Cmake error: Could NOT find Boost (missing: Boost_INCLUDE_DIR)

Question

I am new to Cmake and Boost. I am now working on a program using cmake and need help.

System: windows 7
Cmake version: 3.16.0-rc1
Boost version: boost_1_71_0. And boost is installed through .exe file.
Gcc version: 4.8.1(rev5, Built by MinGW-W64 project)
Visual studio: vs 2015

When I run cmake .. in build dir, no error occurs. The output is:

The C compiler identification is MSVC 19.0.24215.1
The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.0.24215.1
Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0/VC/bin/cl.exe
Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0/VC/bin/cl.exe -- works
Detecting C compiler ABI info
Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
Detecting C compile features
Detecting C compile features - done
Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0/VC/bin/cl.exe
Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0/VC/bin/cl.exe -- works
Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
Detecting CXX compile features
Detecting CXX compile features - done
Found Boost: C:/local/boost_1_71_0 (found version "1.71.0")  
Boost_Found Success!
Found OpenCV: C:/Users/gph/opencv/binaries (found version "3.4.5") 
Found OpenCV: C:/Users/gph/opencv/binaries (found version "3.4.5") found components: core highgui imgproc videoio 
Configuring done

But I want to use minGW to compile, so When I rum cmake -G "MinGW Makefiles", error occured saying "Could NOT find Boost (missing: Boost_INCLUDE_DIR)". The output is:

The C compiler identification is GNU 4.8.1
The CXX compiler identification is GNU 4.8.1
Check for working C compiler: C:/MinGW/bin/gcc.exe
Check for working C compiler: C:/MinGW/bin/gcc.exe -- works
Detecting C compiler ABI info
Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
Detecting C compile features
Detecting C compile features - done
Check for working CXX compiler: C:/MinGW/bin/g++.exe
Check for working CXX compiler: C:/MinGW/bin/g++.exe -- works
Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
Detecting CXX compile features
Detecting CXX compile features - done
CMake Error at C:/Users/gph/cmake/share/cmake-3.16/Modules/FindPackageHandleStandardArgs.cmake:146 (message):
  Could NOT find Boost (missing: Boost_INCLUDE_DIR)
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  C:/Users/gph/cmake/share/cmake-3.16/Modules/FindPackageHandleStandardArgs.cmake:393 (_FPHSA_FAILURE_MESSAGE)
  C:/Users/gph/cmake/share/cmake-3.16/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:2162 (find_package_handle_standard_args)
  CMakeLists.txt:34 (find_package)


Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "C:/Users/gph/Desktop/libvibe++/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".

How to solve the error when running cmake -G "MinGW Makefiles"? Thanks guys!

Answer 1

I solved this by adding sentence set(BOOST_ROOT C:/local/boost_1_71_0) before find_package(Boost REQUIRED) LOL... But I still wonder why I need to add this.

Answer 2

You can also set variables BOOST_ROOT during the creation of the cmake project (or CMake options in CLion and other IDE). For example:

mkdir buildtest; cd buildtest
cmake -DBOOST_ROOT=/you_path_to_boost/boost ..
cmake --build . -- -j 4