboost_log_setup-mt;libboost_log_setup;libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_log_setup-vc120-mt-s-gd;libboost_log_setup-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_log_setup-mt-s-gd
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:930 ] Searching for PROGRAM_OPTIONS_LIBRARY_RELEASE: libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-1_54;libboost_program_options-vc120-mt;libboost_program_options-mt-1_54;libboost_program_options-mt;libboost_program_options;libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-s-1_54;libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-s;libboost_program_options-mt-s-1_54;libboost_program_options-mt-s
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:966 ] Searching for PROGRAM_OPTIONS_LIBRARY_DEBUG: libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-gd;libboost_program_options-mt-gd-1_54;libboost_program_options-mt-gd;libboost_program_options-mt;libboost_program_options;libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_program_options-vc120-mt-s-gd;libboost_program_options-mt-s-gd-1_54;libboost_program_options-mt-s-gd
[ C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1017 ] Boost_FOUND = 1
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/CMake 2.8/share/cmake-2.8/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:1106  (message):
Unable to find the requested Boost libraries.

Boost version: 1.54.0

Boost include path: D:/boost_1_54_0

The following Boost libraries could not be found:

      boost_thread
      boost_system
      boost_log
      boost_log_setup
      boost_program_options

No Boost libraries were found.  You may need to set BOOST_LIBRARYDIR to the
directory containing Boost libraries or BOOST_ROOT to the location of
Boost.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:26 (find_package)

I have also tried writing set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS ON), but unfortunately it did not help. Suggestions are most welcome. Thanks.

Answer 1

Your configuration looks a bit weird and dirty. Especially things like:

ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DBoost_USE_STATIC_LIBS=ON)

It's not a C/C++ preprocessor definition! It's a CMake variable which is used to control how CMake will define the linkage stage of your project with Boost libraries.

If you properly compiled Boost and didn't mess up anything, then the directory structure usually looks like this:

<boost-dir>
  include
    boost
      accumulators
      ...
      aligned_storage.hpp
      ...
  lib
    libboost_atomic-mt-s.a
    ...

NOTE: The root directory of Boost, <boost-dir>, appears to be D:/boost_1_54_0 in your case.

If in your case it does not look like above, then I'd suggest to rearrange it manually to the one above since, once again, this is how it should be.

When done, let's do some CMake configuration. I suggest to keep things simple and clean in the first place, and obey the CMake conventions. Test the following:

set(BOOST_INCLUDEDIR D:/boost_1_54_0/include)
set(BOOST_LIBRARYDIR D:/boost_1_54_0/lib)

NOTE: You can find thorough description of both of these variables at the top of FindBoost.cmake.

set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS   ON)
set(Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED ON)

NOTE: This is how you enforce static linkage by setting the CMake variable properly, but not like you did by setting a non-existent C/C++ preprocessor definition.

find_package(Boost
             1.54.0
             COMPONENTS thread
                        system
                        log
                        log_setup
                        program_options
             REQUIRED)

include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})

target_link_libraries(<target_name> ${Boost_LIBRARIES})

NOTE: Instead of <target_name>, put the name of the target that you wish to build (executable, static/shared library, etc.).